OK — so now we ease back into a sense of normalcy. 👀
Our tree is still up. 🎄 I’m not one to tear down decorations the day after Christmas. For one, Christmas is a season, celebrated well into early January for many people. And secondly—it’s winter. Much of what aligns with Christmas also aligns beautifully with winter décor. So there’s no rush here. Why hurry your home back to blandness? 🤔
If you happen to notice our Fraser fir still gleaming happily in the window, know that while its days are numbered, it’s still loud and proud in the dining room. ✨
Its next act of service comes outdoors. Once moved by the bird feeders, a real tree—free of tinsel and ornaments—becomes valuable winter habitat. 🌲 We usually leave ours out until the needles finally begin to fall sometime in April. Until then, it shelters cottontail rabbits, mice, squirrels, and birds during biting winds and heavy snow. It’s a fitting second life for a tree that served us well indoors. 🐦
In other news, our local whitetail visitors are back. You may remember an 8-point buck braving neighborhood dogs and human activity back in November. Sure enough, deer have returned—visiting feeders, half-heartedly clearing the fence, and even walking the retaining wall near our vehicles. One set of tracks shows larger, rounded hoof tips, suggesting a buck that spent the rut scraping and pawing. The smaller, more pointed tracks likely belong to a doe.
Our yard is living proof that no matter how small your property, you can provide meaningful habitat. Rabbits, foxes, deer, owls, and even a rogue Ring-necked Pheasant have used our modest space for winter shelter. And you can make a difference too, in some fairly simple ways:
1️⃣ Repurpose your Christmas tree & plant evergreens.
A discarded real tree offers instant cover. Long-term, consider evergreen plantings like spruce or arborvitae. Arborvitae grow quickly and can form dense shelter in a shorter time. Planted thoughtfully, they can become a mini winter forest—often attracting Golden-crowned Kinglets and other feeder birds. Red squirrels especially love them too.
2️⃣ Create shrubby cover (native if possible).
Native shrubs form protective thickets where wildlife can escape wind, weather, and predators. Brush piles work too—and while they may offend HOA sensibilities, they can mean survival for birds, mammals, and even abandoned domestic cats. Start with larger branches at the base to create cavities, then layer smaller brush on top.
3️⃣ Provide food—thoughtfully.
Winter feeding helps compensate for habitat loss. Place feeders near cover (evergreens, brush piles, or your repurposed tree) so birds feel safe. Open feeders see less activity. Yes, feeders attract predators—and that’s okay. Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks rely on these opportunities, and most young hawks don’t survive their first winter. At our house, they mostly target invasive species like pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows—an ecological win.
4️⃣ Provide water.
Winter is an icy desert where water is concerned. Heated birdbaths are ideal, but even fresh water in a pan or bucket helps immensely. Birds need it for drinking and feather maintenance. Our water buckets are surrounded within minutes every cold morning.
5️⃣ Keep feeders clean.
Dirty feeders spread disease. Clean them regularly, especially if you notice sick or lethargic birds.
6️⃣ Skip poisons and chemicals.
Pesticides, insecticides, and especially rodenticides cause cascading harm. An owl that eats a poisoned mouse will die—and so will foxes, cats, and other predators. If we’re helping wildlife, we can’t poison the very ecosystem we’re trying to support.
7️⃣ Provide homes & plant for the future.
Bird boxes, bat houses, bee blocks, and pollinator gardens all expand the shelter your yard offers. Plant native pollinator plants and berry-producing shrubs like winterberry holly and silky dogwood—critical food sources during lean months.
And one final, important tip: leave dried stems and brown vegetation standing through winter. Many native bees nest in hollow plant stems. What looks messy to us is essential habitat to them. Do not fall into the mindset of the “All American Lawn” propaganda. It’s a hoax. Seed-bearing plants and “weeds” like goldenrod, asters and the like provide opportunity that can be the difference between life and death for some.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through living in Altoona – it’s that small spaces matter. Small spaces make a BIG difference, and the wildlife notices. As they said in some baseball movie that I never watched…”build it and they will come”. 😉
#outdoors #backyardgoals #wildlife #conservation #altoona #tipsandtricks