I recently purchased a house in a nice rural location. I have placed two bird feeders about 15 yards from my back deck, where I sit in the morning and evening watching the birds and drinking coffee/vodka/etc. About thirty yards from the feeders is a wooded area. I have come up with some questions and would appreciate any/all help…
1)** Why do birds go to feeders?** When I first hung the feeders I got zero traffic. For about a week. Now it is Grand Central Station. What made the first bird check out my feeders? Certainly a bird doesn’t look at a little cedar cabin and think “food!”. Seeds do not have much in the way of scent, do they?
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What seeds should I offer? I currently have niger, safflower, and a sunflower mix on the menu. I am in western Pennsylvania. The birds at my feeders are sparrows, house finches, goldfinches, and the like. Would different seeds attract different species?
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Current thoughts on hummers The birds, that is. Sitting on my deck I would see hummingbirds approach one side of the deck roof. I assumed the prior owner had a feeder there. So I hung one and it is visited regularly. Is it good to feed them? What should I feed?
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Murder of Crows The other day I woke up and looked outside and there were 6 crows on the ground where my feeders are located. 'Sup wif dat?
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Shrubs I think it would look cool to plant some shrubs around my feeders. Any good choices?
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Stuck up Cardinals It seems Cardinals are shy about visiting my feeder. Are they more cautious because they are attractive prey species? And what about Blue Jays?
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Attracting Insectivores I would really like to share my mosquitoes with the birds. Is there any way to make my little ecosystem attractive to birds that like bugs? When I did more wildlife vet work I remember opening up a dead nighthawk and its crop contained thousands/millions of mosquito sized insects!
Thanks!