When you mention bird watching, most people think of spring, summer and fall. Spring and fall are good times to look for migratory birds that may not spend the summer where you live. Migration is a good time to see nonresident birds if you watch their migratory routes. The summer, of course, is a great time to watch the resident birds raise their young and teach them survival skills. But the most overlooked time of the year to watch birds is the winter.

This is the time when bird feeders and heated birdbaths attract a wide variety of birds that are sometimes hard to spot during the other seasons. Without the leaves on trees, and food harder to get, these birds are more likely to spend time around your feeder and bird bath. The more elusive and shy birds are easier to spot and the bold ones, such as the Chickadees, will land on your hand for some black oil sunflower seeds. Nothing is quite as thrilling to a bird watcher as having a sweet little Chickadee look you in the eye and snatch a seed right from the palm of your hand.

But a real treat is to get a glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker in the winter. Despite its large size (15"), this is a very shy and hard to spot bird. Because of its loud pecking, and the large holes it makes in trees, you are more likely to hear it or see where it has been or than to see the bird itself. It is very difficult to sneak up close enough to it to get a good look. I find that it is even more difficult to photograph it because, if the bird sees you, it will fly away.

If you want an accessible treat, put out a wildlife seed block, and you will have just about everything that lives in your area paying a visit. Here in the Poconos, where I live, I have a huge flock of turkeys that comes for three square meals a day.

Winter bird watching can be very successful if you put up squirrel-proof bird feeders (such as the one pictured here) filled with sunflower seeds. A platform feeder for the ground feeders, such as Dark-eyed Junco's and doves as well as larger birds, can be filled with a wild bird seed mix. On very cold harsh days, I occasionally supplement the seeds with freeze-dried meal worms. The worms also help the insect-eating birds that may stay in the area, such as Bluebirds. They also help Robins who come too early in the spring or get caught in a late snow storm.

Happy Bird Watching!

Susan Bulanda