{"id":1585,"date":"2021-12-16T14:57:56","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T19:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/?p=1585"},"modified":"2021-12-16T14:57:56","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T19:57:56","slug":"turning-your-backyard-intoa-winter-bird-haven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/2021\/12\/16\/turning-your-backyard-intoa-winter-bird-haven\/","title":{"rendered":"TURNING YOUR BACKYARD INTO A WINTER BIRD HAVEN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Exciting News<\/strong>!&nbsp; Beginning on December 31, we will be starting our <strong>Backyard Winter Birdscape Contest<\/strong>.&nbsp; This contest will run until March 14th.&nbsp; We\u2019re not looking for a perfectly staged space with expensive and beautiful feeders, we\u2019re looking for practical items you have put in your yards to help birds stay healthy throughout the winter months.&nbsp; I\u2019ll share some tips on how to make your outdoor space a welcome respite for our feathered friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/blue-jay-with-peanut.jpg?w=526\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1586\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s begin with the feeders and what kinds of seed benefit birds most in colder months. Think about which style of feeder is going to accommodate many species of birds.&nbsp; Hopper, platform, and fly-through feeders offer birds easy access to seed.&nbsp; Another type are cylinder feeders that have perches large enough to let cardinals feed in a forward position.&nbsp; Sunflower seed mixes such as our Red Carpet or Fiesta can be used in these feeders as well as Sunflower Hearts or Black Oil Sunflower.&nbsp; These seeds are high in fat and oils and will give birds the calories they need to stay warm and healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/nuthatch-1.jpg?w=675\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1588\" width=\"694\" height=\"925\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ground feeders are a great option for Junco\u2019s, wintering sparrows and doves.&nbsp; If you don\u2019t have a ground feeder, you can choose a designated area to stamp the snow down and sprinkle some sunflower and white millet on it for these species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mesh peanut feeders are also a great addition in the winter.&nbsp; Peanuts are relished by woodpeckers, blue jays, nuthatches and chickadees, and also contain the required calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img-5208.jpg?w=768\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1589\" width=\"687\" height=\"915\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Suet is also important to feed at this time of year.&nbsp; There are many styles of suet feeders to choose from.&nbsp; Single suet feeders can be hung from tree branches, or you may decide to offer a larger tail-prop feeder on a feeding station.&nbsp; Tail-prop feeders allow larger woodpeckers to balance their tail on the added prop rather than curling around a smaller suet feeder.&nbsp; Some hopper feeders have suet cake feeders on the sides to allow non-clinging birds such as cardinals, finches and winter sparrows to indulge in this treat.&nbsp; Mill Creek suet gives you a wide variety of flavor choices including the ever popular insect and nut cake.&nbsp; If you hang a few suet feeders up, you can offer varying flavors and see who likes what best!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/38069_squirrel-proof-suet-feeder_7037-copy-sq.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1593\" width=\"680\" height=\"680\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Water is essential for birds to have access to when natural sources freeze.&nbsp; By adding a heated bird bath, or a de-icer to an existing bath, you will be providing birds an open water source to drink from.&nbsp; They should be placed in a sunny location for optimum performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/urbannaturestore.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51lcwkjogpl._ac_sl1095_.jpg?w=701\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1262\" width=\"402\" height=\"237\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shelters are a welcome sight when winter storms are brewing.&nbsp; Roosting boxes and pockets invite birds to gather together for warmth to ride out inclement weather.&nbsp; Bird houses used in the spring and summer months can also be used for shelter.&nbsp; Always make sure that the openings on any of these are facing away from prevailing winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photos of your yard with a short written description (250 words or less) of what changes you made to help birds stay safe during the winter can be submitted to <a href=\"mailto:photos@UrbanNatureStore.ca\">photos@UrbanNatureStore.ca<\/a> by March 14, 2022.\u00a0 Minimum criteria for your backyard is a<strong><em> heated birdbath\/de-icer, roosting box or pocket, and suet<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 First place will receive a heated bird bath, second place a brome bird feeder, and third place a winter roost box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you have fun with this and enjoy watching the birds in your backyard bird haven!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy Birding and Happy Holidays to all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By Jane Paradis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exciting News!&nbsp; Beginning on December 31, we will be starting our Backyard Winter Birdscape Contest.&nbsp; This contest will run until March 14th.&nbsp; We\u2019re not looking for a perfectly staged space with expensive and beautiful feeders, we\u2019re looking for practical items you have put in your yards to help birds stay healthy throughout the winter months.&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[48,26,60,61,21,76,30,17],"class_list":["post-1585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uns-birding-blog","tag-birdbath","tag-birdseeds","tag-birdwatching","tag-canadawildbirding","tag-janes-birds","tag-unsbirds","tag-unsblogs","tag-urbannaturestore"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.mppdev.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}