Attracting Northern Cardinals

Male Northern Cardinal

Perhaps the most beloved of backyard birds in North America, the Northern Cardinal is quite easy to attract to your feeding stations.

Their seed of choice is black oil sunflower seed, and they prefer feeding from either a platform, fly-thru or hopper-style feeder.  Cardinals are not comfortable feeding from the narrow perches of most mixed-seed tube feeders. However, some bird feeder manufacturers have started making more  "cardinal perches" for their tube feeders.  Click here for information on bird feeder styles.

If you experience troublesome squirrels in your neighborhood, you may want to substitute safflower seed for sunflower seed. Cardinals really enjoy this white seed, but the squirrels are not as fond of it.  In fact, I use just safflower seed in my open fly-thru feeder, and the cardinals flock to it all year long.

Other unwanted visitors to your feeders may include "non-native" House Sparrows and European Starlings.  Both of these birds arrive in large flocks and may discourage cardinals from approaching your feeders. I have managed to eliminate both of them from my yard by making sure I do not provide "cheap" bird seed that includes filler seed and cracked corn.  Using sunflower or safflower alone will help to eliminate these pests.

House Sparrow

European Starling

Also, don't forget to provide a fresh water source.  The beautiful male cardinal (above) is enjoying a drink at the heated bird bath that I provide throughout the winter months.

For more information on Northern Cardinals, check out Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Please visit my website for more information and/or to contact me regarding doing a backyard birding presentation for your group or business at Belinda Abendschein.

Adopt the Pace of Nature This Season

Whitetail Doe Eating Crabapples

Adopt the Pace of Nature...Her Secret is Patience - Ralph Waldo Emerson

This week signals the start of the always hectic and often stressful holiday season.  It is also the perfect time to put into practice the wise words of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is perhaps my favorite quote, and one that I often have to force myself to follow each day.

As I write this blog entry, the snow is blowing outside with almost zero visibility.  I made a special point of running my errands earlier in the morning and now can relax and enjoy the show!

Blue Jay at Heated Birdbath

Whether it is sitting back and watching the snow or watching the birds and deer outside, taking a few minutes each day to relax our pace can be restorative to the body, mind and soul.  It is no secret that taking a walk in nature is regarded as a cure for depression. Whether you live in the Sunshine State or the Frozen Tundra, nature is always right outside your door and accessible each and every day.

Patience can truly be a virtue this time of year, especially when vying for that coveted parking space while shopping.  Don't set yourself up for disappointment by trying to do everything on your list.  If something doesn't get done, it will not result in the end of the world.  If the weather is a bit "frightful", simply sit back with a cup of tea or a good glass of wine and take it in.  The malls will still be there when the rain or snow comes to an end.

Happy Holidays!

Does Enjoying a Snack of Acorns

Holiday Tip:  Pick up a few gifts, gift wrap and/or ingredients for a batch of cookies.  Keep them ready for a snowy/rainy day. Relax and enjoy!


I am available to speak to groups and organizations on a variety of nature-related topics.  For more information, check out my website at: Belinda's Website

Fall and Winter Bird Feeding Tips

Male Downy Woodpecker

As predicted, Winter is making an early appearance this year.  You can prepare now to help see your feathered friends through the upcoming season.  Here are some of my favorite Fall/Winter feeding tips to help you get the maximum enjoyment from your bird feeding efforts:

SUET -  Suet is a great way to give your birds a little boost during the cold weather months. This is a favorite food source for woodpeckers, and Fall\Winter is an ideal time to put out a suet feeder to attract them.  In periods of intense cold, look for “high-energy” suets.

SEED – When selecting a seed blend, remember that you get what you pay for.  A quality mix of seed will have a high concentration of black oil sunflower, which is a favorite of most birds.  Inexpensive blends are mostly filler (white millet and red milo).  These seeds are kicked out of the feeders and attract undesirable birds like English Sparrows and Starlings.

  

FRUITS & NUTS – Dried fruits and nuts will attract a large variety of species and supplement their winter diet.  Look for quality bird mixes and suet cakes, which include fruits and nuts.  Nuts are a favorite for attracting both woodpeckers and nuthatches.

SQUIRREL ISSUES - If you are experiencing trouble with squirrels, try offering safflower seed.  It is a favorite of cardinals, chickadees and nuthatches, but squirrels avoid it.  If you don’t want to use safflower, try a “Squirrel-Proof” feeder or add a pole or squirrel baffle.  The extra investment will more than make up for itself in seed savings!

Cardinal in heated birdbath

WATER - Along with making sure that your birds have plenty of seed for the winter, you might want to think about getting a heated birdbath.  Water is vital to all living creatures, as well as birds.  During extended sub-zero weather, there is often no open water to be found and providing it will make your backyard very desirable.  My heated birdbath was a very popular spot last season, and it was visited regularly by all my favorites, including the Cardinal (right) who enjoyed a drink of water at minus 13 degrees below zero!

American Robin

TREES, SHRUBS AND PERENNIALS - Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials.  Select varieties that can provide birds with fruits, nuts and seeds. Last year, I witnessed two American Robins making a meal out of the berries from my Red Cedar tree (left) during a particularly chilly visit by the "Polar Vortex".

NESTING BOXES – It’s never too early to prepare.  Place your nesting boxes in the Fall, and you won’t be too late for any “Early Birds” that show up next Spring.  Nesting boxes can also provide a shelter for birds against the elements.

SHELTER - Make sure that the placement of your feeders is within close proximity to trees and/or shrubs for shelter.  Not only do the birds need protection from the snow and cold, but from predators like raptors and feral cats.  

I am available for backyard birding presentations to your club, business or organization.  For more information, send me an email at: wabendshein@wi.rr.com or visit my website at Belinda Abendschein.

For daily updates and nature-inspired photos, "Like" my Facebook page "Nature by Design - Belinda Abendschein" (above right).

Farewell Little Friends

One of my favorite days of the year has always been the arrival of the first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird each Spring.  It is something I look forward to after enduring the long midwestern Winter.

Today I enjoyed watching what I believe to be a group of young siblings taking turns at the feeder and buzzing around chasing each other throughout the day.  I can't remember when I have been so entertained by so many juvenile hummingbirds, and it is confirmation of a successful breeding season here in Waterford, WI.  Farewell my little friends...I look forward to seeing you next Spring!

Nature by Design - Belinda Abendschein


Belinda's Website

The Devil's in the Details

Male Downy Woodpecker

I've talked about it before, but this post will re-emphasize the importance of having a good camera handy to help you with identifying bird species.

When a new visitor arrives in your backyard, they don't always stop and pose for pictures like this Downy Woodpecker did for me on this snowy, windy morning.  He was more concerned about staying warm, than watching me take numerous pictures from the patio window.

Unfortunately, we don't always have the luxury of snapping dozens of pictures in order to get a few good ones.  Just getting some shots of  those distinguishing details can help you zero in on identifying your new visitor quickly.  It can save you plenty of frustration when you go to consult your field guide.  Having a photo to quickly download and reference is much better than relying on just your memory.  And we all know how the mind can play tricks on us!

I received a new Canon PowerShot SX510 HS digital camera from my family for Christmas, and I cannot wait to try it out during the warbler migration this Spring.  It has a 30X Optical Zoom which allows me to get close up pictures with amazing detail.  It also is a reasonably-priced camera, but it is making a big difference in the enjoyment of my backyard birding.

I am especially looking forward to the Spring migration this year.  We usually get a nice variety of warblers coming through, and they are often in my yard for a brief time.  Take into account that they are also very "skittish" and stay on the edge of the woods, and it can be difficult to get a good photo.  I am hopeful that even a "fleeting" shot will enable me to zoom in and get the necessary details I need for proper identification. Who knows, I may even get lucky and get that "money shot"!

Happy Birding!

Belinda's Website

Providing for Birds in Polar Temps

Northern Cardinal

The Winter of 2014 has been brutal thus far, as we've all become acquainted with the relatively unknown term "Polar Vortex".  For those of us in the upper Midwest, we've not seen these temperatures in decades, so its safe to assume neither have the backyard birds.

I have previously posted on the importance of remembering the birds in Winter, but this season of record temps requires taking extreme measures. Keeping your feeders filled and providing high-energy sources of food like suets will help birds struggling to survive in the subzero temperatures.

Downy Woodpecker

The photos featured on this post were taken at     3:00 pm in the afternoon on a frigid day that started at minus -20 and warmed to only -11.  The temps were so cold that local schools were closed for two days in a row.  As schools prepared in advance, so did I.  The heater on my previous birdbath had given out, so I purchased a new one and made sure that my fly-thru feeder was filled with seed, and that I had a high-energy suet cake available.

As I check the forecast for the upcoming week, we are expecting yet another Polar Vortex, with more double digital subzero temps.  It looks like I'll be adding more water to the birdbath today, as well as re-supplying my bird seed and suet.  I am also fortunate to have a row of lilac bushes adjacent to my feeder and birdbath to provide shelter for feeding birds.  For those of you with exposed feeders in the middle of your yard, a discarded Christmas tree or brush pile can be added to provide necessary shelter.

White-breasted Nuthatch

While we can only dream about Spring at this point in time, we should do everything we can to ensure that our backyard birds will survive to enjoy it as well!

Hang in there...it won't be too long before the snow is gone and we hear the glorious sounds of bird song again!

Belinda's Website