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From Fall of 2008…
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Red-headed Woodpeckers love acorns
Photo by Paul Ruehle |
 Where have all of my woodpeckers gone?
 As I almost always do with this kind of question, I look to what kind of summer we have had and what the natural food supply is like going into winter. The cool, wet summer has really produced a bountiful natural food supply and birds are reacting to that. Many woodpeckers, especially Red-headeds are driven by acorn supplies and will sometimes concentrate in areas where they are heavy. Rest assured that when times get tougher (low temperatures, ice, snow) they will be at your feeders just as often as any year.
Are bird seed prices going to ever come back down?
Yes. As I refered to in question #1, the cool, wet summer has had a very positive effect on the sunflower crop this year as well. As I type this, bulk bird seed prices have already declined once and I anticipate another drop to happen soon. Check with us as soon as you read this and I should know what the prices are going to be for the winter.
What are the big hawks I see sitting along the highways these days?
Plain and simple, almost all of them are Red-tailed Hawks. They can range from very light to almost black in color. Each fall we see the push of hawks into our area as weather conditions get worse in their northern breeding grounds. It was amazing to see the, seemingly overnight, arrival of hawks recently. Do you think it was merely a coincidence that it happened right after the blizzard in the Dakotas?
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White-throated Sparrow
Photo by Judy Farris |
I just love the little White-throated Sparrows and Juncos. What do they like to eat?
These two native sparrows are among the easiest birds to keep happy. They love white proso millet spread on a flat surface. A nice tray feeder low to the ground helps keep the seed dry but the sparrows are perfectly happy eating right off of the ground. |
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From Spring of 2008…
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Early Spring Male
American Goldfinch
Photo by Teresa Havens |
Where did my goldfinches go this spring?
Goldfinches are resident birds that come and go from feeders primarily with wild food availability. In the early spring, one of the first wild seeds available are the dandelions. Soon to follow are the oaks, maples and other trees. Last year most of that food crop was killed by the “Easter Freeze” so goldfinches were plentiful at the feeders right through spring. Don’t fear, they will be back on and off through till July when they start nesting.
How do I keep the birds from building a nest on my porch light?
Each spring we deal with the issue of birds building nest were they are just not wanted. Two things to remember; once birds have laid their eggs, you can’t touch their nest (except European Starlings and House Sparrows) and birds are best discouraged with visual deterents. While not guaranteed, a toy snake draped across or tacked up close to the area where they are trying to build is enough to get them to abandon that nest site. We also have Scare Tape that can be suspended in the area and some have had luck with hanging old CDs from the ceiling. They will find a new place to nest.
Is there anything I can place out that will help the hummingbirds with their nesting?
Hummingbirds build their nest primarily from spider webs, moss and plant down. Songbird Station now has a new nesting helper that contains materials they can use as nest liner.
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Cedar Waxwings eating berries from a dish
photo courtesy of Diana |
Has everyone been seeing lots of different birds at their oriole feeders this year?
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| Summer Tanager photo courtesy of Rick Jordahl |
Definitely. We have had loads of reports this spring of “never seen before” birds feeding on oranges and especiallly jelly. Aside from the Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, we have had the semi-regular Grey Catbirds, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, Cedar Waxwings, and Northern Mockingbirds. We’ve had reports of American Goldfinch, Scarlet Tanagers, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager (very rare in MO) and Tennessee Warblers feeding as well. Call or e-mail us if you have any species that we can add to the list. |
From Winter of 2008…
I haven’t seen nearly as many robins or bluebirds this winter. Where are they?
Robin and bluebirds are both dependent on fruit during the winter months. The Easter freeze this past spring really took it’s toll on fruiting plants. My guess is that both of these species as well as waxwings have had to move around a lot this winter to find suitable supplies of berries to survive.
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Cedar Waxwing eating fresh berries
Photo by Patti Nance |
I have had a neighborhood cat killing the birds in my backyard. What can I do?
If you are a regular reader, you know we talk about this issue from time to time. It seems that this winter, we have really received a lot of call about cats. I am a firm believer in keeping cats indoors. There isn't enough space here to go into details but let’s just say it is better for the cats and far better for birds. If you have a free roaming cat, I encourage you to talk to the owner or call animal control. In most municipalities there are leash laws that apply to cats (though rarely enforced). In the meantime, to protect the birds at your feeders, it is best to keep as much seed off of the ground as possible. Use trays and bird seed blocks. While we generally recommend keeping your feeders close to cover so birds can quickly fly to safety, these areas usually help cats to ambush birds.
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| The floating Bird Raft fits bird baths of most sizes and keeps a consistent shallow depth of water. |
Why can’t I get anything to use my birdbath?
There are generally two major issues that plague birdbaths. First is their distance from cover. Just as with feeders, a birdbath that is too far from escape cover will make birds feel vulnerable. By far, the most common problem is that the birdbath in question is too deep. Birds need shallow water and most “bowls” don’t have shallow areas. We recommend placing rocks in a bath to give different depths of water but now we have a new option. The Bird Raft ™ is designed to fit in water features to create a shallow bird bath that can change with the feature’s depth.
When do the grackle return?
While we have a few grackle around here all winter, most do migrate further south. We tend to start seeing them in larger numbers in early March. When battling these pests your two greatest tools are safflower and the grackles’ size. Grackle in particular seem to really dislike Safflower and good caged feeders are wide enough to keep them away from the seed. Though they sometimes figure them out, weighted feeders like the Squirrel Buster Plus can be effective against them as well. Don’t forget, while most of us find them to be a pest, they are a native species thus protected by law. |
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