Kaydi

For my experiment, I will have two of the same bird suet holders (same color, and same flavor and brand of suet) and will put one in the sun and one in the shade. Each day I will look at the suet holders, and see the amount of food left inside. I will have to make sure that the color of the bird feeders and the suet are the same to make my experiment more exact. I will also have to choose an area that predators (like the neighbor's cat) can't get to them. I will also try to find a quiet spot for the bird feeders, so that those sounds don't effect the birds and their eating habits and how much they eat. For example, a bird may not eat for that long, maybe because the neighbor's dog keeps on barking behind the fence, near the bird feeder. Another example, is if the neighbor's cat prowls around your back or front yard, that can effect the bird's eating if they don't think it's safe. I want to make this experiment as accurate as possible. I will have to choose my place wisely, because in my backyard I have a pond, a garage, and a little shed. In the shed there's a fan that runs non-stop so that things won't collect mold and mildew. That fan isn't very loud, but it can be a loud noise for the birds. I want to put the bird feeder far away from the shed and garage, but those are the only places where the shade is. I might have to turn the fan off, because it isn't raining as much than as it did in the summer.

Now since it is becoming to be colder and rainier, birds may not come to your backyard, due to migration. Migration is when birds fly south to get to warmer weather. Then it the spring they come back up again, and there will be more birds. Also birds hatch in the spring so ever day from 4 in the morning to 6 in the evening, there will be chirping and peeping high up into the trees.

My hypothesis is I think birds will eat more in the sun, since it's getting colder, the birds will be warmer in the sun. If I did set this experiment up in the summer or late spring, when it's a lot warmer, I think birds will go to the feeder more in the shade, since it's warm. Birds like it when it's warm, or cool, but they don't like it when it's boiling hot or very very cold. That is why in the winter, they fly south to get to warmer weather, then they fly back up north, because it gets too hot in Florida or California in the summer. The late spring depends on what the weather is. It depends if it is very rainy, humid, or cold. I think that which bird feeder is more popular with the birds depend more on the weather, not the type of bird, type of suet, or color of feeder. If it is raining, the birds may go into the shade, if there is a canopy of trees above them to keep them mostly dry. Also, if a family of birds is in a bird nest, then they might go to the bird feeder closest to them. For example, if a nest is in the trees, the mother or father bird would probably go to the closer bird feeder, afraid of their little chicks getting harmed. They will go to the closer one, which would be the one in the shade, since it's the closest one. It also depends what feeder they go to if they feel like they're in danger. For example, let's say the neighbors cat comes in our backyard, and the birds will try to fly away from the cat, afraid that it is a dangerous predator.

This is the link for eBird for looking up hotspots. Click on the link, and it will bring you to a map of the world. Zoom in or out, and click on an area location you live in, or are studying. A bubble will pop up telling you how many different bird species live in that area, and where the bird hotspots are. It's kind of like us! You look at New York, there are a ton of people living there! Then you look at Montana, and not as many. In some parts of the United States of America, there are over 600 different bird species! Then in some areas, there are only 2. Remember, that if you click on a really extreme climate weather area, there aren't going to be as many birds, like in Antarctica, where it is very cold and snowy, and birds fl;y south for the winter to get out of the cold, and into the warmer air. Birds won't live in a place that is cold like Antarctica, except for penguins and birds that adapted to that climate and very cold weather over millions of years with evolution.

I went to Home Depot recently, and I asked a bird specialist in the Garden/Birds Aisle. She told me that I should get the hot pepper bird suet, since the birds don't mind it, and the squirrels won't eat it since it's too spicy for their liking. I unwrapped the suet, and put it in the suet holders. I hung the suet holders near each other, far away from where the neighbor's cat comes wandering in our backyard, one in the sun, and the other in the shade. Let's see how my experiment turns out!

It has been a bit over a week and a half and it is Sunday October 20, 2013. I have seen many birds in my backyard and driveway, yes I go and check on the Suet, and I don't see any dent or beak-mark in the Suet Cake. I see a lot of birds flying very close to the Suet Holder in the sun closer to the garage. I have not seen any of the birds actually pecking at the suet. I hope that if the weather gets a little warmer, the birds will come more. Unfortunately, it is starting to get much colder, since it is going to be winter soon starting in late or mid November. Hopefully, before the birds migrate, and go south for the winter, they will eat the suet.

This experiment and results would be different in the different weather and seasons. I will have to try this again in the spring or summer, to see the more accurate experiment. A lot of birds already flew south, so there won't be as many birds, but if I did this experiment in warmer weather, the results will vary greatly.

Here are some pictures I took of the materials I needed to complete and setup my Science Experiment.

Suet Holder



Hot Pepper Suet for birds only, no squirrels, sorry!



Yummy, Suet! Just kidding! (For birds only)



Suet Cake



<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Suet inside of the Suet Holders.

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<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">So far, looking at my suet holders, there's only one little peck in the side. I see so many birds flying around my backyard and high in the trees, but no one is coming to eat the suet. Even the hummingbirds coming for my mom's sugar water syrup aren't coming anymore! Hopefully in the spring when I do this experiment again, the birds will come and enjoy the hot pepper suet!

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Now I have all of my bird experiment items to do my experiment! Hopefully the birds will come! :)

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