Bird Watching!Have you ever watched a bird take a bath, or watched it eat? This can be such a great way to relax while your sitting and looking out your window.
But these birds need your help too, as we humans take over more of the Earth, and remove more of their trees and food, we need to give back.
Birds are always hungry, and they use up so much energy that they need to eat all the time. For example: some birds eat 4/5 of their own body weight in one day. So if you weight 100 pounds, you would need to eat 80 pounds of food if you were a bird per day! This would be from the time you get up, till the time you went to bed each day. You could not do this, but a bird does, and that is a lot of food for a bird to find.
So the next time your sitting there looking out your window and see those birds, try to notice what type of birds you are getting. Then you can stop at a pet store or any place that sells bird seeds and find the type of food for your birds to enjoy. You could also have fun at the library or on line looking up more information about those birds.
You could have fun making bird houses or bird feeders for them. And don't forget they need water to drink too.
One thing you could make for fun, is a bunch of unsalted peanuts still in their shells, that you would tie each peanut to a piece of yarn or string. Then tie them to a branch of a tree. Check back each day to see if birds have found your gift.
Another idea is to spread peanut butter all over a pine cone, you want to fill up all those little spaces. This can be a little messy and you can do it outside. Make sure to tie a string to the pine cone before you start. You can also cover the peanut butter with seeds. Now you can hang this treat from a tree.
Did you know birds like oranges too? So the next time you have an orange, DO NOT toss out the peel. Tie a string to it and hang it out on your tree to share with the birds.
Tips on making a birdbath:
Find a big ceramic or plastic saucer like the kind used under a potted plant. (Do not use metal if you can help it - this will get too hot in the summer and will freeze up in the winter.).
There should be some kind of an outer edge around it for the birds to land on and
rest.
The water does not need to be deep - about two inches is perfect. But you do need to keep the bath filled with clean water.
If you have a cat or there is one the neighborhood, you might need to put the birdbath up high enough or hang it from a tree to protect the birds.
Now your ready to relax again in your chair and look out your window to watch the happy birds your helping.
