Field Observations of birds were taken at the Beaver Creek Field Research Station from October 2000 to May 2001. Bird feeders were built to accommodate four different seed types and were placed in three separate habitats within the Field Station. These habitats included old field pond edge, upland coniferous forest, and a wet mesic forest. Blinds were constructed at each site to observe birds. The seed types on our feeders included: black oil sunflower, cracked corn, finch mix, and peanuts.

    Three different habitats were chosen for feeder locations and one feeder was placed in each area. The old Field Pond Edge feeder location was chosen for it’s proximity to water and the chance of seeing prairie species of birds. Our choice of the wet mesic forest site was its location near a small tributary of Beaver Creek and the over all amount of water in this predominantly deciduous forest. The upland coniferous forest location was decided on for its more dry sandy soil with many pine trees in the immediate area of the feeder. This system allowed us to have only three feeders that we needed to observe each week, yet these three feeders being in vastly different habitats and containing four seed types brought in a large number of different species.

    Seed types were chosen for there appeal to as many species of birds as possible. Cracked corn was chosen for its past fame as being bird feed and it was thought by us to bring in squirrels which would bring in some entertainment. Corn was also chosen for its appeal to Blue Jays and other bigger birds. Black oil sunflower seeds were chosen for there high fat content and appeal to chickadees and juncos, which are very common in the area. Our finch mix feed was picked for its appeal to Finches and other colorful birds and was generally eaten after all other seeds were gone. We chose crushed peanuts for there high fat content and its similar texture to suet that would attract Woodpeckers and Nuthatches.