I guess it’s that time of year again.

I brought most of my bird feeders out of the shed and set up the various hooks on which to hang them. I clean them before storing them in the spring. That way, I don’t have to clean them when it’s cold outside.

I have a gunny sack full of corn ears a friend brings me every year when the corn is ready to pick.

I choose five of these and mount them on a metal frame that looks like a corn stalk.

The corn is intended for the squirrels and a few of them partake, but other critters enjoy it also.

Chipmunks will climb the stalk and sit on the corn and grab a few kernels, then scamper away.

Some of the birds will land on the ear and pull a kernel off. The northern flicker is a frequent visitor for the corn.

I often have a nighttime critter that steals whole ears and bends part of the metal stalk. I had an idea what it was, but wasn’t sure until I saw his tracks when we had the last snowfall.

It was a raccoon. I will allow him a free meal as long as he doesn’t destroy any of my feeders.

Another one of my feeders is just a flat screen tray that hangs from a shepherd hook. I fill it with black sunflower seeds leftover from last year. I didn’t see an expiration date on the seed, and the birds seem to enjoy it, so I guess it’s OK.

When I run out of black sunflower, I will fill this feeder with a mix of high-quality seeds.

This feeder attracts a wide variety of species. Of course, all of the sparrows help themselves to the free offering.

Chickadees are common visitors, as are juncos.

Nuthatches and tufted titmice enjoy these seeds also.

Early in the morning and near dusk is a popular dinner time for the male and female cardinals.

While they show up during the day sometimes, early and late are their usual time to visit.

A Carolina wren occasionally eats the sunflower seeds. I say “a” wren because I have never seen two of these birds at the same time. I don’t know if only one is around or if there’s more. I have tried to get some of these birds to wear name tags so I can tell them apart, but they aren’t cooperating.

The wren is most commonly seen on my suet feeders. I have two of these and put different flavor blocks in them to see which the birds prefer.

The suet is put out specifically to attract the woodpeckers. Downy are most common, with some hairy woodpeckers showing up.

These little birds also like the whole peanuts I put out.

I have two of these feeders that look like a slinky joined at the ends. I fill the inside with peanuts, and my local bluejays claim them as their own.

I have seen as many as six lined up waiting their turn. They will sit on my rain gutter, on the phone wire coming to the house or even on top of a corn ear until the bird in front of them is gone. They swoop in, grab a whole peanut and pull it out through the wire and fly away.

I have noticed when the feeder has only a few whole peanuts in it, the bluejays will land, sit for a moment, then fly away. I have learned the remaining seeds are just empty shells. The woodpeckers don’t take a whole peanut. They peck a hole in the shell and take the nut out, leaving an empty hull. The jays will start squawking loudly to let me know it’s time to refill their food.

Today, I dug another flat screen out of my shed to put out seeds from grey striped sunflowers I grew in my garden this year. This is another favorite blue jay food. I have about a five-gallon bucket full of these.

Jays are about the only bird I have seen that enjoy the grey striped variety.

I hope this year I will get a pileated woodpecker coming to my suet blocks again. I only see one here once or twice every few years. They are a very large woodpecker. They will land on my suet and start pecking away. The suet looks like chips flying from a chainsaw. In just a minute or two, my suet block will disappear.

I keep a field guide to birds, my binoculars and a camera near the front window just in case I get a rare visitor coming to dinner at my bird buffet.

Rich Creason is an award-winning outdoors and travel writer whose work has appeared in local, regional, national and international publications for 40 years. Born in Anderson and a graduate of Markleville High School, he lives in South Madison County with his wife, Susie. He may be contacted at [email protected].