You know you’re dedicated to your backyard birds when you shovel around your birdfeeders, refill them and clear space for perches – all during a snowstorm. While I do wonder why these snowstorms seem to be arriving the day after I’ve already cleaned up the feeders, I’m happy to offer treats to the house finches, pine siskins, goldfinches and sparrows that are flocking to my backyard in the heaviest snow. Their perky behavior shows their gratitude, even if their ravenous appetites never seem sated.

Fortunately, feeding birds in the winter doesn’t have to be an ordeal. I’ve compiled a list of winter bird feeding tips to help you brave the cold, keep the feeders filled and enjoy the birds even during the coldest days of the year.

Do you have pictures of birds at your feeders in the winter? Email me, and they could be featured in a winter feeding gallery!

House Finch in the Snow
Photo © Melissa Mayntz

January is a time to be resourceful by saving money, making goals and practicing self improvement. There is no more resourceful bird than this week’s Bird of the Week, the common raven. These scavengers – believed to be among the most intelligent songbirds – are adept hunters, agile fliers and vocal visitors throughout much of the country.

Do you have a favorite picture of a raven to share? Email me and your picture could be featured in a common raven photo gallery!

Common Raven
Photo © Gordon Ellmers

More birders than ever will get to enjoy the Second Annual Winter Bird Festival in Galt, California on January 17. According to an article in The Sacramento Bee, last year’s festival sold out reservations for popular birding tours, so extra buses have been reserved for this year’s event. Tours visit the 46,000 acre Cosumnes River Preserve, which is home to more than 250 species of birds including Sandhill cranes, tundra swans and various duck species. January 12 is the deadline to register for this year’s tours.

Other festival activities include a student winter bird art exhibition and contest, a presentation by the California Raptor Center, guest speakers and specialty vendors. For more information, visit the City of Galt website.

This week’s featured bird is the perky downy woodpecker, the smallest of the North American woodpeckers. Common throughout most of the United States, these tiny birds (just six inches long) are easily spotted in the forest, particularly along waterways, and they will readily visit backyards for suet, bread and seeds.

Do you have a picture of a downy woodpecker or other favorite backyard bird to share? Email me and your picture could be featured in an upcoming bird profile or Bird of the Week!

Downy Woodpecker - Female
Photo © Melissa Mayntz

Santa (aka my husband) was good to me and the birds over the holidays, and I now have new tube feeders, a bird bath heater and other birding supplies to enjoy. The mistake many birders make with holiday gifts, however, is that they enjoy them indoors instead of making them immediately available to the birds during the winter. Spring is a long time away, and birds can use those new supplies now.

A new feeder will offer even more seed for birds when food is scarce, and novelty seed balls, bells and wreaths are rich in fats and oils that provide essential calories for birds to keep warm. Place a new birdhouse outdoors now so birds can become accustomed to it before breeding season. Put up those new window clings to help birds avoid glass collisions when they’re chased by winter’s hungry hawks. By letting the birds enjoy your new birding supplies right away, you will have an even bigger, happier flock to enjoy this spring.

Birdseed Ball
Photo © Melissa Mayntz

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, or even if you just prefer a peaceful winter season, best wishes to you. In the midst of parties, fancy dinners, family gatherings and other nostalgia, however, don’t forget your backyard guests. The birds don’t have another family dinner to attend and can’t drop by the mall for a last minute gift or gift card shopping spree. Keep the feeders clear and filled, heat up the birdbath and add a treat to the platform feeder so every guest to your home – even those with feathers – can enjoy the season. Happy Holidays!

The northern cardinal is one of the most familiar and beautiful songbirds in North America. Its stunning plumage stays boldly red during the winter, making it a popular symbol of the holiday season and the perfect choice for this week’s Bird of the Week.

Red and green are the most popular Christmas colors, and a red male cardinal perching in an evergreen tree with snow-tipped branches is a classic holiday scene featured on many holiday cards (including my own this year). At the same time, the cardinal’s aggression and distinctive courtship behavior make it a fascinating visitor to suburban backyards throughout the year.

What experiences do you have with cardinals? Share your stories in the comments!

Northern Cardinal
Photo © Ed Schneider

The economy may be struggling, but savvy birders can find great deals on birding supplies if they know where to look. Our local Sears Grand store is closing, and knowing that they have a garden section, I went to check out the selection. Happily, I was able to load my car with 100 pounds of black oil sunflower seed for the fabulous price of $8 per 20 pound bag.

Even retailers who aren’t closing may be offering great deals at this time of year, when less dedicated birders have put away their feeders for the next few months and stock isn’t moving as readily. Check home improvement stores, garden centers, nurseries and pet stores for discounts on everything you need to keep your backyard birds happy through the winter.

Have you found a great discount deal on birding supplies? Share your tips in the comments!

Winter arrived with a vengeance yesterday, dumping several inches of snow during the day, naturally just after I’d refilled the birdfeeders. With such a deep snowfall, small birds such as juncos, sparrows and finches cannot reach the seed, and sympathetic birders should take care to clear perches and platforms to make feeding easier. I scooped away several handfuls of snow and stirred up the black oil sunflower seeds so they would be easily visible. In short order, I was rewarded with a very happy flock.

What steps do you take to ensure your backyard birds can feed in the winter? Share your tips in the comments!

Platform Feeding
Photo © Melissa Mayntz

This week’s featured bird is the golden eagle, one of the largest birds of prey in North America. I had the privilege to see one of these magnificent raptors up close while on a trail walk through a local canyon, and it was clear from the bird’s dispassionate appraisal of those of us enthralled with his presence that he’s at the top of the food chain.

Do you have a picture of your favorite wild bird? Email me and it could be featured as a future Bird of the Week!

Golden Eagle
Photo © Melissa Mayntz