Feeding Backyard Birds in the Winter

Do you enjoy watching the birds flitting about your yard?  I certainly do.  Folklore tells us that the robin is the harbinger of Spring.  But what about in the winter?  There is a definite nip in the air and natural food sources for the birds are becoming scarcer.  Holly berries seem to be the go-to snack for the robins in my yard.

To keep the beautiful robins, cardinals, finches, jays and other backyard beauties in my yard, I feed the birds year-round.  The robins love the worms after the rains.  But because the ground freezes in the winter and the worms hibernate far underground, they have a map to my feeder and love the food I provide.

Feeding Backyard Birds in the Winter - Robins - Patuxent Nursery

Feeding Backyard Birds in the Winter - Cardinals - Patuxent Nursery

Our Favorite Snacks for Feathered Friends

Robins love berries, especially cranberries, and fruit like apples so I always get a feed which contains fruit.  Wild Delight’s Fruit & Berry is always a hit.  The jays love sunflower seeds, peanuts – preferably in the shell – and suet. Bird Watcher’s Best offers a wide variety of suets containing seed, berries and nuts.

Feeding backyard birds like cardinals is a bit tougher as they are more finicky. Cardinals prefer dried cherries and cracked corn in addition to the sunflower seeds suet and peanuts.  Again, Wild Delight makes a feed especially for Cardinals ‘ discriminating pallets!  Finches love Niger seeds and thistle along with mixed birdseed and fruits.

Feeding and Caring for Other Backyard Creatures

Don’t forget to have feeders that will prevent other “visitors” (aka squirrels) from enjoying the bird food…unless you want to provide “live entertainment” for your indoor pet.  There are a number of feeders, such as thistle socks and feeders made by The Nuttery, which can keep your food for the birds and not the squirrels. Also, Sizzle and Heat by Wild Delight is made to prevent such “invasions”:  Squirrels don’t like the heat from the capsaicin, but the birds cannot taste it!

Remember to keep your bird bath filled and unfrozen, because water is necessary even in the winter.  Bird Bath deicers can be found where you purchase your seed and suet.

Patuxent Nursery has everything you need for feeding backyard birds in the winter, including Wild Delight Bird Food and Lyric Bird Food. Stop by today and pick up some bird feed, bird feeders and bird baths.

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