I see White-throats every winter here in SE Ma, although they usually stay near brush. Luckily I have lots of brush in my yard and I put feeders near by. The nyjer spillover is a draw for lots of sparrows, including white-throats. I've been fussing the last few days over these two birds which I think are probably juvenile White-throated Sparrows, but I'm not quite sure about the second one. The first one has the beginnings of the yellow dot behind the eye. Neither of these has the strong white stripe on the head, but maybe they're too young, or are of the tan-striped persuasion. Comments or corrections are welcome. The feeder is right outside my computer window so I can watch them while I'm online. Claire

I also use the socks which are used almost exclusively by goldfinches this year (last year the pine siskins were all over). There's a lot of spillover, which makes juncos and other sparrows very happy. Not to mention the mourning doves, and the turkeys. Turkeys were a big problem when one sock dangled down within reach - the turkeys discovered they could peck a hole in the sock and empty it down to the ground, where they sucked it all up. As for your original question "How much does a single bird eat in a day any way?", I don't know the answer, but I had 18 goldfinches on the socks this morning and they have been diligently working at lowering the levels. Claire

This is my first spring watching birds, so I am learning a lot about their behaviours and migratory patterns and such but I have such a long way to go! I am so impressed with some of you and how you know which birds leave when and when to expect their arrival! The best I can do is consult my field guide. But I have noticed the flocks of goldfinches I only started getting maybe two months ago have disappeared. I mean, I am not seeing a single one. Disappointing, because I was noticing they were getting brighter and prettier! The other thing I have sadly discovered is the American Kestrel that was living by my neighbors house seems to have left. It had gotten to the point that I would see him almost everyday in a tree in the house three lots away from mine. I attempted several times to get a picture but I scared it off. And now, its gone. :( But I am soo excited about spring. I live outside Savannah where we have had the coldest winter I can remember! We had our first measurable snow since '96 (so much fun!), but the last time it really, really snowed was '89. So all the birds I was enjoying the last few months are definitely on the decline as the weather warms and they have a bigger food supply, but at least we can enjoy beautiful weather and the birds can too!

I only get a few House Sparrows here but would find a horde of them intolerable and would remove the feeders (especially during the summer/fall, when food is more abundant for birds). There are more active measures you can take if you are willing. I have a BB gun but have never been able to hit one, however I have trapped a few with an inbox trap when Bluebirds were nesting in my yard. I would definitely remove the English Sparrow nests and discourage them from nesting in the Arborvitaes. Another thing I read you can do, is flush the birds from the arborvitaes on very cold nights. They will be unlikely to find new cover after dark and will be vulnerable to predators and hypothermia.