Valentine, Shmalentine… February is for the Birds!

February can be a frantic month for people, with emotions often running high from pressure to create the perfect display of affection, spend inappropriately on gifts, exaggerate a new or undesirable relationship, or feel penalized for not being in a relationship. Geez! No wonder so many people HATE February.

February can also be a frantic month for birds. WHY? Because February is one of the most difficult months for wild birds in terms of natural food and water supply, at least in the United States. In fact, John Porter (R-IL) proclaimed February as National Bird Feeding Month on February 23, 1994, when he read a resolution into the Congressional Record encouraging individuals to supplement wild birds’ natural diet of weed seeds and insects by feeding the birds in their own backyard.

SHOW SOME LOVE to the birds all month long by providing them with mixed wild bird seed or suet. And bird feeders don’t need to be expensive to be effective. You might even enjoy making a few DIY feeders yourself. Why not make one for your lovebird for Valentine’s Day? (Hint to my darling husband.)

Spotted Towhee Bath 1Don’t forget, the birds also need water, not just to drink but also to bathe in – a requirement for keeping feathers in top flight shape. If you have a birdbath already, make sure it’s clean and fill it to the brim. If you don’t already have a birdbath, a make-shift bath is just as practical. At our cabin in New Mexico, I placed a shallow plastic dish on the ground, added a large rock from the property for the birds to perch on, and filled it with water. The birds won’t mind that I didn’t spend a lot of money on it.

AND… if you’re a romantic at heart, what could be more precious than spending Valentine’s Day with your loved one enjoying nature by feeding and watching the birds?

Yes, the sign at our house reads, Birds Eat Free! And I will make sure they eat free all month long. Will you join me?