birds

Many of us avian lovers long for this time of year. We hang up, suction cup or stake in the ground our feeders, fill them to the brim with seed, sneak back into the house and wait.

Before you know it, there are cardinals, chickadees, juncos, sparrows, doves and blue jays. They eat and bicker, waddle around, hop, flit away, come back, nibble, dip and dive until the seed is gone. But before you put out some more, take a closer look at your feeder and the surrounding area.