Any birders out there?

Keesha said:
Finches like niger seed and millet more than any other type of seed. You can get special feeders for them.
You can also get hard plastic feeders for the hummingbirds. Watching birds is very relaxing and enjoyable
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Thanks a lot, Keesha. I will put out niger seed and a different feeder for them. I will let you know who comes to join the breakfast crew.
 

fancicoffee13 said:
Thank you Aunt Marg! I figured the doves and grackles were ground feeders, so they get fed there. I love reading other posts, it helps a lot. Thank you.
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You are so welcome! Love birds, too!

One thing I overlooked mentioning, Fanci, is ensuring that the area you choose for your feeding station is safe from cats, etc.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
Thanks a lot, Keesha. I will put out niger seed and a different feeder for them. I will let you know who comes to join the breakfast crew.
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To add, Fanci, House Finches and House Sparrows LOVE black oil sunflower kernels (we always buy shelled).

Mountain Chickadees and Red Breasted Nuthatches LOVE pine nuts (yes, how expensive they are), but what pleasure we get out of watching them. Just a little tidbit of info, in the winter months when food is more scarce and hard to get, Mountain Chickadees require a minimum of 10 calories a day to survive, and sadly, many don't get it, but each single pine nut equates to 1 calorie, and having a feeding station for the chickadees to visit helps to ensure their survival.

As for millet, Dark-Eyed Juncos LOVE it!

We also put out crushed (plain blanched, non-salted peanuts), which all the above just love!
 

Oh, and how could I forget, we usually get a serious run on Pine Siskins in August and September, and they go googly for black oil sunflower kernels!

One year they devoured over 20 lbs of sunflower kernels in just over 3 weeks! We had over 200! The air is abuzz with their chattering when there's so many, and they're so friendly.
 
Aunt Marg said:
To add, Fanci, House Finches and House Sparrows LOVE black oil sunflower kernels (we always buy shelled).

Mountain Chickadees and Red Breasted Nuthatches LOVE pine nuts (yes, how expensive they are), but what pleasure we get out of watching them. Just a little tidbit of info, in the winter months when food is more scarce and hard to get, Mountain Chickadees require a minimum of 10 calories a day to survive, and sadly, many don't get it, but each single pine nut equates to 1 calorie, and having a feeding station for the chickadees to visit helps to ensure their survival.

As for millet, Dark-Eyed Juncos LOVE it!

We also put out crushed (plain blanched, non-salted peanuts), which all the above just love!
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Many thanks again. I will definitely check that out. Do those feeders that are taller with single perches up and down, feed finches?
 
Aunt Marg said:
To add, Fanci, House Finches and House Sparrows LOVE black oil sunflower kernels (we always buy shelled).

Mountain Chickadees and Red Breasted Nuthatches LOVE pine nuts (yes, how expensive they are), but what pleasure we get out of watching them. Just a little tidbit of info, in the winter months when food is more scarce and hard to get, Mountain Chickadees require a minimum of 10 calories a day to survive, and sadly, many don't get it, but each single pine nut equates to 1 calorie, and having a feeding station for the chickadees to visit helps to ensure their survival.

As for millet, Dark-Eyed Juncos LOVE it!

We also put out crushed (plain blanched, non-salted peanuts), which all the above just love!
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I felt like I was going overboard with 3 bird feeders and 2 plant bottoms (one is a old iron skillet-small). There is a house I walked by and every morning they put out bunches of feed and I never saw so many ring necked Texas doves feeding! They have a firewood holder loaded with feed.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
I felt like I was going overboard with 3 bird feeders and 2 plant bottoms (one is a old iron skillet-small). There is a house I walked by and every morning they put out bunches of feed and I never saw so many ring necked Texas doves feeding! They have a firewood holder loaded with feed.
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Oh, no, not overboard at all, the more feeders, the more birds. :)

If you do find that you have nuisance marauding cats in your area, you can always make a small bird feeding aviary using 1x2's and stucco wire. That's what we did and it works like a charm.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Absolutely, House Finches will not only ground feed, but tree and suspended feeder feed, too.
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I didn't know finches would ground feed. I guess I am also afraid the other birds will eat it first. I know that the doves get along with the sparrows, but run off the grackles and cowboy birds.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Oh, no, not overboard at all, the more feeders, the more birds. :)

If you do find that you have nuisance marauding cats in your area, you can always make a small bird feeding aviary using 1x2's and stucco wire. That's what we did and it works like a charm.
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Oh, ok. Well, I mainly feed plenty of feed in the morning and then they will finish up during the day and evening. The feeders have some left over from the morning to last until the rest of the day and evening. By the following morning, much of it is gone! I really love finches. They are colorful, small, and shaped adorable. So, today I went to find the sunflower seed and it was only sold in the LARGEST bag. I have learned from experience, that when a new batch of food and feeder is put out, it may take a week for it to be found and others come along.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Oh, no, not overboard at all, the more feeders, the more birds. :)

If you do find that you have nuisance marauding cats in your area, you can always make a small bird feeding aviary using 1x2's and stucco wire. That's what we did and it works like a charm.
Click to expand...
I don't have the cats in abundance. Only once, before I started feeding birds, did a cat jumped a couple of times in the grass and caught a baby bird and took off with it. Haven't seen him again. Now, when I started feeding birds, there were mice that tried to help eat it. I got the old fashioned mouse traps (4) and set them all out. Caught 4 mice in one day! I kept it up until the mice aparently went away. Don't see them anymore!
 
Well, it is the end of hummingbird season around here so I took down my feeders today, I will miss those little birds.

It seems to me that we have far fewer birds these last few years. In particular: the house finches are scarce, we have not had a red header woodpecker in months, the number of doves, and catbirds is way down along with a long list of others. The number of Cardinals seems stable, but overall I am troubled by the decline.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
Oh, ok. Well, I mainly feed plenty of feed in the morning and then they will finish up during the day and evening. The feeders have some left over from the morning to last until the rest of the day and evening. By the following morning, much of it is gone! I really love finches. They are colorful, small, and shaped adorable. So, today I went to find the sunflower seed and it was only sold in the LARGEST bag. I have learned from experience, that when a new batch of food and feeder is put out, it may take a week for it to be found and others come along.
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When I first started this feeding birds, I ran into mice as well. They were caught by my old fashioned mice traps. Do you run into this? I guess they like the left over hulls. I keep the area swept, but once the birds are done, before I sweep, they are running back and forth and I see them.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
I didn't know finches would ground feed. I guess I am also afraid the other birds will eat it first. I know that the doves get along with the sparrows, but run off the grackles and cowboy birds.
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That's what I loathe about bigger birds, the tension that can, and does erupt between them at times.

Dear husband built a pen-like structure for our wild birds in order to keep larger birds out and away, and it's been 100% successful. Used to pain me to see Blue Jays bullying the little ones.
 
Pinky said:
I'm probably in the minority regarding Magpies. They are one of my favourite birds from my years in Australia. They are saucy and very smart. One flew into the caravan and sat behind me, waiting for a bit of chicken while I made sandwiches. It kept coming back. Cheeky little thing!
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You are not alone, I love Magpies and have been adopted by a family of 5 of them. I can't wait till Mama brings her babies around again.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
Oh, ok. Well, I mainly feed plenty of feed in the morning and then they will finish up during the day and evening. The feeders have some left over from the morning to last until the rest of the day and evening. By the following morning, much of it is gone! I really love finches. They are colorful, small, and shaped adorable. So, today I went to find the sunflower seed and it was only sold in the LARGEST bag. I have learned from experience, that when a new batch of food and feeder is put out, it may take a week for it to be found and others come along.
Click to expand...
We buy black oil sunflower kernels in 20 lb bags, and it keeps no problem, so don't allow that to be any sort of deterrent.

Yes indeed, a newly situated feeder won't see the traffic that an established feeder will, and if ever you recognize that a predatory bird is visiting your feeding area, taking down the feeders for a week or two will not hinder your visiting birds whatsoever. When a predatory bird is in the area, smaller birds will stay away, but once the threat has passed, all of your little birds will return.
 
fancicoffee13 said:
When I first started this feeding birds, I ran into mice as well. They were caught by my old fashioned mice traps. Do you run into this? I guess they like the left over hulls. I keep the area swept, but once the birds are done, before I sweep, they are running back and forth and I see them.
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Oh yes, we get mice, too, and dear husband traps them as well.

I find mice activity around our feeders to be more prevalent from fall until spring.
 
I will be a bird lover till the earth is no more.
My LOVE, MEMORIES and EXPERIENCE entails my years on the farm.....Memories is all i have, sadly, no pictures......divorced in 2016, moved to town......bird life is not the same......so happy my memory serves me well.

I have tons of stories and happenings......28 years worth.

I'll start with this guy.
Whip - poor - will.
Only for a few short hours that i could enjoy him/her.......don't know which.......spotted this guy from the south window, very early one summer morning......went outside, got as close to him as i could, not to scare him away......he did move only slightly, as slow as a turtle.......learned that they were nocturnal......so he was getting ready for a day of sleep, to get ready for his nite.
I enjoyed him for several hours that morning.
I never did see him fly, missed that.......they're nature is calling in the evening......not really sure if it was him i heard or not......almost an eerie sound.
What a joy it was to have him, even for that short time.
Never saw or heard him again.
Is a fine line as to have him in our region.
 
MickaC said:
I will be a bird lover till the earth is no more.
My LOVE, MEMORIES and EXPERIENCE entails my years on the farm.....Memories is all i have, sadly, no pictures......divorced in 2016, moved to town......bird life is not the same......so happy my memory serves me well.

I have tons of stories and happenings......28 years worth.

I'll start with this guy.
Whip - poor - will.
Only for a few short hours that i could enjoy him/her.......don't know which.......spotted this guy from the south window, very early one summer morning......went outside, got as close to him as i could, not to scare him away......he did move only slightly, as slow as a turtle.......learned that they were nocturnal......so he was getting ready for a day of sleep, to get ready for his nite.
I enjoyed him for several hours that morning.
I never did see him fly, missed that.......they're nature is calling in the evening......not really sure if it was him i heard or not......almost an eerie sound.
What a joy it was to have him, even for that short time.
Never saw or heard him again.
Is a fine line as to have him in our region.
Click to expand...
 
Tish said:
You are not alone, I love Magpies and have been adopted by a family of 5 of them. I can't wait till Mama brings her babies around again.
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@Tish - I hope you are able to take photos of your Magpie family to post here.

I miss your awesome variety of birds. It was magical and thrilling for me to see flocks of parrots and other birds when I lived in SA.
 

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