Family-Outdoors

Image via Wikipedia DES MOINES—Colder temperatures and the inevitable snow doesn’t shut down the outdoor season for many of us. We just shift gears. Iowans spend more than $300 million each year watching wildlife, for everything from seed to feeders or binoculars , even wildlife-watching trips. As the snow flies, though, most of that money and time is spent filling bird feeders and watching the winter show as birds work yards into their daily feeding regimen. “It’s just the connection people get with something so beautiful, right in their backyards. It’s a great way to appreciate nature,” explains Pat Schlarbaum of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife diversity program. “If you enjoy songbirds, you can draw them right up to your picture window.” For the widest variety of birds, offer different seeds and other foods. The number one attraction, though, is black oil sunflower seed.  Everything from cardinals to nuthatches and chickadees, even bluejays and hair...