Birdseed and the Recession
I still haven't attracted a Tufted Titmouse to my apartment balcony feeders, but a gorgeous Red-bellied Woodpecker discovered the suet on Sunday. On the Wisconsin Birding Network, someone recently introduced the topic of bird feeding relative to our economic recession.
As you're probably aware, the push away from trans-fats is one of the factors attributed to increased birdseed prices. Another is ethanol. These seed products are in higher demand in other sectors of the market. Sunflower, safflower and millet are sold on commodity markets just like corn and soybeans and are just as vulnerable to factors that drive up prices. Will the recession affect our backyard birds?
While research on Black-capped Chickadees has shown that chances of surviving a harsh winter may be greater for birds that have access to feeders, they merely supplement their normal intake of food. I think this is likely true for other birds as well. If you're thinking of cutting back, I would recommend putting out black-oil sunflower seed – you'll get the biggest bang for your dollar and many common backyard birds will enjoy consuming this particular source of food.
Now that I'm living in an apartment, I don't have as many bird feeders out and no longer use safflower or any seed blends I've used in the past. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I'm offering black-oil sunflower, suet, nyjer and peanut-halves. I'm pleased to have around a dozen bird species visiting daily. This is similar to what I was getting at Waunakee, but curiously, I haven't had a single Blue Jay yet!
Has the recession and/or higher prices affected how much birdseed you're buying?
Red-bellied Woodpecker © 2008 Mike McDowell
11 Comments:
I only resumed feeding about a year ago after a long hiatus and am still trying to figure out where to get feed the birds will even eat. Money spent or saved depends on some surprising variables. Suet cakes purchased at a certain bird feeding and accessories store disappeared in a matter of days. Suet cakes purchased at a certain pet food outlet haven't been touched in weeks. Niger seed seems to be a toy for the Goldfinches who dump as much as they eat on the ground but they're the one species that shows up reliably. Black oil sunflower seeds seem to have only attracted one of the goldfinches and a particularly resourceful squirrel.
I'd gladly pay twice as much as I am now to feed birds with the selfish ulterior motive of getting to watch them from my window. But it seems that they're trying to save my money for me by shunning certain feeds from certain sources. I'll continue testing and dispose of the unpopular feeds with the squirrels, I suppose.
So far it hasnt affected the way we feed the birds. Because we live in a motorhome fulltime we set up our feeders in different areas. Sometimes not at all if not allowed or if we are not going to be long in an area.
This month we are in North Carolina and have been feeding the birds a mixture of things...similar to what you have been using.
today we are going out to buy supplies to make pinecone suet feeders to give as gifts.
I'll always figured out a way to feed the birds regardless of the prices. All birds are welcome here to get their fill.
I know blue jays supposedly love whole peanuts in the shell. WBU sells cheap peanut wreaths, and you may have luck with one of those.
I take it the tufted titmouse is uncommon overall in this part of the country as we are on the edge of its range? I am pretty new to birding and still have never seen one for sure.
I also noticed red-bellieds seem to come to suet feeders more in the winter. At least that was my experience last year living near Camp Randall. I hardly got them ever in the summer.
PS: The theme of this year's Christmas tree at the WI Capitol is Wisconsin birds, and the whole tree has kid-made ornaments featuring birds of Wisconsin (or reasonable facsimiles thereof :) ).
We have noticed the increase in prices of the seed we normally buy but it hasn't impacted our feeding. We're spending more time at home watching the birds on the weekends which means we're not eating out quite as much. So, the savings on OUR food has allowed us to keep feeding the birds without spending any more $$'s
There's a healthy population of Tufted Titmice at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, about 2 blocks from where I live. There are houses with feeders closer to them, so my hunch is they just haven't noticed mine yet. It's only a matter of time!
Mike
Commodity prices way down, gas way down, seed prices the same....a little gouging going on.
Mike,
I'm on the same page as Richard, and, thanks to Mike, I need to get myself to the State Capitol before Christmas.
the main factor that crimps my bird seed purchases is the percentage of seed that gets usurped by squirrels... grrrrrrr.
I'm actually quite pleased though with the hot pepper suet that attracts a surprising variety of birds and the squirrels mostly avoid.
I haven't been putting out as much seed as I use to because of the prices. I stopped feeding all summer and only recently put the feeders back out. I put less feeders out this winter as well. I'm using mostly black oil sunflower seeds, but also have a couple of socks with nyger seed as well as some home made suet. With the price of a 50 pound bad of sunflower seeds being well over $20 (I use to pay about $13 when they were on sale) it makes it a little harder for me to throw a bag in my cart when I'm out shopping.
With all of the recent snow we have been getting, I'm sure my feathered friends will appreciate the seed I do put out.
I used to put out cracked corn, safflower, peanuts and milo millet on the ground, plus ear corn and peanut suet in feeders for just squirrels. (As well as my standard 8 other feeders on shephard's crooks with baffles.) Now it's rare ground-level offerings, nothing for squirrels, and 6 regular feeders. (Plus the heated birdbath :) We're all feeling the pinch!
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