When Labor Day is around the corner, I begin cleaning the tube feeders and start purchasing my bird feeding supplies.

I do “ rush” the season, but I fill them anyway in anticipation.

I have a half dozen tube feeders, one of which is squirrel proof, and four or five suet holders.

Since it is still prime flower blooming time, I keep two or three hummingbird feeders cleaned and filled. This year I still had a hummingbird making regular visits to my flowers and my feeders until Sept. 25.

About the time the hummers leave, I start noticing the first of our winter visitors, the white-throated sparrows. These busy ground feeding birds love white millet so I mix cracked corn and the millet and scatter it beneath the feeders.

Northern juncos then make their return about Oct. 1, but our rather warm autumn seemed to delay their arrival this year.

The first few weeks of autumn are the best time to see a variety of birds and I know that if I have those feeders filled, I may “hold” a few extra birds in my yard area.

Chipping sparrows, that have been here since mid-April, are glad to find the scattered seeds.

So, by mid-October I’m feeding them, juncos, the “white throats,” cardinals, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice, goldfinches, and my least favorite birds, the house finches. They overwhelm my feeders and seem to intimidate and keep the goldfinches away.

This year, just as last, I have a red-breasted nuthatch joining the mix.

I believe that maybe the best foods to offer are either beef suet, purchased from a local food chain/butcher, or the suet blocks available almost everywhere.

The suet lures in red -bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, our local Carolina wrens and even a mockingbird.

This year, a purple grackle enjoyed the high fat content suet too. (If you do live in “bear country” suet cakes will be too tempting and they’ll return nightly to feast and probably destroy your other feeders) If you have bears and you wish to enjoy watching your birds, you’ll need to bring in your feeders each evening until they den in late December or early January.

My bird menu includes black oil sunflower seeds, the white millet, and cracked corn. I’ve found that wild bird mix has too much “junk seed” that ends up uneaten. The tube feeders seem to discourage the blue jays and then the chickadees, nuthatches, goldfinches, and titmice can feed without “harassment.”

Put out some hanging trays that drain water and load that with seeds, the cardinals will utilize those more than the tube feeders. If you are a late riser, remember cardinals are crepuscular, most active just after daylight, and normally the last to feed before dark.

Cracked corn is relished by mourning doves and the red-bellied woodpeckers and I place that on the ground too.

If you have a good backyard habitat, your feeders may even host a towhee, red-winged blackbird, or a cowbird.

Finally, if you have bluebird boxes you may see those beauties all winter. They’ll roost together on cold nights in the boxes.

I buy dried mealworms and scatter some near those roosting areas in the dead of winter and you may be surprised how the bluebirds gobble them up.

Watch your bird feeders and maybe use a notepad to record how many different species are visiting them, or simply, enjoy, enjoy.

Which of these bird species is now considered extirpated (totally absent) from our state? A. bobwhite B. barn owl C. northern raven D. piping plover E. green heron

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Only female mosquitoes bite and use animal’s blood to successfully reproduce.