Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1370788
Black oil sunflower seed is a favourite choice of seed-eating birds and the simplest food to offer, she added. "If you want to expand your bird feeding operation, you can diversify the food you are offering and the way you offer it. Suet feed- ers are great for a racting woodpeckers, tray feeders are a bird and human favourite, and seed cylinders are a long-lasting convenient buffet for the birds," Stoesz said. "Also, adding a source of water like a bird bath and planting native plant species will encourage a higher diversity of birds to visit your yard." This time of year, common backyard birds include black-capped chickadees, white- breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and blue jays. You might also spot American goldfinch, chipping sparrows, house finches, rose-breasted grosbeak, Baltimore oriole and ruby-throated hummingbird. For Stoesz, the appeal of bird watching stems from the connection to nature that sets your spirits soaring— both in your backyard and beyond. "It's also a really relaxing activity. Once you've started bird watching or bird feeding, it's hard to stop. It inspires us to create bet- ter habitats for the birds in our yards, which in turn provides food and shelter for a variety of different wildlife," she said. "It also encourages us to explore and look for different species of birds you might not be able to find in your backyard. So we head out and explore our big Manitoba backyard, which is wonderful." S P A C E S | 15