Winter Bird Feeding

By Rosemary Conroy on Friday, September 23, 2005.

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Planning ahead can make a real difference in attracting birds to your yard and garden. That's why fall is a great time to get ready for winter feeding- and, believe it or not, next spring's nesting season.

Welcome to this week's edition of Something Wild. I'm Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Planning ahead can make a real difference in attracting birds to your yard and garden. That's why fall is a great time to get ready for winter feeding- and, believe it or not, next spring's nesting season.

If you plan to feed birds this winter, take a look around at where you place those sunflower seeds and suet. Most birds prefer some type of cover- feeders placed out in the open won't attract as many chickadees and nuthatches as those with shrubs or trees nearby.

Birds like to have a jumping-off place and easy access to cover from predators.

Next, as you clean up your perennial beds, consider leaving the flower seed heads. I know most gardeners like to tidy up, but those seed heads can be an important food for songbirds. Since you really shouldn't put up your feeders until the bears go to sleep, those seed heads can provide for your feathered friends without attracting the neighborhood bruins.

And leave your hummingbird feeders up too, until the hard frosts hit. Many ruby-throats migrate right through October and will appreciate the extra boost. Even better, they'll be more likely to visit you again on their way back next spring.

And speaking of that long off-season, clean out your nest boxes now, so they'll be ready then. Some birders believe that migrating bluebirds often check out what's available as they pass through in the fall, so spiffing up those boxes now may mean more bluebirds next year.

Another good idea is to plant shrubs this fall that will provide food for the birds next spring and summer. Look for native berry-bearing bushes, and they'll give you the least trouble- and the best payoff.

Finally, consider adding a birdbath or other water feature- hardly anything attracts birds better.

Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, New Hampshire Audubon and New Hampshire Public Radio. For Something Wild, I'm Rosemary Conroy.