How long does it take for the word to get out.......

Hi everyone!

I am a lurker but have enjoyed this forum for a few years now.

The pictures are amazing!

Feeders were put up a bit late this year but in the same spots as last year. Same feeders, same food. They were sure piggies last year.

Cats have their yearly perches set up in the windows inside for their viewing pleasure.

It's been a week now. Not much activity. I don't remember it being so long in years past for the word to get around.

Ideas?

many thanks
carole

Patience, that's my only advice. Natural food is in plentiful supply this year, so your local birds might not come to your feeders (in number) for a little while yet.

Carla

FlamingoCarole - Hello to a fellow Georgian.

When I went to Texas for Thanksgiving, all my feeders went "dry". When I returned, there were no birds - anywhere. And before I left I had birds everywhere: Cardinals, House Finches, House Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinches, etc, but upon my return gone - all of them.

Well, I know that when my feeders are filled with Finch seed they go empty pretty fast so, I reloaded them all with Finch seed - and waited, and waited and waited. I was beginning to worry, still no birds.

And then I saw a female cardinal at a feeder and then I began to see more birds and more birds. Now, they are all back - I'm covered up..

So, I'm recommending you do what I did and load up some feeders with Finch seed, if you haven;t already done so.

Hack

Variables are the preferred food, weather and available natural food supply. Bird stay warm in cold weather by consuming more calories. I find the colder the weather, the more they prefer the black-oil sunflower seeds. Probably because of their higher calorie content. I keep chicken scratch on the ground for the doves and juncos, a finch blend, sunflower seeds, thistle and suet available.

Preferred food right now is the sunflower seeds, but in early spring when the Indigo and Painted Buntings start to show up, they won't eat anything but white millet.

Thanks to all for your info and help!

I suspect, as mentioned, our warmer weather could be an issue. It's not the type of feed that's offered.........this years stocking of their pantry was more than 2 wks of groceries for us, LOL.

Well, the word sure got around to the squirrels! I had 8 of them trying to get up to the feeders this weekend. At least the cats were entertained......

Bird feeding has been slow here in Mississippi too. The cardinals left last month and have not been back. The bluebirds come through long enough to check for the mealworms. The tits and dedees only come in one pair each. The house finch are the only regulars that stay any amount of time. The chipping sparrows are beginning to come by. I have recently seen one goldfinch, the first since April.
One nuthatch checked in the other day. A group of house sparrows show up about one time a week. The doves have found better places to feed for a time. I did see one pine warbler. I am sure it will not be long before they all return joined by hundreds of goldfinch and purple finch.

Very slow here too..the arrival of cold weather the last week or so has increased the numbers a bit but not much!

WE HAVE BIRDS !

YAY!!!!!!

Great!