Recycling: Feed the birds using recycled materials

One of my most favorite pastimes is bird watching. When we experienced the first polar vortex, I was so glad to have had an ample supply of feed for the four feeders in our yard. We had at one time more than 13 birds perched on our Cyprus tree, waiting to swoop into the feeder! It reminded me of watching the planes arrive and depart from the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

I was also amused by the squirrels that tried desperately to outsmart our new squirrel baffle. I had ventured into the new Wild Birds Unlimited store and fell in love with the variety of feed, their extensive supply of seeds and feeders, and their multiple designs of anti-squirrel apparatus. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful.

I picked up two squirrel baffles and a very helpful book. “For the Birds: A Month-by Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard,” is a well-written guide as to what kinds of birds should be in our area and what kind of food will be most attractive to those birds coming through.

For the month of February, the authors, Anne Schmauss, Mary Schmauss and Geni Krolick, start the chapter with: “Let’s face it, by February many of us are tired of winter. Your birds are tired, too.”

 I can certainly relate to that. The cold temperatures are hard on humans, so of course the birds are feeling the extra chill. The authors suggest feeding with high-fat suet, large seed blocks and large-capacity feeders to cut down on the number of trips to fill feeders.

And here is the connection to birds and recycling: You can make a variety of feeders from recycled materials. Utilize your creative skills. Just about everyone has – or can get – a 2-liter soda bottle. According to this really ingenious website, www.bird-feeder-plans.org, by carefully cutting a few holes and skillfully placing sturdy twigs or wooden spoons, you can make really adorable feeders. You can also build feeders from half-gallon milk cartons, from old screens and leftover wooden frames for a tray-like feeder that permits moisture to seep through.

 Any way you can get extra food to our bird population is good. Keep in mind, too, that you will also attract other animals – most notably squirrels. If you have any stray cats in your neighborhood, make sure the feeders are high enough off the ground to prevent a jumping cat from snatching birds from your feeders.

More ideas for utilizing recycled materials and helping the birding population – leave scraps of fabric, animal fur and even shredded newspaper around. Birds will soon be foraging for nesting materials, and will happily snag these soft materials for nest linings. Remember that dog and cat fur can also be composted, so now you have one more option. Birds are also attracted to yards with trees or shrubs that provide shelter and perching places. If you are anticipating any spring additions to your yard, think about plantings that provide berries, fruits or dense foliage for the birds. Let’s hope that this winter is moving along, and we can start planning for our spring and summer gardens, but just hope that this extra cold winter may have slowed down the fire ant population!