Contrary to popular belief, bird-watching is not just for spring and summer. It’s an even better mood lifter in the winter when the days are shorter, and the skies are grey. Many birds forego flying south for the winter and stay put right here in our area. Spotting birds in your Memphis area backyard while you stay warm indoors is a definite way to include nature into your winter routine. If you agree, stay tuned because we have equipped you with a few tips and ideas on attracting winter birds to your property.
Most Common Birds To Watch for This Winter in The Memphis Area
- House Finch
- Goldfinches
- Robins
- Eastern Bluebird
- Blue Jays
- Red-Winged Blackbird
- Juncos
- Carolina Chickadees
- Red-bellied Woodpeckers
- Downy Woodpeckers
- Cardinals
- Mourning Doves
- Tufted Titmice
- Sparrows
- European Starling
- Northern Flicker
- American Crow
When it comes to attracting an audience, even that of birds, the best thing to do is to try and see your content from their viewpoint. In this case, take a look at your backyard. Look at it from a bird’s perspective. What would attract you to it if you were a winged creature? How about starting with the basic necessities.
Provide Shelter
First, does your yard have native trees and shrubs, and ground cover? Evergreens are great for providing warmth for birds and a quick, easy escape from predators. While it is tempting to get rid of brush piles and dead trees, leaving them offers nesting material for birds and other wildlife to build a shelter: place birdhouses and roosting boxes throughout your yard. Roosting boxes are like hotels for birds showing several different perches for birds to roost together. Birdhouses and roosting boxes help protect birds from the cold, wind, rain, and weather elements in Memphis.
Provide a Viable Food Source
Although all bird species have different food preferences, you can take a few simple steps to attract all sorts of birds. In the winter, most plants go dormant, and all the seeds and berries birds used to rely on disappear. You can make their lives easier by hanging up a few birdfeeders throughout your property utilizing a variety of different bird seeds. There is no right or wrong type of birdfeeder, but you may want to pick one that covers the birdseed to keep it dry, that is easy to clean, and can hold a lot of birdseed. That way, you don’t have to venture out in the cold as much.
When choosing food for your feathered friends, try to pick sources that provide a lot of fat and oil. This is especially important for birds in the winter because their normal sources for these nutrients, insects, and berries are scarce. Good options for winter bird seed include:
- Black oil sunflower seeds
- Cracked corn
- White millet seed
- Thistle seed
- A suet mix that consists of both seeds and fruit
- Peanuts
- Fruit such as grapes, apples, bananas, and sliced citrus
Make Home Made Bird Seed Ornaments
Get the kids involved while teaching them to enjoy nature and science. Home-made birdseed ornaments are a fun way to get the entire family involved while providing your bird friends with the nutrients and nourishment they need. And with Christmas right around the corner, you can wrap the extra in cellophane and give them away as a holiday gift.
Offer a Water Source
While birds can probably get by with moving water found in streams and riverbeds that don’t freeze over, offering a place to bathe and drink from will go a long way toward attracting birds on your property. Like food, water becomes harder to find in the winter months and will provide them with the added sustenance needed to survive the harsh elements.
Just be sure to change and clean out the birdbath once a week to help prevent mold and bacteria from growing and causing illness within the bird population.
Plant Trees and Shrubs That Attract Birds
You can attract birds to your Memphis property year-round by planting certain native trees and shrubs. Colorful fruit trees such as the Washington Hawthorne, American holly, and crab apple tree not only attract birds but provide a pop of color to your landscape.
Evergreens such as the blue spruce, pine, cedar, and hemlock make a perfect shelter for birds in the winter because they hold their needles year-round.
Schedule Your Spring Lawn Care With TLC Turfmaster Lawn Care Now
Spring is just around the corner, and believe it or not; it will be here before you know it. Schedule your spring residential or commercial lawn care service now and get ahead of the game. TLC Turfmaster Lawn Care LLC offers a 7-step lawn care program that combines fertilizer, herbicides, liquid aeration, and a dethatcher to ensure your lawn will receive the nourishment and strength it needs to thrive.
Our lawn care program was designed for warm-season grasses but can be customized to fit the needs of cool-season grasses as well. Contact us now to learn more about how our comprehensive lawn care program can help your lawn this spring.
We also offer aeration, overseeding, weed control, disease control, mowing, mulching, irrigation installation, repair, and other lawn care services designed for the Memphis region. Learn more by visiting our website, reaching out to us via our online contact form, or giving us a call at 901-509-9005.
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