Preparing for Winter

No I am not crazy. Yes, I know it is not even fall yet. But yesterday as I watched the critters enjoying the yard I remembered some of the things I regretted last winter. So I am passing these thoughts on to you because we will all get involved in the “holidays” soon and will forget our little friends until it is late and cold and dark.

1. Many birds die each winter from dehydration, not starvation, so be sure you have a water source for them. It doesn’t necessarily need to be heated, but you should be able to change the water daily. Because one of my bird baths is sort of “out there”, I’m adding another one closer to the house.
2. Being snowed in might prevent me from buying bird seed, so I plan to buy a couple of extra bags in November. One will be black oil sunflower seeds because that is a favorite with most birds. I will also buy a bag of “deer corn”, but not for the deer.
3. Birds feed at different levels so some of your feeders should be high and some should be low. I have one area of ground where I throw seed for the doves because they eat directly off the dirt. Take an inventory of your feeders and make sure you are prepared for the extra birds that will need winter feeding.
4. Before winter I need to buy suet feeders. I only have one, but like to hang at least three for the winter. Birds need this extra fuel during the cold months. Make your own or watch for sales and stock up.
5. Make sure you are ready to brave the elements to care for your feeders and supplies. I buy a supply of cheap gloves.  I make sure the tools I need for breaking ice, removing snow, and cleaning feeders are on the back porch, not inside the storage shed outside.

My pre-winter task for this week is to repair one of my birdbaths. It has a hairline crack in it and I certainly don’t want it to get worse. Then I plan to create a new one closer to the house. I have decided to make one rather than buy one. Stay tuned…

Comments

[Megan]

Sweetest bunny!

[Conservatories]

Different things that procreate life are wonders. This could call a nice thing.