Have you prepped birds for the snowstorm?

A hopper feeder provides shelter

Bread, milk and eggs. Humans flock to grocery stores every time a snowstorm is forecast. But what do birds do when snowstorms strike? What can you do to make their lives a little easier?

For birds, living in deep snow is like living in a desert: no food, no water, extreme temperatures. At a time when a bird's need for calories is at its greatest, natural sources of food are the scarcest. Most berries, fruits and nuts have been consumed by now. Snow will cover most naturally occurring seed. Water is frozen and the nights may be windy and bitterly cold.

When snow begins falling, birds hunker down in any safe place: a thick hedge, a dense evergreen tree or even beneath a carport or a porch roof. Birds that nest in cavities—chickadees, wrens, bluebirds and woodpeckers, for instance—can retreat to their usual homes in trees. For other species, spruces and junipers are a favorite shelter. The thick foliage keeps the ground snow free. Birds may even find a few windblown seeds beneath the shrub.

Birds tend to congregate when it snows or becomes cold. They huddle together for warmth. This practice also helps them keep an eye out for predators.

Feeders galore!

Birds can eat snow to survive from dehydration, but it takes a great deal of energy to warm the snow and restore body temperature. You're familiar with that experience when you eat a frozen treat to cool off on a hot summer's day. Birds may have to fly long distances to find unfrozen water sources such as creeks, ponds or rivers. That of course consumes a lot of energy which is in short supply. 

Water is important not just for hydration. Birds use water to preen their feathers to maximize fluffy insulation and improve aerodynamic flight.

Here are a few things that you can do to help birds weather the storm.

Keep feeders filled. Before and after the storm hits, provide plenty of food using seed blends that accommodate the widest variety of species. Black oil sunflower seed—or mixes heavy in that seed—provide fat that is converted into energy. A mix that contains dried cherries or other fruit is helpful. Peanuts have fat too. Be sure to keep tube and hopper feeders full.

Platform-style feeders present a different challenge. Unless they have a protective cover, they quickly become buried by the snow. Make sure to brush off the snow as soon as the storm ends. Then fill the platform. If the platform feeder hangs high above the ground, rely on mixes containing black-oil sunflower, white millet and shelled peanuts. Cardinals, blue jays, Mourning Doves and even bluebirds will benefit. If the platform is at ground level, include a greater proportion of white millet. This seed is the favorite of ground-feeding birds such as juncos, doves and sparrows.

Tamp down snow to help ground-feeding birds

Also, make sure to shovel or tamp down snow around the feeders. Give a wide berth. Any seed that falls to the ground from overhead feeders will eagerly be eaten. If fact, you can scatter some white millet seed directly on the ground.

Two cautionary notes: Do not use seed mixes that contain red milo or red millet seed. You can identify these seeds by their round shape and reddish cast. Most songbirds do not eat these seeds. Many big-box stores use them as fillers in a seed mix. You're wasting you money buying these blends. Also, do not feed bread crumbs to birds. Bread has no nutritional value for birds. It may fill their stomachs but it lacks the fat and protein required to generate energy that will keep the birds alive during inclement weather.

Don't forget suet! Cakes of suet (or suet nuggets) have a high concentration of fat and other readily digestible ingredients that birds welcome. Most wintertime suet cakes are high in rendered beef fat. They also may be mixed with peanut butter, berries, nuts or dried insects. Inexpensive suet cages can be hung from an existing shepherd's hook or beneath even the smallest tree limb. 

If you have a heated bird bath, make sure it is plugged in and the cord connections are safely secured from the weather. Fill the bath fully. During the snowstorm, the heater in the bath will automatically melt the snow and keep the bowl free of ice.

Bird baths are popular

Another option is to buy a heating element that can be inserted into a regular bird bath. Just make sure the bath is not made of ceramic or pottery. In a pinch, a heating element can be created in any shallow freeze-proof bowl. If the bowl is deep, place a few pebbles in the bottom so birds can feel comfortable alighting and perching.

The Bird House has 50 percent off on heating elements and any remaining heated bird baths in stock.

You may have noticed the sight of numerous robins on lawns lately. Earthworms and larvae—the robins' favorite food during warm months—have yet to emerge from the depths of the frozen soil. Robins will eat seed or berries if the food is placed on the ground. Robins don't usually eat from tube feeders, hopper feeders or any feeder high above the ground.

It is fortunate for the birds—and for us humans too—that the storm probably will be the last one of the season. The snow may last on the ground for a little while longer however. Usually by this time of year, the average daily temperature reaches into the upper 40s in the day—enough to melt the snow. Temperatures fall into the upper 20s overnight. AccuWeather forecasters say we probably won't come close to those readings until next week. Be prepared to keep your feeders well stocked and your baths full in the meantime.

Holiday gift idea: bird feeders

If you'd like to bring a bit of nature to your backyard, bird feeding is a must! You can scatter seed on the ground. But that comes with problems. Leftover seed may be consumed by critters of the night—ones that you'd rather not have around your property. Or the seed may become moldy. That won't entice the birds.

Using bird feeders is a better solution. Feeders can be designed for beauty or for utility. Or both. There are a lot of gift-giving options for the bird lovers on your Christmas list.

There are five basic types of feeders for use in the backyard:

• Tube feeders
• Hopper feeders
• Platform feeders
• Suet feeders
• Feeders designed for specific birds

Squirrel Buster Plus

Let's start with tube feeders. These can be hung from a shepherd's hook or a tree limb. Some can attached to the top of a metal pole. Here are a just a few of the models of tube feeders available at The Bird House.

Bothered by squirrels? The family of Squirrel Buster products is a solution. When a squirrel climbs onto the feeder's perch, its weight automatically forces down a metal shroud, closing the seed ports. The squirrel is foiled. The weight can be adjusted to keep out unwanted birds as well. The feeder is all metal, except for the chew-proof polycarbonate tube. It has a lifetime warranty. We've had a lot of customer satisfaction from these feeders. Four different sizes are available.

Droll Yankees Flipper

Another squirrel-proof line of products comes from Droll Yankees. At first glance, the Flipper seems like other feeders: a powder-coated metal cap and bottom, a UV-stabilized polycarbonate tube and solid metal perches. Birds can perch freely. However, when a squirrel alights, its weight triggers a battery-powered motor to spin the little critter until it loses its grip and is thrown gently onto the ground.

A similar Droll Yankees product, the Whipper, has four covered perches that enables cardinals and other small songbirds to eat. Each perch is individually sprung and calibrated to collapse when a squirrel tries to alight. Made in the United States, Droll Yankees offers a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage.

Caged tube feeder

Another way of dealing with squirrels is to encase the tube feeder in a metal cage. The mesh of the cage is wide enough for finches, chickadees, nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, siskins, sparrows and other small birds to enter. However squirrels—as well as larger birds such as starlings—cannot get in. The feeder is refilled by simply lifting the metal cap.

If you are lucky enough to not have a squirrel problem (or if you use a baffle to block squirrels from your feeder, try one of the Droll Yankees tube feeders. They range in size from 15 inches long to 23 inches and have four to six seed ports. The newest model, the Pull Ring feeder, features rustproof metal parts and a polycarbonate tube. It's easy to clean. Just pull the rod and the tube comes apart. Assembled in the United States, the feeder has a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage.


Hopper Feeders

Cedar hopper feeder

Hopper feeders are both attractive and functional. Some birds, such as cardinals and Mourning Doves, are more comfortable landing of a wide, flat perch. 

We carry several styles of hopper feeders from American manufacturers. The feeders attract cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, titmice, Mourning Doves, towhees and Downy Woodpeckers.

Birds Choice, for instance, has two different sizes of hopper feeders made of durable, long-lasting cedar. 

Fly-thru feeder

Made in the United States, the feeder is assembled with UV-resistant polycarbonate panels, weather-resistant screws and plastic-coated steel cable. As with the tube feeders, the hopper feeders can be filled with black oil sunflower seed, sunflower chips, safflower or white millet seeds, or cracked corn.

Several hopper feeders are built of 5/8-inch polylumber, a recycled material made of plastic jugs and bottles. (Some of the larger feeders reuse 31 milk jugs!) Birds Choice's hopper feeders have a lifetime guarantee never to split, crack or fade. They come in a variety of colors, including taupe and green. Some have attractive red or blue roofs.

"Fly-thru" feeders allow birds to enter and feed as they please. They have no walls, just a roof and a bottom. The bottoms are made of rust-resistant metal mesh to drain water away from the seed. Smaller ones can be hung these from shepherd's hooks or trees. Larger ones must be placed on the top of 4x4 posts.

Platform Feeders

Platform feeder

For some birds, flat platforms—with no roofs—serve as ideal feeders. The platform feeders can be made of cedar or polylumber. They have rust-resistant screws and mesh screens for drainage. Some sit on legs close to the ground. Others hang from shepherd's hooks or from tree limbs. Others are placed atop metal poles or 4-x-4 posts.

One advantage is that any kind of seed can be offered to the birds, even shelled peanuts, which are favorites of Blue Jays, a beautiful bird, noisy as it is. A ground-level platform feeder may attract birds accustomed to pecking for seed down low. For instance, juncos, cardinals, sparrows and Mourning Doves will come to this feeder.

Suet Feeders

If you are not offering suet at your bird feeder, you are missing out on a lot of bird-watching action. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, chickadees and sparrows love suet. 

Caged suet feeder

Suet consists mostly of rendered beef. However other ingredients are added to made the bird's meal an even more enticing experience. Some suet contains peanuts, almonds, insects or blueberries, Another type contains a mixture of fruit, berries and nuts. If you have squirrel problems, try hot pepper suit. It's too spicy for squirrels but songbirds have few tastebuds so they don't mind. (A friend used to hang hot pepper suet on a 3-foot-high post. Squirrels never touched it but the birds did.) 

One cake actually contains relatively little suet. It's especially for woodpeckers: held together by glycerine, the cake consists of peanuts, sunflower chips and corn.

If squirrels or starlings are a problem, caged suet feeders are the solution. Several models have two cakes of suet encased by a cage made of powered-coated or galvanized metal. The metal roof both protects the suet from rain and keeps the squirrels out. The feeders are easy to refill.

Woodpecker feeders

Tail-prop woodpecker feeder

Some birds have their own feeding preferences. Naturally manufacturers have stepped forward to make the birds' job easier.

Birds Choice's Woodpecker Feeder, for instance, is made of long-lasting cedar and heavy-duty acrylic panels. Woodpeckers feed from each end; the feeder has a long base because woodpeckers use their tails to stabilize themselves while they feed or cling to trees.

One of the most popular woodpecker feeder is the Birds Choice "tail prop" feeder. Made in the United States, of polylumber and rust-proof coated wire mesh, the feeder holds one suet cake. The feeder is best hung from a shepherd's hook. 

Nyjer feeders

Goldfinches enjoy eating small-sized seeds. In nature, they prefer the seeds of coneflowers, black-eyed susans and certain wildflowers. But they really seem to enjoy Nyjer, a tiny black-colored seed that is commonly known as thistle. Because the seed is so small, special feeders are required so the seed doesn't tumble onto the ground. 

Nyjer feeders usually are tube-style feeders with four or six perches to accommodate ports notched into the sides of polycarbonate tubes. Inevitably a few seeds fall onto the ground. However these do not sprout. The seed is imported from India, Burma and other locations. Federal regulations require these seeds be heat-treated to prevent them from germinating. 

Another advantage of Nyjer feeders is that squirrels do not eat Nyjer. Goldfinches won't be the only visitors. Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers enjoy the seed as well.

Hummingbird feeders

The Bird House offers seven different kinds of hummingbird feeders. One of the favorites is Dr. JB's Hummingbird Feeder, which has four flower-like ports. Most hummingbird feeders are made of color-stable plastics and plastic or glass nectar containers. 

The feeders should be cleaned at least twice a week to prevent the development of mold which can harm the birds. Usually the feeders are hung from shepherd's hooks but low-hanging branches also serve well. The Bird House offers powdered nectar that is dissolved in water; you can also make your own preparation using sugar but it requires boiling first.

Window feeders

Window-placed feeders allow you to watch hungry birds feed closeup. 

One model consists of polylumber and a metal mesh screen for drainage. The feeder includes two suction cups to attach the feeder to the window. Two metal props provide additional support from the window sill. Other models are made of lightweight clear plastic. These are affixed to the window by suction cups. These feeders tend to be smaller and are meant for smaller birds.

Keep in mind that window feeders cannot be used if you have a window screen. In addition, remember that you will need to refill the feeder from outdoors. Place the feeder out of reach of squirrels. Their weight can topple the feeder. Squirrels cannot jump more than 5 feet above the ground or 8 feet from nearby decks or vegetation.

Products sold at The Bird House may run short close to the holidays so hurry in for the best selection!

Holiday gift idea: all-season bird baths

A junco enjoys an ice-free bird bath

Heated bird baths are essential at this time of year. Birds need water for drinking and bathing. When puddles and backyard ponds are frozen, what do they do?

They might get a little liquid from frozen berries but they can't bathe. If snow is available, they might take "snow baths." Ingesting snow for drinking only leads to hypothermia, making it more difficult for birds to maintain a healthy body temperature.

Birds might fly to bubbling creeks but these may be located outside their normal territory. Long flights burn off calories that the birds need to stay alive. The biggest water source in our area is the Lehigh River. In some places there are small watering holes. Other locations are steeply sloped and the current is fast moving. Birds can get swept into the rushing water.

You can take a simple step to resolve these problems—and one that may make your bird-watching experience all the more fascinating: placing a heated bird bath in your backyard.

Heated baths come in two styles: one that has a heater integrated into the bowl or one that has an external de-icer that can be added to a conventional bath. (If you use a de-icer, make sure your existing bath can withstand wintertime temperature fluctuations.)

All-Season 3-in-1 Bath

One misconception about heated bird baths is that they will turn the bath into a sauna. They won't. They have thermostatic controls meant to keep the water temperature just above the freezing point. The water will remain largely free of ice, giving the birds an opportunity to drink and bathe. Most also have gently sloped bowls, enticing birds to enter, and rims for birds to make use their claws for stability.

The Bird House has several models available for this holiday gift-giving season.

The All-Season 3-in-1 Bath is unique in that it has the widest number of options for mounting. The bath can be placed at ground level, clamped to the rail of an outdoor deck or affixed to a fence post or deck post. (All hardware is included.) The thermostatically controlled heater is an electricity-miser, activating at 75 watts only when the temperature falls to 32 degrees. The heating element is hidden within the bowl. Another nice feature is that the electric cord can be tucked under the bowl so you can use the bath has a pleasing look during every season of the year.

The All-Season Heated Bird Bath from Birds Choice is more powerful at 120 watts. It promises to remain ice-free to minus 20 degrees. It too is thermostatically controlled to save energy. The heating element is in the bowl and is easy to clean. This bath includes a textured surface to make it easier for birds to alight and navigate. The bath is mounted on a metal stand. Made in the United States, the bath carries a four-year warranty on manufacturers' parts. 

The Allied All-Season Bird Bath is designed for year round use. The bowl is supported on a durable metal stand. Like the other baths, the heating element is hidden beneath the bowl. When spring arrives, you can leave the bath unplugged or you can remove the heating plate, cord and all, and store them until the next time cold weather arrives. Made in the United States, the bath is economical to operate, running on 50 watts of current.

Allied Heated Bird Bath

The Allied Heated Bird Bath is the most powerful of the three, having a 150-watt heating element concealed beneath the bowl. The manufacturer says the bird bath has been field-tested to below-zero conditions. A textured surface and a gradual slope encourages bathing. The bath is the widest of the three, measuring 20 inches in diameter. It is meant for attaching to a deck railing (the hardware is included). Made in the United States, the bath has a one-year warranty.

If you already have a bird bath that can withstand the cold, consider adapting your bath to wintertime use by placing a de-icer in the bowl. The de-icer has a thermostatically controlled wand that keeps the water above freezing. It doesn't overheat the water, so it poses no injury to birds' feet. The nonstick aluminum coating has a large heating area. The wand includes a 10-foot-long weathertight electrical cord. Made in the United States, the de-icer has a three-year warranty. 

De-icer

(One word of caution: Burley Clay baths may not work well even with a de-icer. Some baths are clay with just a light finish. Clay absorbs water. When water freezes, the ice expands, splitting the bird bath. Burley Clay baths work splendidly in warmer months, and they are among the most beautiful ones on the market today.)

Naturally a heated bird bath or a de-icer must be connected to an outdoor electrical outlet using a weather-proof extension cord. Many newer houses have outdoor outlets, especially around patios. Check the location of your outlet to decide whether a heated bird bath is right for you.

Click Shield cord protector

Plastic wrap sealed with electric tape can be used to prevent water or snow from seeping into the connection between the bird bath and the extension cord. Better yet, you can purchase a Click Shield, a weather-resistant cord lock. The internal gasket assures a tight, unbreakable connection. When spring arrives, just click the connection to reopen the device and disconnect the electric cords. The Click Shield easily blends into the landscape.

Four cautions about buying a bird bath: 

• During very cold weather, ice may form on the lips of the bowl of a heated bird bath. That's not unusual. Heating elements usually don't extend to the lips; manufacturers confine them to the bowl, where the water is. The birds are able to grasp onto any ice build-up.
• Stay away from aquarium heaters popular at pet stores. They're meant for indoor use only. 
• Forget trough heaters. They are meant for livestock and are apt to generate too much heat, which will harm the birds. 
• Solar heaters do not work in our area. We've tried them. They require direct sun on the black top, usually take until late afternoon to melt the ice, and as the sun falls, the water refreezes and the whole sad cycle continues. Our area contains too much cloud cover, and the temperatures too cold. 

If you buy an all-season or heated bird bath, you might want to consider the location. Keep in mind the outdoor electric outlet. Probably the best wintertime site is close to a window or a patio. That way, you'll get the maximum enjoyment watching the birds drink, bathe and jockey for their turn!

Products sold at The Bird House may run short close to the holidays so hurry in for the best selection!

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for December 2

White-crowned Sparrow

The autumn migration has ended, bringing many changes in bird life in the greater Lehigh Valley. You won't see some species until spring. They've departed for their wintering grounds in the southern states or even South America. Other species are here after flying from their breeding grounds in Canada.

You've probably seen many "snow birds"—the Dark-eyed Juncos that scratch the bare ground all winter long searching for seed. Make their days happier by scattering some millet seed, shell-free sunflower seed or cracked corn in a location outside the pouncing range of cats.

Other wintertime visitors include wintering sparrows: American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows. Red-breasted Nuthatches are occasionally seen in warm months but they are much more numerous when the weather turns cold. A number of these nuthatches have been reported already.

Pine Siskins have been seen in a few locations. We never know how frequently they'll be seen in any given year. Sometimes they are in abundance. In other years, they are scarce. No one knows why their wintering habits change from one year to the next. They breed in the far north of Canada.

Most Chipping Sparrows have departed. So have flycatchers, gnatcatchers, vireos, swallows and Purple Martins. Insects and invertebrates are the prime menu of these species. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can no longer find nectar-filled flowers.

Likewise all species of warblers have flown south with the exception, of course, the Yellow-rumped Warbler. These warblers migrant from northern Canada to spend their winters here, feeding on berries, small fruits and seed. You may see them on a backyard feeder on occasion.

Black-necked Stilt

Snow Geese are regular winter visitors. In some years flocks of 100 or more can be spotted in pastures and farm fields. One bird-watcher estimated that flocks of 6,000 Snow Geese flew over the Nazareth Quarry in late November.

Keep an eye out for several lakes in the region. You may be treated to a Lesser Black-backed Gull. These birds are rarely seen during the warmer months but have been reported wintering at Green Lane Reservoir in Montgomery County and Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County.

Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, compiled the latest sightings from the period from mid-November through December 1. The Eastern PA Birdline is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. His reports include these species.

Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County
Bald Eagle, 3 on November 21; 7 on November 22; 4 on November 26.
Northern Goshawk, 2 on November 22 and November 23.
Golden Eagle, 4 on November 22.

Kunkletown, Monroe County
Rusty Blackbird, 1 on November 26 (a fly-by).

Mauch Chunk Lake, Carbon County
Evening Grosbeak, 2 on November 25.

Green Lane Reservoir, Montgomery County
(at the Walt Road area)
Great Cormorant, 1 from November 10 to at least November 23.
Black-necked Stilt, 1 from November 13 to at least November 24.
Dunlin, 1 from November 19 to at least November 30.
Ruddy Duck, 438 on November 25.
Snow Bunting, 2 on November 25 (fly-by).
Also seen: Common Goldeneye, Double-crested Cormorant, Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Great Black-backed Gull.

Tropical Kingbird (extremely rare sighting in the state)

Kintnersville, Bucks County
Dickcissel, 1 on November 24 and November 25 (at a private feeder).

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on November 23, 1 on November 25.
Cackling Goose, 1 on November 17, 3 on November 25, 5 on November 26, 3 on November 27.
Long-tailed Duck, 1 on November 25.
American Pipit, 1 on November 25.
Red-throated Loon, 1 on November 23.
Baltimore Oriole, 1 on November 19.

Lake Towhee, Bucks County
Cackling Goose, 1 on November 26.

Farther afield, a Tropical Kingbird has been seen along the Susquehanna River at Peach Bottom, particularly around Spring Lane, to at least November 24. If confirmed, to will be only the second time a Tropical Kingbird has been reported in Pennsylvania.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

'Hanging Hive' Roosting Pocket

It's getting chilly overnight! Small songbirds can use your help in keeping warm during long winter nights. Chickadees, wrens and sparrows love roosting pockets as shelter from cold, rain and snow. 

The Hanging Hive Roosting Pocket is an inexpensive, woven grass shelter that keeps birds warm, dry and safe from predators. Because of the natural material used in the pockets, the shelters do not attract unwanted attention. The reed grass's rough surfaces makes entering and exiting the house easier. The bottoms provide drainage and the opening offers ventilation during warmer periods.

You can hang a roosting pocket from any tree. The pockets are especially valuable if you have deciduous trees in your backyard and right now leafless trees have no protection for songbirds. If you've just moved to a subdivision and the trees are immature, a roosting pocket is an ideal way of protecting little birds. The pockets won't weigh down smaller branches.

(Keep in mind, though, that roosting pockets aren't meant as bird houses. They are too small for nest-building.)

Create a bird feeding station for birds' winter needs

Feeding birds is a great way to brighten a dreary winter day. There is always something happening at a bird feeder! And winter is an especially important time of year to offer birds a nutritious diet. They need a high-energy foods to thrive during cold weather.

In warmer months, adding a bird feeder is an easy task: just add a new shepherd's hook or a new 1-inch pole specifically for the feeder. But that won't work in winter. You can't drive a shepherd's hook or a pole into frozen ground.

Don't give up, though. You have plenty of options.

In fact, you can create a bird feeding station on your existing pole or shepherd's hook. A feeding station serves as a one-stop location where many different species and congregate to eat different types of feed. You can dedicate a feeder to a specific type of seed or to a seed mix. Don't forget a suet feeder. Suet is high in fat and calories, and is essential for nutrition on those cold winter nights. 

Here are a few ideas that you may wish to consider to make your backyard birding experience more enjoyable.

Attachable hangers. Additional hangers can be placed on an existing shepherd's hooks or 1-inch poles. With a turn of a thumb screw, you have a new arm on which you can hang a new feeder. No tools are necessary.

Easy-to-install arm attachment

I have a friend who created a complete bird feeding station by adding two of these hangers to an existing double-arm shepherd's hook. He now has four feeders in use: a caged tube feeder meant exclusively for smaller birds, a peanut feeder for chickadees and sparrows, a suet feeder for clinging birds and a hanging platform feeder for cardinals. Each feeder has different kinds of food: safflower, striped sunflower, peanuts, suet and a seed blend that contains black oil seed, fruits and berries. 

Baffle protects feeder from unwanted guests

Hanging feeders. If you have a tree in your backyard, consider hanging a new feeder from a sturdy limb. The feeder can be hung from a metal hook or lashed around the limb with a tree-safe wire. (Both types of products are available at The Bird House.)

Squirrels can be defeated with a baffle. One kind is a dome, the other looks like a witch's hat. The feeder hangs inside the baffle. The dome or the "hat" are slippery and broad—so much so that the squirrel can't get a grip. An additional benefit to this arrangement is that the feeder is protected from rain and snow.

(Remember to place the feeder at least 7 feet away from another tree limb. Otherwise a squirrel can leap horizontally, bypassing the baffle. The feeder also must be at least 5 feet off the ground to keep the squirrel from jumping up to reach the seed.)

Seed catchers. You can attract a wider species of birds by affixing a seed catcher to your existing tube feeder. The seed catcher is a flexible mesh screen that is slipped onto the feeder. No tools are required.

Mesh screen catches spilled seed

A seed catcher substantially reduces the amount of seed wastage. Perching birds sometimes will eject seed from tube feeders if they don't want that particular kind of food. The seed catcher keeps that seed from reaching the ground. At the same time, it gives larger birds such as cardinals a new opportunity to feed. The seed catcher has one more advantage: Because less seed falls onto the ground, squirrels have less seed to claim as theirs.

Double up. If you have a Droll Yankees tube feeder, it's a simple matter to hang a suet feeder beneath it. The company has a special attachment that screws onto the base of the  tube feeder. The suet feeder is then hung from a hook on other end of the attachment. This product works only with Droll Yankees tube feeders, however.

Squirrel-resistant feeder on deck-mounted pole

Rail-mounted poles. Let's suppose you don't have a pole or a shepherd's hook to spare. Maybe you have a railing on your deck or perch that will serve the same purpose. You can attach a metal arm directly on the railing. Just add a bird feeder and you're in business. Some arms can be affixed with a single clamp. Others are screwed into the railing.

Thwart squirrels from reaching a deck-mounted pole. Several types of feeders have seed ports that close automatically under the weight of the squirrel. The Squirrel Buster line of feeders is a popular brand. Droll Yankees feeders have perches that drop or fling squirrels onto the ground. Other types of feeders are surrounded by cages that allow small birds to enter but block squirrels.

In winter, approximately 35 species of birds can be seen at feeders in Pennsylvania. Don't let minor obstacles prevent you from creating a multi-purpose feeding station. There are options. Take advantage of them, and you'll find a greater diversity of birds—and more of them—in your backyard this winter.

Cold, cold temperatures

This weekend, we will be seeing day temperatures in the teens and night temperatures around zero degrees or lower! How do the birds survive?

They eat as much as possible and go for the fattiest foods. They need food that provide high calories such as black oil sunflower, safflower, peanuts and suet.

When birds cannot eat any more, they rest to conserve energy and puff out. With food in their belly, metabolism generates heat. Feathers keep the cold out and by puffing the down feathers, body heat is trapped. Woodpeckers are at a disadvantage as they have no down feathers that trap heat. The rely on food supply along with their feathers that keep out the cold.

Birds move to the opposite side of the tree when wind blows to protect themselves. On cold sunny days, they will move to a sunny perch. Nights are often spent in evergreens which provide some protection from wind.

Birds may flock together. Being part of a crowd may make individuals less vulnerable to predation. More birds equal more eyes looking out for danger. Plus in a crowd, you only have to be faster than the bird next to you to avoid a hungry hawk.

To help the birds during this extreme cold, we should provide a continuous supply of food. 

Fill feeders in the evening or early in the morning so birds have food when they wake up. A tremendous amount of energy is spent during the night generating heat to stay warm and survive. 

In the morning, they are looking for a refill. If possible, fill feeders during the day so there is a constant supply.

The Bird House has plenty of seed for this time of year. Stock up - your feathered friends will thank you.

A transition: winter into spring

White-throated Sparrow endures the snow

Winter continues and most of us are tired of it. Birds are tired of winter too. Natural food has been depleted. Nearly gone are leftover berries on bushes and seed heads on flowers.

Large-capacity feeders are helpful so you don't have to trudge through the snow or damp ground too often. Sunflower and millet seed are prime food for most of the birds. High-fat suet is still an important source of calories.

February into March can be a teaser: some days warm, some days cold. Some of our biggest snowstorms have occurred in March, but for the birds, spring already is in the air. Juncos and White-throated Sparrows will still be around but will fly north in April. Before long we may begin to see grackles at the feeders and bird baths.

Black oil sunflower should still be the main ingredient of seed mixtures with 30 percent white millet included. Continue to fill Nyjer feeders for goldfinches and possible Pine Siskins. Chickadees and Juncos may eat Nyjer also.

March is the time have nesting boxes ready. Depending on the weather, birds may begin looking for a place to raise a family. Fro those who live in an open, rural area, you can attract bluebirds by placing boxes by mid-March. Wrens and chickadee houses can be hung in trees. Keep nesting goes separate from feeders—birds want privacy when raising a family.

What to do when snow storms strike

Birds have an uncanny ability to copy with bad weather but you can help make their lives easier when snow storms and frigid weather is arrives.

Avian biologists say birds can detect on oncoming storm. Unlike humans, they don't need a meteorologist to send them to the grocery store for bread, milk and eggs. Birds sense changes in air pressure that signal the arrival of a storm, which usually gives them advance notice to prepare for adversity, according to Andrew Farnsworth, a scientist with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. How they manage this is unknown but the evidence is clear that this behavior exists, Farnsworth said.

(This doesn't mean that birds can conquer the weather. Storms sometimes blow migrating birds off course by hundreds of miles.)

Once non-migratory birds sense a storm is coming, their first strategy is to load up on calories and fat. The more fat the better. You may see many more birds at your feeders just in advance of a storm--and that the birds are staying longer and eating ravenously. They will need that nutrition to keep them alive once the snow covers the ground, preventing them from finding natural sources of food.



Black-capped Chickadee

As snow begins to fall, feeding stops. Birds then retreat to safe locations. They seek refuge in dense evergreens that offer the best protection from the elements. Junipers, arborvitae, spruce, hemlock, pine and rhododendron are among their favorites. Juniper shrubs are especially welcome for two reasons: The plants may still have edible berries and cones, and the dense, prickly foliage deters outdoor cats or feral cats.
By nature birds have several methods of coping with cold. Birds that normally are solitary during warmer seasons often congregate in roosts where they huddle to keep warm. They fluff up their feathers, creating a downy mass similar to the thick comforter that you may use for sleeping.

Birds also may seek out bird houses that have been cleaned of debris. (That's why it's so important to clean houses in the autumn.) If you have deciduous trees in your backyard, consider hanging a roosting pocket from a branch. Small birds such as chickadees or wrens may find that a welcome refuge.

You can make birds' lives easier during this time of extreme weather:

• Make sure your feeders are full. If there is snow on the ground, they may be the only dependable source of food. Keeping their dinner plate full minimizes the amount of time that they must spend pecking around shrubbery for food.
• Offer only fresh seed. There is nothing worse than offering birds spoiled or rancid seed that has been kept in a garage or shed since the summer. Birds could become sick from bad seed.
• Clean the snow off the feeders. You can use a soft brush such as a clean paint brush to remove the snow. The brush for cleaning your car's windshield also works. Ground-level feeders deserve special attention. They can become buried under a deep snow.

  

  Birds suddenly become the best dinner buddies when it snows

• Once the snow has fallen, shovel around the feeder or stomp the snow beneath the feeder. If seed falls from the feeder, it will land an open space where birds can find it. This is especially important for ground-feeding birds such as Dark-eyed Juncos (commonly known as "snow birds"), Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves and White-throated Sparrows.
• Don't forget suet. This high-energy food contains nutritious fat. Suet that is blended with peanut butter, nuts, berries or insects provides much-needed sugars and protein. Woodpeckers will feast on special cakes that contain peanut and almond chips, sunflower seeds and cracked corn.
• If you run out of seed, never use bread crumbs as a substitute. Bread has very little nutritious value or fat content. Birds will fill up on the crumbs but the bread won't provide the high-energy food they need to maintain their metabolism during frigid weather. Likewise, don't feed birds table scraps. You're more likely to attract rodents.
• Instead go to your garage or storage shed to see if you have any grass seed left over from last year. As anyone who has tried to plant a lawn will attest, birds love grass seed. You can't plant the seed now anyway, so why not offer it to the birds? You'll be treated to Dark-eyed Juncos, Mourning Doves, House Finches, Song Sparrow and House Sparrows, among other species.
• Birds welcome fruit. Sliced oranges or apples work best. You can serve the slices in an empty suet cage.