Blizzards Are Tough on Birds
Here are some ways to give wild birds the food, water and shelter they need to survive a storm.
On Sunday morning as the snow began to fall the birds were out foraging for food, trying to store lots of calories before the storm. There were hundreds of starlings in the open patches of grass, scavenging for insects or seeds. Robins were in the branches of the Winterberry Holly, or Ilex verticillata, gobbling up the red berries. To survive a storm like this, the birds need to keep their body temperatures up, which means they need to expend little energy and consume lots of food. They also need to find some type of shelter in the worst parts of the storm. Nesting boxes, thick shrubs or brush piles can give them the cover they need. I used to designate an area in my yard as wild in order to provide shelter and cover for the birds. My yard…
