Too many Yellow-rumped Warblers and other migrants

[Don Boucher]

Hello,

The number of Yellow-rumped Warblers in our yard is higher than ever. While it's peak migration for them, the cold and rainy weather has made them extra hungry and they can't stop eating the chopped, roasted (and unsalted) peanuts we set out for them. We put the peanuts in the catch tray beneath the suet feeder. Sometimes as many as eight are on the tray, with several waiting nearby. There can be dozens of Yellow-rumps in the yard at any time. It takes them only 2 or 3 days to eat through a 32-ounce jar of chopped peanuts!

There's a hummingbird feeder next to suet/peanut feeder and all that warbler traffic means they often perch on it, and deposit droppings. I posted a sign on the hummingbird feeder mount but they just ignored my polite requests!

Some migrating sparrows have chosen to linger in our backyard, eating millet off the patio. As in previous springs, there are many White- and Golden-crowned Sparrows. This spring we've had more Chipping Sparrows than ever and they are spending more days eating millet. Last week we had at least a dozen chippers and about a half dozen remain this week. This spring, we've had a Lincoln's Sparrow spend over a week (so far) in the backyard. Previously, we got them for about a day or even merely a glimpse. This weekend there were 2 Lincoln's!

Don Boucher

NE Corvallis

[Don A Boucher]

Hello,

I should point out that we specifically chose to feed the warblers roasted peanuts, whereas in most cases raw peanuts are fed to birds. Most birds that eat peanuts, like jays, crows, chickadees, finches and sparrows, typically eat raw seeds or nuts in nature. Yellow-rumped Warblers do not typically eat seeds, but they can eat fruit. We're not sure that warblers cannot eat paw peanuts, but we figured that roasted peanuts might be easier for them to digest. Plus, we get unsalted because we don't want them to eat too much salt. Also, roasted, unsalted peanut kernels are cheap and readily available. We run them through the food processor to chop them.

-Don Boucher