It’s For the Birds
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May I say birds, birds, and more birds. It’s has been a busy week at my feeders. Bluejays, Finches, Cardinals, Sparrows, Starlings, Juncos, Doves, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and several others. It’s amazing how much sunflower seed they can scatter and eat. I have tried with the ready made suet and homemade suet.
There are a few woodpeckers who come to it, but for the most part it is a Starling Haven. Disgusting.
I have a neighbor who saw a hawk swoop down and take a bird from near the feeders. They feed some of their peanuts in the shell. Fun to watch the Bluejays try and eat a peanut and pick at it.
The House Finch, Blue Jay, Black Capped Chickadee and Junco are the most popular.
The Chickadee is a chipper for sure. They like to scold. Of course, they like sunflower seed, peanuts, and suet.
The House Finch adds a little color to the feeder and also like sunflower seeds, thistle and millet. They fight off others and are frisky eaters. The big Blues like sunflower seeds too, and cracked corn, they also will eat bird eggs, and small animals in the wild.
The Junco has a boss bird in a flock that feeds in the center where it is the safest. You may see them lunge at each other flick open their tails. This is how they figure out who is in charge. They scratch around the feeders, kicking seed over the edge to birds below, where they prefer to eat.
Juncos are nicknamed snowbirds, because they appear in Missouri in late fall and winter. They then go further north in the spring to nest.
Cardinals eat sunflower seeds at the feeders and prefer to eat on the ground, seldom landing on the feeders. I hope you all are having a safe winter. There is lots of ice under foot, and it makes it hard to fill feeders and waterers.
Our road is cleared off now, and hopefully by the time you read this, the melting has begun. The snow cover makes for good bird feeding, but I am not a fan anymore. Until next time, good bird watching.