Where are all the birds?

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I have a couple of holly trees in my back yard. After our big snow storm these trees were covered with birds enjoying the feast of the berries. I thought what is going to happen to their food after the berries are gone?

Then cleaning out my closest undiscovered a Christmas present I was supposed to I've ( it was part if other stuff to my mom so she still got some presents) that got lost. It was a birdhouse made if bird seeds. So there it is I will put this in the holly tree.

I did this yesterday...not one taker. Right now I see some blue jays near by but none going to the feeder.it has a fake cardinal on it ...should I remove that or us it just a matter if time before they find it?

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@Linkat,

In the winter we occasionally get flocks of robins and sometimes waxwings on our hollies, inkberries, and viburnums. They'll strip all the berries and then we don't see them again as they can cover a lot of ground in their search for food sources. The birdhouse made of seeds is less likely to attract birds who are looking for berries but, in any case, no harm is done leaving it out for a while longer. If nuthatches and chickadees start showing up they'll probably make it part of their local rounds.

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@Linkat,

leave it up... it's only a matter of time before the feeding frenzy starts...

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They have to get used to its presence before becoming curious enough to eat. I personally would remove the fake bird, but I don't know if it's a hindrance.

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Ha I am seeing a few if these little guys flying to it now and enjoying it.

I did not know which types of birds would be attracted to it but we get so many different types around here. So I put it in the holly tree because the branches are too light for squirrels, I have a goid view here while I work and it is,at the edge of our wooded lot so further from the house. And my little dog loves to look at them...

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The huge flocks of winter robins haven't arrived in Dallas yet. I can't remember when they normally arrive in Dallas in the winter on their way up north. I remember that last year they were so numerous and feeding on the Ligustrum berries that the ground was black with their droppings. The cold spell we had last week may have had something to
do with the delay of their arrival.

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When I walk in the park I hear the birds signaling one another that the peanut guy is here. Each time I hear one I toss a peanut. They are wary enough to let me get a good distance off before they take any. I've recently seen blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, and others I can't identify. They often compete with the squirrels for the peanuts.

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@edgarblythe,

I was staying in a park in Florida and had a big bag of boiled peanuts. I offered some of the shelled peanuts to the songbirds, but they weren't interested. I then threw some unshelled peanuts to the crows who ravished them. After the songbirds saw the crows eating the peanuts, they couldn't get enough of them.

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@coluber2001,

It's possible ours learned by watching the squirrels because they didn't go for them in the beginning.

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Well no more action there was maybe 3 or so little guys maybe chickadees...hard to tell this far away. But there were robins, blue jays and some other brown birds about the size of a robin in the area not sure if they go after seeds ....but I see them frequently along with Cardinals and woodpeckers...also forget all the names of the littler birds.

And yesterday saw a very large hawk perched on a high branch in a tree in our yard.

You think the birds tell each other there is free food here?

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

You think the birds tell each other there is free food here?

They may very well do (but why would they invite competition?). When I started putting out bird food, I had 6 or 7 dozen in my yard, at the feeding stations and in the bird baths. It was so cool. The squirrels ate what was tossed to the ground, and in 2020, I had a slew of cute little mice out there Smile

Seriously, they were no bigger than 1". They weren't here in '21, though... no idea where they went. But now it's fairly warm and the birds are picky - they no longer congregate in my lilac trees - maybe there are more feeders in the neighbourhood. I put out homemade suet in the really cold climes and they all love that.

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@Mame,

Its been quite busy off and on ... Lots of little guys flying in and then flying off ...quiet now I did take the fake bird off ..may not have an impact but it dies give them more surface area.

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@edgarblythe,

THE CEDar waxwings nade their first invasion of out crabapple trees, all of which are loaded with applets, the waxwings show up in batakkions sized masses and strip the trees while the birds get racously drunk and often can be seen hanging upside down as they sleep it off, the rest of the birds, including bluebirds are frequebt vistors ti=o the various feeders mrs f keeps stocked, We won a 35 lb bag of dried mealworms and the robins , bluebirds and other (native).The weathr is supposed to warm up through the end of Feb and into March o maybe the early arrivers will be here in that time.

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-20C here today so the Mr made sure he got out early with peanuts for the chickadees. They are quite used to him and the braver ones will land on the porch railing to wait for him if he knocks on the door window to let them know he is coming. He does hang around though while the chickadees eat -- and one nuthatch. Once he leaves the blue jays move in and it's a free for all.

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Seems they really like the sunflower seeds they are all gone ... There is still plenty of the two different smaller seeds

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@Linkat,

Quote:

There is still plenty of the two different smaller seeds

That's typical – the sunflower seeds are much higher in protein and fat.

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Bonus on this bird feeder..it doubles as a bird house so initially the birdhouse is covered in seeds which the birds ate over the winter. I tied it on branch tight enough that it survived over all the storms.

Thought I saw a bird in it and today I could it bulging with sticks.

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