1. Food: Include native plants in your yard to provide song birds with natural food sources. Create a bird feeding station with variety of foods and various bird feeders.

2. Water: Birds need clean, reliable water sources for drinking and bathing throughout the year. Water can attract as many birds to your yard or patio as a food. Often, you will attract birds that do not normally visit your bird feeders. Not only do they need it for drinking, but also for keeping their feathers clean.

When It’s extremely hot, a bird’s ability to regulate its body temperature can become stressed. Birds do not sweat and must remove excess body heat through their respiratory system, sometimes to the point of panting. This dehydrates birds and increases their need to replace fluids.
In winter, clean feathers help birds stay warm, and a bird bath is often the only way to drink and bathe, Research has shown that a chickadee with well-maintained feathers can sustain a 70 degrees Fahrenheit layer of insulation between the outside air and its skin.

3. Cover: Birds need protective cover for times of rest, social interaction and as a retreat from foul weather and predators. Landscaping for the ideal wildlife habitat should use a variety of native plants ranging in size and density.

4. A Place to Raise Young: The same native plants that provide food and shelter can provide safe areas for many species of wildlife to mate, build nests and raise their families. But, with the increased loss of natural habitat, many cavity-nesting birds are having trouble finding homes. By providing bird houses, you will encourage these birds to raise their young in your yard.

• I’ve tried various seeds and suet, but safflower seed and hot pepper suet are my top choices. Safflower keeps squirrels and aggressive birds like starlings and grackles away. I only have issues with bully birds in winter when they target the suet. When that happens, I switch to an upside-down suet feeder to keep them in check. For extra deterrence, add a baffle.

• Rake under feeders weekly. Safflower seed can sprout in the yard, so if that's a problem, try a spicy no-mess seed blend to keep squirrels away.

• Seed can be pricey, especially no-mess blends from Wild Birds Unlimited. Try Tractor Supply, or if you're looking to save, check Walmart and Amazon.

• To deter squirrels, mount baffles 4-5 feet off the ground. Avoid plastic baffles—they chew through them. Also, place your pole at least 10 feet away from anything squirrels can jump from (trees, roofs, fences). I use a deck-mounted pole that squirrels can’t climb, and it works well.