Winter is going to the birds - Anne Boulton

I’ve been feeding the neighbourhood birds for the last year now. A real commitment it is, since once you begin to set out seed, the birds come to rely that it will continue to be there and build their nests close by.

I take this pretty seriously; probably more so than I do changing our cat’s litter. But I digress.

There are some really fetching feeders out on the market that promise a number of features. Being a frugal Scot, I make it cheap and cheerful (I almost punned with “cheep,” but thought it would be both obvious and corny).

A red-roofed plastic feeder ran me seven bucks. I think it’s the cheapest feeder by far, but it is a happy sight, full of chickadees. At the Backyard Birder, there are hundreds of options that can set you back into the hundreds. And they’re gorgeous and functional. So it’s really up to you.

So what if you don’t want to spend anything? What if your heart melts for the wee creatures, but your pocketbook won’t allow it? Make your own feeders! Genius, right? Particularly genius, since, if you have children, like I do, you can enlist them to take part and teach them a valuable lesson or two:

1. You reuse items that might just end up in the recycling bin or garbage.

2. You care for birds. And the odd squirrel. Possibly a pigeon or two.
The easiest bird feeder to make consists of a toilet paper roll, natural peanut butter, and seed. Lay your ingredients out on a table and have the kiddies spread the peanut butter (or nut butter of your preference) onto the toilet paper ring.

Next, roll it into the seed. It will become heavy with seed, so you must let it dry out a bit before hanging it on the tree, lest it drip into a pile at the base.

I then suggest placing the ring onto a branch, so that it can turn as required. I have attracted many hungry squirrels with this method, which is nice, since I feel they get a raw deal, what with all these squirrel-proofed feeders. The poor beggars will become practiced contortionists for these rings of seeds, so make sure you can see the feeder from your window.

Another easy feeder is the time-tested milk-carton feeder. Easy as pie, simply cut a door into the base of the carton. If you make the cut vertical, you will create both a perch and an awning for the little songsters.

Have you been walking out by the Laurentian ski trails? Way back by the nature chalet, on the trail that brings you to Moonlight Beach, around about the halfway mark, there is a place where the chickadees will drop from the trees onto the toques of quiet children and adults alike, for a good handful of seed.

Every year, a dedicated group of bird lovers renew the handmade feeders and ensure that each is filled will seed. So if you do plan on bringing the kids for an extraordinary visit with nature, make sure you’ve got a deep pocketful of seed; you’ll be wanting to feel those cunning little talons perch ever so lightly on your hand and hear the flutter of their wings as they fly gratefully away.

Anne Boulton is an avid gardener who lives in Sudbury. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her blog at boultonanne.typepad.com/greenboots. 

Posted by Vivian Scinto