FEEDING BIRDS IS A YEAR-ROUND PASTIME FOR MANY IN THIS REGION

Charles Lincoln likes to feed the birds.

"They call me the bird man here," says Lincoln, a Bollinger County native who is a resident at the Missouri Veterans Home near the intersection of Highway 61 and Interstate 55. "I've been feeding the birds since I came here almost three years ago."

Lincoln, a World War II veteran, scooped up a handful of bird feed and filled an elongated feeder located on a post in front of the Veterans Home Saturday.

"The birds will be here as soon as we leave," he said. "We watch them from the windows."

"We have several feeders around here," said Ken Lipps of the facility's volunteer services and public relations division. "We involve a lot of the veterans in the bird-feeding program, but Charlie (Lincoln) sort of looks over things for us. He sees that the feeders are filled."

Lipps, Lincoln and Four Seasons Audubon Society members Mary Doggett of Sikeston and Colleen Kimmel of Cape Girardeau gathered on the lawn near the feeders Saturday afternoon as the Audubon Society donated the Veterans Home a supply of bird feed.

"We do this every year," said Kimmel. "The Audubon Society joins with Jim Gooch of Sikeston to provide the bird feed."

Said Lipps, "The veterans here are really interested in feeding the birds. In addition to bird feed, they use bread crumbs and crackers."

It's a year-round project, said Lipps. "We also receive funds from the VFW and American Legion."

More than a million-and-a-half Missourians are involved with feeding birds each year, according to a recent survey by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Americans spend more than a half-billion dollars nationwide each year on bird seed, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Audubon Society's big fund-raising project involves the selling of bird feed.

"One of our biggest bird seed sales will be held Saturday," said Judy Watson of Cape Girardeau, who is bird seed coordinator for the club. "We use proceeds from the sale for area-wide education programs in the schools. We sponsor classroom materials for fifth and sixth grades throughout 11 counties in Southeast Missouri."

The Four Seasons Audubon Society sale will be held on the Kmart parking lot, "next to Kingshighway," said Watson. "We'll be there from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m."

Watson said a variety of bird seed would be available in 25- and 50-pound bags.

Kimmel notes, "There's a lot of myths out there concerning bird feeding. People often say if feeding is started it should be continued. Sometimes a rigid feeding schedule is difficult to maintain. No research indicates that birds will starve if feeding is stopped for a while."

Kimmel added that birds often visit many feeding stations throughout a neighborhood, especially during cold weather.

"It's amazing how quick the word gets out among birds that a new feeding station is available. Their curiosity and mobility ensure their success at making the rounds."

Many people feed birds year-round. Others feed them only in the winter.

"A crucial time in the life of many birds may in the early spring, when natural occurring seeds are more scarce," said Kimmel. "During the spring and summer young birds follow their parents to feeders to learn how to crack open the seeds."

Winter, however is a difficult time for birds, noted Kimmel. "But, we don't see any major problems this year."

Many birds are only summer residents in Missouri.

"Feeding birds may be as simple as seed placed on the ground or a board, or as complex as a feeder accessible only to birds of certain weights," said Kimmel. "Different birds have different feeding habits."

Many songbirds, says Kimmel, will feed on the ground. Cardinals and blue jays will feed either on the ground, or a platform. Goldfinch and chickadees prefer hanging cylinder feeders.

In any event, the feeders should be located outside a room where birds may be observed while feeding.

Many homeowners with yards have established their own "mini-refuge" designed for birds, squirrels, butterflies and/or rabbits.

In 1973, the National Wildlife Federation launched a program to establish a nationwide network of the mini-refuges in the backyards of concerned homeowners.

Today, more than 6,000 properties have been officially certified as "Backyard Wildlife Habitats."

Anyone interested in participating in the program may submit an application to become a certified member of the program. Applications are still available by writing National Wildlife Federation, Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program, Dept. MO., 1400 16th St., N.W. Washington, D.C., 20036-2266.

The federation will provide some backyard habitat plans.