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

Beating the Blues with Bluebirds

Male Eastern Bluebird

The bluebird carries the sky on his back
- Henry David Thoreau

For many of us in the Upper Midwest, warm weather and sunny skies have eluded us this Spring.

I recently had the opportunity to get a respite from the depressing weather during a five-day trip to Arkansas to help my parents move into a new home.  The weather was beautiful, and the redbuds and dogwoods were in bloom.  What really boosted my mood, was the fact that their property already had two residents in the form of a pair of Eastern Bluebirds.

As an avid bird feeder and enthusiast, I have always envied those individuals fortunate enough to lure these beauties into their yards.  My wooded lot attracts many wonderful and rare species, but unfortunately bluebirds have remained on my "wish list".

Fortunately for my parents, the previous owner of their home had a properly sized and placed bluebird nesting box.  It was wonderful to wake to the sound of their beautiful song and watch as they carefully tended their nest and fought off intruding squirrels.  I gave my parents information on the number of broods to expect in Arkansas, where bluebirds are a year-round resident, and when they could safely clean the nesting boxes.

Eastern Bluebird on patrol

Back home in Wisconsin, I have returned to cold, gloomy days with the knowledge that Spring is indeed just a few states south and a few weeks away.

Sometimes it takes a brief change of scenery to break out of our funk and cure the blues.  I had not anticipated how much two tiny blue birds could improve my state of mind.

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with open fields and grassy areas, you may have success in attracting bluebirds. For more information on bluebirds:  Cornell Lab of Ornithology-Eastern Bluebird

For details on providing the proper nesting box size and placement:  Nesting Box Plans


Belinda's Website

Adopt the Pace of Nature...

Forsythia on March 20th (2012) and (2013)

Adopt the pace of nature...her secret is patience.                         - Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is one of my favorite quotes, and this extended Winter season of 2013 has truly tried my patience.

The photos shown at the left were both take on March 20th.  Believe it or not, the one on the far left is from 2012.  The photo on the right from 2013.  For those of us who monitor birds and plants each Spring, this contrast has been nothing less than absolutely confounding!  

Living here just off Tichigan Lake in Southeastern Wisconsin, we had questioned whether or not the ice was ever going to melt.  This weekend, it finally happened. According to another local resident, this is the latest Spring he can remember in almost 40 years.  Coming on the heels of 2012's extremely early Spring, the contrast is significant.  This time last year my garden was lush with newly emerged hosta, daffodils, tulips, Virginia Bluebells and Bleeding Hearts.  This year, the only thing blooming are the snowdrops, and the crocus are struggling to break the surface.  I'm also embarrassed to admit I was just able to pull out my Christmas spotlights this weekend, as the ground had been frozen for that long.  There was no January, February or even March thaw this year.

Common Loons on Tichigan Lake

It has been a very long Winter to say the least, but the payoff came this weekend with the annual iceout.  While the number of migrating loons we experienced last year was next to none, this year's first glimpse of open water brought them in by the dozens.  In fact, the number of unusual migratory waterfowl this past week has been exceptional.  In addition to the many loons, there have been a significant number of buffleheads, mergansers and other varied species.

I guess when Mother Nature decides to take her time in bringing forth Spring, she also provides us with an abundance of beauty.  I am hopeful that as Spring slowly emerges, the numbers of other Spring migrants, including warblers, orioles and hummingbirds, etc., will be as spectacular as the waterfowl display.

Red-breasted Merganser on Tichigan Lake

It was this time last year that I was following the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird migration maps and anticipated that my local birds would be arriving earlier than usual. While there were many hummingbirds that did indeed arrive ahead of schedule in various areas...my hummingbirds and orioles arrived like clockwork during the first week of May, as they always do.

I guess what I take away from this unusual contrast in seasons is that nature does indeed have her own pace.  Perhaps rather than stressing out over it, we would all do well to accept it and make every attempt to adopt it.

Belinda's Website

In Anticipation of Spring

Robin Nest

Monitoring Migration

Winter is still maintaining its grip in this part of the country, but there is plenty to do in anticipation of the arrival of Spring.  One of my favorite websites to check out this time of year is Journey North.  It is a wonderful resource for following the migration of American Robins, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Common Loons, Bald Eagles, Monarch Butterflies, as well as other species by utilizing a network of student and citizen scientists to log sightings.

Having advance notice of the arrival of some of your favorite birds will allow you ample opportunity to place nesting boxes, nesting materials and feeders at the appropriate times.  One of the main reasons that backyard birders are unsuccessful in attracting hummingbirds is because they often place the nectar feeder out too early or too late.  Following the updates and maps provided on Journey North will ensure your timing is right!  Having appropriately sized nesting boxes and nesting materials available around your backyard will enhance your chances of securing breeding pairs for the season.

Start Planting

If you are like me, you can't wait to get your hands in the dirt after the long winter months.  Now is a great time to go down to your local garden center and plan your bird garden.  Pick up a seed starter kit and plant up some bird favorites. If you are located in Southeastern Wisconsin, Burlington Garden Center is a wonderful source for seeds and knowlegeable staff to get you started!

Here are a few bird-approved perennials you can start from seed:

Purple Coneflower

- Aster

- Coreopsis

- Echinacea (Coneflower)

- Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy)

- Rudbeckia - (Black-eyed Susan)

In no time at all, the warm weather will be here, and you will (hopefully) have some great starter plants ready to put into the ground in your backyard.  

Important Reminder:  Don't forget to take some time and properly clean out your existing bird feeders.  We often neglect them in the Winter, and a dirty feeder containing mold, mildew and debris is much less attractive to migrating birds.

Belinda's Website