I see a variety of birds in my backyard. During the winter months I have peanut, mixed seed and nyjer seed feeders. This attracts many different birds to my backyard. The bluejays, nuthatches, and woodpeckers love the peanuts. Most birds enjoy the mixed seed and goldfinches love the nyjer seed. I buy my seed at a local business, Davis Feed. When I ran a bird watching club they generously donated sunflower seeds for the students to use in the feeders that we made. You don’t have to have fancy feeders to attract birds to your yard. I also have a heated source of water for the birds and other animals. My feeders are all squirrel-proof and I have them hung on poles with baffles to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from emptying them. I also have a lot of gardens and trees and this provides shelter and food for the birds as well. 

I sometimes get hawks visiting the yard. I love seeing them and they do need to eat as well. I have my feeders placed so that the birds can escape easily when the hawk swoops through the yard. My most common hawk is the Cooper’s hawk. I also get the smaller sharp shinned and, I have had a red tailed hawk but they don’t usually hunt at feeders. 

During the winter months I typically have blue jays, juncos, chickadees, cardinals, finches, hawks, sparrows, mourning doves, nuthatches and woodpeckers. 

Take some time and look close to home and you will be amazed at the variety of birds that stay here over the winter months.