I feed the birds all year sort of. They start with cleaning off the sunflowers that they plant the previous fall and continue to clean off the grasses, berries, and corn that I sometimes grow just for them. Of course I have water out all the time for them and a heated dish in the winter. I feed the big birds cat food with bread or cereal in it. They get any left overs when I cook a turkey or ham. I make my own concoction of peanut butter, prunes, hulled sunflower seeds, rolled oats, millet, black oil sunflower and a few other things they like to pick at. I buy millet, black oil sunflower and striped sunflower by the sack and keep it in large bins in the hall along with peanuts,hulled sunflower seeds, oats and rabbit pellets. Once in a while I will give them a treat of meal worms from the petstore or cut up fruit. And sometimes I will get a seed bell or spray millet just to watch them. I also ground up dry catfood last year and put it in the feeder. The little birds get much needed fat and protein to keep warm that way. I have the usual black and white feather dusters, the blue jays, lots of chickadees (black capped and boreal), nuthatches (red and white breasted), woodpeckers, northern flickers, juncos, finches, sparrows, the odd grosbeaks, waxwings, and redpolls and I even had a kestral last spring. Not many crows unless it is a really warm winter. My computer is in the corner of the front bedroom where there are the old corner windows. I feed the birds from about 5 feeders and baskets hanging from the big white spruce about 2 feet from the corner of the house here. I feed the rabbits under the tree and the dish feeders on the fence from big heavy ceramic dishes. It is such a routine for me to feed the birds after I feed the dogs on winter mornings. My neighbours are used to the crazy lady in her fleece pjs out feeding the birds every morning and the dogs go out and wait by the fence for the maggies to drop food for them. Quite the scene to watch! The maggies are very comical and they literally talk to me. I can't stand to see anything go hungry or be cold and the little birds seem to like to feast under the protective branches of this 50 foot spruce. My neighbour across the street says she likes to sit with her coffee in the morning and watch the bunnies and birds eating. And that reminds me: Must find a bale of hay for the bunnies. Last year I fed a cat all winter but coudln't catch her. She left me mice most mornings under the kennel....... I hope we have a mild winter or at least get some snow. It is bitterly cold without a little insulation. Ginny

I second the bird bath suggestion. I have six of varying types and sizes on our half acre-one is just a fabulous blue flower pot saucer that I picked up. Just be sure to change the water every other day or so to avoid hatching mosquitoes. In winter, I cover the large stone baths with a plastic contractor's bag that I mold to shape the basin so I can still fill it but avoid water getting into small fissures in the concrete, freezing, and cracking the bowl. Not pretty, but my concrete baths have lasted forever. May not be necessary, but I do it. Oh, and be sure to place the bath near a tree or shrub that offers protection if the soggy bird needs to get away quickly. My favorites to watch are the blue jays and the robins. They really revel in the bath! Too funny. Finches love my echinacea plants and it is such a joy to see the goldfinches perched atop them. I have never grown any from seed. I bought two plants years ago and they have spread nicely to create a decent stand. Also, get a feeder or two. I feed year round (no seeds or berries to speak of until mid-summer, you know) with hulled sunflower seeds, so no mess. I also put out a suet feeder with plain suet. The flickers and woodpeckers love the suet and if you use plain suet, you won't have a problem with squirrels eating it all! Have fun! The birdsong that will fill your yard year-round will be such a joy!

Any area with a thick amount of HOSP i recommend you have inbox traps and a groud repeating trap. I do not use sparrow spookers - i instead use gilbertson boxes. Most HOSP are not drawn to this kind of box and it works out great for the EABL and TRES I have. If a HOSP decides to claim a box i just put in the gilbertson trap and catch him, then i put him into the repeating trap and lure more HOSP into the repeating trap. Its not your fault, we cant babysit our boxes 24/7 so just do your best to eliminate the predators (HOSP) in your area as best you can and hopefully one day you will be HOSP free

black oil sunflower seeds will attract the most birds, but you WILL get squirrels too. You can plant native trees & shrubs instead. Do a search for native shrubs for wildlife.