The landscape can be a bit dreary in the winter. Snow-covered gardens and barren trees create a nearly mono-chromatic scene.

Bird watching, particularly from the comfort of your home, is a great winter-time activity. It’s a great way to connect with nature and provide a break from today’s hectic lifestyles.

To keep birds around throughout the winter, provide a bird-friendly garden with food, water and shelter from the elements and predators.

1. Food. Keep feeders cleaned and filled with a good quality bird food. Birds like different diets, so make sure you’re providing food that’s preferred by birds you want to attract. Seeds attract the widest variety of birds, while suet attracts insect-eaters.

Here are a few popular birds and their favorite feed:

– Goldfinches like Black Oil Sunflower, fine or medium Sunflower chips and Nyjer seed.
– Downy Woodpecker: Fine or medium Sunflower chips and whole Peanuts
– European Starling: Cracked Corn, fine or medium Sunflower Chips, Stripped Sunflower or whole Peanuts.
– Sparrow: White Porso Millet or whole Peanuts.
– Mourning Dove: Black Oil Sunflower, fine Sunflower chips, Nyjer, Safflower, and White Porso Millet.
– Cardinal: Black Oil Sunflower, Cracked Corn, and fine or medium Sunflower chips.
– Red-breasted Nuthatch: Black Oil Sunflower and fine or medium Sunflower chips.
– White-breasted Nuthatch: Black Oil Sunflower and fine or medium Sunflower chips.

For more information, check with English Gardens experts for their recommendations.

Clean feeders and the areas around them at least once a month. Wash your hands after filling or cleaning feeders.

Keep the feeder area clear of snow and ice during the winter. Stamp down the snow underneath feeders to help ground-feeding birds like doves and cardinals.

Consider the type of bird feeder you will need. Platform style feeders, suet holders, hopper style feeders and tube feeders are all good choices. To maximize your bird viewing pleasure, try securing feeders outside windows or off your back deck or front porch. This way you can enjoy watching the birds without scaring them off!

2. Water: It’s an important part of a bird’s diet especially during the winter. Be sure your birds have access to a constant supply of fresh, clean water. Water helps wash down their food since their winter diets are usually drier than in the summer when juicy insects are available.

Bathing is also a daily bird routine and helps to keep their feathers in good condition which aids them with body insulation during those cold winter nights. Bathing is good for the birds, and is entertaining to watch!

Consider adding a heating element to your bird bath during the winter to keep the water from freezing. Scrub birdbaths with a brush and replace the water every three to five days.

3. Shelter: Birds need shelter from the elements just as we do. When the weather’s cold, snowy, rainy, or windy, they need to find a place where they can be comfortable. Bird houses provide safe shelter for birds and hours of enjoyment watching them. Put up a birdhouse or two around your yard in a protected location.