Mary Cope
Many of us enjoy watching the birds at our feeders during the winter. By placing feeders out, we provide the birds with a reliable source of food. Sunflower seeds and suet are good foods to put out for the birds due to their high fat concentrations; this fat provides the birds with long-lasting energy. You will find that some birds will not eat from a feeder; this is because they prefer to ground feed. One of the most common ground-feeding birds is the mourning dove. Woodpeckers like to hold on to things that are vertical, so if you put suet in suet cages, you are more likely to attract these birds. You may notice blue jays swallowing large quantities of seeds before flying off. They aren’t actually eating these seeds; they are simply storing them for a later date. Although it may seem as though the birds count on you to feed them, they only consume about ten percent of their daily food intake from your feeder. So, if you go on vacation, don’t worry about the birds; they aren’t dependent on you, but they will certainly be there when you get back!
(Mary Cope is a junior whose interests span from dog shows to falconry. She particularly enjoys flying her hawk, Theron, in the woods behind her home. Mary’s immersion in the natural world for her various hobbies has instilled in her a deep appreciation for the environment and the many creatures to which it is home.)
(Mary Cope is a junior whose interests span from dog shows to falconry. She particularly enjoys flying her hawk, Theron, in the woods behind her home. Mary’s immersion in the natural world for her various hobbies has instilled in her a deep appreciation for the environment and the many creatures to which it is home.)
