As with the dawn of every New Year, we are always contemplating various ways we can better our lives and those lives around us. There is certainly no shortage of resolutions this time of year, and we invite all of our fellow birders to join us in doing a few simple and easy things that can help your backyard birds this year.
Construct a Brush Pile
Come spring and summer, you will most likely take to your backyard for some maintenance. Utilizing the limbs and clippings from pruned trees is a great start to building a backyard brush pile for your birds. Need a good head start? Use your Christmas tree as a great starter to your new brush pile, or check out our recent article for more ways to recycle your Christmas tree.
Clean Up
Whether in our backyards, local pathways or favorite forested areas, lending a hand and removing any and all litter you come across does not only benefit birds but the entire ecosystem. Don’t walk by that candy wrapper, pick it up and bring it to the nearest trash can, the birds won’t be the only ones to thank you.
Prevent Window Strikes
If you noticed a few window collisions by some birds over the past year or two, 2015 might be the best time to really do something about it. Moving bird feeders, using decals and hanging ornaments can all help reduce the fatality rate in bird to window deaths. For more information check out our article: A Few Things You Can Do To Prevent Window Strikes by Birds
Take Part in a Local Bird Count
It isn’t too late yet to get involved with a local bird count in your area. Most counts are scheduled to end on January 5th of each year, but not to worry if you missed it this year. Make sure you sign up, volunteer or donate where and when possible, and be ready for a productive 2015 Christmas Bird Count.
Keep Everything Clean
We all lead very busy lives and cleaning our own homes can sometimes take a back seat to our daily tasks and chores. Proper maintenance and cleaning of birdhouses and nesting boxes, feeders and bird baths are integral to your bird watching success. Make it a goal to thoroughly clean all your bird accessories once a week or every 10 days, and continue to keep your backyard birds safe, happy and healthy.