Gray Jays...to feed or not to feed?

[forestgnome]

Sorry if I bummed out anyone with the sad bear story. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here on VFTT by complaining about purposely feeding bears in a place where the bear would have public contact.

Two days after the shooting, F@G came through the neighborhood, where I was living at the time, looking for the cubs, who were then the talk of the neighborhood. We discussed a plan to trap them, and I suggested where the den probably was up on Mt. Cranmore. Two weeks later they were trapped and brought to Pittsburg, NH, where a person rears orphans very successfully. It worked and they went off on their own.

 

[expat]

more fuel on the fire - backyard feeding

I received an email from the National Wildlife Federation (Wildlife Online), with a link to an article saying that March is the hardest time for birds to get sufficient nourishment, so people should stoke up the backyard feeders. http://enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=447

 

[dms]

It's been standing room only at my feeder this month!!! Nice article!

 

[Puck]

I received an email from the National Wildlife Federation (Wildlife Online), with a link to an article saying that March is the hardest time for birds to get sufficient nourishment, so people should stoke up the backyard feeders. http://enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=447

Good link.

I attended an Aububon conference this past Sat. Stephen Kress was one of the speakers. He discussed landscape gardening for birds. there are spcies of shrubs and trees that bear fruit that will not be eaten by birds untill late spring. Bird feeders are good...a bird supporting landscape is even better.

BTW he addressed the claim that feeding birds is harmfull. He doesn't buy it (in support of the article you posted) He stated "Our feeding has not created a welfare state for the birds." So there you have it from the horse's mouth.

 

[bill bowden]

bird supporting plants

I'm open to suggestions as to what would be good choices.