Wow. I purchased my first batch of bird feeding essentials in mid-October, and save for only a few dark-eyed juncos and the local house finches, I didn’t need to fill the feeders very often.

But things changed quickly with the first snows and the mid-January-like temperatures in late November.

I always noted that with a snow cover how the birds now needed the handouts because finding seeds in the fields and your backyards becomes much more difficult.

As I’m preparing this column (Dec. 14) I’m watching at least 70 juncos, a few white-throated sparrows, a pair of downy woodpeckers and at least six other species at “Reed’s Backyard Diner.”

I’ll give you some suggestions and feeding hints that I use to feed a variety of birds. You, according to where you live, may be able to do the same. I have a variety of feeders, most of which I can see from the kitchen table area.

You have to keep in mind, though, that the closer to your home you place the feeders, the more likely you’ll have some window strikes. At least once or twice a day a Cooper’s hawk makes a sortie and scatters the birds. Every now and then it is successful and catches one of the least wary of the lot.

First note that several species of birds are primarily ground feeding birds. They include the juncos, of course, song sparrows, white-throated sparrows and mourning doves.

For those birds, I scatter a mix of white millet and some cracked corn. I do tend to avoid buying a wild bird seed mix because the red milo seed is seldom eaten, and it also has sunflower seeds mixed in and most of the ground feeders don’t eat them. I buy the white millet seeds and cracked corn at Marzen’s on Harrity Road east of Lehighton. I make of mix of two-thirds millet and one-third corn. They love it.

I have a bunch of tube feeders and a hopper feeder. I keep those filled with black oil sunflower seeds. The birds utilizing those feeders include house finches, goldfinches, black-capped chickadees, cardinals, tufted titmice and white-breasted nuthatches. I only have two squirrel-proof feeders, and I realize that the gray squirrels do know how to filch the seeds in the others.

My favorite winter bird food source, though, is suet in various forms. As I was typing this column, a Carolina wren, two chickadees, red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, a bunch of blue jays and a few juncos are competing for space to grab a morsel.

I use the suet blocks that you can purchase, a conical suet/seed log that you slide onto a metal frame, and some store-bought suet. Suet is essential to provide the protein and fats the birds need. If you live in bear country, you may have to wait until mid-December to put out the suet. You may also need to bring in all of your feeders in nightly.

Remember, if you begin feeding the birds, they will be attracted to your backyards for your pleasure, but also dependent on you keeping the feed there for them. Enjoy!

FYI: If you’re looking for a last- minute Christmas idea for the bird lover in your family, consider purchasing the Sibley, second edition app for your cellphone. For a one-time cost of $19.99, you’ll get your money’s worth. Toss in a couple of suet blocks and you’re all set.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: Generally, which dens earlier, a male or a female black bear?

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Deer are primarily browsers, but when the acorns drop in autumn, white oak acorns are their favorite.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com