SPECIAL FOOD FOR RETURNING BIRDS - 3/11/20


 SPECIAL FOOD FOR RETURNING BIRDS

By PEGGY WILLIAMS AKA Birdie of Mississippi

 

Yesterday I put out new food goodies for birds that should begin to return to our area.  Normally I put out nothing but black oil sunflower seeds, but because of the returning birds I decided to put a few items out that I don’t usually spend the time or money to do.  March and April are great months to see birds that only “pass through” Mississippi and because it will soon be mating season they will begin to wear their mating feathers!  This means that they will be all decked out in their brightest feathers!

 

Niger seed is a skinny black seed that several small-billed birds such as Goldfinches enjoy eating. The American Goldfinch has a finely pointed beak and they can pick out tiny seeds from thistles and flowers.  Since Goldfinches are one of my favorite birdies and generally only pass through my yard headed north, I like to provide this treat for them.   When the Goldfinch first arrived last year, I didn’t realize what bird it was because I was fairly new at being a “birdie”.  Instead for being a brilliant yellow, it was a pale yellow-green color. As mating season neared the spring molt began and bright yellow breeding plumage replaced the dull winter feathers.  That’s when they photograph so beautifully.

 

I also sliced up some oranges and put them out to attract Baltimore Orioles.  I don’t usually have Orioles, but during the spring season I have attracted orioles to my yard by putting out orange slices and grape jelly.  Bird specialty stores now sell feeders especially made to lodge an orange half and dollops of grape jelly on them, but generally I put mine out on a saucer and that works just fine. Since the Oriole has a beautiful orange tummy I wonder if that is why it was first attracted to the orange.

 

Peanut butter is also a favorite of several birds and I have attracted birds that I don’t see at my seed feeders with this highly nutritious, high in calories and fat food. I don’t see warblers very often in my yard, but I have been buzzed by a few as I have been out in my yard taking photos or working in my herb garden.  Yellow-rumped Warblers, Carolina Wrens, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers do like peanut butter and will come to visit you if you put it out.

 

I put these special items out at this time of year not only so I can have special birds visit my yard, but also because these birds have often traveled long distances. They are hungry and tired and may need these high energy foods just to stay alive.  Often when they come to your feeders it is because they need a quick easily found meal to help them re-coup from their long journey.  If you put food on the ground, be sure that it’s away from bushes that may have a hidden cat waiting for one of your tired birds. 

 

I can’t wait to see my spring visitors as I “look at the birds of the air” Matthew 6:26 and I hope that you will make time to look at them, too, because this is the only time of year that some of these birdies can be seen in their brightly colored mating feathers!

My photos may be viewed & “LIKED” on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - “Birdie of Mississippi”.

E-mail: birdieofmississippi@gmail.com - Read my Blog @ http://www.birdieofmississippi.blogspot.com

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