While at your favorite outdoor place, it often pays to know a few tricks to create some magic. Here are some suggestions to draw in some new feathered friends:

1. Keep a small zip lock bag of chopped peanuts or sunflower hearts in one pocket and in your other pocket keep a small bag of millet or mixed seed.

2. When you encounter chickadees and titmice ask them if they will be your friends and offer them some sunflower seed. Leave some seed even if you don't see any birds.

3. When you see sparrows or juncos at your special spot find a feeding stone on the ground out in the open and leave the millet or mixed seed. The sparrows like eating on the ground, will get used to you, and will let you know what's coming near your special spot area, and how big it is, since they only go as high as needed.

4. Eventually you will be surrounded by bird friends at your special spot. The chickadees will let you know of any animals hiding in trees that you might not have seen, and will come down to eat seed from your hand once they get used to you. It’s sure to impress children too!

5. Use black oil seed or whole peanuts to attract jays. Jays can teach you about trickery and other bird calls and will let you know if a hawk or owl is around.

6. Crows will eat just about anything left out in the open and they too will let you know if there is an owl or hawk around.

8. Learn how to call like a screech owl buy tilting your head back and whistling through your salvia. Screech Owl calls will trigger the "mobbing instinct" of most songbirds and bring any bird in the area in for a closer look. You may even attract another screech owl.

9. Learn to "PSH." If repeated at different levels this sound is a warning of danger and will trigger the mobbing instincts of birds. This will bring birds closer, so you know which birds are in the area, but don't over do it during breeding season.

Birds have many lessons to teach us. The arrival of certain birds can tell us when spring is coming, and they can tell you about changes in the weather.

The disappearance of certain species can tell you winter is coming. Birds can show where to find water and where the sweetest berries are! They can show you how to freeze and blend when danger is near. Birds can teach companion calls that you can use to stay in touch with a friend when out of sight. Birds can teach about defending territory and attracting a mate.

They can also teach us how to go on in spite of our injuries. They never give up, they are always alert, and out in all kinds of weather.