Best bird question of the month

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Q: Over the past several weeks our suet feeders have not been emptied by our feathered friends. Is there something going on?

A: Thanks for contacting us with your question about your lack of feeder birds right now.

Two things are at play with the birds in your community right now. One, and maybe the most critical, is that at this time of year, natural food sources are at their seasonal high for the birds that tend to spend the winter with us or are permanent residents. Most of these birds are seed or fruit eaters. Most of the migrants that depend on insects and caterpillars are gone now. So many of the species we think of as our regular feeder birds - Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, etc. are busy feeding on lots of natural choices.

Secondly, this time of year the resident flock, those same Chickadees, Titmice, and others, are scoping out their whole winter territory. You may notice that even if they are not really coming to your feeder, it seems like birds are either all in your yard at the same time or there are none. This mixed flock also attracts migrants and they will travel through the landscape together, looking for food and importantly, scanning the skies and ground for predators. This time of year, that mixed flock is moving around learning where the best places to feed are going to be once the weather closes in for winter. After natural sources get harder to find, they will know where your feeders are and start to use them a lot more.

You will still notice that they come to your feeders in waves and at certain times of the day they won’t seem to be in your yard, even in bad weather. That is because they continue to circulate through their territory and use all of those food sources they found this time of year. It may be a neighbor’s feeder, your feeder, or a natural setting with lots of seed heads or fruits.

This is an interesting topic and gives us a glimpse into their annual cycle. Thanks for thinking about the birds!