It might sound obvious, but it’s getting cold. Sometimes freezing. And when it’s not cold, it’s wet — rain pouring like crazy. Soon there’ll be snow, ice, and all that winter mess. For some of my regular feathered guests, finding food and water becomes a real challenge. That’s why, from autumn to spring, I make sure all the feeders and birdbaths are well stocked.

Who’s gone and who stayed?

Many of my summer guests have already flown south — so I won’t see the Black Redstarts for a while. But the Robins are back! These little orange daredevils turn into my winter residents every year. I think they spend the cold season here and then fly north in spring — kind of like retired people, just in the opposite direction.

For several years now, I’ve been watching what each species eats and preparing separate feeding spots. It’s not just educational — it’s a way to really get to know my visitors and their tastes. And birds, believe me, can be both picky and extremely messy.

Why I don’t mix everything in one feeder?

Most birds use their beaks like little forks — they dig through the seeds to find that one perfect bite. Some even scratch around with their claws! The rest of the food ends up on the ground, and I get to play janitor every afternoon. That’s why I avoid ready-made mixes. They often contain cheap fillers — grains that my guests won’t even touch. I prefer to offer separate ingredients, so every species can find its favorite, and I don’t have to clean up half the garden later.

I always buy hulled seeds — less effort for the birds, less mess for me. The all-time favorite here? Shelled sunflower seeds. In my biggest feeder — roofed, so the rain doesn’t turn dinner into porridge — that’s the main course. Great Tits, Blue Tits, and Sparrows visit every single day. I haven’t installed a camera there yet, but it’s definitely on my list.

Winter menu!

Birds have a superfast metabolism — they need a lot of calories and fat to stay warm. Three things that always work: sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts.

I keep two kinds of peanuts: crushed ones for small birds like tits and sparrows, and whole, unsalted ones for bigger visitors — mainly Wood Pigeons. The crushed mix sits high, near the birdbath and sunflower feeder, while the whole nuts I mix with oats, wheat flakes, and fruit — apple, chokeberry, and red currant. That’s a real treat for blackbirds and robins, but my camera also caught wood mice sneaking in at night. They seem to know they’re being filmed!

I always serve fresh, chopped fruit — never dried. Dried fruit can swell up inside birds and cause harm, especially to small ones. There’s one more thing that’s a total hit — dried mealworms. Packed with protein and fat, loved by tits, robins, and blackbirds. They might look gross, but in bird terms, that’s the equivalent of a steak with fries.

New experiments?

This winter, I want to test two new ideas.

First: peanut butter as a replacement for suet or fat. Apparently, it’s one of the healthiest and most loved bird snacks — creamy, high-energy, and it doesn’t melt too fast. Just make sure it’s unsalted, unsweetened, and free from xylitol or hydrogenated fats. You can even spread it right on a tree trunk!

Second: a log feeder — a piece of tree trunk with holes drilled in it, filled with suet or peanut butter. To birds, it looks totally natural — like a real log full of larvae. And for me, it’s a fun DIY project and a perfect way to see who’ll discover this new “restaurant in a tree” first.

Why it matters?

If you’ve never fed birds before — maybe now’s the time to start. Wild animals are losing their habitats to concrete, asphalt, and endless construction. In winter, life simply gets hard for them. You can begin small — a handful of sunflower seeds, a slice of apple, a birdbath with clean water. Soon you’ll start recognizing your guests and their little habits and moods.

Just don’t overdo it — too much food will go to waste, and spoiled feed can make birds sick.

And when everything’s ready — sit back with a hot coffee, watch the tits squabble over sunflower seeds while a robin pretends not to care — and feel that quiet joy of having done something wonderful.

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