Winter feeding

Spring is just around the corner here in the cold northeast of Maine. The air is still chilly but the sun has started to have a bit of heat when it shines down on us. I see more and more activity outside my window. Birds come flying down to eat the stale bread I throw outside my picture window. The wild bunnies congregate with the blue jays and chickadees, nibbling on miniscule pieces of grain, leftovers from my indoor birds. It brings me great pleasure to watch the animals and birds as they munch away on their banquet of leftovers. Even the two resident chickens join in on some occasions, pecking away at the morsels of food. A chickadee or two or three also stops by.

It is fun and very self satisfying to feed these native wild animals that visit my property but it is important to remember I can also do a great disservice to them should I feed them too much. I make sure I don't place a large amount of food outside nor is it done on a regular basis. I don't want the birds and animals to expect to be fed by me. They need to be able to fend for themselves as nature intended them to. There is not much harm in an occasional handout; there IS great harm in causing these animals and birds to become dependent on your contributions to their meals.

Not only do they need to be able to rely on their own survival skills to live, they have certain nutritional requirements needing to be met. If they rely solely on my offerings, they run the risk of not eating balanced meals. This can lead to illness and even their death.

So, if you make a habit of feeding the wild birds and animals living near you, remember a few simple suggestions:

1) offer small portions
2) alternate days and times of feeding
3) offer a variety of foods to choose from
4) don't offer potentially toxic food such as chocolate or foods loaded with sweetening additives

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