Bird Feeding Series

On a snowy winter's day here in New England, I thought I'd start my first entry on my series about Bird Feeding and some of the wonderful species that frequent my feeder stations.   There is something about these flying creatures that makes you pause and think about the complexity of nature.  Birds are interwoven into our daily background, and often go unnoticed by most people as they go about their day.  But for those of us more in tune with nature and our environment, our feathered friends serve as a reminder of the magic of creation.

Finches enjoying seed at this
globe-style feeder

From my own experience feeding and watching birds, I've come to the conclusion that bird species are often quite different from each other in more ways then their size and natural beauty.  The are distinct in their food and feeding preferences, and in their nesting requirements and habitats, and I dare say - even their personalities, if you will.  Obviously, birds operate on instinct, and not complex thought patterns which makes their behavior by species repetitive and predictable.

I feed the birds for the purpose of enhancing the beauty of my yard's natural landscape and the personal enjoyment that it brings me.  It's also a small way to assist nature in its continuous natural seasonal cycle.  And I would say that the large number of humans engaged in feeding birds, particularly in the winter months, does in fact assist nature by contributing to the survival of some species which must deal with the brutal realities of New England winters.  That being said, I probably get more out of it than I give.  There are hundreds of man-made food sources found in the form of neighborhood feeding stations that abound.  But there are thousands more natural food sources for birds found in the woods, and fields of my region which provide birds ample nutrition.  I'd like to think that my contribution, however small, makes a difference to at least my regular visitors.

I have a few different feeding stations which are filled with different types of seeds and foods for the purpose of attracting the most diverse number species of birds possible.  And I've found through trial and error that feeder types, seed types, and even seed brands impact the population at your feeders.  So as I indicated earlier, birds may operate on instinct, but they aren't stupid - and they can be rather picky creatures.  And since I'm not the only game in town, they can afford to be choosy.

I will get into greater detail in future entries about my feeders, but at least for now, I will say that I cover the basics.  In winter, I offer mixed seed, suet, sunflower, and nyjer (thistle).  And my most regular visitors are chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, mourning doves, wrens, sapsuckers, and lot of little juncos.  I also get the occasional blue jay, cardinal, and varieties of blackbirds - but these visits are much rarer than they have been in the past.  All in all, its a good assortment of species, and they tend to often come in waves, likely moving from feeding station to feeding station across the neighborhood.  

Some of these species get along quite well with each other, while others are a downright nuisance to other species and to each other.  I hope to shed some light on these characteristics, and also hope a few people in the birding, birdwatching, birdfeeding community might chime in with their experiences and thoughts.  I'm by no means an expert on birds and birdfeeding, so I hope to learn as much as I impart.  And perhaps some of my limited knowledge might encourage those not feeding the birds to hang a small feeder and enjoy the beauty of some of nature's most beautiful creatures.

Looking forward to the next entry!

The original blog entry can be found at www.randsel.blogspot.com