 December '07
Heavy feeder use begins as temperatures drop; put all your feeders up and keep them filled with a variety of seeds and suet. Be sure you are well covered with the four feeding levels: At ground level feed millet; from low post feeders offer Patio Mix®; from poles or high posts hang tube feeders filled with black oil sunflower or sunflower chips; use trunk zones for suet feeding.
Suet helps small birds meet key energy requirements and keeps your woodpeckers happy. You will notice feeding activity picks up even more before storms, so be sure to keep your feeders filled when you know storms are coming.
Look for evening grosbeaks, pine siskins, as well as chickadees, juncos, white-crowned sparrows, nuthatches, goldfinches, house finches, Cassin's Finches, and woodpeckers. Remember, running water or open water keeps your visitors happy and healthy, and rewards you with frequent visits.
For Christmas, you may want to decorate a bird's Christmas tree. Use peanut butter coated pine cones covered in Patio Mix, millet spray garlands, apple slices, strings of popcorn, suet balls, etc. And remember not to discard your indoor Christmas tree in January. Plan to tie it up to a fence post or another tree to give added cover in your yard for several months. |
 Ask Steve
Q: We were at Wildlife Tree Day last week when the Cooper's
Hawk attacked a pigeon right in front of us. Isn't that awfully unusual?
A: It was very dramatic, but not uncommon in winter at the Wild Bird
Center. (The pigeon got
away minus a few feathers) We don't often get to see the hawks hitting or
catching the prey, but we see them chasing prey every so often. And we see
sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks several times a week in the winter at the
store. On cold days, I can almost guarantee that one will be spotted perched
and/or chasing some birds near the store. If you feed birds, you will be
visited by a hawk trying to catch the very birds you are attracting. To many
this is upsetting. There are some things you can do to minimize your birds'
exposure, but ultimately, nature will run its course. |
Your Backyard Bird Feeding
goldfinches in winter