Becoming a Backyard Birder: Tips for attracting feathered friends to the winter garden

By Julia Rosenthal

Sitting in the sun during a warm late fall day, absorbed by a book The Ecology of Care, by Didi Pershouse (which I highly recommend), I was broken from my trance by bird song. I pulled away from the impactful words on the pages,to find I it was apparent I was not alone. When I looked up I saw that birds were all around, invoking a curiosity I had experienced only in fleeting moments before moving onto the next task. The inner peace I had found while working and living on Wild Heart Farm allowed me time to pause and observe; without the narratives of big city life of Denver, ramming my mind with “have to-do’s” and “what's next” thoughts.

I saw a mourning dove cooing from a mulberry branch above. I heard robin rustling in the leaves below, not far from where I sat. I heard joyful songs, lighting up the pocket of riparian woodland on which the farm sits. My mom, an avid birder, is a huge fan of the Merlin App, so I finally downloaded it. The songs I heard were from the white-crowned sparrow. This transformed my fleeting appreciation for the birds and their songs into an ever-present obsession.

Cardinals are a shock of red in the winter landscape photo by Joshua J. Cotten @jcotten

In a matter of weeks, I set up two bird feeders and a source of water. Dark-eyed Juncos discovered the location of the seeds I had broadcasted on the ground below the feeders, and they were joined by the Abert’s towhee, white-crowned sparrows, and a morning dove. Every time a new bird species appeared, I jumped to my bird guide to see who it was; identifying their marks, behaviors, and eating habits. By the end of the month, I had a list that included Eurasian collared-doves, female red-wing blackbirds, house finches, cardinals and western bluebirds (which was most exciting since I had never seen one before!). It seemed my provisions at the feeders had been the ‘chirp’ of the town. 

A simple stump with a thrift store dish of seed and water started me on a backyard birding adventure! Photo by the author.

What piqued my interest was that some birds visited the feeders and others stayed low to the ground, kicking back the layer of leaves and mulch to forage for seeds. I was curious about their feeding patterns, at times there were at least two dozen birds swarming the area, and then other hours of the day there were none. Suddenly it dawned on me–-I was becoming a ‘birder!’ Every morning after the first rays of sun hit the feeder , I would turn to my window, smile, and say “good morning my birdies!” At the sight of a new species I would gasp and hurry to reference the bird guide. My dog would jump up with excitement, then look out the window with disappointment because it was not a squirrel.

Enough about my journey to bird-nerd—the rest of this blog is about how to attract winter birds from a newbie’s point of view. I can promise you, it’s very simple but the results will have you jumping for joy!

The most crucial fact to know when feeding birds, is to understand that they will not suffer or starve without your efforts. They are resourceful creatures. During the winter, when food sources are limited, providing food can help them maintain their necessary energy levels. 

Feeding Times

The birds will often visit your feeders shortly after sunrise through mid morning, to restore energy lost from cold nights. They return n again in the late afternoon to replenish energy for the evening ahead. During warmer parts of the dayhours they will retreat to thefind shade and retreat. It’s recommended to observe the feeding habits of the birds in your area and refill your bird feeders accordingly. I refill mine in mid-afternoon, and again as needed to stay replenished. 

Placement of the Feeding sites

Take a look around your property. Assuming that you want to watch the birds feed (because that’s the fun part!) locate an area that you can watch from your window. Then look for a nearby cluster of shrubs, trees, or natural shelter where the birds can fly to quickly. They prefer feeding sites that have a quick ‘get-away’ in case they sense danger or a predator. You could even build a structure with sticks, tree branches, or whatever you have laying around. I noticed that they enjoyed hiding in a nearby trellis with dead plant debris in the garden. So I added more branches to the structure, and with more coverage I observed more birds. 

Water

Placing a shallow plate with water for drinking is another way to attract more birds, especially in the winter when water sources are frozen or water is limited. The thrift store is a great place to find all kinds of funky cool plates or bowls. The ideal depth is one to three inches, with gradual decrease in depth towards the edges.

Here is some footage of the birds enjoying our simple thrift store bird bath.

Seed Varieties & feeders

Not all birds prefer the same type of seeds. As a beginner, I thought that any seed would be gobbled up by the birds. Silly me! Not all seed mixes are created equal, and the feed store seed mix looked different from the one I got from hardware store. I started seeing less bird variety and most of the seed ended up on the ground from the birds picking through it. Turns out that most backyard bird mixes are mostly filler seeds, so read the contents on the bag. I found this article helpful to learn which seeds are most desired.

You can decide which kind of seeds you want to provide to attract specific birds. I found the Blog What Birds are in My Backyard helpful to learn more about this. And it’s recommended to isolate the seeds in their own feeders; a tube feeder for finches, a hopper feeder for cardinals, a platform feeder for sparrows and juncos, or a nectar feeder for hummingbirds. If you do decide to get a seed mix, Black oil Sunflower seeds, sunflower chips and white proso millet attract the most birds.

Now you are ready to enjoy your backyard winter birds! Not only will you get to enjoy the sights and songs of your local birds, but you will be contributing to their well-being and survival until the insects and plants return. Don’t forget to download the Cornell Bird Lab’s Merlin App to listen for the birds that are already in your neighborhood and provide seed for them. I hope this was helpful and inspiring. Please share a comment and thank you for reading.

 
Julia Rosenthal is a flower farmer, wedding florist and now backyard birder on a mission to live in harmony with nature.