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This Week at Milberger's

PRIMETIME NEWSPAPERS WEEKLY COLUMN
Week of October 29, 2001
By Calvin Finch, Conservation Director, San Antonio Water System, and Horticulturist

November 1 is a good time to start feeding the birds again.

The American goldfinches arrive some time in November in normal years. At least one of the bird feed stores reports that their customers have seen scouts of the interesting little birds already. Attract goldfinches with thistle or sunflower seed. The thistle is a good choice because it is a small seed that does not make a mess on the patio. The tube feeders will bring the acrobatic little birds right close to the window or near your favorite patio chair for easy viewing.

Lesser goldfinches will use the thistle feeders all year in many San Antonio neighborhoods. They are not quite so showy as wild canaries (American goldfinches) in the summertime, but they keep their gold and black plumage all year. They make the winter American goldfinches look pretty drab.

Sunflower seed is the most popular seed with cardinals, blue jays, titmice, and chicadees. Use the Absolute brand steel feeders with a weight-sensitive perch to keep the squirrels from chewing up the feeder or stealing all the seed. The weight-sensitive perch can even be set to exclude white winged doves.

For doves and ground-feeding finches like American sparrows or towhees, spread a little millet or mixed seed on a low platform (under 2 ft. tall) every morning. Putting the seed on the ground in the morning will allow the birds to consume it all before evening. Seed on the ground in the night will attract rodents.

Woodpeckers will eat sunflower seeds, but they are especially fond of suet or dough cakes. Wrens, chicadees, titmice, and even warblers will feed on the cakes. Orange or berry-flavored are the favorites in my yard, but pepper flavored is best if you are blessed with squirrels. The birds ignore the pepper and the squirrels avoid it.

A few years back you could fill a feeder with safflower seed and only the cardinals would be interested. The English sparrows have learned to like it, however, just like they did thistle seed and sunflower seed. Safflower cakes are desirable, however, because they are not a favorite of the squirrels. A male cardinal against the white background of a safflower cake is a striking site.

Nut cakes are also available. Everything loves them. Woodpeckers, wrens, titmice, chicadees, cardinals, and blue jays compete with the squirrels. Place suet, safflower, and pecan cakes in wire cages manufactured especially for them.

In addition to the birdseed, you may want to provide the birds water. In terms of survival, the water is more important than the seed. In most neighborhoods there is plenty of food for birds, but few have water available during a hot, dry winter spell so common to San Antonio.

Place the birdbath in the open where you can see it, about 5 or 6 feet from a small tree or shrub. The plant is a place the birds can seek shelter from hawks, but it needs to be far enough away so cats cannot leap on birds vulnerable because their feathers are wet.