GOT SNOW? FEED THE WILD BIRDS!

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

Good morning Scapers! :hi: Did you get lots of snow yesterday? We got almost 15" here and it's beautiful! Just remember our little feathered friends today. It's very difficult for the birds to find something to eat when the ground is covered with deep snow. Clear out a nice spot in your yard and feed the wild birds. They will be very grateful! I have two places in my back yard and I have lots of birds visiting these feeding areas. Give it a try and you will be rewarded with an interesting and fun to watch area in your yard. :yes: I'm getting Cardinals, Blue Jays, Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Chickades, Titmices and Pidgeons. I'm sure the diverse populations will increase as the day goes on. :aok:
I'll try to take some pics and post them later today. :D

ETA: If you don't have bird seed, you can still feed the birds. They will eat anything cereal based. Throw out popcorn, old breakfast cereal, old bread, oatmeal, cookies (NO chocolate please), potato chip, corn chips, rice. I've even seen them eat dry pet food if it's small enough. Clean out all that old stuff stuff in the back of the pantry and in the cabinets!

[JadedLegend3]

Done, Girlie. :) Although it got buried, so I have to go out and clean off the snow. :D

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

:hug2: :applaud:

[mgraylorn]

We go through a lot of birdseed in the winter time. We have two feeders, one we put thistle seed in for the finches and the other we put regular and "gourmet" bird seed in for the others. The fancy stuff is named "Trail Mix" and also contains nuts and dried fruit. It smells good enough to eat for me! The nuts and fruit also attracts woodpeckers in addition to cardnals and bluejays.

We get red headed and downey woodpeckers, cardnals, blue jays, tons of sparrows, house and gold finches, titmice, mourning doves, chickadees, and nuthatches, among occasional others. Sadly all the construction in our neighborhood has driven out the redwing blackbirds and most of the bluebirds.

[BrowderChick]

One note. Rice is not a good thing to feed birds. It tends to expand in their stomachs. :(

But all the other stuff listed above will be good. :yes:

And dont forget to put stuff out for the squirrels and other wild animals to eat as well. :yes:

[zahncrelnik]

Thank you for the suggestion. We should try to remember the
wild creatures who struggle to find food when there is too much
snow!
Very good idea, I-am-so-Johns-girl!!

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

One note. Rice is not a good thing to feed birds. It tends to expand in their stomachs. :(

But all the other stuff listed above will be good. :yes:

And dont forget to put stuff out for the squirrels and other wild animals to eat as well. :yes:
Thanks for the info BC....I didn't know that about rice! :no:
My feeders have been very busy. They all seem to want the sunflower seeds the most, so I always buy a 50 lb bag of them to mix in with the regular bird seed mix. You should see the ground around the feeders...it must be 4 inches deep in sunflower seed hulls!!! :D

[BrowderChick]

At my parents place (whether it was home or camp..whereever) there was always a bunch of feeders and birdhouses. There were always birds and animals around. Dad used to let them come right to the door and hand feed them. They spent alot on food for them. It was food for the animals and comfort and entertainment for them. At the camp there are tons of hummingbirds too. They are fun to watch.

[zahncrelnik]

I have salt-free peanuts that I put out for the squirrels
at the nursing home where my Mom lives.

I'll have to clean out the pantry and see what else I can find...

[I-am-so-Johns-girl]

I get so much pleasure out of feeding the animals too! :aok: I probably spend too much money but I just can't help myself. I will stand around looking out my windows and enjoy watching the birds and squirrels eat. Still haven't seen any squirrels since saturday though! :shrug:

[BrowderChick]

Too cold for them to be out. Brrrrr...

[mgraylorn]

I've seen squirrels, deer, rabbits and oposums eating fallen seed under the feeders. When our oldest cat was still a stray, we saw him eating stale potato chips under the feeder.

[Pip_The_Great]

This summer we tilled the meadow infront of our house and planted oats so when we went back and mowed, the hay would be better. Unfortunately, all the deer and wild turkeys ate it instead, lol. It was always fun to be heading to work in the morning and see about six deer and a dozen turkey having breakfast :)