Subject: >I haven't seen a single chickadee since the snow began. Weird.
Date: Jan 1 18:01:45 1997
From: David Perrin - djperrin at uniserve.com


Recently a gentleman who owns a Wildbird Seed Shop in (North) Vancouver
mentioned that Steller's Jays and Chickadees secret away a lot of food when
it is abundant. Some years ago, I read a Scientific article concerning the
number of caches made by a Steller's jay during the fall. I believe the
number was several hundred. The bird was then monitored over the winter to
determine the number of caches it recovered. That was about 75%. From the
above information, I assume that Jays and Chickadees don't bother to brave
the foul weather to dine at feeders. They merely stay undercover and eat
from their own larder.

In addition, the man from N. Vancouver said a study of winter bird feeding
was done in 2 National Park. The wardens in one park were persuaded to
leave their feeders down for the winter while the other park left theirs up.
The survival statistics indicated that the Park without the feeders had a
84% survival rate wheras the Park with the feeders had a 85% survival rate.
The details of how survival rate was measured was not mentioned.
Nonetheless, winter bird feeding gives me hours of pleasure and luckily no
neighbours have maurading cats (at present).

Janne Perrin
djperrin at uniserve.com
Harrison Hots Springs, B.C.
David Perrin
djperrin at uniserve.com