Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Feed The Birds

I live in the country so it is easy for me to hang a bird-feeder outside and watch the birds flock to it. I have hung mine right outside on my deck where we can watch from the sliding glass doors. The kids love to watch all the different birds come to visit. I have a small backyard bird book I keep nearby and we love to try to identify all the different species that we see.

We hang the feeder outside after the last of the berries have fallen off the trees and shrubs and we leave it up until the trees and shrubs begin budding in the early spring. This way we don't interfere with the birds natural ability to find their own food. Of course if you live in a warmer climate you may choose to leave it up year-round or maybe just during the dryer seasons when food is more scarce. For those of you who live in more seasonal climates you may be surprised by the number of different varieties of birds that winter over. It is always fun to notice the ending of winter by the different birds that begin showing up at the feeder.

If you don't want to invest in a bird-feeder you can have the kids make one by spreading peanut butter over a pinecone and then rolling it in bird seed. You can make several of these and hang them from different vantage points in your yard. Use some strong string or fishing line to tie them to low-hanging tree limbs or fence posts. The kids will love seeing the birds enjoy their creations!

1 comment:

  1. I love bird feeders! My kids make the peanut butter pine cones also!
    www.rebeccabany.com

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