Winter is a time of stress for most wildlife, and often the most crucial period of the winter is the last few weeks. If wildlife is able to locate at least some type of food in the days just before new vegetation emerges and insects become active, it can mean the difference between life and death.
This is certainly true for many of our beloved songbirds, as cardinals, goldfinches, juncos, chickadees, purple finches, house finches and various woodpeckers visit feeders in large numbers. The extremely drawn out late winter of 2013 is a prime example, as literally hundreds of birds have been flocking to the sunflower, finch seed and suet feeders the last several weeks. It seems there just isn’t much else available for food, so they are targeting the handouts from humans in numbers I have never seen before.
During this same period of time, I have observed wild birds targeting two types of trees for food and shelter during this stressful time. Flowering crab trees of certain varieties that retain their fruit on the branches throughout the winter are now being visited in large numbers by robins and other songbirds, as they gobble up the fruit that has become more tasty and nutritious due to the freeze thaw cycles of an entire winter. Read More
Fall planting of trees, shrubs and perennials has long been a tradition for many families. Landscape plants are going dormant, temperatures are cooler, water demands are reduced, and success rates remain high.
