We’re passionate about birds and nature. That’s why we opened a Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in our community.
4215 NW 16th Boulevard
Gainesville, FL 32605
Phone: (352) 381-1997
Fax: (352) 381-1995
Email: Send Message
Store Hours:
Mon - Sat: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Here we are again in that time of great uncertainty over how winter feeding activity will unfold. For the most part, things are as they usually are. Young birds have long-since fledged the nest, become adept at foraging
independently, and family units have dispersed. Nuts and other natural seed has become more generally available. Songbird migration across the Gulf of Mexico is over for the season.
All of those factors mean that, for about three-quarters of us, our breeding residents have dramatically thinned or departed entirely from our birdfeeders. For some, however, activity has actually stayed steady or even picked up. For instance, Northern Cardinals that disperse from backyards form larger winter foraging flocks in other areas nearby. If you happen to be in the range of one of those large winter flocks, then your cardinal activity can actually increase in the winter.
Others among us benefit from hosting flocks of overwintering residents such as American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, and Chipping Sparrow.
Reports of goldfinch are coming in steadily and flocks seem to be growing in numbers but, as usual, goldfinches are staying high in the canopy and not visiting feeders much yet. Oriole activity peaked once during migration and then ceased almost entirely since the earliest orioles tend to keep moving across the Gulf of Mexico. Overwintering orioles tend to settle in beginning in late November. We've only gotten a few reports of orioles thus far.
Chipping Sparrows, on the other hand seem to be plentiful already this fall. So, freshen up your sparrow ID skills because the Chipping Sparrow is not a conspicuous feeder bird at all, at least by its coloration. Nor is it conspicuous by its call. If you don't already offer some millet at your feeders, then consider adding that to the array. It's the Chippy's favorite.
Happy Birding!
Ingrid and Bubba
Many of us have been feeding birds in the Gainesville area for years and have never seen a Baltimore Oriole at our feeders. Maybe we’ve never seen one at all. But within a few miles of your house, there are people feeding Baltimore Orioles all winter long. In a few unusual cases, the orioles are thick enough to form flocks of up to 30 or so birds.
How do they do it? The first part of the answer is nectar and suet. Orioles don’t typically take seed from feeders. These legendary oriole flocks are visiting yards in which they consistently find good sources of nectar and suet.
The second part of the answer is perseverance. Orioles are difficult to attract to any feeder but discipline helps tremendously. Anywhere that you find flocks of orioles you also find a dedicated human attendant who is determined to maintain feeders with fresh nectar and suet so that there orioles stick around all winter and return the next.
For those of us who can’t or won’t make that kind of commitment to our potential oriole-attracting feeders, there is still a fair chance of attracting smaller numbers of orioles in sporadic visits. The simplest oriole feeder is a halved orange impaled on a nail or spike but if you want a touch of style, much more decorative fruit feeders are available
at WBU. There are also nectar feeders specially designed to accommodate orioles.
Finally, orioles tend to take suet embellished with fruit flavorings. Try offering Craivin’ Raisin or Fruit Cakes suet in the winter to increase your chances of hosting a Baltimore Oriole.
We send out our newsletter, BIRDTracks and montly articles, news from feeders, and information about any specials that we might be running at the store via email. If you would like to get either of these e-mails let us know. The nice thing about our e-mail program is that you can pick and chose what you would like to receive. You can visit us at the store to update your account with your e-mail, or simply click on the link in the left hand navigation bar on this webpage.
