I put out the bird feeders around the second week in October and putthem away when the ground is soft enough for them to forage for themselves. Little buggers! My favorite is the Chickadee. Why, you ask? Because my Mother calls it the Edie Bird and my name is Edie and if you listen to it it says "Edieeeee". Honest, you'll never forget that! Where in Wisconsin are you from (we have rellies all over Wisc) and where in Minnesota are you now? Are you one of thems that are caught between the cheesehead and the Viking horns? Glad you moved to Minnesota. We need all the help we can get! Edie :D