Any of you feed birds?

[oldfella]

I too feed squirrels and birds year round. I have a dozen bird houses, feeders, birdbath, and a big window to watch them... I call them my babies.

Pete

 

[riptrack44]

I feed the birds. I don't mind the tree rats but those darn grackles or starlings spoil everything. Sometimes I think they are the smartest birds around. They have an uncanny sense of when they're in danger and fly away and their timing when I fill the feeder is like a fine swiss watch. The sparrows used to bother me but nothing like these starlings...

 

[Spotteddog]

We've found that the starlings always follow the Flickers (Flickers are what most woodpeckers are called here) The Flickers are one or two @ a time. The starlings are a mob of 5 and up arriving in waves. They're like the biblical plagues. A new suet block can fall to them in 15 minutes if left unchecked.

 

[Jst1mr]

Feed 'em year 'round, but now have to take all feeders in the garage every night so the bears don't tear them up. Had huge flocks of finches all winter, probably went through 200lbs of thistle seed alone! Starlings, cowbirds, and squirrels are unwelcome....and indeed help to feed my favorite gray fox who checks for the spoils every evening. Soon the grosbeaks, orioles, tanagers, and hummers will be back. Oh, by the way, if you do not have a bird bath you're missing out on a lot of viewing pleasure.

 

[reerc]

First of all, awesome pics, thanks everyone!

Second, you know how the chemical companies have devised broadleaf-specific herbicide for just the broadleaf weeds in your lawn, like dandilions? (2,4-D)? Well, what we need, is a starling-specific poison, that would kill only the starlings, but when ingested by all the other birdies, would have no ill effect. Eh?

Someone here's got to be a chemical engineer, see if you can get right on that.

 

[ladder13]

I love shooting tree rats with my airgun.

 

[mtb1bkr]

Originally posted by gunsmith11:
I have had a new visitor twice this week in the back yard,,,a roadrunner, have no clue as too what they eat

Roadrunners are meat eaters. I see them here all the time cleaning up on lizards. Some folks will feed them raw hamburger but I have heard it's not good for them.

Great pics of a beautiful squirrel jughead!

Bill

 

[don95sml]

Originally posted by JOERM:
The only problem now is that it is getting a little spendy and sun flower seeds are rising in cost.

And how about thistle seed? I just had to spend $2 per pound to keep the finches happy.

 

[smith revolver cop]

Two bird feeders on the deck. Lots of mourning doves. A few years ago, we had lots of red-winged black birds. I have't seent hem lately; I think it might depend a lot on what they're doing with the farm field behind us on different years. They fly off when I open or close the sliding door, but the dog (very small Boston Terrier) on the deck doesn't deter them at all!

 

[Spotteddog]

Don,
Out here anyway the Gold Finches prefer the thistle seed to sunflower. But will eat either. On rare occasions they'll even hit the suet if its a bug/fruit & fat combo. Our Golds don't come in till late April most years. Flickers year round. Pileated woodpecker, early April. Stellar's Jay's year round. That Pileated looks like a design by a bunch of comedy writers!
http://www.pileatedwoodpeckerc...al.com/gallery-a.htm

 

[22dec]

We feed all year round and have heated birdbaths in the winter. Built a small four tier birdbath/pond with running water for the summer. We spend hours watching all the different birds taking a bath. It seems to draw a lot of migrating birds that we don't usually see. They stay for a few days and then move on.

Had our first Grosbeak Saturday and the first Oriole today. Still waiting for the Hummingbirds.

Don

 

[bean357]

Originally posted by 22dec:
We feed all year round and have heated birdbaths in the winter.

We do this also, kudos to you Don.

So far we have four cardinals (two of which stuck around all winter), house finches and a huge batch of yellow finches. Robins are feasting on the woodpecker suet. No grosbeaks, buntings or orioles have shown up yet. I did hang out one oriole feeder Friday in case any arrived while we were gone for the weekend. I best get stocked up on the grape jelly before the orioles arrive...the dollar store gets flat cleaned out of it once orioles show up.

Lots of enjoyment taken in here watching the birds!

 

[DeathGrip]

I had a cardnal a few weeks ago that would come sing to us. It was pretty dry so I took my spray bottle and made him some rain,You should have seen him go off.Came back every day for about two weeks for his evening shower.

 

[walkinghorse]

The goldfinches are so numerous now with the spring color kind of like a Christmas tree and then the cardinals set off the gold!

Both have nests up in the spruces so appear to come out of nowhere.

 

[reddogge]

One of those "I wish I had my camera moments" occured several years ago at my bird bath out of the kitchen window. In perfect 120 degrees apart spacing a male bluebird, male cardinal, and male goldfinch were doing a Mexican standoff sitting on the edge of the bath. What colors!

 

[Firehouse]

Oops. I mistaked this thread for the "Any of you flip birds?" thread. My bad.

 

[DeathGrip]

Sometimes 'steel sometimes 'lead.I guess it all depends on the season.

 

[Landpimp]

even simpler than cooking it, just put 1/2 suger 1/2 water and shake......they go NUTS

we feed all the critters, I have 2 little birds that will sit on my hand and eat nuts

Originally posted by mtb1bkr:
I feed hummingbirds. They are cheap to feed. 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I clean out the feeder once a week if it isn't emptied prior to then.

Bill

 

[M29since14]

I feed them winter-only. I don't have much time to watch them now, but some day I hope to refine and expand my operation.

My best friend says I am wasting my money and doing them more harm than good. He also tells me they got along just fine before I came along, and will do so after I am gone. A regular killjoy, but I don't pay any attention to him.

 

[Spotteddog]

Just tell him your doing it for "you"
not for "them"! That usually takes the wind out of a bitch box's sails?