By Tony Gazso, Interpretive Naturalist

As fall continues and we head into winter the time to start making sure our birdfeeders are full is here. So why aren’t the birds?
 
There are actually a number of factors at play here. For starters, mid-October is a sort of transitional time. Many of the birds that breed in our area and visit our feeders (like Baltimore orioles) are long gone, having already returned to their wintering grounds. While many of the species that migrate to our region in winter (like American tree sparrows) are only just starting to trickle in.

 
Another key factor has to do with the food itself. Despite all the delicious treats we put in our backyard feeders, birds still prefer food sources out in the wild. Combine that with the fact that this year has also seen a pretty big mast event (a year that has produced a bumper crop of acorns and fruit) and there’s just so much delicious and readily-available food that there’s no urgency for birds to visit our feeders. Birdfeeders provide a good and easy source of food when there are little other options. That’s why you often see more birds at your feeder during periods of heavy snow and bad weather.
 
It’s also good to keep in mind that some of our year-round residents like titmice actually switch their diets over from insects to seed as the weather gets colder and the insects die off for winter. Additionally, even year-round resident birds can be somewhat nomadic, wandering through a given area. Just because you see a cardinal or blue jay at your feeder every morning, that doesn’t mean it’s the same one!
 
So, while there may not be an abundance of birds at our feeders right now, their absence is perfectly normal.