Provisioning may lead to a reduction in average levels of egg quality at the population level.However, if provisioning enables certain low-quality individuals to breed, when they might otherwise have died or survived only as non-breeders, this would clearly enhance their lifetime reproductive success and may in fact boost the overall population size.It is evident that further work at the level of individuals is needed to understand how winter feeding may be used to benefit wild bird populations in the future.I get a wide variety of birds native to the area with few passing through.No more participation in the GBBC either.Theyll be out in the woods or at the next closest feeder and I wont see them to count.I avoid suet with beef fat and I dont give them suet with millet in it.Yes, the suet I give them is more expensive, but I figure its better for them.Cheap bird food made with crappy ingredients may be the problem.Its not enough to make them dependent on my feeder, but enough to keep them coming back to check for seed.That would be their normal food but bird feeders are easier and birds are not stupid.The bringing into the fold of new bird enthusiasts sometimes outweighs these negatives as they are more likely then to regard protecting the ecosystem as important.We do not want to harm the birds so more research is needed.thanks for engaging in the conversation.That is, when the spring population is low, the birds are biologically programmed to a higher reproductive rate to replace winter-kill, whereas when more birds survive there is less need for replacements, and reproductive rates drop.The blue tit studies in the much warmer UK, are not directly applied here.Each year more birds at the feeder from chickadees to pileateds.But keep the information coming.The former is becoming more common; the latter, less so.I wonder why they do not come more often.Sometimes he gets one, most times he bashes around in the bushes until he is tired and leaves.If I find dove feathers, he has eaten well.He picks the bird clean and then takes them home so not to mark his nest.The studies indicate they run home feeders like a trout line, moving from one to another to keep the birds unwary.That behaviour is a direct result of home bird feeders, but who doesnt like raptors? They have to eat also and in the grand scheme of things, their health is an indicator of your health.You are lucky to have one to watch, their antics are priceless.I much prefer to focus on making my yard a source of food, not only by planting native fruit-bearing and seed-bearing plants, but also and perhaps more importantly, not keeping a clean and tidy yard.When I see flocks of birds feeding in my yard and avoiding my neighbors yards of manicured lawns and exotic plants, I know Im on the right track.Compare the number of species that inhabit your area, the birders have counted them for you already.
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Swing sets
You can either buy it from a gift or a craft shop, or make it yourself.
You can use it from most showcase items that have these kinds of swing sets, or you can get one from a doll house.
