I've noticed a slowdown in the bird activity here at the feeders, except for one day we had a snowstorm last week. Then there were lots of birds, I couldn't believe it when there were 7 Downy woodpeckers near the suet cage at once. One guess - they could be pairing up and seeking nest sites? If they find one, they might have to stay close and defend their territory for the breeding season.

Yes it varies with species and climate. The migratory birds often only have one brood or occasionally two but with others they mays have as many as 4 or 5 broods accordin to the lenght of time between spring and fall weather. The eurasion doves here have broods from early spring thru late fall as many a 5 or 6 broods. the summer birds such as orioles and tanagers only have one. the finches have up to 4 broods. but the woodpeckers only have one. here we get frost up thru may and many do not start to nest till late may. and if it's a long warm spring and summer the bluebirds will have two or three broods but some years with lots of bad weather only one batch.

My problem with F. benjamina is I have volunteer seedlings coming up in hanging pots, on tree trunks, rocks, and palms. Birds are great at spreading the seeds around.

I must take issue with Tiffany’s comments. Outdoor cats are not a scourge on the land. They are outdoors because WE put them out there. Why do they get put out? Let me count the ways: 1. WE are too lazy to care for them after we get them. Food, vet bills, litter, toys, OUR attention…….WE decide it’s all too much. WE are too lazy to even surrender them to a rescue…….omg, the gas for driving them there! So WE just put them out. 2. WE don’t take the time or spend the money to get their them their vaccinations AND most importantly, WE DON’T SPAY OR NEUTER THEM. WE DON’t want to spend the money or some men have sick notions about removing the testicles from a male cat or dog btw, because they personalize it.(of course neutered male cats and dogs will live longer healthier lives because they don’t roam or fight as much AND they have a lower occurrance of testicular cancer which of course they DIE from). Or without proper vaccinations, they get sick and often get disposed of. I don’t mean creamated, I mean thrown in a dumpster to die. 3. So when unspayed female cat sneaks out of the house or WE let her out for a few hours so she can experience her wild nature……..then WE get surprised that she is PG and WE don’t want kitties…….again, instead of taking her to a rescue, WE open the door and let her go…….forever. She can fend for herself, right? WRONG! Indoor domesticated cats have been fed by US so when put out, they must revert to a somewhat wild state to survive, if they do. 4. As a result of number 3, all the kitties are born outside and then they know nothing except what their mother teaches them. If you knew anything about cats, you would understand that cats do not kill for sport, but out of hunger. What looks like playing with their food is actually killing the prey. Pouncing, shaking throwing it the air is all about subduing prey so they are then ableto eat it. This is also how an outdoor mother teaches her kittens to hunt so they can survive outdoors. Birds are a minor part of their diet. They kill far more mice and rats than birds. Really I could go on and on about why there are free roaming cats, but I agree with functionthenlook. Tall buildings with nighttime lights and habitat loss are the top killers of birds. Now if you want to help cut down on the free roaming cat issue in your area, you can do Trap-Neuter-Return. TNR is the only effective and humane way of reducing the free roaming cat population. I have done it in my neighborhood for years. By neutering cats, you stop the reproduction cycle. Many cities have ordinances to pay for the services. Some vets are willing to offer services for free or a nominal feewe. Over time, numbers reduce. Here’s where you can learn more if you want to help rather than complain and make opinionated remarks. Best friends animal society , one of the best organizations in the country working round the clock to end all unnecessary killings by 2025. Also on the front lines when disaster hits and animals are involved. Think Hurricane Katrina. Alley cat allies Faunalytics Fix Nation Indy Feral and many, many others if you look. debra