(ARA) - Humans aren’t the only ones who look forward to the autumn harvest. Fall brings a bounty of natural foods for our feathered friends, too. But while they’re feasting on fall’s cornucopia of delicacies, birds are also planning ahead, taking note of yards with bird feeders that can help them weather winter’s cold.

Many of birds’ favorite foods are actually more abundant in the fall. Summer weeds ripen with seeds by October. Many berries only begin to emerge in late summer or early winter, and insects are plentiful. You may think there’s no need to feed your feathered friends during the fall, but if you want them to find your home in the winter, start feeding them in autumn.

The birds who visit feeders in the fall are scouting, becoming familiar with feed stations and making decisions about which back yards they’ll visit this winter. The feed you put out in the fall will let birds know they’ll be welcomed and fed in your back yard when serious cold weather arrives – and they no longer have the luxury of exploring for food.

Winter weather is hard on birds. Their calorie requirements increase, food becomes hard to find, snow covers up seeds, and ice storms seal away the tree buds and wild fruits. Tiny birds must eat a third to three quarters of their weight each day. When the temperature dips below zero, easy meals at a feeder can mean the difference between life and death.

An important rule of fall and winter feeding is to be prepared. By stocking up now on premium bird seed, bird lovers can help secure a wholesome food source for birds without having to brave stormy weather.

It’s important to stock your feeder with high-quality foods that will provide birds with the most fat, nutrients and energy.  Look for a feed like Cole’s that packs nutrition, preserves freshness and gives you the most feed for your dollar. Cole’s Oil Sunflower is more than 99 percent pure and cleaned four times to ensure there are more seeds and fewer sticks in each bag. The feed is also nitrogen-purge packaged, just like potato chips, to ensure freshness and insect-free feed.

In addition to seed, serve up some suet either by itself or mixed with seed. Cole’s Nutberry Suet is a seed blend mix of premium fruits, preferred nuts, nutritious insect suet kibbles, and whole kernel sunflower meats, which appeals to fruit and insect-loving songbirds. Or try Suet Pearls, which features sunflower seeds buried inside energy-rich suet. Suet Nuts is a nourishing blend of peanuts and berry suet that birds find delectable. These feed choices will provide fat and a high protein energy source to assist wild birds in weathering winter and may actually boost their chance of survival.

Just as birds need food year-round, they also look for water. This can be tricky in regions where water spends the winter as ice, but bird lovers can still help in a number of ways. Experts suggest leaving icicles on the eaves to provide a regular source of water for birds that will drink the drops as the icicles melt.  Birds are drawn to running water sounds so spritzers or small fountains are also good. In the winter there are many quality bird bath heaters available to keep the water from freezing and they are more convenient than setting out water every day.

Don’t worry about the birds if you have to be gone from your home for a while in winter. Birds are used to having a food source disappear. It might take them a while to rediscover your yard when you return, but they’ll be back, grateful for your assistance.

For more ideas on how to help birds eat well through winter, and feed choices visit www.coleswildbird.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

 - Special Edition The World’s in Town You’re going to need a program this weekend — there’s so much world-class stuff going on. This GreatStuff Special Edition gives you a handle on three of the biggest happenings in Southeast Michigan over the coming Labor Day holiday weekend. Readers will find details on Arts, Beats & Eats in Pontiac; the Detroit International Jazz Festival downtown; and The Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle. For the scoop, click on the titles above or scroll on down. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a life-long resident, you may be amazed to discover this is going to be a very special 3 Days in the D. Here’s hoping you get a chance to enjoy some of the excitement.
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Arts, Beats & Eats As the name implies, there’s a world of fun at Arts, Beats & Eats. Oakland County’s premier festival runs Friday through Monday in downtown Pontiac. Works from more than 150 fine artists will continue the festival’s reputation as one of the top art fairs in the nation. The photo at right shows flame art created by Mark Payton. More photos are available at WWJ.com: http://wwj.com/arts–beats—eats—2008-art/2812557. The Chrysler Freedom Festival extends a special “thank you” with special hospitality for the men and women of the Michigan National Guard. Service personnel and their families are asked to click here or on the title above to make required reservations. You can also enjoy 200 free concerts on seven stages, including performances by Chaka Khan, The Orbitsons, Boney James and The Howling Diablos. And the food is tasty, plentiful, and economically priced. Find out more about this year’s music at WYCD 99.5 Detroit’s Best Country Music Radio and on WVMV 98.7 Smooth Jazz Detroit.

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March of the Baby Turtles by Clearly Ambiguous. View Clearly Ambiguous’ map Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here) My wife was walking the dogs this morning, when one of the dogs discovered a bunch of baby turtles that had just hatched. Bad news is it’s on a southern slope which points toward the street. I rescued about 8 of the little fellows that had dropped off the curb into the leaves in the gutter. There were already 3 dead ones in the road. I set them in the woods pointing back toward the creek as I snapped photos. Based on my 2 minute Internet research, the look like they might be a snapping turtles?

Leaf Day - Brought to you by Flo-Free Leaf Guard:

Do you have the UGLIEST GUTTER? Do you have the worst gutters in town? Is your neighbor growing tomatoes out the theirs? Take a picture and send it to us along with a brief description and you may WIN FREE GUTTER PROTECTION FOR YOUR HOME!

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Translating History: Rajatarangini and the Making of India’s Past Webcast (Library of Congress):

Nineteenth-century European orientalists and philologists considered the Rajatarangini–a 12-century Sanskrit historical narrative from Kashmir–as the only Indian text to which the status of “history” could be accorded. Chitralekha Zutshi analyzes several late-19th and early 20th-century translations of this text by both Europeans and Indians to illustrate the mediated nature of the process of colonial and nationalist production of knowledge about India’s past–indeed of the idea of history itsef–in British India.

The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : Before Laurel and Hardy, There Was Joe and Carrie:

The most famous comedic duo of all time arguably is Laurel and Hardy. They became famous during the early half of the 20th century for their work in motion pictures and also appeared on stage throughout America and Europe. However, this tag-team didn’t pioneer the genre. In fact, the comedy routine existed long before the two began appearing together in 1927.