Birds in the snow

We’ve had three or four inches of snow, overnight, with much more to come. Okay, I wanted snow and I got it! Time to break out the skis and my digital cameras for some fun in the snow, but, first, there is work to be done.

If you feed birds, as I do, you know that an overnight snow means it’s time to clean out those bird feeders and make sure that everything is operational. First thing to check is that the feeders have not been clogged up with ice and snow. I am quite meticulous in this regard; I’ll bring in the feeders to thaw and clean them out if need be. A winter storm stresses the birds enough, as it is; the birds do not need extra work to feed during a storm. You should also clean snow off the top of the feeders. That extra weight can weaken the structure of some bird feeders and place undue stress on a pole or whatever you are using to support the bird feeder.

Once the feeders are full and working, I take one extra step by shoveling off a couple of patches of ground and lay out some seed for my ground feeding Juncos and Sparrows. Although these birds can and do use a feeder when necessary, they, too, need a little extra help in a heavy snow.

Last item is to head back to the kitchen, brew a fresh pot of coffee and dust off the birding binoculars or your birdwatching spotting scope. The birds will be busy and so will you.

Those are so good points. Birds need all the help they can get when we get the big snow storms we've had this winter. (Posted by  CE Webster: 10:44 AM  )