Animals tend to be creatures of habit. Heavily used white-tailed deer trails are hard to miss. Male ruffed grouse drum from just a few favorite logs to attract the attention of hens. Birders often spot red-tailed hawks perched high atop favorite snags. And a pair of bluebirds will use the same nest box year after year.

I've also often noticed that birds favor familiar feeders over newly placed feeders. In fact, I often advise patience when readers ask why birds ignore a new feeder. Over the last few weeks, I've observed the predictable nature of feeder birds in my own backyard.

One of my favorite feeders is the All-Weather Feeder. It's essentially a large 4-quart tube, and it's absolutely weather-proof. I keep it filled with sunflower kernels year-round. (Kernels spoil if they get wet.) I've been using the All-Weather Feeder for about eight years, and all the backyard birds use it. I've even seen juncos and white-throated sparrows, normally ground feeders, on it.

Several weeks ago I got a second All-Weather Feeder, filled it with kernels, and hung it 10 feet from the first one. For four days birds flocked to the original feeder, and the quantity of kernels steadily declined. At the end of four days the original feeder was empty, but hardly any kernels had been taken from the new one. If I didn't know that birds were such creatures of habit, I might have thought something was wrong with the new feeder.

On the fifth day, when the original feeder was empty, I didn't immediately refill it. By midmorning, birds had begun to use the new feeder. I let them empty the new feeder over the next five days, then I refilled both feeders. Again the kernels disappeared more quickly from the original feeder, but some birds continued to use the new feeder. When both feeders were emptied a second time, I refilled them again. This time birds used both feeders immediately.

Habits can be broken. It just takes a bit of time and patience. Bear this in mind the next time you add a new feeder to the backyard.

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