You can always tell winter’s coming by creatures' retreat

It won’t be official for a little while yet, and when it’s still hot enough for summer clothes most days, it is easy to live in denial but the cooler morning and evening temperatures in the region are one of those tell-tale signs — fall is upon us.

Of course fall means different things to different species.

For humans — in addition to packing the kiddos off to school -— it is time to do those final warm weather chores, dig out the sweaters, seal the drafts around the house and otherwise prepare for the coming inconveniences of winter.

Most of the furred critters are doing their prep too, eating as much as they can in an effort to bulk up those fat reserves while searching for a cozy spot where they can retreat and hunker down when the weather turns.

The scaled and slithery will also soon disappear, preferably somewhere below the frost line or otherwise tucked away where they can wait out the cold.

The feathered ones, however, might be the smartest of all, because a good many of them just avoid the whole thing altogether and head for more pleasant places — staying away at least until the temperatures return to more comfortable levels in the spring.

Taking wing and making the trip to warmer zones is something triggered by shortening days, dropping temperatures and perhaps most importantly, instinct. These factors combine to tell them it’s time to go to more pleasant places, and there’s not much that will stop them from making the pilgrimage.

link Sharna Johnson

In search of ponies

However, a common misconception prevails that if there's food available, birds will forgo migration in favor of sticking close to feeders — which means one of the chores humans often add to their list in the fall is emptying, and/or taking up all the bird feeders and stowing them away for winter.

To the contrary, however, well-stocked feeders provide a sometimes-critical pit stop for birds that need all the help they can get getting where they’re going, particularly if the weather turns unexpectedly while they’re still en route to warmer destinations.

In addition to travelers desperate for refueling opportunities along the road, there are also quite a few birds that don’t leave in the winter and are greatly aided by the extra sustenance a feeder can provide.

While spring and summer are often thought of as the ideal times of year to put out feeders and enjoy watching feathered visitors indulge, experts actually say fall and winter can be even more rewarding because not only do feeders attract a greater variety of birds as they pass through, feeders also boost energy and help give birds the reserves they need to accomplish their journey.

Fall and winter bird feeding is a little different than the warmer months, and foods high in fats and oils — particularly those with sunflowers, peanut butter, suet and nectar for humming birds — are the best choices for boosting energy and helping the winged ones through the cold.

Additional things can attract and enrich the lives of birds, such as fresh water that is not allowed to freeze and nesting boxes, shrubs, evergreen trees and other forms of shelter that will give them a safe place to dip out of the elements.

The colder it gets — and it will eventually get colder — the more those of us who don’t migrate will retreat indoors to watch out the window and wait for summer to return.

But luckily, cold weather window watching need not be boring since frosty glass might just provide the best view of birds to be had all year.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at: [email protected].