We get this question A LOT at this time of year. There’s no need to worry however. The cardinals and chickadees and all the others will be back—right after they strip the land around us of every berry and seed they can find. It’s all ripening right now, and even our best supreme blend cannot compete. Some autumns our feathered friends abandon us for only a week or so. Other years it seems they’ll never come back—but they always do. How long we’ll have to wait depends on the season’s bounty. Until then keep your feeders clean, but don’t fill them. There’s no point in having a lot of seed go stale. Just keep enough on offer so the birds will not find empty feeders when they do return.

And cheer up—the silver lining to this cloud is right around the corner. We’re heading into the best season for backyard birding in Tallahassee. Just a few of the many migrating species you can hope to see are Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, American Goldfinch and Chipping Sparrows. You’ll want to stock up on white proso millet, thistle and our home-made suet cakes for these winter guests. So come see us at the nursery, and we’ll help you plan the party.