Friday, December 08, 2006

Be Kind to Birds Weather

Today is cold. It is very cold. When I walked out to get the morning paper I’m sure it was a sight to see… running and skipping, trying to outrun the cold.

Which brings up the fact that the ground is probably frozen. Which makes life a little harder for the birds. No scratching a couple inches in the soil for seed. They better bring a little shovel along, or maybe if a human would lend them a spoon.

Some people believe that one should not put out feed in the summer time because it diverts the birds from doing their natural thing scratching out a living. But in cold frozen-ground winter I think it is ok for us to break a few of Mother Nature’s rules.

Scatter the regular seed on the ground. That is what the scratching birds, like quail, prefer. And I think sunflower seed does better in bird feeders – for the colorful birds. Also, suet helps for our little blood-thirty carnivorous feathered friends.

And don’t worry about the squirrels, they will get their share of the sunflower seed, no matter how much you try to make your bird feeder squirrel-proof, accept the fact they are smart and they are going to get their's. Just tell them to "enjoy!".

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