Bird feeding, especially winter bird feeding, has become a popular pastime for many Americans, especially in areas where winters are long and cold.

Watching birds from the comfort of the kitchen or family room window can provide hours of pleasure for people of all ages.

Common winter birds likely to visit feeders include chickadees, blue jays, cardinals, goldfinches, purple finches, pine siskins, juncos, tree sparrows, mourning doves, white-breasted nuthatches and several kinds of woodpeckers.

There are many factors to consider when you start a bird-feeding station.

Ignoring any of them will reduce your chances of attracting a variety of birds to your property.

The location of your bird feeding station is important.

Birds prefer feeding where they are protected from strong winter winds and where shrubs and trees are growing close by, providing protective cover and perching sites.

Evergreens are especially useful for providing cover.

If your property doesn’t have a good existing site for a feeding station, plant a mix of evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs to establish a good site for birds.

Feeders are another consideration.

There are many kinds of bird feeders available at garden and hardware stores.

Many books and wildlife magazines offer plans for building bird feeders.

Using several different types of feeders will increase your chances of attracting a variety of birds.

If squirrels are a problem and are raiding the feeder, buy a feeder with a spring-loaded tray. The weight of the squirrel closes the feeder.

The squirrel will soon learn that he can’t get in the feeder and will be content with eating seed spilled on the ground.

Each type of feeder attracts certain birds.

For instance, goldfinches are easier to attract if you feed them Niger thistle seed in a plexiglass tube feeder.

Suet feeders, usually made from plastic-coated wire, are used to hold chunks of suet.

Woodpeckers and nuthatches are fond of suet.

There are many kinds of seed, but some are much better than others for attracting birds.

For general purposes, a mixture of equal parts of sunflower seed, millet and cracked corn is an excellent seed mix.

There are also some specialty kinds of seed for attracting specific birds.

Some seeds are common in bird feed mixes but aren’t especially good for attracting birds.

Avoid seed mixes with high proportions of milo, wheat, oats, rice and rapeseed.

When you consider that the birds won’t eat most of the undesirable seeds, a bargain price isn’t so appealing.

Bird feeders may help spread disease if a sick bird comes to your feeder.

You can reduce the risk of disease by following these recommendations:

If you feed on the ground, rotate your feeding area and, on a regular basis, rake up and remove debris and droppings.

If you use a platform feeder or feed on a deck or balcony, feed only as much seed as birds can consume in a day and scrub your feeder with soap and a disinfectant once a week.

Do not allow residue and mold to accumulate in the bottom of hanging tube feeders. To remove mold and residue, empty the feeder and scrub the interior thoroughly.

Store seed in a cool, dry place and if it becomes moldy, do not use it.

“Growing Green” is contributed by Diane Dorn, Lehigh County Extension Office Staff, and Master Gardeners. Information: Lehigh County Extension Office, 610-391-9840; Northampton County Extension Office, 610-813-6613