Published 7 months ago • loading... • Updated 7 months ago
As the Garden Winds Down, It’s Time to Care for Winter-Prepping Birds
Suburban gardeners provide high-energy food and shelter to help migrating and non-migratory birds survive winter scarcity, supporting local bird populations through the season.
Soon, Jessica Damiano cleaned and refilled birdfeeders in her suburban New York garden to help migrating backyard birds fuel up and will keep feeders stocked for non-migratory birds through winter.
As the garden slows, late-season asters, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, goldenrods and ornamental grasses dry but provide seeds, while leaving spent perennials and fallen leaves shelters insects and supports ground-feeding birds.
Choose high-fat, high-protein feeds like unsalted peanuts, black-oil sunflower seeds and suet, and prepare nectar recipe by dissolving 1 cup sugar in 4 cups boiling water for migrating hummingbirds.
Providing winter sustenance results in birds surviving winter and rewarding gardeners with birdsong and snow-covered seedheads, enhancing spring pest-control services.
Disconnect solar-powered landscape lighting and keep porch lights off for the next couple of months to avoid disorienting migratory birds; early fall plantings of shrubs and perennials offer future food and shelter.