Feed the Birds

There are many tiny birds that scrounge for seed in the garden in the winter. Even when there is a skiff of snow, they are out there scratching like chickens looking for a meal. Tossing them some millet is nice, so they don't have to work so hard. A feeder with black sunflower seeds for the tiny birds, like the gold finches, the purple finch and the chickadee. And then there is the mix of grain, millet, sunflower seeds, etc. Suet will put a little fat on their bones. In Kingston, we had two bird feeders: black sunflower seed, and a millet mix. We also hung suet. Now we had a problem with raccoons climbing the tree and pulling down the feeders, so we tried those poles, and wires to hang feeders from the eves. The crows where a stitch, landing on the suet feeder, hanging upside down, getting a few pecks in then falling and flying off. Even the flickers would try this acrobatic feeding pose. If you have cats, put bells on their necks. You always loose a few birds, which is sad.

Now having piliated woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers around is great. Only the small wood peckers would ate at the suet, but the big ones seemed to come around when there was lots of activity. I didn't like it when the starlings came in—always such big flocks eating everything.

Now, I don't have a bird feeder, but planting sunflowers in the garden provides food for the birds. Just leave the stalks there and let the heads dry. The seed will dry and the birds will come. It's so sweet to see a chickadee on a big sunflower head picking out the seed. Other seed that's good in the garden is weed seed. Now you know I'm the bad gardener, although Mike is going to help me get the plot together, then there won't be so much seed for the birds. It will be pristine. Now the snow and ice is on the garden, but that's okay—it won't be here long. And very cold weather is supposed to kill certain bugs that can become pests. So a little good cold is fine for the garden. And you can sit inside and drink tea and watch the birds.

Okay, happy gardening and be sure to remember the birds. See A Guide to Pacific Northwest Birds for identification.

Flower