Hi,
I'm new to the forums and have a couple of questions regarding my feeders and bird population/activity. Up until three to four weeks ago my feeders were overwhelmed with house finches, woodpeckers, cardinals, etc as the feeders are every year. I have multiple feeders with either suet, black sunflower, or mixed seed. Over the last few years I have hosted a cardinal pair and watched them raise several young each year.
My question is, do finches migrate or change behavior as autumn approaches? My feeders were being refilled daily and now I don't refill them hardly once a week. I do clean them and keep the food fresh, but there is now virtually no activity on the feeders. The cardinal pair have also disappeared. I don't know whether to blame that on a destroyed nest (neighbor's hedge) or predation. Similar abandonment has occurred, but not quit to this extent.
I suppose I need a bird physiologist who can enlighten me. Nothing has changed with my feeders other than an occasional visit by a feral cat who has taken a few pigeons foraging around my feeders. Should I take down the feeders, move them, or just wait for the birds to return in the winter?
I'm new to the forums and have a couple of questions regarding my feeders and bird population/activity. Up until three to four weeks ago my feeders were overwhelmed with house finches, woodpeckers, cardinals, etc as the feeders are every year. I have multiple feeders with either suet, black sunflower, or mixed seed. Over the last few years I have hosted a cardinal pair and watched them raise several young each year.
My question is, do finches migrate or change behavior as autumn approaches? My feeders were being refilled daily and now I don't refill them hardly once a week. I do clean them and keep the food fresh, but there is now virtually no activity on the feeders. The cardinal pair have also disappeared. I don't know whether to blame that on a destroyed nest (neighbor's hedge) or predation. Similar abandonment has occurred, but not quit to this extent.
I suppose I need a bird physiologist who can enlighten me. Nothing has changed with my feeders other than an occasional visit by a feral cat who has taken a few pigeons foraging around my feeders. Should I take down the feeders, move them, or just wait for the birds to return in the winter?
