Winter birds are on their way here
By Jennifer Howard

A bird sits on a branch while light snow falls.

Well as much as some of us hate to say it, winter is coming along soon. The temperatures are getting colder, and we have had a couple of mornings here with frost. Winter birds are arriving in our yards, and our summer birds have left, or are in the process of migration.

Colder temperatures mean hungry birds. Nothing like sitting in your window with a cup of tea

watching your feathered friends; it's great therapy. l have a mother in a nursing home.

When the birds visit where she can see them, it makes her day. They remind her of the days she could feed them. Good memories. It is a proven fact that our feathered and furry friends are terrific therapy!

It is an easy thing to attract birds to your yard. You don't need to spend a lot on feeders. An

assortment of food is good to offer though. But if you don't want to go that far, black oiled sunflower is the best for you.

Black oiled sunflower seeds are loved by most birds.

Mourning doves love cracked corn off the ground or platform feeders, cardinals love safflower seed. Finches love niger. To attract woodpeckers, you can hang up suet feeders and peanut feeders. They love it.

Of course the squirrels love to eat too. l feed them on the ground and use corn, and peanuts either in or out of the shell. Caged feeders are hard for them to get at. But they are cleaver little guys. l have fed for years and it seems to work for me. l feed them all. Not to say l don't have my days, but they need to eat too. It can be quite comical, one big happy family.

Winter feeding can be a challenge when you get a large amount of snow. You need to keep those feeders clear so the birds can get to the food.

And l always try to keep some water available too. There are heaters available to keep the bird bath open, if you choose to do that.

l build shelters out of natural materials for the winter months.

Sticks and brush piles, covered with various evergreen boughs, l sprinkle the seeds under and around these so they have protection from the harsh winds and snow if need be, and can also be a protected area for them from flying predators.

Casualties are inevitable, however birds of prey also need to survive the harsh winters.

Of course l am talking about ground feeders - morning doves, juncos and sparrows - to name just a few. The hangers, you just have to keep going out and clearing off. You can also make treats for birds. A great treat that chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches love is a pine cone coated in peanut butter (not too much) and rolled in nuts and sunflower. This is great activity you can do with the kids.

It gets them into nature as well.

Make sure your feeders are safe, a major problem is the domestic cat. l have cats that l keep indoors and when the good weather rolls around we have a screened in porch that they love.

During winter they love to watch the birds from inside. Ninety-nine per cent of the people l know with cats keep them indoors.

Cats live longer and are healthier that way.

Ask any wildlife rehab place about the damage done by cats.

It is a constant battle. Of course the cat is doing what comes natural to it.

It is up to us to keep our feathered friends safe, as well as our cats.

Dogs can also be a problem, just not as often. And they can be taught. l actually have a bell for my dog to warn everyone when he is out. So far so good. There are ways. With cats, keeping them in is best. l love them all.

Animals are my life, my peace of mind, and we can all live together. Bird Studies Canada has Project FeederWatch that is starting up Nov. 11. You can find out more about joining by going onto their website and finding the link to the project.

Want to plant food for birds, plant juniper, mountain ash, and sumac just to name a few? Leave your seed plants like cone flowers, back eyed susan's, marigolds and goldenrod in for the winter.

Finches, chickadees and cardinals love them. Birds you can expect here in Innisfil include American goldfinches, black capped chickadees, blue jays, common redpolls, hairy and downy woodpeckers, red bellied and pileated woodpeckers, house finches, house sparrows, northern cardinals, mourning doves, pine siskins, red and white breasted nuthatches, song sparrows, starlings, crows, tree sparrows and purple finches.

l'm sure there are more than this but the list goes on. Areas are different in what birds they get sometimes. Important things to remember though, keep the food fresh, dry and clean. Keep it in a safe place, away from predators, and keep feeding once you start. In bad weather, birds will depend on your giving them what they need for survival. The feeders are endless, shop

around and pick what is best suited for you. Fill them up, sit back and enjoy! You'll be hooked for a lifetime of beauty in no time.