Where are the birds?

A trip to the local WBU store this week confirmed what I've been thinking for the past year. There are fewer wild birds in our area after Hurricane Ike than there were before Hurricane Ike. A LOT fewer.

We did have a good number of hummingbirds this year, not as many as in the past few years, but more than I expected. They didn't stay late this year, they're already gone.

I've been in the store since the hurricane, but never asked them directly about it. The man there said there are definitely fewer wild birds in our area now. He said a lot of them were killed in the high winds and battering rains and some others, probably larger birds, predatory birds, just blew so far off course they aren't finding their way back.

On a slightly good note he said the birds that did die were most likely elderly or sick birds and this is one way nature, for a lack of better phrases, "cleanses the gene pool" for birds/animals. He said it will take several years for the wild bird population to come anywhere near the numbers pre Ike and when they do they'll be healthier, stronger birds.

In the mean time he stressed that we (people who live in the areas where Ike hit the worst) need to feed the birds good, nutritious food and LOTS of clean water. That this will also go a long way towards a healthier wild bird population in the years to come.

I've got five feeders out now; three in the front yard and two in the back yard. Two bird baths; one in the front yard and one in the back yard. The other good news is that there are fewer squirrels to raid those feeders now too.

I'll be working with different mixes of seed to see what the birds in my neighborhood like the best. Tractor Supply is great source of inexpensive feeders and different seed. I love WBU, but they are very expensive for my bird's (and mine) tastes in feeders and seed.

And I be trading out some of my seed feeders for thistle seed feeders the day after Thanksgiving.