Last year at this time I was refilling our backyard bird feeders DAILY. Now, the food lasts a week or more. Where have all the birdies gone?
Here are the facts:
–I first hung out our bird feeders last fall. Within a few days I had a booming business from cardinals, chickadees, sparrows, wrens and all manner of other birds. I could sit on the family room couch and enjoy the show at any time of day. There were ALWAYS several birds moving about enjoying the buffet.
–We continued to have a busy bird business all summer long. Despite some people’s insistence that I would “make the birds lazy” by feeding them in the summer (silly myth, by the way), I continued to feed them. My morning routine included padding out in the a.m.–before I even had two SIPS of coffee (I am so very dedicated)–to refill the feeders, which had been emptied the day before.
–I did not change the type of bird feeders. In fact, I didn’t change the bird feeders at all.
–I ALWAYS wash and disinfect the bird feeders every week to minimize the possibility that my birds will transmit disease and pestilence to their friends.
–During August and September I was traveling a HUGE amount. The men in my household do not worry so much about the birds and their banquet, so many days would go by when I was who-knows-where when the bird feeders were empty.
–Since then, I have had the bird feeders well-stocked for a month now.
–Initially observing the drop in avian activity I changed foods not once, but TWICE. First from the bargain BJs food that someone bought for me then to the premium food from PetCo and then back to the original food I purchased from the local grocery store.
–I am desperately sad. I now must read the newspaper instead of watching birds while sipping my coffee and coming to grips with another day.
To be sure, we have birds visiting. But not NEARLY in the numbers and variety that we did last fall when I first hung the bird feeders. I judge this in two ways:
1) By the frequency with which I need to refill the feeders and
2) By the number of birds I observe while moving from barely comatose to wakeful state, drinking my coffee from the couch.
So where the heck did they all go? Why won’t they come back? Is anyone else experiencing a decrease in backyard bird activity?
I would much appreciate any insights and advice that my fellow nature-lovers could offer.
Update:
They’re back! Please see the steps I took here.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
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