Learning to attract
the birds of winter

EACH YEAR, summer comes and
goes inthe blink of an eye, Before
we know it, the long. fazy days of
the season are ever and autumn is
upon us, bringing shorter days and
colder weather.

Although we know the weather
can affect us humias, the falh and
winter seasons can also be rough on
our backyard birds,

An often dramatic decrease in
the supply of natural foods and
fewer daylight hours mike it diffi-
cult for birds to find food sources.

We can help out our feathered
friends and benefit at the same time
by providing them with food and
partaking in the entertaining and
relaxing bobby of bird watching,

Bird Feeders

Actually, fall is the best time to
stact feeding birds, because they
have yet to sete down in their win-
ter territories and have not fixed
their habits of searching for food.

If you setup a bird feeder in
early autumn and keep it filled with
food you can attract many winter
ing birds that will become accus-
tomed to visiting before cold
weather actually begins.

Then, as the fall turns into: win-
ter, those birds will usually eleet to
remain where they know there
ample supply of tasty. accessible
food.

Hf you are just starting. you mity
not attract as many birds this year
as you will next winter,

Though generally not difficult to
make from scratch or assemble
from a kit, even a simple bird feed-
er can he a time-consuming project.

Ornate, preassembled and large-
scale bird feeders can be bought.
but they are costly and more likely
to be used by longtime bird watch-
er i

An easier, less expensive option
is to purchase a ready-to-use, pre-
Filled plastic bird feeder tilled with
a well-balanced. nutritious selec-
tion of bird food so that it lures the
widest variety of song birds.

This type of feeder is also a
good choice if il dispenses the seed
mix only when needed,

This protects the seed from the
damaging effects of rain and snow,
or contamination by bird waste,
And, when empty, the durable feed-
er can be refilled at minimal cost or
put out with the recyclables,

Once you've assembled or pur-
chased a bird feeder, scout your
vard for the best hanging locations.

Keep in mind that a feeder
should Be hung in areas that are out

_ af reach for squirrels. mice and
cats. :

The feeder should also be placed
in areas of abundant natural shelter,
such as trees and hedges. This is
especially important in the fall and
winler months as. the shrubbery
serves as protection against the cold
winds and rainstorms of the season,

Bird Baths

After you have the feeder in
place, you may want to consider
setling up a bird bath in your yard.

. This will serve as an additional
attraction for bird visitors, provid-
ing them with a place to stop for a
quick drink or to clean their feath-
ers. ; :

Onc thing to remember while
maintaining a bird bath during the
fall and winter months is that it
must be kept thawed if the tempera-
ture drops below the freezing mark,

One way to do this is by adding
hot water to the bath every so often

during particularly cold times of the °

winter, Hf you set up your bird bath
ona window shelf, you won't need

“to venture outside in cold or wet
weather.

Atthough this method will suf
fice. a more convenient, and rela
ively inexpensive way to keep the
bath thawed is by investing ina
waterproof electrical heater.

‘This is a good choice beeatuse it
keeps water ata certain, even tem
perature, These heaters can be pur-
chased at aquarium supply stores,

Bitegtnll. . ke 4 <
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Friday, February 11, 1994 - North Shore News — 15

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