The last couple days I've noticed more robins than normal around here. There one area of my yard that there's about 10 on the ground at any given time and can hear quite a few chirping away in the trees so i know there's more. Maybe some migrants from up north? Saw 4 swans pass by overhead this morning.
Had some pine siskins yesterday in a small mixed flock. At first I thought they were all gold finches mixed with house finches until I got the binoculars out. I haven't seen any of pine siskins for a couple of years (that I remember anyway). Used to see a red-bellied woodpecker on a regular basis during the summer, but haven't seen any for the last couple of months. Then, BAM, there was one on a suet feeder yesterday.
Still little to no activity on our seed feeder. I checked to see that it could flow easily as i had filled it fuller last time. Emptied some feed out. I watch a bird land and seems not to take a seed then fly away. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and downies all regulars who love the suet. Havent seen a cardinal in months. I have the sunflower seed in a covered metal can outside? Wondering if this affected it and birds know? Before id have the open bag in the lower level open and would bring a couple cans up for the feeder.
With the warm temps and rainy year, I'm guessing that lower bird activity could be due to lots of berries and other food is still available. I still get finches, titmice, nuthatches, as well as downies, hairies, and the larger red bellied woodpeckers. Blue birds come and go. It's still nice to see them. Same with cardinals. I see them now and then. The winter birds, Juncos are here cleaning up underage feeders. I put out suet blocks and black oil sunflower seeds only.
I haven't even got my feeders out yet. No snow, barely any frozen ground other than a few hours in the mornings. I don't get a lot of traffic until we have snow covering natural food sources so I wait. Sent from my SM-S536DL using Tapatalk
I read an article last night that said a lot of birds are not going to feeders yet because of the bountiful acorns this year and that they were just starting to come back to feeders. Seems weird to me for smaller birds, but I'm not an bird behavioral expert either. I know I had basically no birds for a couple of months. Then when they started coming, they just glanced at the feeders and headed to shrubs and perennials (I don't cut down the stalks until spring). It was weird, they even ignored the berries on the burning bush and winterberry so something else was drawing their attention - probably other seeds and bugs. I'll have to pay attention and see if that has changed. My cardinals appear and then disappear. I had them daily for a bit, then they weren't here for a couple of days, then I saw them again yesterday afternoon. Almost exactly the same pattern as the two bluebirds I've been excited about.
The seed could have gotten moldy. Not sure if the birds would be able to recognize that or not. Stir up the seed and see if the part near the bottom of the can is moist and/or smells a bit off. But, it could have nothing to do with the seed if other, more favored foods are fairly plentiful. Could also be that the birds that normally either migrate, or drift even a little further south have left but it isn't bad enough further north to chase down the ones that would normally take their place. Also, birds are not stupid. If they know there is a stable food source they can always turn to, they may leave it for when other natural food sources are low.
I will hang out a suet cake. It usually gets hit very hard but with this year's no snow, there is enough food for the birds from naturally occurring sources that they haven't been at the "grease cake" in some time. Soon to change, I'm sure.
Well i discovered the reason why weve had no birds at the feeder. Its a tall cylinder with four perches. I fill halfway with sunflower seeds and have to refill every few days under "normal" conditions. Ms. buZZsaw and i were talking about it while watching and noticed the birds land, look into the hole then fly away. I checked and seeds were easily taken, BUT the plastic divider inside had shifted so the edge of it was over the opening and they couldnt get their little heads in there. I moved it and theyve come back. They grab a seed and fly to a nearby limb to eat it. Only finches (havent seen one in ages) sit and keep eating.
Finches are little seed eating machines! They will monopolize the perches for hours and seem to only give it up to another finch. I see them pick up a black oil sunflower seed and they seem to carefully weigh it. If it seems light they drop it overboard and pick up another apparently cracking only the densest seeds. This is ok by me because they scatter a lot of seed for the other birds like Juncos and Towhees that seem shyer of elevated feeders and mostly feed on the ground.
Glad you got it figured out so you could enjoy the antics. I'm sure the larger birds will follow the finches soon. They may wait until tomorrow. Then as they sense the storm coming in, there will probably be a frenzy.
Yeah for sure. No finches yet but lots of ckickadees and titmice. Havent seen a cardinal or blue jay in ages not that i really like the the blue jays.
Finches are back. Just went into the kitchen and see them perched. White throat sparrow along with juncos on the ground.
So i filled this feeder a couple days ago and now it's empty. Has happened twice now that within a couple days its empty. After it happened the first time i left it empty for several weeks if not a month or two cause the bird traffic had been down and there's another feeder 20ft from it. I would have thunk that if it was a squirrel there would be more debris left under the feeder. Not the greatest picture but here's what's left. On another note a noticed a couple cardinals the other day. I also saw the pair of Pileated Woodpeckers in the front yard the same day but didn't get a picture.
I have Starlings in the winters. They love the tall weeds out back whose seeds turn dark rust color. Doggie lays by the window and watches them
Saw a white tailed junco at the feeder today for the second time. I'll try and get a picture if i see it again.
After looking for closely at this "white tailed" junco i kinda wonder if it doesn't have a problem putting its tail feathers back in. The others tails are narrower when they are on the ground and when flying i can see white strips on both sides.
Ive noticed a difference in color in some this year. Some are noticeably darker. Cant say ive noticed the tail feathers like that though not that i was looking.
