Ever since my wife began feeding a couple of stray cats the birds don’t come around anymore. We argument over this but I don’t push it. I live on The Jersey Shore years ago I had crackles coming to my feeders. Man, they were something. Beautiful iridescent feathers, metallic almost. Green, purple, really nice. I had, at one time at lest six breeding pairs of kardinals who would come around every Spring time and stay all Summer. Now, hardy see any birds. Except the robins. They’re hardy little buggers.I live near the several bird sanctuaries. Once and I while I go out with my Nikon binoculars and do some viewing. One of other favorites we have lots of here in southern NJ are Red Wing Blackbirds. They like to be around marshes and ponds. There have a very sweet, high pitched,almost I dunno... plaintive call, almost like a sigh.
I keep out food bowls for stray cats and have noticed an increased number of cardinals in my yard, all of whom are coming to the food bowls, when the cats aren't actively eating, to feed on the kibbles in the bowls. Oft-times, there are several mating pairs feeding at the bowls, with one of the pair acting as lookout while the other feeds. When the first one is done feeding, they swap places.