A downy woodpecker is the size of a sparrow and may have a winter territory only a few acres in size. A red-headed woodpecker is the size of a robin and may cover several hundred acres. The pileated woodpecker is the size of a crow and it needs a territory of about 10 square miles. A small bird, such as a house finch, may be in your yard several times in one day, while a blue jay may not come but once a week. Learn to listen for the birds to announce their arrival.
Many birds sing or chirp as they move around.
Without looking outside, I know when there is a cardinal in the front arborvitae or in the back yard by the feeder. If you sat and watched your feeder all day, you would notice the overall pattern that your birds use in your yard. Usually there is a flurry of activity in the morning for a few hours around dawn and another one during the last hours of the day. Since birds follow the sun and people follow the clock, you won't always see the birds at the same time. Jeff Rugg is an Illinois Certified Nursery Professional and a full member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.