Beyond Your Backyard - The Art Of Hand-Feeding Birds

By Kimberly Epp

Feeding birds over the winter helps their survival, especially when the days are very cold.

Birds must eat all day long, but they also cache food for leaner times. During the long night, the food they had eaten all day slowly digests - and this helps them stay warm as they huddle.

Some birds, such as chickadees, even lower their body temperature into a state of near hypothermia to help them survive the long, cold nights. Having to only heat their core area also helps the survival process. When natural food is scarce or hidden by the snow, putting out a feeder (and filling it daily) will assist the winter birds.

These small birds have the ability to recognize faces and even voices. You can attract birds to your feeder to begin with by providing a mixture of various bird seed. Shelled oilseed is very popular to most birds, and has little mess. Nyjer seed is also popular. I provide a mixture of oilseed and crushed peanuts for my Red and White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, and House Finches. Of course, the squirrels love this mixture as well!

Hand-feeding birds doesn't mean you cannot place a few pine nuts on top of your toque! Some Red-breasted Nuthatches at the Wakmow feeder enjoying their treats! (Photo by Kimberly Epp)

Set your feeder(s) in an area that is sheltered, but also provides a view on each side.

Bird's eyes, situated on the side of their heads, give them a field of vision of 300 degrees, needed for protection from predators. Their eyes are the largest of any animal, compared to their body size.

The birds will get to know you if you spend some time each day near the feeders. Every day, if you want to hand feed, take a few minutes and stand beside the feeder with the seed in the pail beside you and some pine nuts in your hand. The absence of motion is critical, but you can quietly talk to them so they get to know your voice. Wait for a couple of minutes. Each day, move closer to the feeder and repeat the process. Within no time at all, you will have a bird that will grab a pine nut from you. Stay still, and let the bird take a few more. Then fill the feeder and keep on offering pine nuts. Sit outside on a chair near enough that the birds will eventually come to you as you sit and sip your coffee. Eventually, they get used to the clicks of your camera as well.

Two birds in the hand is better than one! Sandra Frey feeds two chickadees at the Wakamow feeder (Photo by Kimberly Epp).

Feeding birds, or just sitting near them is a calming activity.

The only rule these birds have when hand-feeding at the community feeder at Wakamow in Moose Jaw is; 'pine nuts or bust'. One bird went to the hand of a friend who just ran out of pine nuts. The nuthatch then took one of the remaining oilseeds she had and flung it at her head. All of the birds then dispersed. The pine nut feeding frenzy was over! I always have fun with the little guys putting pine nuts on my head or taking “nuthatch” selfies.

Two Springs ago, I was out walking in Wakamow with an older lady who had a slight fear of birds. So, although I had pine nuts with me, we walked the path and skipped going to the feeder. Before long I heard the “I found food” friendly call of the chickadee. The bird knew I was “packing”. I told this lady to remain still, and put some pine nuts in her hand. I caught the big smile on her face as this tiny being gently took a nut, while apparently inside she was quaking in her boots. But she overcame her fear – at least with chickadees!

Black-capped Chickadee enjoying pine nuts mixed within oilseed at the Wakamow feeder (photo by Kimberly Epp).

On many of my winter bird programs over the past two years as Field Trip Director and President of the Moose Jaw Nature Society, there have been dozens of participants who have never before had the experience of holding a bird on their hand. The joy on their face, especially that of children, is what it is all about.

Two boys were once counting the times a nuthatch “'landed” on their cold little hands. One little girl who had never hand-fed, was so excited that she brought her friends to the Wakamow feeder the very next day – and then it became a weekly thing for her and her friends. Her mom, Jayne, said she could hear her teaching what she had learned from me. How could I not smile?

Jayne Seargeant, said this about that field trip; “the pine nuts were distributed to the group, and a hush overcame us as we waited. It was simultaneously exhilarating, and grounding to have a tiny feathered nutnatch touch down on my fingertips to retrieve a morsel. The real treat, though, was the thrill of seeing my child have a meaningful and memorable encounter with nature. Hand-feeding birds has (now) become a tradition and an honor for my child and I.”

This chickadee and I had a brief "moment" as he perched on my cell phone before jumping onto my hand to retrieve a pine nut (Photo by Sandra Frey).

Patti Kosteniuk, one of our new directors, was also at that trip last December. Following the December field trip, Patti was able to try the tips she learned about hand-feeding. She had this to say; “Last winter I went out to fill my feeders and a Red-breasted Nuthatch was sitting in our crab apple tree and didn't fly away when I slowly approached. I thought I'm going to put some pine nuts in my hand before I fill the feeders and see if it will come to me and it did.” The rest is history!

Tim Nicholl, also a new member and director was absolutely intrigued when the first chickadee landed on his hand. Nature is a new thing to him, and he is finding each trip, workshop, speaker and meeting to be very educational. His response; “It's hard to believe that something that can fly anywhere would come down to visit me. I haven't done that before. I felt honored.”

With the help of a generous donor, the MJNS will once again be able to maintain the community feeder at Wakamow. If you go to hand-feed, always carry pine nuts. Pine nuts are higher in nutrition and energy, and softer to break down. If you hide a few pine nuts in a handful of oilseed, the bird will spend an extra few seconds looking for the “white gold”.

Red-breasted Nuthatch taking pine nuts from my hand. I mix in oilseed as the birds then take an extra second or two to choose the pine nut. These tiny birds are literally as light as a feather! (Photo by Kimberly Epp)

The common birds that come to your hand include Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, occasionally White-breasted Nuthatches and every now and then a male Downy Woodpecker.

One of the participants last Sunday attempted to coax this male Downy Woodpecker to his hands. No success today, but I've hand fed them in the past, and I believe with a little patience this guy will come around! (Photo by Kimberly Epp)

Last year, I took a good friend out to Beaver Creek Conservation Area. Although she had been there multiple times, she had never once hand fed any birds. In no time she “landed” her first bird. In fact, then the chickadees followed us. A ways down the trail, a family of five were trying to hand feed with oilseed. I gave them all pine nuts, and told them there was no need to worry as they are gentle and very light. Well, the father “landed” one, and started to tell his 3 kids; “Be careful as their claws are really sharp.” So, my friend who is a nurse and tells things as theyare, responded by saying; “You work in an office, don't you?” The wife laughed, and also said; “busted.” The children enjoyed the gentle birds and thanked us for the pine nuts.

Our society will continue with many exciting workshops, field trips, and monthly meetings with guest speakers with topics of great interest. In fact, last Sunday we had a 2 hour workshop on bird feeding where I began with a slide show presentation on the common winter feeder birds of our area. We then we made bird feeders out of pine cones, bagels, gourds, and more – with peanut butter, seed and suet. We made suet as well, as I showed the participants what types of ingredients to put in.

We then headed to Wakamow to hang some of these feeders up and hand feed the birds with the pine nuts I provided. Most of the children present had never done this before, and despite the cold were definitely enthralled. It didn't take long for the Red-breasted Nuthatches to respond. We also got a close-up view of a male Downy Woodpecker pecking dilligently at a suet cake. The particpiants then hadthe opportunity to take some of their feeders home. Thirteen were in attendance, and the program was offered to both MJNS members and the general public at no charge.

Participants at last Sunday's feeder workshop hand-feed the Red-breasted Nuthatches (Photo by Kimberly Epp).

Through having an online presence, trips and workshops, our little group has grown - and the membership is four times what it was two years ago. Everyone is welcome to our upcoming meeting on Friday, November 22nd at 6:30pm. We meet in the basement of St. Mark's Church on 80 High Street East.

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Dr. Ryan C. McKellar, Curator of Invertrebrate Paleontology of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. He will discuss some of the recent finds made by Saskatchewan Paleontologists this past summer. The program is free of charge and refreshments will be served. For more info, contact Kim at (306) 681-3198 or via the Moose Jaw Nature Society Facebook page.

MJNS President, Rich Pickering can be contacted at (306) 693-3183, and is the contact for seed donations as well.

Check out the new feeder Rich made on the site, and remember to always carry pine nuts! Help out our feathered friends, and have some fun and some laughs while doing so.

Epp is an environmental educator and writer, and is Past President and Field Trip Director for the Moose Jaw Nature Society. She also writes nature articles for the MJ Independent.