AUBURN - Auburn's Ruth Sullivan loves to watch the natural instincts of the birds as they gather for a feeding in her backyard. She has six bird feeders scattered throughout her yard so that she can enjoy them wherever she happens to be.
“I just love to watch the birds feeding,” she said during a
talk, “Backyard Bird Watching,” given by wild bird expert Connie Sturm at Seymour Library Monday evening.
“I have several different feeders that contain a variety of different feeds,” Sullivan said. “They are such a beautiful sight.”
Sturm, who has owned The Bird House, in Aurelius, a retail shop that sells wild bird related merchandise, for 25 years, said April is perhaps the hardest month of the year for wild birds to gather food.
“At the beginning of spring when the snow begins to melt is when the birds have the toughest time finding food,” she told bird enthusiasts.
“The seed is deteriorated from the harsh weather of the winter, and what little else is around has been eaten by squirrels and chipmunks.”
Sturm said the most common winter birds for central New York are the cardinal, chickadee and gold finch.
“The gold finches are not wearing their bright yellow feathers at this time of year though,” she said.
“They won't be bright yellow until late March. This time of year the finch is a pretty olive green color.”
February is the month the downy woodpecker begins to convey its trademark pecking sound, though they are residents of the area throughout the winter season, according to Sturm.
Sturm said February is also National Bird Feeding Month, and each year there is a backyard bird count conducted by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
“The count is pretty simple, and it is free to take part in,” Sturm said. “People take a count of
birds in their backyards, and
enter the amounts at the Web site.”
The bird count is a survey of how many birds are in the
area, and how their numbers and habits are affected from year to year.
Perhaps the most well-known reason people begin to listen for the familiar sounds of the song bird is to predict the onset of spring.
When birds begin to sing and male birds become more aggressive in seeking mates, spring can't be far away, Sturm said.
To take part
What: The Great Backyard Bird Count
When: Feb. 17-20
For more information: visit
www.birdsource.org/gbbc
talk, “Backyard Bird Watching,” given by wild bird expert Connie Sturm at Seymour Library Monday evening.
“I have several different feeders that contain a variety of different feeds,” Sullivan said. “They are such a beautiful sight.”
Sturm, who has owned The Bird House, in Aurelius, a retail shop that sells wild bird related merchandise, for 25 years, said April is perhaps the hardest month of the year for wild birds to gather food.
“At the beginning of spring when the snow begins to melt is when the birds have the toughest time finding food,” she told bird enthusiasts.
“The seed is deteriorated from the harsh weather of the winter, and what little else is around has been eaten by squirrels and chipmunks.”
Sturm said the most common winter birds for central New York are the cardinal, chickadee and gold finch.
“The gold finches are not wearing their bright yellow feathers at this time of year though,” she said.
“They won't be bright yellow until late March. This time of year the finch is a pretty olive green color.”
February is the month the downy woodpecker begins to convey its trademark pecking sound, though they are residents of the area throughout the winter season, according to Sturm.
Sturm said February is also National Bird Feeding Month, and each year there is a backyard bird count conducted by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
“The count is pretty simple, and it is free to take part in,” Sturm said. “People take a count of
birds in their backyards, and
enter the amounts at the Web site.”
The bird count is a survey of how many birds are in the
area, and how their numbers and habits are affected from year to year.
Perhaps the most well-known reason people begin to listen for the familiar sounds of the song bird is to predict the onset of spring.
When birds begin to sing and male birds become more aggressive in seeking mates, spring can't be far away, Sturm said.
To take part
What: The Great Backyard Bird Count
When: Feb. 17-20
For more information: visit
www.birdsource.org/gbbc
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