My grandfather introduced me to birding at a very young age. We set up feeding stations together, spending hours watching and identifying birds that stopped by for a visit.
Winter birding is a family-friendly activity easily enjoyed from the comfort and warmth of your home. Watching the birds provides a great educational experience for grandkids as they learn to identify species and observe their differences. February is also National Bird Feeding Month, so it’s the perfect time to get started.
Cheep Thrills
To begin your feeding station, you only need a simple feeder or two, plus a bag of fresh birdseed and sunflower seeds. Where should you hang your feeders? Find a place that’s easily accessible so you can refill the feeders and see them from inside your house.
We like to provide different types of feeders and seed choices to attract a variety of birds. It’s important to continue feeding the birds all winter, as they will become dependent on you for nutrition until spring arrives and more food sources become available. Once the feeder station is set up, it might take a few days before the birds use it, but once the bird word gets out, just watch and enjoy.
Identifying birds is fun and it’s rewarding to keep track of the different species that visit your feeders over the season. Binoculars are great to view the birds up close and to see the differences in feathers and beaks.
Inexpensive identification books, such as the “Golden Guide to Birds” or the “Birds of Ohio Field Guide” are good references. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides exceptional slide photos of Northeast Ohio’s wintertime birds. The free Audubon bird guide app is another wonderful bird identification resource.
All birds need extra energy throughout the winter months and they can obtain this by feeding on high fatty foods, such as peanut butter, suet and sunflower seeds. You can buy suet cakes or make your own.
Here’s an easy, five-ingredient suet recipe to make with the grandkids:
In a large saucepan, melt together 3⁄4 cup of crunchy peanut butter with 1 ½ cup shortening. Add ½ cup cornmeal, 1 cup oatmeal and 3 ½ cup birdseed. Stir until well mixed. Sandwich-size freezer containers are perfect for storing the cakes; they fit well into suet holders. Wrap in foil and freeze overnight. Allow the suet cake to thaw slightly before removing it from the container.
To make a suet rope, pack the mixture around a rope in a deep, plastic container, leaving ample rope at the top to hang the suet on a tree branch.
It’s also fun to create your own recipes for winter bird treats. Attract birds with raisins, cranberries or pieces of fresh fruit, such as apple slices. A favorite with our grandkids is to cover pine cones with peanut butter or shortening and roll them in birdseed.
In February, help the kids make valentines for the birds. Put the homemade suet mixture into heart-shaped molds. Set short pieces of straw into the center of the molds before freezing to make them easier to hang.
Have fun this winter introducing your grandchild to the magic of watching birds. Birding connects generations with each other and with nature.
Photo courtesy pexels.com
