Between the telephone calls, regular mail, and e-mail, we get about 500 bird questions a year here at Bird Watcher's Digest. Not all of them are ones we're hearing for the first time. On the Internet, the concept of Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs, is well-known, and incredibly helpful both for the answer seeker and the answer giver. Here, in this issue's Top Ten column, culled from our mail piles and question files, are the top 10 most frequently asked backyard bird questions. I reserve the right to add to this list in the future, when a different set of 10 questions leads the pack.
Birds are seasonal creatures of habit.
Some species that eat seed at your feeder all winter long switch to insects or fruit during the spring and summer. And most birds take the bulk of their diet from natural sources of food, rather than at our feeders. So the goldfinches that stayed around until May may be off eating weed and flower seeds in nearby meadows. A healthy natural crop of seeds, berries, fruits, and insects is most likely the answer. Be patient, and the birds will return to your feeders once the natural food stores begin to dwindle.