Rochester Hills, Michigan

Fall Bird Feeding

Why Start Feeding Birds in Fall?

 

 


WANTED: BED & BREAKFAST - Family seeks winter lodgings, with regular meals; all-day buffet preferred. Central heating not required, but water a decided plus. Applications now being taken in your back yard.

You might not see the above ad in your local newspaper, but wild birds are already making decisions about which back yards they will visit this winter.

What you do as the days grow shorter lets the birds know that you want their business and invites them to come back when serious winter comes.

People who don't start feeding birds until severe weather arrives may be missing out. Fall is the season to begin, even though natural foods are plentiful and the birds like the tufted titmouse above may not spend much time at your feeder yet. They are out in the fields and woods, feasting on seeds and berries and well-fed insects.

The birds that do visit feeders in the abundance of autumn are scouting. They need to be ready when cold weather hits. The red-bellied woodpecker at left was well acquainted with our feeding station before winter arrived.

Cold will increase their calorie requirements, right at the moment that food becomes harder to get. Insects stop flying and wiggling. Snow covers seeds. Ice seals away tree buds, wild fruits, and the insects that woodpeckers and nuthatches like to find under the bark of trees.

So they need to be ready. That's whey they're studying their resources in advance. Noting where food is available. Locating alternatives. Taking inventory of contingent provisions.

It's good to be included in their inventories. If the birds discover that your yard is worth visiting, they'll remember. And when that first storm hits, they'll show up. Hungry. Chirpy and chattery. Red and blue and black-and-white and yellow. Fun to look at on a snowy day.

On the other hand, if you wait until hard weather arrives, the birds may not ever realize what you have to offer. Under the stress of freezing weather, they can't afford the luxury of exploring. They must go where they know there will be a payoff. They might not discover your feeder all winter, even though it is abundantly supplied. So start offering provisions now.