Cardinals Heat Up The Winter Landscape

There's not many sights as pretty as Cardinals in the snow. Although they number in the millions, there is nothing common about Cardinals. They mate for life and it’s not unusual to spot Mr. and Mrs. Red with their extended family dining at our backyard feeders. They also eat spiders, fruits, berries, insects and wild seeds so they are not seen as often in other seasons when these foods are available. At a bird feeder, Cardinal's favorite food by far, is the black oil sunflower seed. Although they prefer to eat on the ground or low in the bushes, you won’t have to coax them to stop at the nearest hanging feeder with a platform for a quick snack or a leisurely evening meal, in the winter. Cardinals do not migrate, preferring to stay put as long as there is plenty of good food and a water source for them. It's easy to provide a few essential comforts to give them every reason for making their home in your backyard this winter! We have a group of ladies who occasionally stop on the road by our house with binoculars and count the cardinals in our yard. One reported that they counted 11 one day. It's hit or miss. Where there's one, there's usually a few, but they come and go throughout the day. Last time I saw the cardinal watchers stop, there wasn't a speck of red to be found.

Keep the feeders filled during winter with a good quality seed when natural foods are hard to find. Get the best you can afford. The cheap kinds just have a lot of filler that nobody likes.

Provide a source of water. (I purchased an inexpensive bird bath de-icer for $25. which makes the job much easier.)

Did you know that the Cardinal is the state bird for seven states? They are; Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.

Do you have them where you live?

Rating Hummingbird Feeders From My Reject Pile

Avoid These Mistakes!

Here is a snapshot of some of my Hummingbird Feeder mistakes, discards and disasters. I'm sharing them with you, so you don't make the same errors! :-D



Going from left to right (clockwise) . . .
Bottom Left:
A. Perky-Pet Brand Hummingbird Feeder - I'm not sure where this came from or when. Pros: Made in USA, Cons: The picture on the box shows the dreaded red-dyed hummingbird nectar which the company still sells! It is common knowledge that at best the dye is totally unnecessary and it may even be harmful to the birds. This feeder would be a nightmare to clean for various reasons. You don't even want to get me started! To tell you the truth, I can't ever remember even opening the box before. And from my experience with flocks of hummers, they prefer the saucer feeders.Top Left:
B. No-Name Arty Hummingbird Feeder -Pros: A gift. Unique. Cons: Made in China. Hard to clean, too many parts, not my type. (Probably goes for 70% of all pretty feeders too.)Top:
C. Best One - Giant Hummingbird Feeder - Pros: Made in USA. A half gallon capacity and eight ports! (See bottom in center of basket.)Woo Hoo! Could last me more than 24 hrs. in an emergency situation. (ie: I couldn't be home to monitor the nectar situation 24/7.) Cons: Hard to clean and fill. Very Heavy when full. Top loop broke off from weight and hubby patched it. Plastic has discolored. Too ugly to put back up. I still have good feelings for this object though and will keep it on hand for back-up.Top Right:
D. The Droll Yankee Window Feeder - Pros: Made in USA, Very cute, Really Close-up Viewing, Fun, time consuming project. Cons: Doesn't hold much nectar. Messy sticky windows from hummingbird poo. Many little parts. Time consuming project.Far Right:
E. Perky-Pet Brand - Oasis Feeder - Pros: Made in USA, Hummingbirds love these feeders! I used them for years and just retired my last few. I have phased them out for several reasons. Cons: The company stills sells red nectar. The little yellow flowers are unnecessary and create a lot more work in the maintenance department. They fall off and get brittle and are a bitch to clean. (Please pardon my French.) Loop on top of hanger is smaller, making connector "S" hooks necessary when attaching to a shepherd's hook.Bottom Right:
F. Aspects Oriole Feeder - Pros: Made in USA, Quality product, Easy to clean. Nectar recipe on bottom of lid. Cons: I can't seem to attract Orioles. They pass through occasionally, but quickly move on. Only four ports. Not optimal for hummingbirds, but would do in a pinch.

Gee. Not Pictured (All in use.):
HummZinger - Aspects - Pros: Many! Cons: Few! - I now almost exclusively use Aspects HummZingers. I have many of their various sizes and models and love them for many reasons. See yesterday's post's photo of a 16 oz. HummZinger. There is too much information to go into today, but I promise to tell you more about them, list their features and rave about the benefits of owning these in a variety of sizes in an upcoming post! Until then, Happy Humming!

See 5 Steps to Happy Hummingbirds here.