Cheap Fun!

Are you looking for some winter fun that is low cost, extremely satisfying, and even stress reducing? I have a solution for you and all the information to get you started.

You don’t need a TV to bring that nature show into your living room. Just hang a bird feeder or two outside your window and you will bring nature to you. I have about 20 different kinds of birds outside my kitchen window every day. Watching the little guys is fun, interesting, educational, relaxing, and sometimes even funny.

Here is a list of the most frequent birds that I have seen at my feeders, and the ones that you can probably expect to see too (in order of quantity). Goldfinches, doves, Bluebirds, woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Red-headed, Northern Flicker, Pileated, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker), Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Carolina wrens. There are more; those are just the most common visitors to birdfeeders.

If you would like to see some of these guys outside your window, here are my recommendations to get started. Even if you are already feeding birds, some of these suggestions might help.

You will get the largest variety of birds by using several different types of feeders. Ground feeders attract birds that like to eat on the ground like Doves, Juncos, Cardinals and Carolina Chickadees. Hanging feeders and platform feeders are preferred by Titmice, Chickadees, and others. For goldfinches you will want special nyjer seed feeders. Bluebirds, woodpeckers, and Titmice come to suet feeders. Bluebirds really love live mealworms on a tray feeder on your deck. Watch out for low-priced mixed seed. These often contain lots of “filler” seed like milo, red millet, wheat, or oats that most birds just scatter on the ground and don’t eat. You can’t go wrong with Black Oil Sunflower seeds.

Squirrels a problem? I have solved that problem completely. All of my feeders are on poles with predator guards and beyond jumping distance from trees. I have plenty of squirrels near my house but never a one in any feeder. You can feed squirrels corn at a separate location if that is your thing.

If you put seed on the ground or on a low platform feeder you will get an added bonus (or problem) depending on your outlook. I scatter a little seed on the ground for the ground feeding birds. The bonus for me is at night I have seen raccoons, skunks, and possums in my backyard looking for whatever the birds didn’t get. Deer will eat birdseed too.

Get a good bird book. I like Birds of Tennessee Field Guide or Stokes Field Guide to Birds – Eastern Region. Both have great pictures instead of just drawings.

Birds really don’t need us to feed them to survive the winter, but there are some studies that say the winter survival rate is slightly higher when bird feeders are available. My theory is that bird feeding is more important to our winter survival rate. With bird feeding you will ward off cabin fever, golf withdrawal syndrome, spousal overdose, and general malaise. Nature has a way of soothing all of those ills – and you can’t beat the cost.