As our temp doesn't even make it up to freezing during the day, please, PLEASE keep in mind that our feathered friends are really struggling finding food and water.
This photo was taken outside in the early morning on my patio; still set up from our show, my old antique doors that are hinged together provide some nice shelter and act as a feeding and resting stop for our male Anna's hummers that winter over. Can you see how frozen solid their feeder gets? (*Also notice that my feeder is not filled with red dye) Every hour I've been swapping out there feeder, as it doesn't take long for it to freeze. Even our dry feeders freeze and are too slippery for the birds to stay perched up to eat.
I just love my little hummers (as many of you know)...and so do they!
Here is one of our Sunflowers that is still standing (remember we talked about NOT tearing down your sunflowers, but leaving them for the birds to continue to pick at). Even when you may not see any remaining seeds, you will notice they still flock and cling to them to eat the bugs that have made the dying sunflowers their home. Plus, frosty, they add some unique character to your otherwise gloomy looking garden!
Toss some hand fulls of bird seed, sunflower seeds, etc out onto your sidewalks, front yard, back yard, roof etc.
If you have some tin pie plates, try to bring out shallow tins of water ever so often. If you have fruit...set this out for them in pieces or better yet, string some wire through the fruit and hang it up where clinging birds can get to it. The bigger birds, like flickers and woodpeckers will appreciate this. Make sure your suet feeders are filled.
Even if you don't usually see birds in your area, at this time of year, put out food and they will come!
Hope all of you are staying safe and WARM!!!