How's the bird feeder?

Cafe Society
1

I had a black sunflower seed feeder going, and a suet cage. I realized I didn’t want to shortchange some of the other preferred feeding styles, so I put up a mesh bag of the thistle feed, and I sprinkled mixed feed and peanut pieces on the ground around the sunflower seed feeder.

So some small brown birds have been coming to the mesh bag (it’s across the yard so I’m not sure what kind they are; must get out the binoculars) but the best was this morning: a big bluejay was feeding on the ground right outside the window. Very cool! I’m also getting more of a variety around the feeder in general.

I also saw some purple finches over by my friend’s feeder. Very dramatic.

So, any fun sightings? And when I googled mesh bag, one site said not to use them as the birds’ feet might get caught?? I bought the kind meant for feeding, so I hope it’s OK??

2

As long as I keep my suet feeders full, I get a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers at them every day.

The female is a pro and manages to curl her body around the small suet feeder. It’s really meant for smaller woodpeckers, so she has to work at it.

The male is shy. In fact, the first time I saw him even take a try at the feeder was yesterday, when he made an attempt. I heard a huge SMACK at my office window, turned around, and saw him recovering from his try. He settled on a nearby tree and screeched his anger until flying off.

3

gigi, are the birds on your mesh thistle feeder goldfinches in winter phase? Scroll down on this page to see the winter colors.

4

Oh, very possibly, and you’ve confirmed the identity of one type I see at the other feeder too. Thanks! That stripy wing was the clue.

I get a downy woodpecker at my suet who I have named Robert (hee). He’s very faithful, but I’ve also seen the kind that’s the size of the downy but no red spot. I got an indoor pal in honor of Robert. He makes a very realistic sound when you squeeze him.

5

We’ve been getting a lot more wrens this last week. A woodpecker on the suet feeder, too. And the normal cardinals, blue jays, grackles, and cowbirds.

The biggest news is that I think I’ve cracked the squirrel problem. We had a feeder with a weighted lever, so that anything big would close off the hopper. But even if a squirrel would sit on it and close off the supply, it was still possible for it to get some food.

We’ve mounted the feeder on a 4 X 4 post, about 5-1/2 feet off the ground. Just under the feeder I cut out the center of a galvanized garbage can lid, and it’s mounted on the post. The squirrels (for now, at least) can’t get up to the feeder. I do put out peanuts (unshelled) and corn cobs for them, so we’re not trying to starve the nasty little buggers. We just want to keep them from stealing all the bird food.

6

Oh cool. I don’t worry about it too much, since I haven’t seen too many squirrels and only those two rats. Plus my feeder is the tall cylinder; they would have an easier time with the chateau style. But yeah, I figure the peanut pieces will keep them happy.

Does anyone else feel guilty about not having water available? I’d like to get a heated birdbath but I don’t have an outside outlet and I can’t think of a way to plug one in inside and not let heat out. Then I think I could put out hot water each morning but I don’t want them burning themselves. They’d probably figure it out though. :o

7

I gave up on trying to keep the squirrels out of the feeders. They’re very agile and clever. All my feeders hang from brackets on a 4 X 4 post. At first, I had the post clad in aluminum, but they scampered right up that. I have all 3 feeders slung under “squirrel-proof” domes, and they had no trouble defeating those.

I have a “No-No” feeder full of black oil sunflower seeds. It’s a truncated cone, with the sides made of wire mesh. It is touted as being immune to squirrel damage and very resistant to squirrels in general. Our chubby squirrels hook their feet around the wire loop at the top, and they hang over the side, upside down while they chow down. Their assault on the mesh around the bottom has stretched it all out of shape. Oh, the birds visit it, too, when the squirrel gets full and goes home. Chickadees, Blue Jays, and Cardinals all come to dine.

8

Gigi, that is the female Downy. (Roberta?)

9

Oh, interesting. I didn’t know Robert had a sweetie.

I’m just glad no bears have come to visit the feeder. :eek: I’m far enough into town that it’s less likely.

10

We have a seed feeder - standard “house” shaped thingy with a squirrel-proof arm that covers whenever a heavier bird lands. We get cardinals there, the occasional bluejay (though they usually go for spillage underneath), lots of little generic brown birds… I’ve learned that we do better if we spring for pricier seed, the kind that doesn’t have millet (the little pale spherical seeds) because the birds just toss them on the ground. We actually save money by getting better seed. I think the brown generic birds are some assortment of house sparrow or house finch.

At the suet feeder we’ve seen gray catbirds (not sure if I’ve seen them lately tho).

I’ve seen the bluejay visiting the suet feeder a time or two, and also a downy woodpecker (I think, no other woodpecker looks quite the same). Interestingly, the downy woodpecker has visited the thistle feeder a time or two.

The thistle feeder right now gets the winter-coated goldfinch and of course the woodpecker a time or two. We use this for the thistle seeds, filled with a mix of nyjer seeds and small sunflower seeds. The mix is pricey but a bag lasts for months. The birds seem to think it’s like chocolate covered crack.

I think the black-capped chickadees visit all three feeders also.

Also sometimes a larger brown-and-white bird appears on the suet feeder -not sure what it is (we’re in Virginia) - googling “brown white bird virginia” hasn’t been helpful. It’s about the size of a robin, maybe a bit smaller - any suggestions as to what it might be?

I have not seen a red-winged blackbird since putting up these feeders last summer, which is too bad - they were such striking birds, and I saw them a few times at our last house just a mile away.

4-legged birds also come to visit - squirrelbirds will eat anything that spills, and whiskered catbirds come to eat anything that eat anything that spills :smiley: (we chase the “catbirds” away when we see 'em).

We put hot pepper-laced suet cakes in the suet cage - otherwise the squirrels empty it within hours (grrrr). I actually like them coming and cleaning up the spillage from the main feeder tho!!

11

Is it a thrasher, Mama Zappa? If so, that is a very cool bird. Can mimic calls like a mockingbird- I love those guys.

12

Currently I have a blueberry suet in there I got for my birthday. I have this idea that Robert likes peanut butter, though, so I’ve got some peanut and raisin ones in reserve. Sounds like you get a nice variety. The chickadees and Robert are the ones I count on.

13

Cool!

Do you not have problems with squirrels and the suet? The first year we tried putting suet out, it was not only emptied, but the latch was opened, chain was pried loose and the thing wound up on the ground. We then started fastening it more securely with binder clips so it didn’t get pried open, but it still got emptied (I could watch the squirrels hanging from the branch above and scooping paws-ful of the goodies). So it would take them a day or so to empty it. It wasn’t until we found out about hot pepper suet that the stuff stayed around long enough for the birds to find it.

Chances are the bird that looks like Robert, but without the red patch, is Roberta :slight_smile:

14

Maybe but the one I’ve seen seems to have more mottled back feathers, as opposed to this photo which shows more solid brown, with the bars on the wings. It also sounds like they don’t eat what I’ve got put out. But it would be way cool to see some of those!! Maybe I’ll get a feeder that is suitable for mealworms (nummy!!).

15

My thrashers generally scratches on the ground like towees or a little chickens, but will come to the suet feeder when it is really cold. I have only had one this winter- his back is a little mottled, and his summer plummage is more solid. But the proof is in the bill- long, pointy and slightly curved like other insect eaters.

I have windows on opposing walls that were causing bird collisions, (you can’t fly through, dummies!) so I mounted my feeders on swing arms about 20 inches from the glass. Voila! No more accidents now that they have a reason to slow down and check things out. I have a mteal mesh feeder with black oil for clinging birds, thistle for goldfinches, one feeder with mammoth stripe sunflower seeds for cardinals, blue jays, titmouses, and chickadees, and a wide assortment of woodpeckers, and a small feeder with a cane and millet mix for my sparrows.

I also feed mealworms- they are kind of expensive so many times I run out between feedings. I put them in a plastic suction cup mouted window feeder right in front of the kitchen sink. (I know, diet aid, right? What is grosser than watching a downey munch a wriggly meal worm while I am preparing dinner) Meal worms are expensive, so I run out in between orders. The nuthatches and downies will let me know they are unimpressed with my budget and will peck on the window until I relent and hit Petsmart for a small cup of worms. I buy meal worms in bulk from Ghann’s Cricket Farms.

gigi, do you ever play hide and seek with Robert? My downies are pretty tame, but if I am too near the window they still instinctively move to the back side of the feeder to “hide” from me. Except of course I can still see them because the feeders are clear plastic. Cracks me up.

16

Hmmm - maybe it is a thrasher then. I’ll keep an eye out and try to get a good look at the beak. Dweezilhas to document sightings of a number of birds for a Bou Scout badge so that’ll help him too.

You feed live mealworms? :::horrrrkk::: I’m not so sure I could deal with that. Maybe a dried mealworm product if I can fund such a thing. :slight_smile:

17

The only birds that like my suet feeders are the kinglets. The doves, finches, and sparrows like sunflower seeds and the scrub jay likes peanuts.

The Cooper’s Hawk likes the bird feeder too. Slow or careless doves are her idea of a balanced breakfast.

18

Aw, man, I miss feeding birds!

I don’t currently have a good place to watch them, but my last apartment was on the second floor of a house facing the back yard (replete with trees and bushes), which overlooked an accessible first floor roof. I had three feeders: a thistle seed feeder that suction-cupped to my window, a suet cage and a larger feeder for general seed–both that hung from the gutter about 18 inches from the same window. There was also the roof that caught all the spilled seed and routinely got recharged by sunflower seed and other various edibles (stale bread, leftover popcorn, etc).

I counted in a little over one year 19 different species of birds that had visited my feeding station; most of which I could see from less than two feet away. I had (of course) the ubiquitous ones: English Sparrows and Starlings, as well as Rock Doves (the ever-present “common pigeon”), Crows, Mourning Doves (one of my favorites), Cardinals, and Blue Jays. Less frequent birds were Chickadees, Nuthatches, Grackles, Goldfinches, and Cowbirds.

However, I also saw a few that I’d never seen before in person, including House Finches (which became regular visitors…unlike the Purple Finches, which showed up one day for about 10 minutes, and then left, never to return), Chipping Sparrows (which I’d never noticed before, but are evidently quite common around here), a White-Throated Sparrow (which only appeared once, but stayed in the yard for a while, because I could hear him calling), and a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (which came to the roof/window about three times a day for about four days and then migrated on).

Pretty good for living in a city.

What absolutely kills me is that my dad lives on a farm, and has lots of birdfeeders out, but never fills them. His property would be a wildlife sanctuary if he’d just put some food out. If I lived there, birds would be everywhere!

I never minded squirrels. They’re wildlife, too; and I also had raccoons take advantage of the sunflower seeds. Any wildlife is good wildlife to me.

As long as they don’t give me rabies…again.

19

Awhile back, something took on our suet cages. One was pulled open and pillaged. The other was actually yanked off the post! :eek: It was held on with heavy aluminum wire, that I bent into place with pliers.

I suspect raccoons. With this awful blizzard, Mrs. Nott went ahead and loaded the suet cage this morning.

There was a dead, intact finch in the snow under the feeder this morning. It probably froze to death. We’ve had 8 or 10 inches of snow since then, so the finch will be covered until the thaw.

20

Crows love suet, and they’re big enough to do those things.

Not saying it’s them, but it might be.

The important thing is to keep loading. God’s non-humans need the help, even if their manners aren’t the best.