Gainesville, Florida

Bubba & Ingrid Scales

Bubba & Ingrid Scales

We’re passionate about birds and nature. That’s why we opened a Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in our community.

Gainesville, Florida

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

Map This Location

From the Feeders

 The transition of feeder activity from spring to summer usually means a decrease in diversity but an increase in the overall activity level.  When our winter flocks have moved back north and the neoptropical migrants have passed through, the local breeding residents are picking up the pace at our birdfeeders.

  This latest transition period, however, was quite different from usual thanks in large part to the number of American Goldfinches. An even more significant phenomenon, because it happens so very rarely, was the number of Pine Siskins at feeders. Pine Siskins are a close relative of the goldfinch that usually doesn’t winter in Florida except for a few stray birds throughout the state.  This winter, they were everywhere and one customer in Ft. McCoy documented a particularly large flock of about 200 at her finch feeders.

  Baltimore Orioles were almost easy to find.  Where we usually get several dozen reports throughout the winter, it wasn’t uncommon to have several reports in a day and that went on from January through early April.

  Spring migration always generates at least a few reports of Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting but predictability stops there.  Fortunately, this migration was a productive one at feeders for both grosbeaks and buntings with dozens of reports of small flocks of grosbeaks and larger flocks of buntings.

  Painted Buntings were reported more than ever before from feeders during migration.  My estimate is that there were at least three times the usual number of reports, which is around a dozen.

  Migration has long since trickled to a stop and we’ve already passed the peak of breeding activity.  Watch your feeder now for interaction between adults and juveniles as fledglings leave the nest to learn how to forage on their own.

 

Happy Birding!

Ingrid and Bubba and the WBU crew