Feed the Birds

NN076 Earl Plato
Flash: On January 9th, 2006 Daughter Diane and I photographed the tracks of an opossum on the Lower Trail at Marcy Woods.
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Thanks to cousin Leanna (Plato) Stein for her nature clippings recently from their home paper the Winnipeg Free Press. Her mother, Anna, now deceased, sent me many interesting and thought-provoking clippings over the years. One of Leanna’s clippings has the intriguing headline, Are bird feeders help or hindrance? The writer, Allan Besson, states, “Is it proper to help out? You decide.” To make a long story short Besson is in favour of bird feeders. He writes, “When it is very cold birds pretty well have to eat all day to survive. They will go where they know there is food. The less energy they have to exert for food of course they are going to do that. So going to feeders would probably be their first choice. The way the winter is changing with global warming or whatever you want to call it are the birds being screwed up as well? Why are so many robins staying back? I have had reports of mourning doves, grackles, cowbirds and flickers. These are all birds that should normally not be here (in Manitoba). Should we leave them to forage on their own during the winter months? Would you lean towards feeding these little critters?” Besson does and goes on to tell you - “you should know what hey like to eat.” He recommends certain food for certain species. Once you start a bird feeder be committed to stocking it regularly with good bird seed.
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“January 29. Twice this winter a melanistic buck has been sighted disappearing into woodland close to Trail Wood.” Those are the words of my nature writer mentor, the late Ed Teale. Melanistic? What does that word mean to you? Think ‘black’. It’s at the opposite end of the colour scale from the albino deer. Deer have been reported in Ontario that are almost coal black. The black pigment affects the colour of the deer’s hair and even the colour of its eyes. I have never seen one. Would there be some deer that are only partly melanistic? I think so.