The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSOB) has proclaimed Oct 24 as Feed The Birds Day. It serves as a reminder of all the things we can do to help the birds through the coming winter.
We’re pretty good at providing fast food for birds and this is certainly a life saver in the cold snow covered conditions. But what about ‘slow food?‘ There are so many things you can do in your garden and yard to provide food for all wildlife.
- Plant native plants such as saskatoons, mountain ash, juniper and other species that will provide berries in the winter for birds such as Bohemian Waxwings. I had a crowd of about 50 waxwings zoom in on my mountain ash tree last winter, stripping it of berries in a matter of minutes. Evergreen trees also provide cones and shelter from the wind.
- Make a brush or log pile. I have a huge northwest poplar tree in my yard, and during any windstorm we lose a fair number of branches of all sizes. Instead of throwing them out, or chopping them up for mulch, we stack them in a pile in the back of the yard. The birds love it, and often take shelter there in inclement weather throughout the year. A log pile is an even better idea, as it will provide shelter for a variety of small creatures over the winter, and if left alone, will become a host to mosses, fungi and lichens.
- Provide an insect home. We do not get rid of our leaves in the fall – we treasure them! Our garden is covered with about 8″ of leaves, which are then covered with burlap to keep them from blowing away. This not only keeps the moisture in the ground, but provides homes for thousands of ladybugs and other overwintering insects. In late spring, we cautiously remove them, first making sure the ladybugs have awakened and flown away.
These are just a few ideas for helping the birds along this winter. If you have other suggestions, please leave us a comment below!
Feed The Birds Day in Calgary this year was accompanied by rain, sleet and snow in the morning. I made sure all my ‘fast food’ feeders were full, and was rewarded by a yard full of pine siskins.
These busy little birds were everywhere, at every feeder. I don’t believe I’ve ever had that many in the yard at one time! These birds are year round visitors in Calgary, so they served as an additional reminder to remember the birds in the coming frigid months!
