The simplest of chores can get really complicated . . .
Feeding the birds is one of the most delightful things a cold climate gardener can do while she is waiting for the snow to melt and the snowdrops to bloom. No, wait–I take that back. Watching the birds flutter and feed and jockey for position at the feeders is delightful. Actually filling the bird feeders, that’s another story.
First of all, keep the path to the feeders shoveled. Otherwise, you will have to break your own path through a foot of snow, like this:
Mind Your Grip
And take your gloves off before hanging the full bird feeder back on its hook, or it will slip out of your fingers and fall to the ground below, like this:
And then you will have to go down a flight of stairs which are also unshoveled, like this: And then walk around a lilac bush through an expanse of unbroken snow to get the dropped bird feeder, like this: And then brush the snow off your jeans, like this:Mind the Bird Bath
Also? Make sure your heated bird bath can keep the water from freezing.
Mind The Bears
And finally, if bears frequent your area (you know who you are), take your feeders down in March, before the bears come out of their dens. No, a bear has never gotten into my bird feeders. Just the chicken feed. In the chicken coop. But that’s a story for another day.
The bird feeder pictured is the the Baffler Squirrel-Be-Gone bird feeder by Perky Pet which I received as a free sample. I have not seen any squirrels raid this feeder as they do my other “squirrel-proof” feeder, so I think it works.
Ha ha! This is sound advice. I have been procrastinating taking out the compost for many of the very same reasons. And you have reminded me to check on my bird bath – it’s probably low on water. Thank you.
Great advice for safety….no bears here thankfully.
Haha! At least you wore boots and jeans, I know someone who tries to get out there in crocs and PJ bottoms and sometimes a coat…. it never works out, but they never learn. In my defense it’s the first thing I see in the morning and they look so hungry!
at least we have no bears 🙂
Funny! I probably would’ve had a similar story as you; however, I took the easy route and threw cups of bird feed off my deck and into the snow. Back during Thanksgiving weekend, I did have a black bear come and bend all of my shepherd hooks in half to get to the bird feed and suet. All of my feeders were destroyed. I finally convinced my husband a few weeks ago that all of the bears are hibernating and I just put up a new one. I love watching birds and other wildlife in my backyard, but I prefer not to have a black bear on my patio anymore! The feeder will be put away at the first sign of spring!!
Kerry
Leesburg, VA
Good advice, Kathy. In the winter, I ask Larry to tend to the feeders – we have big ones that are quite heavy and he is afraid I’ll hurt myself standing on snow and hoisting them up on the hooks. He is probably right. I do get a kick out of watching the squirrels trying to defeat them – we have two different squirrel-proof ones and they both work, so long as they don’t get snow jammed in the mechanism.
Thanks for the laugh! You really have to be dedicated to feed the birds through the winter. My husband traipses out to the feeders to bring them inside for the night to keep our deer herd from raiding them.
Funny 🙂 I really miss feeding and watching the birds, and dearly want to do so with my boy, but two huge cats live next door and are out most of the time. I feel it’d just be inviting murder. We do have a lot of cardinals that eat the fruit off the “non-bearing” Callery pear though!
HAHA! I was wading around in the snow the other day, too- but for no good reason and without a fun story to tell. Enjoyed your account and the tips;)
Funny! I was reminded today of another feature of deep snow. I have to remember to make a lot of noise for a few seconds at the back door before I let the dogs out to chase the squirrels away from the bird feeders. Without that headstart, the dogs can catch them in this deep snow. Lucky for the squirrel, the dog that chased him was our Homer baby, who has never killed even a chicken.
Good advice and practical! I’m glad you held on to those railings, I know I would have too.