Well the bears have finally gone to bed, and I hope the raccoons, I don't exactly know what they do for the winter, seems they go away for awhile. The squirrels and the bunnies are still rooting around but not for long. There is too much snow for them to go food hunting. So they will go to bed soon. It's time to put out my pretty new wooden bird feeders that I found under the Christmas tree.
I generally feed a song bird mix that has bits of dried fruit and nuts as well as a variety of seeds. Around here it's often called "bear food" because it is absolutely the perfect winter blend. Well the bears also like "clif" bars and if left in cars are worthy of a break in. For the winter I add a suet mix for extra warmth and energy, the woodpeckers really love suet. One of my new decorative birdfeeders has an extra little section just for suet it's a great idea.
The raccoons pulled down one of my Shepard's hooks that I use to hang the birdfeeders and the ground is now too frozen to replace it so I have to get creative. A rope and pulley system is working pretty well. I strung it from the porch to a tree which is really nice. I can stay dry and still fill the birdfeeder and I don't have to climb the tree. I got the perfect wooden bird feeder with a sturdy hook on top, even our worst winds (so far 90 mph this year) hasn't knocked it down.
I finally had to put the heater in the ornamental birdbath, something about the 8 degree Fahrenheit over night temperatures that kept making the birdbath a mini skating rink. Drinking water is so very important to our winter friends, make sure you have some available.
Some of my birds have returned. A few of the chickadees and wrens have shown up just before the last storm. I expect the others will show up soon. I love to find the little footprints in fresh snow. Everybody else seems to have run off to warmer climates. Right about now I am considering becoming a snow bird. Arizona, Hawaii, Death Valley, Palm Springs, somewhere, anywhere warmer, but if I do that who will take care of my feathered friends. Maybe I can convince them to come with me.
After working for over 20 years in an office, I finally decided to do what I want to do. I've traveled to many countries and finally settled down in N. California. I work from home selling what our feathered friends need; shelter and a place to eat. http://www.birdbathplus.com
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