Spring INTO Action

Spring is in full swing! Flowers are blooming, migrating birds are returning and warmer days are here. This wonderful change of season calls for new strategies to make sure your feathered friends keep coming around.

- KENN AND KIMBERLY KAUFMAN

Attract orioles like this Bullock’s with oranges and jelly as they migrate through your area.

A basic peanut feeder brings in songbirds of all kinds, like this tufted titmouse and black-capped chickadee.

Pygmy nuthatches and other insect-eating songbirds stop by backyards that offer mealworms.

JUST KEEP FEEDING

When springlike weather arrives, it’s tempting to let feeders go empty. Remember that it’s actually a critical time when natural food is hard to find because wintering birds have eaten most of the weed seeds, wild berries and hidden hibernating insects. So even as the temperature rises, local birds still need a hand, and your feeders may help get them through until more spring insects start to appear.

SUET UP FOR ACTION

Suet, both raw beef suet from the butcher and commercially produced suet cakes, is a popular winter food. While it attracts birds in spring and summer, it requires more attention. Some kinds of suet cakes melt in warm weather, so look for those specifically designed as all-season bird food. And because raw suet turns rancid quickly in hot weather, it’s wise to not use it after temperatures warm up in spring.

MEALWORM MADNESS