|
Post by daylilydude on Feb 3, 2018 5:48:21 GMT -5
Do you feed the birds... Do you have a particular time of day that you do feed them, and how many times in a day/week do you put out feed anddddd do you have a special feeder or do you just sling it out on the ground?
|
|
|
Post by ahntjudy on Feb 3, 2018 8:15:10 GMT -5
I used to hang feeders...some with thistle seed...some with black oil sunflower seed...some with mixed seed...but I kinda phased that out... I didn't have the sunflowers seed feeder in a good place and without constant 'monitoring', it would become a big thick mass of empty shells on the ground that I had to keep 'scooped up'...and when it would rain, it was an icky mess...
Anymore, I have so many flowers and especially lots of sunflowers that provide many meals...It's like a smorgasbord out there for them...
|
|
|
Post by hairymooseknuckles on Feb 3, 2018 8:22:10 GMT -5
When we are at farm, there's a brushy area that has Redbirds. Wify likes to feed and watch them eat.
There's a scissortail that sits on a highline and cusses at me when I'm in my glider.
|
|
janr
Junior Member
Posts: 31
Joined: July 2015
|
Post by janr on Feb 3, 2018 8:23:50 GMT -5
We always feed the birds. We have 7 feeders of various types. We feed mostly black oil sunflowers and suet. We just fill them when they are empty,
|
|
|
Post by spike on Feb 3, 2018 10:52:11 GMT -5
I have always had at least one bird feeder up. I love my little chickadees! This is a pretty horrid picture as I took it last August, though the window trying to get a pic of the little clowns. Bird feeders is Amish made here locally!!
|
|
|
Post by september on Feb 3, 2018 12:08:44 GMT -5
I feed birds only when we are going to be home all winter, hate to get them started and then not have it available if we are gone all January. This year I have a small elongated hanging feeder with black sunflower seeds under our deck where I put hanging plants in the summer. The huge suet lump is on an upstairs window wooden tray feeder that I built years ago so I could see the birds up close. I don't put seeds in it anymore because I don't want them flying into the window and knocking themselves out. Also the window freezes shut when it gets below -10F so hard to add new seeds in subzero weather. I fill the seed feeder as it gets low, 2-3 times a week for now.
We don't get as many birds as we used to because a storm this summer blew over a couple of the balsam trees next to our house, landing on our roof, and we ended up removing the entire row of trees so the birds lost their usual close winter shelter and had to move much farther back into the woods.
This year we've only had the chickadees and nuthatches and maybe some downy woodpeckers, not the bigger flashier birds. We have a fair number of pileated woodpeckers around in the summer, some even pound on our house and back stairway, but they have not found our suet yet.
|
|
|
Post by ladymarmalade on Feb 3, 2018 12:34:16 GMT -5
No feeding the birds here. Bird feeders only encourage the squirrels to hang around.
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Feb 3, 2018 12:36:37 GMT -5
Yes, we feed the birds. There are three feeders: a niger thistle seed, and suet cake and a regular feeder that gets half sunflower and half fruits and nuts feed. I report my visitors to the Cornell U feeder watch program. So far this year we have seen 20 different varieties and in the four years as a part of the program we have seen thirty different varieties.
I would love to see pileated woodpeckers here. There are some about fifteen miles south of us but they won't come any closer. Goldfinches stay all winter and this year house finches and purple finches have been around. My wife loves the three sets of Cardinals and I like the different woodpeckers...downey, red bellied, red headed, the hairy and the northern flicker.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 3, 2018 18:25:43 GMT -5
There's a scissortail that sits on a highline and cusses at me when I'm in my glider. We don't have them here but I saw then when I visited TX many years ago and never forgot them. They are beautiful. Yes, I feed the birds in the winter. I have both a flat feeder and a tube type feeder. Different types of birds eat from different types of feeders and some only eat on the ground so when we get a lot of snow or ice, I usually throw some seeds on the ground for them too. Here is a picture of one of my favorite birds. It is a Rose breasted Grosbeak (male on the left, female on the right) and I only saw them for the first time last year at our cabin in Western PA. I had wanted to see them for years so I was thrilled when they showed up! We get Pileated woodpeckers up there too but not at the feeders. 20170513_145306 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by tomike on Feb 3, 2018 18:45:59 GMT -5
No feeding the birds here. Bird feeders only encourage the squirrels to hang around. We have had to abide by this rule as well just because of the squirrels and those "guys" can do more damage to your garden than you can believe....<
|
|
|
Post by aftermidnight on Feb 3, 2018 19:10:01 GMT -5
We feed the birds all year long, a suet feeder is up all the time different types winter and summer. We have the Anna hummingbirds here all year now, February is their mating month so Percy our kitty provides fur for them to build their nests with, if she only knew. The Rufus will appear sometime in March. Right now there's a flock of Bush Tits hanging off the suet feeder and a Varied Thrush sitting on the gate waiting his turn. We have Downy and Hairy along with Pileated Woodpeckers along with Flickers visiting. Numerous Sparrows, Juncos and Wrens, I know I've forgotten some. The only ones that have been missing in the last couple of years are the Pine Siskins, House and Purple Finches and although we have houses up for Violet Green and Tree Swallows they seem to have disappeared too, even the barn Swallows have gone, not that I miss them, they can be messy.
Some birds stay a day or two and then move on, Gold Finches will not come to the feeders in the courtyard but if we hang a feeder at the back fence in front of the laurel hedge they will come in droves. At times we have Quail roaming through the garden I think they go after the laurel berries and last year we had a pair of Bald Eagles sitting in our Robinia tree, before I could get back with my camera one had flown away, I got a picture but it's not very good.
We've stopped feeding the mixed seed and now only feed suet and shelled black oil sunflower seed, no more wastage, we feed twice a day, sunflower on the ground, suet is always there. The birds know our routine they sit wherever they can find a place to perch and stare in our dining room window, could be unnerving if you didn't know the reason. It's like a scene from A H's The birds.
Annette
|
|
|
Post by hairymooseknuckles on Feb 3, 2018 19:20:48 GMT -5
brownrexx, Very pretty birds. We get Redbirds, Woodpeckers, scissor tails, Doves, Blackbirds, Chickadees, plus a bunch of stuff I have no clue what they are.
|
|
|
Post by Hensaplenty on Feb 3, 2018 20:02:32 GMT -5
I really enjoy having a bird feeder! I have seen a huge variety of species over the years but this year I had my first Northern Flicker at the feeder.
|
|
|
Post by aftermidnight on Feb 3, 2018 20:15:47 GMT -5
How could I have forgot the chick-a-dee's my favoite and the last few years doves showed up.
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Feb 3, 2018 21:28:34 GMT -5
Feed all winter long provided they will eat suet and meat. I hang the rib cages of deer in the lilacs. Typical winter birds show up such as chickadee, nuthatch, and downy woodpecker. Crows also get their share. Regular feeders here become supermarkets for sharp-shinned hawks.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
|
Post by octave1 on Feb 4, 2018 9:59:52 GMT -5
I'd love to feed birds, but since I let my 2 cats go out, I don't want them to turn into easy targets for felines. Those birds would not stand a chance.
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Feb 4, 2018 11:13:59 GMT -5
I swear that this morning when I finally got up (temps here in single digits with -15 wind chill) and looked out at the feeders, there were at least three birds just sitting on the suet cake feeder staring at the back door waiting for me to come out and put another cake in the holder. Before I could get back in the house at least twenty birds were in the area.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 4, 2018 11:21:16 GMT -5
aftermidnight , it sounds like you really know your birds and you get some good ones where you live. I am also an avid birdwatcher and we get better ones at our cabin in the woods than I do at home. We only see ruby throated hummingbirds in PA. I have to go on vacation to see other species of hummingbirds but I can see lots of warblers at our cabin as they migrate through in the spring and the fall. Black capped chickadees are also one of my favorites but the white breasted nuthatches are also frequent visitors at my cabin feeders. I bought a ball of some kind of furry stuff to hang out for the hummingbirds this year. I am looking forward to seeing if they like it. It is in a mesh cover with a string for hanging so I will put it out near the hummingbird feeders.
|
|
|
Post by aftermidnight on Feb 4, 2018 11:41:56 GMT -5
brownrexx, Nuthatches that's another we get here, those guys are so tame you can walk right up to them. We also get Stellar Jays around October but they don't hang around long which is a good thing as they will dig any newly planted crocus bulbs up. We take bits of Percy's fur from her brush and attach them with clothes pegs to the Boston growing on the house. Hawks are a problem once in awhile but as a rule even the cats that stroll through our yard leave the birds alone, they're more interested in catching bigger prey. Percy is a house cat she doesn't go outside. She has a little window seat attached to the windowsill in the dining room where she can watch but not touch . Annette
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 4, 2018 12:04:02 GMT -5
aftermidnight, our cats don't go outside either but we have bird feeders right outside of the window for them to watch and "talk" to the birds. We only get Blue Jay's here but they are interesting. They are quite large and very aggressive. If they come to a feeder, everyone else clears out. We put out a bowl of dry food for the feral cats that frequent our area and yesterday hubby saw a Blue Jay eating cat food out of their bowl. Your Stellar Jay's are pretty. I buy a nut and seed mix for the flat feeder at the cabin and it's interesting to watch the nuthatches choose which nut that they prefer. This mix must be floor sweepings from a nut factory because it has really expensive nuts like cashews and macadamias nuts as well as peanuts and almonds. The nuthatches seem to like all of the nuts but select the peanuts first when they can find them.
|
|
|
Post by aftermidnight on Feb 4, 2018 12:35:16 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 4, 2018 12:58:45 GMT -5
aftermidnight , I have very few bird pictures but now I feel inspired to try and get a few. See how close the picture is of the Rose Breasted Grosbeak posted above? I just took that pic with my phone. That feeder is only inches away from my window at our cabin. Feeders there are at risk of being torn down by black bears or raided by raccoons at night so last year hubby made me a feeder bracket for Christmas. It was my favorite gift. It screws right to the side of the logs and below it is all stucco so nothing can climb up to it. I fill it by opening the window. It is a fabulous idea and the only mammal that could possibly get to it is a flying squirrel and I would LOVE to see one of those anyway but I never have. Bear by Brownrexx, on Flickr
|
|
stone
Pro Member
Posts: 170
Zone:: 8
Favorite Vegetable:: Bambi
Joined: December 2011
|
Post by stone on Feb 6, 2018 9:27:50 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Feb 8, 2018 16:56:34 GMT -5
In today's comic, Hagar the Horrible shows his wife the bird feeder that he built. She looks out and sees 2 cats and tells him that he built a cat feeder!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
|
Post by Laura_in_FL on Feb 9, 2018 10:16:18 GMT -5
When I was growing up, my Mom liked to feed the birds. She didn't want to waste bird seed on the squirrels, rats, or mice, and she didn't want cats to prey on the birds while they were using her feeder. So, she had Dad hang a nice wood and glass feeder from a tall wooden post, so the bottom of the feeder was over 6' off the ground. She also had Dad wrap a big section of the post with sheet metal so neither rodents nor cats could climb it easily. Her conscience was clear: "her" birds would be safe from cats. So, she kept the feeder filled and cleaned and every day she watched the birds come to enjoy it. Cats and critters seemed unable to climb the post. All seemed well. Then one day, she spied our cat Molly walk underneath the feeder. Molly lay down and appeared to doze. Mom and the birds relaxed, and the birds resumed feeding. Suddenly, Molly leapt straight up into the air and batted a bird right off the feeder. The surviving birds scattered and Mom was appalled as Molly munched on his prize. Mom tried many things to keep Molly away from the feeder after that. Months and many dead birds later, she conceded defeat and quit filling the feeder. It hung there empty for years. Even after Molly died, Mom was afraid some other cat would kill the birds if she resumed using the feeder. Dad eventually took the decaying feeder down, removed the sheet metal from the pole, and planted ivy around it so it would look like an intentional planting. After a few years, the ivy-covered pole did look nice, at least.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 9, 2018 10:48:55 GMT -5
It's strange but we have feral cats here and I have never seen one get a bird. I have seen evidence that they get lots of voles and rabbits though and I am glad for that.
I have actually seen the ferals walk around near our chickens when they are free ranging and they don't even act interested, even when there are tiny chicks. I can't explain why.
|
|
|
Post by Laura_in_FL on Feb 9, 2018 11:25:42 GMT -5
Weird. But different cats have different prey preferences. I'd guess that it has to do with what their moms fed them and taught them to hunt as kittens. My cat Lily is interested in anything small and mobile, but it's birds that really excite her. Most cat toys she doesn't play with more than in passing, but if you put a clump of feathers on the end of a string and flutter it over her head, or jerk it along the floor like an injured bird hopping, you can really get her going. You must be happy that the local feral cats don't try to eat your chickens, even the tiny chicks!
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Feb 9, 2018 11:37:44 GMT -5
I just filled my feeders. My indoor cats definitely think that they would enjoy eating the birds. They sit and watch them for hours but the birds don't seem to care.
My indoor cats also like to carry around their toy mice so I don't know what their preference would be.
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on May 2, 2019 14:25:51 GMT -5
Once on the farm, I heard a commotion in the barn. It turned out to be two ferals cats trying to cat Turkey Poults for dinner. I screamed, the dogs knew I was distressed by the cats and took care of them. All I had to do was dig a hole for what was left of the cats.
Here I have a feeder on a shepherd's hook in the middle of the yard. It's too far from the fence,shed or deck for squirrels to jump and get feed, although a few have tried. There are several feral cats and a few domestic ones that don't get fed as often as they should. Occasionally we find some tail feathers of a dove or remnants of a sparrow on the ground but not very often. To me, it's the Circle of Life. We all need to eat.
|
|
|
Post by coppice on May 2, 2019 18:39:02 GMT -5
I have and daughter still does feed hummers. Thats it.
|
|