Turn your back yard into a bird sanctuary year-round

Now is the time to dust off those binoculars and prepare for a long weekend of bird-watching. The annual Great Backyard Bird Count, scheduled for Feb. 12-15, encourages bird watchers to spend 15 minutes each day counting birds to help researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society create an “instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations.”

Meanwhile, you can attract more birds to your yard, year-round, with a few bird-feeding accessories. Contrary to popular opinion, says Ray Chancellor, founder of the Southlake Ornithological Society, migratory birds are not seeking better weather.

“What they really want is food,” he says.

Birds depend on feeders more during the winter months because natural food sources are scarce and they need to consume more calories to keep warm. “Some species must eat a quarter of their body weight every day,” says Leigh Langford, an environmental education specialist at the Bob Jones Nature Center.

Bird-friendly practices include keeping bird baths and native plants in your landscape. However, experts say bird baths and feeders easily become soiled by bird droppings and should be cleaned weekly — easily done with a small brush and a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in a cup of water.

“Bacteria builds up and causes disease,” says Michael Francis, president of the Fort Worth Audubon Society. “Birds can get lesions on their bills and die of starvation.”

Here are some items found at local nurseries and garden centers that should convince wintering birds to accept your hospitality.

Keep it simple

Bird feeders don’t have to be ornate or fancy. A block of suet dangling from a length of yarn puts out the welcome mat for hungry songbirds. Simple suet-block feeders found locally at stores like McDonnell Hardware and Feed in Keller include Popoutz’s cleverly inexpensive and lightweight model. Made of 100 percent recyclable polypropylene plastic and available in six colors (to attract different types of birds), each Popoutz feeder folds open to encase a simple suet block. $2.99. Spread the love by buying six (or even 12).

Also available: New Creative’s whimsical apple-shaped suet feeder in red metal with two green leaves on top and a metal hanger. It comes with a homemade suet recipe: 1 cup vegetable shortening, 1 cup chunky peanut butter, 3 cups stone-ground corn meal,  1/2 cup white or wheat flour, and mixed birdseed. $11.99.

Chow time

Birds have big appetites, and an assortment of avian-friendly tube feeders at Marshall Grain Company in Grapevine caters to different types and various dietary needs.

For woodpeckers, bluejays and cardinals, Songbird Essentials’ Jumbo Yellow Spiral Whole Peanut Feeder is a winner. $45.99. (A 5-pound bag of unshelled peanuts from Wild Delight costs $17.99.)

Aspects’ Nyjer Mesh Feeder pleases flashy little goldfinches (and other members of the finch family). With a 1  1/4 -quart capacity, it comes with a removable bottom for easy cleaning. Fill with Nyjer seeds (thistle) and tie on a yellow ribbon to attract goldfinches. $39.99.

For songbirds like cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and sparrows, Droll Yankees’ New Generation series mixed-seed feeder is a crowd-pleaser. Fill with black-oil sunflower seeds, regular or shelled, or opt for safflower seeds to make the cardinals happy and keep the squirrels at bay. $29.99.

Home, sweet home

Offer sanctuary to different species of birds with Garden Gate Enterprises Inc.’s well-constructed wooden wren house topped by a ridged metal roof, available at Foreman’s General Store in Colleyville for $48.

The selection of birdhouses at Foreman’s also includes a Woodlink Ltd. Bluebird House, approved by the North American Bluebird Society. It has a hinged front and comes with useful NABS bluebird feeding tips and placement guidelines. $24.99.

Harmonious garden

Hummingbird sightings are a rare delight in North Texas yards, but you’ll increase your chances with a red glass bottle Hummingbird Elixir Feeder from More Birds Classic Brands. The thick-glassed, 13-ounce feeder comes in red — the species’ favorite color — and features a wide mouth and flat bottom for easy refills and cleaning. $24.99.

If you’re serious about creating a harmonious and healthy gathering place, pick up a Droll Yankees Perfect Little Brush three-pack to keep your feeders clean and free of bacteria. $6.99.

Also, Corn Log Squirrel Treats by Heath Outdoor Products are great for discouraging squirrels from swinging on the bird feeders. Besides being drilled in the center for easy placement on corn-mount squirrel feeders, they are 100 percent consumable (read: less mess) and contain the equivalent of 12 ears of corn. $7.99 for a set of two. All from Calloway’s Nursery.

Happy hideaways

Encourage nesting in the spring with ready-made houses. Woodlink’s diminutive wooden wren nesting house features a durable and long vinyl hanging cord plus a bottom slat that unscrews for easy cleaning. $9.99.

Or go native with a couple of casual woven tiki-hut wren houses. The ultra-cute Coco-Topped Hut from Birds and Beyond costs $8.99. Marshall Grain Company.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Turn your back yard into a bird sanctuary year-round."