Why did the birds stop coming?

Maybe they didn’t like what you’re feeding them.

maybe it was a pit stop while they were heading South for the winter?

I did not change the feed so the feed was not the problem.

Maybe someone else is feeding them.

It probably was a pit stop in their migration pattern. Or maybe there was a hawk hiding in the treetops.

Were the weather conditions different when the birds were at the feeder?

Yes, most likley your feeders were a stop on a busy birds constant travel itinerary in winter.

If you keep feeding year round you will end up with a year round population of year round resident species.

Many species are nomadic in winter, Pine Siskens, certain finches, etc.

If the feeders went empty for even a few hours the birds might have passed by without your noticing.

Keep your feeders clean…I had to stop all feeding in the winter one year after an outbreak of avian pox.

If you are interested in doing any migratory bird counts, I ‘worked’ for Cornell university Ornithology lab doing ‘project feeder watch’ to contribute data of migratory winter species.

Lots of fun!

Regarding the migration thought I would add that a friend of mine who lives about two miles away has countless species of birds all winter all the time.

The hawk would have to be stationed there on a permanent basis?

The weather has been snow and cold. When I put the feeders out it was cold but no snow.

I’m totally baffled.

I feed the birds in the winter time only. My regulars are Chickadees, Sparrows, Towhees, and Cardinals. These birds require seeds like thistles, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds. You have to know the birds in your area and feed accordingly. Be patient, they will return if you are feeding them correctly.

Another thought on this before we call it a day.

A friend of mine who has an almost outdoor aviary on her property said that birds who attend feeders like to have a close standing bush or tree or other landing ‘zone’ within a very short distance to the feeder.

They really aren’t comfortable flying in and out of the feeder with no close by ‘layover’ point.

My window feeder is about 50’ from any such station.

Maybe they just don’t like the flight distance?

@Ducati_MST

Maybe, or, it might just be a matter of discovery.

I had a ranch arch built in the middle of my ‘yard’ which is really just open forestland.

The feeders were hung from the arch, about 6 feet off the ground between two huge pine trees and the birds mobbed the feeders.

Finches, Grosbeaks, all sorts of woodpeckers, several different sparrow species, etc. etc.

Sometimes it takes awhile to get a feeding station established. :-)

Coloma

[quote] Sometimes it takes awhile to get a feeding station established. :-)[/quote]

I think you may really have finally nailed it, my friend!

The birds are all over my feeders today.

YAY! Fun!

It is a very rewarding hobby, I had to stop though, the deer, squirrels, flying squirrels and raccoons took over. I was spending about $60 a month on feeding and the birds got maybe 10% of my efforts. haha

I do have hummingbird feeders still, and..the wild turkeys are driving me nuts flying into my gooses corral and eating their food too.

sigh…..it’s a wilderness out there!

I agree completely with Coloma, even though I am new to fluther, I have been feeding and studying birds for a long time now. Although the resources in my suburban home are limited I have managed to squeeze seven or eight feeders (suet, thistle, sunflower, and mixed seed including millet and canary grass.) No squirrels or raccoons have managed to get to mine yet. It is winter and I get: chickadees, juncos, cardinals, American goldfinches, mourning doves, and ect. Even though a red-tailed hawk lives near and swoops in on the birds every once in a while, they come back an hour to a day later. Even if you were feeding a migrating species, native, year round, birds will surely come to your feeders! We even have cats that hunt the birds. Good luck with your feeders! :)