Good cover key for winter birds Migration reduces backyard visits

Where are all the birds?

That is the question many people are calling into the Fields Pond Nature Center to ask. All through spring, summer and fall, they have faithfully kept feeding stations filled with all manner of delectable morsels for their birds. Come mid to late winter, though, their efforts have seemed in vain.

Many people have reported a decrease in the numbers of chickadees, nuthatches and blue jays coming to their yards, and assumed the worst: something terrible must have happened to cause their decline.

Not necessarily, says Judy Markowsky of the Nature Center. Actually, Markowsky said, local bird banders have found that chickadees, nuthatches and blue jays are more migratory than was previously thought. Our resident birds may now be wintering in Massachusetts or New Jersey. Their relatives appearing around the neighborhood may be from farther north, perhaps Canada.

It may take these new arrivals some time to locate feeders, so this might contribute to the dearth of visits to people’s yards. In addition, these birds need to be as efficient as possible when it comes to energy conservation and food gathering. This means even the most well-stocked yard will be avoided if it is devoid of sufficient cover and roosting places. After all, it doesn’t make sense for a bird to waste precious energy traveling long distances between food and shelter if it doesn’t have to.

There are ways to create good cover that will be used by many birds. First, do away with manicured, homogenous yards and hedges. Create a living wall by planting a variety of fruit-bearing shrubs and trees. The fruit will attract birds such as waxwings, mockingbirds and grosbeaks, and the lovely tangle of branches will provide good cover for them and many other birds.

Second, put nest boxes up if you haven’t already. Once you’ve sealed ventilation holes and placed some clean, dry grass on the bottom, birds will find these to be snug nighttime roosting places. However, predator guards must be used or the birds will end up being the proverbial “sitting duck.”

Third, choose your seed types and feeder styles wisely. I’ve found out the hard way never to use mixed seed in tubular hanging feeders. Most of it goes to waste, as small perching birds will just dump the stuff on the ground to get at their favorite black-oil sunflower seeds hidden in it. The dumped seed may also attract birds you don’t want – ground feeders such as pigeons, starlings and house sparrows – as well as squirrels.

Thistle is a great seed to use because it attracts goldfinches and redpolls. It has the added bonus of being unattractive to the undesirables mentioned above. It must be used with either a mesh bag or a special thistle feeder, which comes equipped with exceptionally small portholes. This prevents the tiny seeds from spilling out.

Fourth, keep your birds’ safety in mind when placing feeders. Window-strikes are a significant cause of mortality for birds, so place feeders away from the house – and definitely not in front of picture windows!

Free-roaming cats, feral or otherwise, also take a large toll on birds. Feeders should be a safe distance away from obstructing shrubbery, trees or other structures. This will prevent surprise attacks and eliminate launching platforms for the feline hunter, ensuring that tabby goes away empty-mouthed.

The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place this week, Saturday the 16th to Tuesday the 19th. To find out how to participate, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Web site, or call the Fields Pond Nature Center at 989-2591.

Chris Corio’s column on birds is published each Saturday. Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com