by Jack Spaulding
Outdoors WriterThe warmth of spring has done little to slow the constant comings and goings of the birds in our back yard. Our sunflower seed feeder has been a regular gathering spot and a “Who’s Who” location for a variety of Midwest bird species for several months. Most of our winged menagerie came with the winter and are now staying on through the warm weather. The sunflower seeds from the feeder continue to provide a rich source of protein for the rigors of the nesting seasons.
The onslaught at the feeder really began with late winter’s bitter temperatures and the snow laden weeks of January and February. The Arctic blast brought an untold number of birds to the backyard bird feeder. With snow covering the bird’s forage for weeks on end, the feeder wasn’t just a convenient food source, it was absolutely necessary for survival. Sometimes, there would be a dozen or more different species of birds in, on or under the feeder throughout the day. This year, we broke all kinds of records for variety and the sheer number of birds.
Several years ago, my wife and I thrilled at the sight of six male and female redbirds visiting the feeder at one time. Among the snow-covered tree limbs of late February of this year, we witnessed an unbelievable 14 male cardinals and a similar number of females feeding and perched around the feeder at one time. Even with the balmy days of spring, many of the various birds are continuing to make daily stops to chow down on black sunflower seeds.
During the height of the winter assault on the feeder, I was using well over 30 pounds of sunflower seeds a week and going through about four suet cakes. Thinking things would really slow down with the warm weather, I’m surprised to find I’m still feeding over 20 pounds of sunflower seeds per week and the suet cakes are going almost as fast.
Our most unusual and distinguished guest this year and a continuing diner at the suet cakes is a stunning Pileated Woodpecker. Seeing the huge, crow-size bird looking like a woodland version of Woody the Woodpecker pecking away at the suet cakes is impressive.
Slowly but surely, I am becoming a bird version of the Pied Piper. You can’t quite call me the Bird Whistler of Rush County just yet, but I’m getting closer. I started back in the winter. Every time I filled the feeder, I would step back a few feet and whistle “like a bird.” As a kid, I taught myself to whistle and mimic the lilting up-and-down songlike notes similar to some birds.
The continual combination of sound and the positive reinforcement of food began to have an effect. The birds responded slowly at first, but now they recognize the whistle and come running … err … flying. They won’t quite come to me, but when they hear the lilting whistle, they begin to gather in the trees surrounding the feeder. The least afraid are the chickadees, nuthatches and the downy woodpeckers. I’ve had downy woodpeckers come to the sound of the whistle and land on the feeder while I was only five feet away. The chickadees will approach and land on tree branches sometimes as close as 10 feet while the nuthatches will peek around the tree trunk from about 15 feet away.
The bird feeder experiment has its downside. I have gotten some strange looks from neighbors taking their evening stroll. I’ve learned, a grown man standing like a statue by a bird feeder while holding a bucket of bird seed and whistling like a lunatic will get you noticed. Just ask my wife.
till next time,
Jack Spaulding is a state outdoors writer and a consumer of RushShelby Energy from Milroy. Readers with questions or comments can write to him in care of Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224; or e-mail jackspaulding@hughes.net.