Abundant Food Brings All the Birds Together in the Winter

The nuthatch is purpose-built to harvest bugs in the bark.
The upside-down bird has an advantage in feeding,
as the Creator shows us all winter.

A cold spell has arrived again in Arkansas. Last winter was snowy and icy - school was canceled more than once.

The birds had suet for food for some time, and sunflower seed in the bird feeder near the window. The squirrel feeder on the tree meant corn was scattered on the ground, and that attracts the ground feeding birds. I decided to dump out the corn ears left in the bag and spread some cracked corn around.

Our yard turned into a convention for birds. We had flock of mourning doves feeding, then a flock of starlings, plus cardinals together on the ground, enjoying corn. I was happy to see a chickadee flit over to the sunflower seeds as I watched out the window. He grabbed a seed and left. In time the birds will adjust to a birdwatcher a few inches from them as they drop by the feeder.

I simply use a plastic dish or ten.

With the window open, their chirping by the feeder comes into the room with the fresh air. In Phoenix we often had birds in the house as well. I was in and out of the house, enjoying the backyard and the pool, and the dogs followed. Invariably the door was open for a time, and cross-bills came inside. They were not happy, and Mrs. Ichabod was even less happy. I had to herd birds outside again, which was not that difficult.

Birds stay away from new feeders, because they do not trust anything new and strange. They become used to feeding in certain areas, and return there in hope. When birds are fed all winter, they return to the same places for bugs, worms, and seeds during the spring and summer. Bushes and trees provide nesting areas, and they look for sources of water for bathing and preening as well.

Winter feeding favors spring nesting.

If we had consistent weather below freezing I would run a bird-bath warmer - don't laugh - so they could bathe and preen in the coldest weather. If the smirking readers could see birds lined up for a winter bath, taking turns, they would be the first to buy a unit in the frozen north. I set that up in Midland, Michigan, and it was fun to watch. I put a gallon of fresh water in the bath each day. The colder the weather, the more the birds wanted to bathe.