Bird Feeding in the Fall
Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Here's your outdoor tip on feeding birds in the fall.
There’s nothing like sitting by your window in the winter enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea and watching the birds in your backyard enjoying the food you have put out for them to dine on in the cold months when foraging for food is difficult. You can enjoy birds visiting your backyard all winter if you start them out correctly in the fall.
It’s important that you do not wait until the winter months to feed birds in your backyard. As the days grow shorter in the fall, the birds start to realize that cold weather is coming and they start to identify potential sources of food for the winter months. They may not spend much time at your feeder yet, as they are out in the fields feasting on seeds, berries and insects. But they are definitely scouting sources of food they can come to when their natural sources of meals become scarce.
At the same time when food becomes harder to find in the wild, cold weather increases a bird’s need for calories. Insects stop flying and the wigglers in the ground move far below the surface. In the colder climates ice seals seeds and wild fruits away from birds’ access. Snow may cover up ready access to grounds stores of food.
The fall inventory that birds take is very important to their locating alternative food sources in the winter. If they find your yard is worth visiting in the fall, they will continue to come for its winter bounty of food. You’ll find that the first main rush of cold will bring them to you. And they will be there for you to enjoy throughout the winter.
If you wait for the cold to arrive before you start to stock their food stores in your yard, the birds may not every realize that the food is there. The stress of cold weather keeps them from extensive exploring. They save their energy going to a place that they identified in the fall as being productive food sources. Birds may never find your stuffed feeder all winter unless you start early in the fall.
Seeds should include sunflower, white millet, safflower, cracked corn and broken nuts. You can hang suet in baskets for wood peckers and try some fruits chopped up. Regular feeding will keep them coming through the cold months.
Providing a source of unfrozen water may be one of the best ways to get birds into your yard. You will need to check it daily, but it may be one of the best ways to keep the birds coming. You may need to add a heater in colder climates to keep the water open.
Each region will have different birds come in the winter. Some will be short-time visitors as they migrate through, but others will stay for the cold season. You’ll find that thick bushes and evergreens will encourage many different birds that are looking for shelter.
You can spend as much or little money as you wish on a feeder. Some people may just toss the feed on the ground. One of the main considerations is to place the food somewhere where it will remain dry. Putting food in a variety of places will bring a great variety of your feathered friends. Each species will have a preference for a different location.
One of the key things is to place the bird food where you can see it from your house. Then whatever the weather, you will be able to enjoy seeing your hungry visitors come for their winter meal.
This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Additional outdoor tips can be received by subscribing to the Outdoor Professor Tips on iTunes or Stitcher. If you enjoy outdoor tips, please leave a positive review at these sites.
References-Additional Reading
Feeding Birds in the Fall
http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/birdfeedingfall.html
Autum Feeding Tips
http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/Autumn-Bird-Feeding-Tips.htm
Bird-Feeding Basics
http://getintobirds.audubon.org/bird-feeding-basics
No comments:
Post a Comment