Feeding birds in winter—seeds of wisdom from local experts

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Birds in Winter 03

Photo above: The outstanding website of the Cornell Lab of ornithology (www.allaboutbirds.org) said, “The male Northern Cardinal is responsible for getting more people to open a bird guide for the first time than any other bird.” (Photo by Nina Koch)

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

Lee Pfannmuller and Dave Zumeta have been neighbors, colleagues, friends and fellow birdwatchers for more than 30 years. Both live along the Mississippi River Gorge, a wilderness area in the heart of South Minneapolis.

Birds in Winter 04Photo right: A Black Capped Chickadee is one of the easiest birds to attract to a home feeder, due to its innate curiosity and need to eat constantly during the winter months to stay warm. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

Zumeta has kept a bird list for Friends of the Mississippi River since 1988 and has counted 173 different species in the River Gorge between 27th St. and the Ford Bridge Lock and Dam.

That’s a lot of birds in a relatively small area. The reason for the high number is that the Mississippi River provides a major flyway for migrating birds. In addition to year-round residents like the cardinal, blue jay, and chickadee, there are also surprise sightings of birds as diverse as the saw-whet owl, ruffed grouse, and Louisiana Water Thrush.

“The River Gorge, “ Pfannmuller and Zumeta agreed, “is just a fantastic place to see birds.”

Birds in Winter 02Photo left: Dave Zumeta and one of his two backyard thistle feeders. These inexpensive feeders cost about $12. When filled with black thistle or Niger seed they’ll attract small, seed eating birds such as Goldfinches, Pine Siskins and Common Red Polls. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

One of the best ways to start recognizing birds is to establish a feeding station in your back yard. Pfannmuller, retired director of Ecological Resources for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said, “I’ve been off and on with my bird feeding over the years, but right now I’m on.” She sets out suet for woodpeckers and thistle for seed eaters in winter, and offers up a smörgåsbord of peanuts and sunflower mix all year long.

Currently under contract with Minnesota Audubon and chairing the Bell Museum Advisory Council, Pfannmuller is always listening for birds. A classically trained musician, she explained that she birds by ear as much as she does by sight. She’s been a member of the Lakes Consort, a Minneapolis Baroque ensemble, for 35+ years, making beautiful trilling sounds herself on the krumhorn and recorder.

The Winter Wren is Pfannmuller’s favorite bird by sound. This tiny, inconspicuous bird is smaller than a warbler, but its call can be heard from half a mile away. A native of the northern boreal forest, the Winter Wren provides more music per pound than any other North American songbird.

Birds in Winter 01Her advice to new birders is to unplug from electronic devices. “Take the ear buds out,” she said, “put away the cell phones (unless you’re cross-referencing bird songs) and train yourself to really listen.”

Photo right: Lee Pfannmuller held out a handful of safflower seed, a perennial favorite with backyard birds. Unlike sunflower seeds, squirrels tend to leave this seed alone. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

Zumeta, retired executive director of the Minnesota Forest Resources Council, has been a dedicated birder since childhood. He became interested in birding simultaneously with his mother 57 years ago and has since birded in 46 states and 11 countries. “What other hobby can you do from age three to 100,” he added, “anywhere, anytime and for free?”

Of the early training he received from his mother, Zumeta said, “Women taught me how to bird. I went on endless trips with my mother and her birding friends. Along the way, I learned birding etiquette and essential information about plants and trees that provide the habitat birds need. I went on to study and work in bird habitat ecology, specializing in how birds adapt to significant disturbances like wildfires, blow downs, insect and disease epidemics.”

Zumeta explained, “Attracting birds to your back yard is partially about what you put in your feeder, but also about the surrounding habitat. My wife and I bought our house because of a huge, arching burr oak on the property, a city park one block away and the nearby river gorge. Between these places, I’ve counted 140 species of birds. What we live in here is Longfellow is a Riparian Zone, a biological term that defines forest land along a river or stream.”

A self-described purist, Zumeta admitted he only likes certain kinds of feed. He prefers to buy slabs of suet (beef fat) at the grocery store, and said, “The woodpeckers love suet: Downy, Hairy, and even an occasional Pileated Woodpecker will seek it out. For my seed feeders, I prefer to shop at Wild Birds Unlimited in Highland Park. Their selection is great, and their staff are very knowledgeable.“

Zumeta considers himself something of a recovered “lister,” a person who compulsively lists birds and approaches birding as a competitive sport. With a U.S. Life List of 570 species (out of a possible 800), he’s more interested in teaching people about birds these days than competing with other birders to raise his numbers.

Birds in Winter 05Photo left: A White Breasted Nuthatch on a simple suet feeder. (Photo by Nina Koch)

For new or experienced birders who want to learn more, consider joining a Minneapolis or St. Paul Audubon bird walk. They have many scheduled throughout the year, and walks are offered for various skill levels. The Longfellow Community Council’s River Gorge Committee sponsored a spring and late summer bird walk in the river gorge this year, led by Pfannmuller and Zumeta. These walks will likely happen again in 2016.

The two will pair up to speak on “Birds of the River Corridor” at LCC’s upcoming River Gorge Committee community presentation. This annual event will be held at 7pm on Mon., Jan. 25 at St. Peder’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4600 E. 42nd St. It is free as a bird and open to the public.

Providing water for birds in winter

Like all animals, birds need to drink water every day. They also need water to freshen their feathers and to remove parasites.

Most commercial bird baths are too deep and are really nothing more than a lawn ornament. Choose a shallow bird bath, and place it in a sunny location for the winter and a shady location for the summer.

An immersion-style water heater is needed to keep the water from freezing. These are available at almost any store that sells bird feed. The heater must be put on a ground fault interrupted circuit to prevent the risk of shock. An immersion-style water heater costs only pennies a day to operate.

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