Well, 1998 is now history and 1999 is brand new. A Happy and healthy New Year to all of you. As we munch on leftover Christmas cookies we have time to sit and watch the activity at our feeders.

With the chill in the weather the birds are returning to the feeders in large numbers. The Juncos and White Throated Sparrows cover the ground while the Goldfinch, Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice cover the feeders. The Carolina Wren has been frequenting the feeders as well as the peanut feeder filled with Woodpecker Mix. The Woodpeckers don’t seem to mind as they move from Woodpecker Mix to suet and back again.

I received some very nice feeders for Christmas Presents. The Duncraft Safe Haven Feeder is perfect for my new birding area. It now has a metal top and bottom as well as a wire cage. Squirrels won’t destroy this one! The new area is very close to the hedgerow so squirrel damage is a consideration. I also received a Lyric Snowbird Feeder. This is the perfect answer to excluding blackbirds and grackles from ground feeding. It mounts on its own two feet high pole and has a screen bottom. This allows air circulation and good drainage. The feature that is of most importance to me is the heavy wire top

Which covers all of the feeding area. The small birds can feed through the top but the large birds are excluded. It will also prevent squirrels and my dog, Monster Molly, from eating the seed.

I was also lucky enough to receive some cash for Christmas. I will use that for a four way feeder hanger and six plastic Martin Gourds and a pole to hang them. As you can see, working at Roork’s Farm Supply, has made shopping for me a snap. Now if one of Santa’s Elves would just drop by to dig the holes and mount the poles, my life would be perfect.

Just as our days are getting longer the Goldfinch are preparing to don their bright yellow spring plumage. This is the time of year that window feeders really earn their keep. The Kfeeders window feeder has an insert for Niger seed. This will bring the Goldfinch right up to your window as they go through their spring moult. First you will see just a few yellow feathers and slowly they go from drab to beautiful. Don’t miss it!

Cardinals

The Cardinal gets his name from the red colored robes of the Roman Catholic Cardinal. He is our favorite "red bird". He adds color to our landscape winter through fall. Cardinals only change color when moving from juvenile to adult. This particular molt leaves the young males looking sadly bedraggled. They shed their drab gray juvenile feathers in patches giving the poor bird a splotched appearance. Once this molt is finished the male will sport his flashy red coat for the rest of his life. The female is a dull brownish red with a bright orange bill. Her coloration makes her less of a predator target while nesting.

The Cardinal’s style of courtship often brings him in conflict with man. Mating Cardinals will not tolerate another male in their territory. Unfortunately not all intruders are actually other males. Most often they are merely his reflection in a window or car mirror. The poor soul will fight his reflection night and day making a mess on your car or disturbing the quiet of your home. The only way to stop his aggressive attacks is to put a bag or sock over your car mirror or tape a piece of paper over the outside of the window until he leaves. No matter how vigilant the male is in defending his territory DNA has proven that most females are not faithful to their mate.

Once the birds have paired; the female will find a dense thicket in which to lay her eggs. The male will feed her while she incubates the eggs. The male helps feed the young, in the nest and once they fledge. The female will incubate another batch of eggs while the male raises the first batch. At this time the male cardinal and his noisy brood with take up permanent residence at your sunflower feeder. The babies will quiver their wings with their mouths wide open waiting for dad to feed them. He will frantically rush from one baby to another trying to keep them all fed.

The Cardinal has a thick seed- cracking bill. He picks up a sunflower seed and rotates it with his tongue until it is sideways. He then cracks it, drops the shell and swallows the kernel. Cardinals like to feed on the ground, on platform feeders or on barn style feeders with wide ledges. The wide ledge is important since cardinals are big-bodied birds and are not comfortable in small places. Cardinals are seed and berry eaters. At the feeder they are attracted to any type of sunflower seed and especially safflower seeds.