I write a kid's column for
Two-Lane' Livin' Magazine.
For the January issue, I wrote about feeding our feathered friends.
With the weather and cold the way it is, I thought this would be a good time to post it.
FEEDING OUR FEATHERED
FRIENDS
Why did the little bird get in trouble at school? He got caught peeping on a test.
Have you ever heard of the
expression, “Eating like a bird?”
How exactly does a bird eat?
First, birds do not have teeth. I bet you already knew that. They have a
high metabolism and low levels of body fat, so they do not have much stored
energy and cannot go more than a couple of days without food. They eat until
bedtime and start feasting as soon as they wake up, eating hundreds of tiny
seeds throughout the day. We have bird feeders, and I notice that certain times
of the day we are more likely to see birds eating than at other times.
What’s for supper?
The shape of their bill gives you a clue as to what they eat. Birds that
eat seeds tend to have a thick cone-shaped bill that is good for cracking
seeds. Cardinals, finches and sparrows are birds that eat seeds all year long. The
seed that attracts the widest variety of birds is sunflower. The black oil sunflower seeds have thin shells
and are easy to crack open. They have high fat content and are very good for
birds. Woodpeckers, nuthatches and black-capped chickadees love suet. And from
experience, I know blue jays and titmice love peanuts. Seed-eating birds need grit to help digest
their food. Eggshells are an excellent source of grit and calcium. Crush cleaned
eggshells from hard boiled eggs. If eggs are not boiled, bake the washed shells
in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes until dry, but not brown. Crush into small
pieces and place outside.
Keep an eagle eye on your feeders!
See if you can identify the types of birds that come to eat. Birds come
in all shapes, sizes and colors. A bird guide can help you identify them.
Make it!
If you do not have a bird feeder, building one would be a good project when
the wind is howling and it is too cold for playing outside in the snow. To make
an easy feeder, with adult supervision, cut holes (2-4 inches wide) out of the
sides of a clean, empty milk jug. Make a small hole beneath each opening to
insert dowel rods for perches. Punch drain holes in the bottom and fill the jug
with seeds and hang in a nearby tree.
Watch out for backyard bandits!
Cats love to ambush birds while they feed. And, although peanuts are very popular with
blue jays and titmice, other animals also like them. Keep your feeders near the
shelter of bushes and trees, but not so close that their enemies can jump out
and ambush them. Remember to keep your
feeders clean and also provide water for birds in the winter.
Winter can be a hard time
for birds. Days are short and nights are
cold and long. Providing them with food is not only a fun activity, but helps
provide birds the energy to keep warm.
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We had a surprise this morning. We have seen or heard of squirrels and deer eating at or around bird feeders . . . But, a rabbit?
I love our woodpeckers
Here is my milk jug feeder
most all the birds visit it
I have seen juncos, titmice, cardinals, blue jays, finches, woodpeckers, doves, blackbirds, towhees, starlings, etc. at my feeders.
Are you feeding the birds? What birds are your favorite to watch?
