This is the time of year when Atlanta looks its worst. Januugly is what Ron Hudspeth used to call it before he split for Costa Rica and its 12 months of summer. This is what passes for winter around here and the best thing about it is that it doesn't last long. Before the end of the month, daffodil bulbs will begin pushing new leaves up through the ground, the first sign that spring is not far away.

This is also the time of year when the food so many of us put out for the birds is most important. Birds need to eat to generate body heat, and in the winter they need to eat more in order to offset the cold. Birds do not store fat and must create heat and energy from the food that they eat each day. The natural food supply that nature provides each autumn is still available but is getting harder to find. The food in the feeders provides a welcome extra source of energy that the birds find helpful. Birds will visit the feeders at various times throughout the day, but first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon are the times that they will depend on it. They will look for a late meal to keep them warm through the night and a quick one in the morning to get the day started. It is important to keep the feeders full at this time of year. There is a variety of seed types available to put out for wild birds, but black-oil sunflower seeds are generally considered the first choice. Cardinals, chickadees, finches and tufted titmice are attracted to this seed along with other birds. Suet cakes are readily available, as are the metal cages in which they are placed, and are a source of fat that the birds need. Thistle, or nyger as it is also known, is a favorite with finches, and is usually placed in a tubular feeder that only finches and other small birds can use.

A lot of people who enjoy feeding birds only offer those foods, and many don't bother with thistle. Others put out a number of feeders with a different seed in each one. Bags of mixed seed are also available everywhere, most of them, especially the inexpensive ones sold in grocery stores, are a waste of money and should be avoided. They contain mostly junk seed that the birds do not eat, and most of it ends up on the ground where it makes a mess and attracts rodents.

Water is also important if you want to attract birds to the yard. A birdbath will attract birds that would not come for the seeds.

Birds flying about add life and liveliness to an otherwise boring landscape, and make looking out the window a lot more enjoyable.