As cold returns, fill feeders and watch show

'Twas the calm before the storm. At noon Thursday, the sun shined brightly and the thermometer read 62 degrees. Bluebirds and Carolina wrens were singing, a pair of bald eagles was incubating eggs in Ohio, woodcock had returned to southern Ohio and West Virginia and I'd already seen a few turkey vultures and killdeer.
Clearly the birds thought spring had arrived. But weather forecasters knew better. By Sunday morning an Arctic blast will send temperatures plunging to single digits and winter will return with a vengeance.
The good news, for all who have written asking where their feeder birds have gone, is that extreme cold makes supplemental food irresistible. Why battle the cold hunting for dormant insects and egg cases when feeders make foraging easy? So fill your feeders with sunflower seeds, nyjer, nuts and suet, and enjoy the show.
Here are some answers to a few more of the many other questions I've received over the last two months.
Q. Last spring I started saving dryer lint and put it out for the birds. I was amazed when it would be gone within hours. I've got some saved and wondered when nesting begins.
A. The song bird nesting season begins in April, but I don't recommend dryer lint as nesting material. If it gets wet, it holds water like a sponge. It can have a chilling, killing effect on eggs and nestlings.
Q. We have a pond with two bullfrogs. Where do they go in the winter?
A. They hibernate in the muck on the bottom of the pond.
Q. While I am not an avid birdwatcher, I do enjoy the feeders that I set up outside our kitchen window. After reading your column earlier this winter where you offered your suet recipe, my wife and I started making suet cakes. Last week my wife ran into the family room yelling that there was a giant bird at the feeders. When I came into the kitchen, much to my surprise, there was a pileated woodpecker on the feeder. Since then, we have seen pileated woodpeckers several times, but they are very shy. I have rarely seen these magnificent birds in the woods behind our house, so I wonder if it's unusual to have these birds at backyard feeders so close to the house?
A. Unusual, yes. Unheard of, no. Though I have pileateds in my woods and can see them every day, I'm still waiting for one to find my feeders. On the other hand, I've been to nature centers where these crow-sized woodpeckers visit regularly, and readers have sent me more than a few photos of pileateds at feeders.
Q. It may just be wishful thinking, but I believe my goldfinches are beginning to show a little color. Is that possible?
A. Yes, goldfinches have begun to molt from their drab winter plumage into their bright yellow breeding plumage. The entire process takes weeks, so you can monitor the change from day to day.
Q. Is it OK to collect old bird nests? Would I be taking away from a possible future home for a family of birds in the upcoming nesting season? My daughter is in first grade and she is making a bird nest collection for science class.
A. Technically, collecting used bird nests is illegal without proper permits. Federal law prohibits the possession of wild birds, bird parts, feathers, eggs and nests. Realistically, however, I doubt that many federal wildlife agents visit primary and secondary schools searching for contraband. Also, birds usually build a new nest for each brood, so old nests are not usually recycled.
Q. Dr. Shalaway, thanks so much for the suet recipe. Birds really love it. I have all the woodpeckers you mentioned in a recent column. Also I thought you might like to know that Ziploc makes a sandwich-size box that's just right for suet cakes. It fits perfectly in my metal suet basket.
A. Great tip. And thanks to all for the e-mails and letters. Keep 'em coming.
Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, R.D. 5, Cameron, W.Va. 26033 or via e-mail to sshalaway@aol.com.