Bird feeding in the winter. Let us know how that is going for you. Thanks for doing this for the birds.

image from sacandagalife.com 

     Good morning it is Friday, it is cloudy, but the temperature is at 28F ( -2C) Larry mention with it being 15 degrees warmer is helping with the wood supply.  High today of 30F(-1C) that will seem like a heat wave.  Stay warm, stay safe.
Australia friends and family are having today (Jan 11, 2025) 86F (30 C) with a 40% of rain.  They will be grateful for the rain.  Stay cool, stay safe.

I know many gardeners also feed birds.  Let me know how that is going.  Are you going thru lots of bird food.  That is a great commitment for doing that all winter. 
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How to Encourage Birds to Visit Your Garden  by Benedict Vanheems
Birds are an essential part of the garden, helping with pest control as they snap up aphids, caterpillars, grubs, and other insect pests. But winter can be tough for our feathered friends. Give birds a tasty, nutritious treat and discover other ways to encourage birds to keep returning to your garden.
Nutritious Food for Garden Birds
Birds often enjoy proprietary birdseed mixtures, unsalted peanuts, and dried mealworms. They’ll also eat leftover cooked rice or potatoes, unsalted bacon rind, cooked or raw pastry, and stale or hard mild cheese.
Hang feeders or position bird tables where birds can get a good view of their surroundings so they won’t be ambushed by predators. Only put out small amounts of food at a time, and replenish often to insure a continuous supply.
Some birds will eat tree fruits such as apples and pears—a great way to use up blemished fruits. Hang them from a tree or chop them up and scatter them on the ground for ground-feeding birds.
More Tasty Treats for Feathered Friends
Bird cakes are very easy to make. Mix dried ingredients such as crushed, unsalted peanuts, sunflower seeds, grains, mealworms, and dried fruit together in a bowl. Melt some animal fat, or coconut oil for a vegetarian alternative, then pour the fat into the bowl. Mix one part fat to two parts dried ingredients.
The fat mixture can then be used to fill a variety of molds. For instance, spike a hole into the base of an old yogurt container, then thread a piece of string through. Make a knot to secure the string to the bottom of the container, then tie on a stick to serve as a perch below the container. Fill the container with the fat mixture and leave it to set.
Pinecones also make good bird feeders. Tie string to the base then smear the cone with the part-set mixture. Or pour the bird food mixture into a flexible container to make a loaf of bird cake. Once it has set, remove the bird cake and put it into a wire cage bird feeder to hang up.
Offer Fresh, Warm Water
Water is essential for both drinking and washing for birds. You can purchase a birdbath or use a dog bowl or upturned dustbin lid, with a rock in the middle so the birds can get in and out easily. Make your first job of the day to put out fresh, warm water so that birds can bathe and preen their feathers (clean feathers provide better insulation from the cold). Keep the water topped up, and clean out the bird bath regularly.
Plants and Natural Food for Birds
Avoid tidying up ornamental borders until early spring. This will provide shelter for insects, which the birds will hunt for and eat. Grow plants that birds love. They enjoy the winter berries from shrubs like hawthorn and yew, and the seed heads of plants such as globe artichoke, sunflowers, and coneflowers.
Turning over the soil in winter can help to expose slug eggs and overwintering grubs to make it easier for birds to find them.  Enjoy and thanks for feeding the birds.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/video/feeding-garden-birds-winter
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365