šŸ¦ Wild Bird Watchers Bulletin: October 2020 Edition

October is the month to start preparing your yard for a winter feeding station. It’s a great time to put up your birdfeeders to let the wild birds know you will be a place to visit during the upcoming season. The placement of feeders is something to consider so that you don’t have to trudge through the snow to get to them. Shepherd’s hooks, pole systems, deck and wall brackets are available to make it easy to put your feeders in an accessible spot, so they are easy to maintain during winter. You can attract several species in winter, such as Black-capped Chickadees, White and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Hairy, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers, Common and Hoary Redpolls, and many others. One of the favourite birds to attract in winter is the Blue Jay. These colourful and entertaining birds can really liven up the yard!

Blue Jays are often misunderstood as being aggressive at birdfeeders, as other birds may scatter when they arrive. As with all creatures in nature, there is a hierarchy, and Blue Jays are high up in the songbird world. They will not keep other birds from your feeding stations but rather aid in attracting with their calls. Smaller birds will certainly move out of the way when Blue Jays arrive, but they will not be deterred for long. Blue Jays also have a reputation for raiding nests, but studies show this accounts for a mere 1% of their diet.

A good way to keep all the birds happy and increase your yard activity is to consider more than one feeder. There are feeders designed just for small birds, and others for the larger like Blue Jays. To accommodate the Blue Jays, you can use platform-style feeders that can be hung, pole-mounted, or even free-standing. On these feeders, you can use foods like striped sunflower, cracked corn, black oil sunflower, and peanuts. Peanuts are, without a doubt, the most favoured food of Blue Jays. They prefer them in the shell, and there are several feeders designed specifically for this that are a lot of fun to watch! There are some feeders the jays can empty pretty quickly, and others not so much. You may also see Nuthatches, Chickadees, and Woodpeckers as they chip away at the peanuts to open the shell and take the nut!

Another fun feeder to consider for winter is a window feeder. These easily attach to the window with heavy-duty suction cups and work great! It’s a wonderful way to see birds up close and personal. Depending on the model, you could even see Blue Jays visit too!

Don’t let the winter blues get you down this season. Take part in one of the most popular hobbies that you can enjoy right from the comforts of your home. Visit The Preferred Perch today and let us show you all the products of the season to help you set up the perfect feeding station for your yard!

We can help you over the phone and through email. We can arrange curbside pickup or delivery options too!

Fun Facts About Blue Jays

They are monogamous pairs that bond for life.

The oldest known Blue Jay was a captive bird that lived 26 years. The common wild age is about 7 years but one was recorded to have lived over 17 years through leg-banding records.

Their feathers are not actually blue! The unique structure of the feathers reflect light and appear blue. If you were to crush a feather and damage that structure, the blue colour would disappear to brown.

Their love of acorns and stashing them has earned blue jays the credit of helping plant oak trees after the last glacial period.

The black bridle across the face and throat is different on each bird and is believed to help jays recognize each other. Have a closer look at your Blue Jays to see if you can spot a difference.