When winter blankets the ground with snow, I begin to think of our feathered and furry friends. I’m always amazed at the amount of animal tracks my kids will find the day after a snow storm! From deer to rabbits, squirrels and birds, our woodland friends are certainly still on the hunt for food.
A handful of birds stick around all winter, like those bright red cardinals that look so pretty against the white snow. February is when many birds begin to migrate back, believe it or not! It’s a great time to start thinking of making bird feeders, like these orange peel ones, or use pine cones and peanut butter or freeze some berries into a ring and hang it up in a tree!
February 13th-16th is the Great Backyard Bird Count – a time when you can document which birds come to your yard and then submit those results to scientists to help aid them in their research. This is fun way to get kids outside in the winter months!
Plus, if you have curious kids at home, the Audubon Society has a great FREE printable unit study about birds that you can find right here!
If you’re eating tons of citrus fruit right now like my family is, it’s super easy to save your peels for a cute little back yard bird feeder! Just cut your orange or grapefruit in half and remove the fruit. Then poke holes through four sections of the peel and thread some string through it. If desired, add a perch such as a pencil or skewer. Fill it with bird seed and hang it up!
We’ve also done other bird feeders, such as frozen compost ornaments.
Brandon Hertzler shared about how he made bird feeders by smearing peanut butter on pinecones and dipping them in birdseed.
So stop by our farm market to find birdseed and your favorite citrus fruits and save the peels to make feeders for your feathered friends!