Chickadee by Lynn Pady

Birdwatching is a wonderful way to connect with nature, and winter offers us many opportunities to watch our feathered friends. Get your yard or balcony ready for birds this winter, and enjoy the show!

Provide cover. Birds need shelter from harsh weather conditions, and vegetation in your yard will help to furnish it. Don’t prune back dead vegetation like vines and stalks – these provide both valuable winter cover and nesting material for birds in the spring.

Add habitat in your backyard in the form of a brush pile, which may attract foraging birds and mammals, and even over-wintering reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Balconies have a special opportunity to attract nesting birds as they provide great shelter.

Think food. Feeders provide an extra energy source for birds that stay in the area during winter. Provide a number of feeder styles and types of feed (sunflower, thistle, unsalted peanuts, sliced fruit, seed scattered on stamped down snow) to attract many different birds to your yard. Place feeders where they are sheltered from predators and weather, and clean your feeders regularly.

Small space? No problem! Some feeders are available with a suction cup attachment that can be stuck right to the window!

Don’t forget to keep a field guide and your camera close at hand to identify the birds that visit your yard and capture some great wildlife photos!