Aspen Song Wild Bird Food

08/12/2024

Purple Finches and more

Keep those Feeders Full!

Nature engagement through watching birds at feeders can be a ton of fun….can even help with overall wellness and outlook on life.

Here at our house in central NY I seem to get Purple Finches every winter! My 1st winter in the house 2021-22 we topped out at 42 Purple Finches in Feb/March, then in 2022-23 we had 38 in Feb/March, and then last year 2023-34 we had 24 in Feb/March.

I've hosted some big numbers of siskins, redpolls and evebeaks over the years, but I never lived in central NY where we had big numbers of Purple each winter.....until the last few years.

Numbers are starting to build again, and we're now up to 9 (6 males and 3 young birds/female types). Unique this winter, is we also have 9-10 House Finches, whereas most winter we're lucky to get 1-2 a few times during the winter.

Here are a few comparison photos of the 2 species side by side.

08/12/2024

The Finch Research Network predicted a strong southern irruption of Blue Jays this winter in the Winter Finch Forecast.

Besides predicting the finches, they include Bohemian Waxwing, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Blue Jay in their forecast because of their finch-like unpredictable movements.

Fun Fact Friday! Did you know that even though thousands of Blue Jays can be spotted around the Great Lakes and coastal areas as they travel south, much of their migration remains a mystery?!? These birds keep a closed beak on their migration secrets! 🤐

Blue Jays have a large population range that extends across most of Canada and the US. Most Blue Jays remain in their habitats year-round, even in the northern regions, with studies estimating that less than 20% migrate significant distances. Some studies suggest that younger Jays are more likely to migrate but other large-scale studies did not support this theory. Complicating the results of migration studies is evidence that a Blue Jay may migrate one year but then stay the winter the next year. How do they decide? Do they have a secret way to know if a particular winter will be less harsh? 🔮

Blue Jays migrate during the daytime, often in small flocks of a few dozen birds. However, some prefer to migrate alone. A migrating flock forms a loose V as they travel as a group. If you spot a flock, you are not seeing double; subsequent flocks commonly follow the same path as the flock ahead of them!

Blue Jays that remain in their habitat during winter can survive by hiding (caching) seeds and nuts up to 4 km away from the original food source. Their favourite forest food is acorns, but they also visit feeders for larger seeds like sunflower seeds. It’s a well-known fact that peanuts are a great way to win over a Blue Jay's heart. 🥜

These birds can be greedy tricksters, sometimes imitating a hawk's call to scare smaller birds away from feeders. You can also gauge a Blue Jay's mood by observing their crest; if it is lowered, they are calm and likely foraging with friends.

Since birds have a poor sense of smell, Blue Jays rely on their memory to retrieve their hidden seeds and nuts. Remarkably, only 10% of cached acorns are not viable. Blue Jays play an essential role in oak tree seed dispersal, which has helped increase the population of oak trees and expand their range since the last glacial period.

📸Thank you Karen Hooper for this perfect wintery photo! 📸

05/12/2024

Feed The Birds So You Can Watch the Birds

Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders across North America. 🌎❄️ Operated by our partners at Birds Canada, Wild Birds Unlimited is a proud sponsor. 🎉

FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through the end of April and submit their data. 📋 This helps scientists track movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. 📊✨

Join now! 🛒 Anyone interested in birds can participate – including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers and bird clubs. 👩‍🏫👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Learn more here: https://join.feederwatch.org/

Featured Birds: House Finches
Featured Product: EcoTough® Hanging Tray Feeder (Red) with No-Mess Blend

05/12/2024

AKA “Snow Birds”….

…and a mainstay at feeders!

A Dark-eyed Junco tucks in a foot to keep warm while watching the snow fall.

30/11/2024

Feeder cleanliness is important to keep our feathered friends healthy!

Scrub-a-dub-dub! 💧 One of the most important things you can do as you feed the birds is to keep your feeders clean. This helps to prevent spreading illnesses from feeder to feeder. Healthy birds = happy birds. 🤗

30/11/2024

Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco

Fun Fact Friday!! Did you know both the Dark-eyed Junco and the Black-capped Chickadee are winter survival superstars but their strategies are different!?!

🤔Who is your favourite and why?

Let's compare their tricks!

🇨🇦 Dark-eyed Juncos are one of the most abundant forest birds found across North America and the only Junco species in Canada. They are easier to spot in the winter when these ‘snowbirds’ move a bit more south and gather in flocks. Black-capped Chickadees are one of the most recognizable backyard birds across Canada. But, remember other Chickadees exist (Boreal (farther north), Mountain and Chestnut-backed (western mountains).

⚖ A Junco’s body and wings are only a tiny bit longer than a Chickadee's but
their body weight can be double that of a Chickadee.

❄️ Junco’s spend the winter in flocks of 6-30 birds. Chickadees spend the winter in small flocks of ~12 birds. Flocks consist of mated pairs and unmated individuals but not the offspring of mated pairs.

🌜 Junco's roost in evergreens at night, sharing the space with other flock members but not close enough to cuddle. Chickadee's roost in cavities at night solo and go into a state of torpor (overnight hibernation).

🌾Junco's Use a ‘riding’ foraging technique where they land on the top of a seed cluster on exposed grass and then ‘ride’ the stem to the ground where they then pick of the seeds standing on the stem. Chickadee's cache extra seeds in bark crevices, holes, etc to retrieve another day. Can remember 1000s of hiding places for over a month! They will also forage for insects under bark, old hanging spider webs, and plant stems.

🥜Junco's will come to your feeder for small seeds, millet, nyger, and sunflower hearts. Prefers to clean up the fallen seeds on the ground. Chickadees will come to your feeders for sunflower seeds, nuts, and suet. Attracted to a wide variety of feeder styles and if you are lucky, they will come and land on a patient flat hand holding their favourite seeds.

😍 Both are adorable, full of energy, and guaranteed to make you smile even on the coldest days.

27/11/2024

Survival Techniques of the Black-capped Chickadee — One of the Most Popular Backyard Birds Across Much of North America!

Did you know?

Chickadees grow extra brain cells in the fall which then aid them in remembering where they hide their seeds and nuts. They even recognize people's faces.

But don't worry, as unlike crows they don't hold grudges. They do, however recognize that you feed them. A family group of chickadees is referred to as a banditry.

The survival techniques of the Black-capped Chickadee are quite extraordinary. If you have old nesting boxes, leave them out in the winter so these small birds can utilize them at night and during storms.

We all love the cheerfulness of the chickadee, but have you ever noticed how some species are more acrobatic than others?

It is said that a black-cap can change direction in 3/100th of a second. So if he/she drops a seed, it can be collected again before it even comes close to hitting the ground.

Read more below on how these extraordinary birds survive...chickadees can easily be encouraged to hand feed as they are intelligent and friendly birds!

22/11/2024

21/11/2024

Finches, finches, finches

And the American Goldfinch is one of the biggest crowd-pleasers. Keep those finch feeders stocked with aspensong finch blend

12/11/2024

We started putting out suet again and the Downy Woodpeckers have been excited! When do you put your suet out?

12/11/2024

Good for the backyard feeder environment even!

12/11/2024

Woodpecker Cavities

A circle of life!

Woodpeckers carve tree cavities 🪵🪶 that provide essential shelter for countless animals, from birds to mammals. These natural hideaways play a critical role in forest ecosystems—so next time you hear a woodpecker drumming, remember, it could be making a home for a future animal!

06/11/2024

🛍️ If you're the one who buys suets for feeding birds, try buying them in bulk!

30/10/2024

Time for breakfast! The number one feed we recommend for attracting Blue Jays is peanuts. Blue Jays sure love their peanuts! In shell peanuts or shelled peanuts are both great go-to options for attracting these blue beauties. Black oil sunflower seed, striped sunflower, and suet are also feeds that Blue Jays will gladly eat.

21/10/2024

Bald Eagles

The female Bald Eagle in the previous post was joined by her mate. He stood by keeping away any other Eagles as his mate ate her meal. This Eagle pair had a successful nesting season with three eaglets fledging. Madison County Illinois