Songbirds – So Much to Learn

We live in a pecan and oak forest along a streambed that’s usually dry, but that can run 6 feet deep in a heavy rain.

It’s the perfect place for birds. Lots of birds. And their time is just about here. It’s been quiet these past couple of months, but my friends at Wild Birds Unlimited tell me the migrants from the North are headed our way, and that goldfinches and others are just a week or two away from arriving in North Texas, perhaps just a little bit longer for those of you farther south.

In the meantime the WBU experts talk about local birds “caching” seeds now for consumption in the cold, dark days of the winter. I’m just going to quote verbatim from the Wild Birds Unlimited website so I won’t make any mistakes in translating the words of the experts:

From Wild Birds Unlimited…
In the fall chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and jays begin hiding food to retrieve and eat later in the season. This behavior is called “caching.” Caching helps birds survive during bad weather and when food sources are low. These birds can store hundreds of seeds a day. Each seed is placed in a different location and they generally remember where each one is, even months later.

If you’d like to see the entire story and all its details, go to the Wild Birds Unlimited website.

One of our grandsons stays with us fairly often, and he and I really enjoy feeding and watching the birds in our backyard. We attend programs at the McKinney Wild Birds Unlimited store. I have found the WBU seed blends and supplies have been absolutely outstanding.

For purposes of disclosure, I do want you to know that the McKinney, Dallas and Arlington stores of Wild Birds Unlimited are sponsors of my radio broadcasts. There are many other fine WBU stores across Texas. Here is their store locator guide.