Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2007
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/birdsquirrels.html

September/October 2007

Cardinals Rule!
Mike Hargrove, Ridge Rd. Store Manager

    The star of the backyard birdfeeders has to be the Northern
Cardinal. The brilliant red of the male makes it a standout in the
garden. The female is less conspicuous with a grayish brown back and red
highlights. The Northern Cardinal was a bird of the southeast in the
1800s. It has expanded its range to Southern Canada and to the Rocky
Mountains. At one time cardinals were trapped to be sold as caged birds
in Europe and the U.S., but the Migratory Bird Act in the early 1900s
outlawed marketing of native birds.
    It is not only the bright color of the cardinal that endears it to
backyard birders. In the winter and spring, the loud clear song of the
cardinal is heard from treetops. In the winter, cardinals usually flock
together and frequent our feeders. By spring, they pair up for the
nesting season. The courtship rituals of the male and female are another
reason for their popularity. The male will pick out a choice bit of
food, take it to his mate and place it in her bill. The female does the
nest building but both male and female feed the nestlings and
fledglings.
    Cardinals prefer to feed on the ground but they will perch on a
hopper feeder or tube feeder. Their favorite food is oil sunflower and
safflower seed. Offering these seeds in a ground or hanging tray feeder
is the easiest way to attract them to your backyard.

 Fall Birdfeeding Projects
    1. Clean your feeders. Use a mild detergent solution and a stiff
brush to get any caked-on seeds out of the feeders.
    2. Clean up under the feeders if you use seeds with shells.
Sunflower shells contaminate the soil and prevent grass and plants from
growing if allowed to build up. Shell and bird droppings will also
harbor mold and disease if allowed to build up.
    3. Check your birdbath warmer. Concrete and ceramic birdbaths will
crack if kept out in freezing weather.