Project Feeder Watch

8/7/2019 Project Feeder Watch

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They do eat a lot, particularly when the temperatures drop! We buy all of our

seed supplies in 45 and 10 pound bags [for smaller seeds]. Seed suppliesare kept outside in a shed and brought indoors to warm before feeding. Thebirds are all fed between 6:00am and 6:30 am and again just beforenightfall [3:30 pm]. We have four feeders - one tube feeder for Niger seed;one tray feeder for general feeding; one wire-frame feeder for suet; andanother tube feeder as an emergency black-oil feeder. Many of the birds willalso feed on the ground. That being the case, the ground is kept broomswept below the feeders all winter! It's amazing to watch one bird go ontothe tray feeder and sweep seeds onto the ground so that the rest of thebirds can also feed!

It doesn't take too long after you've started the program that you quicklyfind out that birds can let you know what they want. Sometimes thecommunication will come as chirps; or by just sitting and staring at you; bytapping on windows, window frames, or deck wood; by buzzing or flittingaround your face and ears; and by singing you a song! Sometimes, if theyare accustomed to landing on your hand, they will peck at or pinch the fattypart of your hand - taking it and holding it in their beak. I've even had achickadee land on the peak of my hat and then lean over the peak and chirpat me while it looked me in the face. Talk about up close and personal!

The ending of a Feederwatch season doesn't necessarily mean no more birdsaround our property - many of "our" birds are year-round residents and staywith us. The chickadees, the nuthatches, and the woodpeckers all go into thebush, once we stop feeding, to have their families - only to return in thesummer with their offspring! It's common to have the parents bring theoffspring to the feeding area and "introduce" them to us. Once the feedersare disassembled for the summer, we all carry shelled peanuts in ourpockets so we will be prepared to welcome the offspring when they arebrought to us. We also have post locations where the birds occasionallyreceive some shelled peanuts throughout the year. It is not uncommon tohave some of the birds join us at a backyard picnic table during the summer.And we always have some shelled peanuts nearby to place at the end of thetable.

There truly can be a lot more to "Feederwatch" than initially meets the eye!But it's a wonderful program - enjoyed by all who participate; and mostcertainly welcomed by the birds. There is now even a "Forum" where peoplerunning feeding stations can receive support; exchange experiences; and



chat.

Documents

Project Feeder Watch