Studying Birds in Winter + a FREE Birdwatching Log

The winter months can feel especially long and dreary come February, which is just one reason I am especially grateful for our lovely, feathered winter friends. If you’re looking to keep nature study going during the winter months, birds are a great topic of study. There are many birds that either don’t migrate, or migrate very short distances – which means you can find winter birds in almost every area of the world.

If you’re looking for some bird nature study ideas, keep reading!

Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

In the winter, birds that stick around have to fight to survive. We like to give them a helping hand by making treats for them throughout the winter. These little DIY bird feeders are easy to make, and we like to string them up in the backyard trees.

Apple Slice Bird Feeders

You will Need:

Apples
Peanut Butter (We like the natural peanut butter, with no vegetable oil)
Birdseed
Twine
Crocheting needle or another pointy object (for poking holes)
Paring knife

Cut apples into slices. (We made them heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day)
Use a needle or something pointy to poke a hole in the slices. Thread twine through the hole.
Spread peanut butter onto the apple slices.
Press the peanut-butter apple slice into the birdseed.

To make treats out of the apple ends:

With a sharp knife cut the shape of a heart (or circle, we did hearts for Valentine’s Day)
Then, use a spoon to dig out the apple flesh.
Thread twine through the heart cavity and out the back.
Fill the heart-shaped cavity with peanut butter.
Top with birdseed.

Keep a Winter Bird Watching Diary (FREE PRINTABLE!)

One of our favorite things to do in the winter is to cozy up on our window seat with a pair of binoculars and watch the winter birds in the snow. We keep several feeders in the yard and love seeing who comes to visit.

This winter, I created a Backyard Winter Birdwatching Log so my kids can keep track of who visits our yard in the winter. (I’m hoping we can keep these year after year and see if we notice any patterns or changes.)

You can download the birdwatching log entirely for free here. (It is also included in my Birds of Winter nature study!)

Birds of Winter Nature Study

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean nature study has to end! One of my favorite parts of the winter season is watching the winter birds that grace our backyard, come snow or sunshine. We use this little printable winter birds nature study as a nature study resource.