|
Grex > Ing > #63: Backyard Bird-ING | |
|
| Author |
Message |
otter
|
|
Backyard Bird-ING
| 
Nov 10 10:11 UTC 1996 |
Better than cable!
Let's hear from those of you who have feeding stations and enjoy watching
birds. (Especially the furry ones with long tails who climb trees instead of
flying. Whaddaya mean those aren't birds!?!)
What kind of feeder(s) do you have? What's in them? Who visits?
|
| 55 responses total. |
scott
|
|
response 1 of 55:
|
Nov 10 14:14 UTC 1996 |
Well, I've got one, but until I mount it where the squirrels can't treat it
as a buffet it'll remain empty. Still, it is fun to load it up now and then.
It's about 2 feet from the kitchen window, so I get a few birds, then they
see me looming up just a yard away, panic, and vanish. ;)
|
rcurl
|
|
response 2 of 55:
|
Nov 11 00:38 UTC 1996 |
Whoops! I haven't filled mine in weeks - *thats* why there are no birds....
|
redfox
|
|
response 3 of 55:
|
Nov 11 15:39 UTC 1996 |
I have 3 bird feeders in my back yard. one is a hopper feeder that I put
white millet, black oiler sunflower seeds, and shelled peanuts in. I get a
variety of birds, several different sparrows, house finches, cardinals, blue
jays and the list goes on... I could go on writing for a while if I listed
them all. I also have a niger seed feeder. It is only for gold finches and
purple finches. Most other birds cannot eat from this feeder because it is
designed so that the birds have to hang from their feet to eat.. looks cool..
but most birds are too heavy. I also have a sueit (sp) feeder. this is
primarily for wood peckers, chickadees and nuthatches. unfortunately, one
of otter's fury long tailed firds chewed it apart and stole the sueit!!! have
to get a new one and blieve me, it will be all metal!!!
|
otter
|
|
response 4 of 55:
|
Nov 12 06:10 UTC 1996 |
I, too, have 3 feeders. The hopper is on a little post about two feet from
the ground. I throw in different feeds, depending on what's on sale. My
list of visitors contains most of the common backyard types. Traffic
is consistent; the only picky birds seem to be mourning doves, who like it
when lots of white millet falls to the ground. I have one of those clear
plastic deals that sticks to the window, right above where the cats sit.I
fill it with sunflower hearts and shelled peanuts for the chickadees,
nuthatches and titmouses. There's one bluejay, though. . .
Most of the birds have caught on to the fact that it's safe; there are a
few sparrows that like to tease Rick by landing on the sill and looking at
him. He gets all freaked out and begins channeling Yoko Ono.
I put my suet feeder on a fairly thin branch, which has kept the furry birds
away so far. A few days ago, we had an actual redheaded woodpecker there,
along with the usual downy-types.
I'm working on a design for a re-circulating watering station, maybe using
a large fish tank pump. Ideas?
|
chelsea
|
|
response 5 of 55:
|
Nov 12 13:50 UTC 1996 |
We have four feeding stations and I go though about $200 worth
of seed a year. Who said pigs can't fly? They never visited
our backyard, for sure.
One station is a triple-tube thingie, one tube holds oilers,
one safflower seed, and one a mixed-seed. Then there is
a finch feeder with thistle hanging off the edge of our deck.
Off the crimson maple tree we have a suet cage (I'll add another
in really bitter weather). The newest station is one of
those suction-held window feeders in which I've placed sunflower
chips so there won't be waste on the ground to cause a problem
with plantings. Sidney, our cat, is in a state of full alert
over this particular feeder. He sits just inches away, daring
them to light. They do. He may need therapy if this vigil
continues and his ego gets dunked too many more times.
I really like feeding birds. I like the responsibility of keeping
the feeders filled and the seed ready. Don't know why, I just
do. It's a quiet way of nurturing, maybe. My favorite kind.
|
hokshila
|
|
response 6 of 55:
|
Nov 12 19:27 UTC 1996 |
in addition to the feeders, we also put out food scrapes and bread in the
winter for the animals.
|
chelsea
|
|
response 7 of 55:
|
Nov 13 01:50 UTC 1996 |
Me too! Pita which is about to go stale gets smeared
with peanut butter for our squirrels, raccoon, and skunk.
|
mcpoz
|
|
response 8 of 55:
|
Nov 13 02:09 UTC 1996 |
A neighbor of ours used to smear peanut butter on the branches of an apple
tree just outside of her house. She did this for years & years. When she
went out, the chicadees would land on her while she was spreading the peanut
butter.
My wife has feed the birds now for about 10 years on our deck. She has had
occasional birds land on her, but they will only come within about 5 ft of
me.
|
redfox
|
|
response 9 of 55:
|
Nov 14 14:30 UTC 1996 |
well, I got my new suet feeder and hung it up this morning. Can't waite till
I get some action. The downey wood peckers frequent that feeder. They're
one of my favorites, but I have to watch them through the binoculars because
they are somewhat far away.
When I stopped at my favorite bird store yesterday, I talked to the owner and
he said that we will have a very busy winter this year at the feeding
stations. Because of the dry summer, there is not as much natural seed as
normal. Get ready!
|
chelsea
|
|
response 10 of 55:
|
Nov 14 23:38 UTC 1996 |
No problem. We'll take out a second mortgage.
|
otter
|
|
response 11 of 55:
|
Nov 15 00:25 UTC 1996 |
Mary is right; it's a nurturing thing. Our bunnies are back! They come from
somewhere out back and feast on spillage in the evenings.
There's something peaceful, almost spiritual, about having critters gather
at your place. 8^}
|
nsiddall
|
|
response 12 of 55:
|
Nov 15 04:36 UTC 1996 |
Hey, I'll have to consult with you all when my mystery birds show up
next spring. Meanwhile I've built a nice little tray type feeder and
put it on a pole in my front garden, with a collar, which keeps out
chipmunks, but not the small and large-type squirrels, which can jump
from amazing distances. I get more than enough sparrows, chickadees,
titmice and nuthatches, but would like to attract more cardinals and
bluejays. What do they eat--sunflower seeds? Guess I won't bother with
suet this winter. Last time just got downies, and raccoons, and possums
and lord knows what. There are a lot of very pretty redheaded woodpeckers
about this year, but they are way up in the treetops (or drilling holes
in my poor toolshed.)
I had a hanging tube feeder by the patio, but a few silly birds flew into
the front window and gave themselves concussions, which made me feel bad,
so I took that away.
The cat is declawed. Still quite good with mice, but she doesn't seem
very interested in birds.
|
chelsea
|
|
response 13 of 55:
|
Nov 15 10:09 UTC 1996 |
Cardinals seem to enjoy the oilers and safflower seed.
The Bluejays just seem to enjoy harassing every other
living thing. ;-)
I wish we still had Mike Smerza around Grex. He was
quite knowledgeable about birds.
|
redfox
|
|
response 14 of 55:
|
Nov 15 14:33 UTC 1996 |
The woodchuck that visits my feeder in the summer has been replaced by a
couple of squirells, but they can't get into the feeder, just eat what lands
on the ground. My bluejays love to eat peanuts so I put shelled ones in the
hopper. The rabbits will be showing up soon. We never see them, but we
always see their foot prints in the snow by the house.
|
birdlady
|
|
response 15 of 55:
|
Nov 15 18:44 UTC 1996 |
Oh my goodness, Nathan! I completely forgot to look up that bird for you!
I have my book back, if you'd like to describe him again. (The gray bird from
last summer...if you can remember...) ;-)
|
nsiddall
|
|
response 16 of 55:
|
Nov 15 22:27 UTC 1996 |
Peanuts? I can't afford peanuts for birds! I don't even get peanuts
for myself. I get pretzels. Do bluejays like pretzels? I don't
remember the detailed specifications of the mystery bird, Birdlady.
Will keep an eye out in warbler season.
|
otter
|
|
response 17 of 55:
|
Nov 17 01:52 UTC 1996 |
Bluejays like un-cracked corn, sunflower/black oilers, and peanuts best, but
will eat most any of the larger seeds.
This morning I opened the front door to head for work and PO'd a large group
of crows. They let the entire neighborhood know just how unhappy they were.
|
otter
|
|
response 18 of 55:
|
Nov 17 14:56 UTC 1996 |
We have the weirdest bunch of birds! This morning I awakened to the sound of
a honking goose. Went to the window to see what was up, and found a single
Canada goose trying to chase a squirrel out of the hopper feeder. She
obviously didn't know that squirrels are completely fearless. Silly goose!
|
redfox
|
|
response 19 of 55:
|
Nov 17 19:50 UTC 1996 |
I've had six gold finches at the finch feeder all the time this morning and
sparrows like crazy. Boring old house sparrows. Nothing fun today, so I let
the dog out to chase a squirrel. He had fun!
|
nsiddall
|
|
response 20 of 55:
|
Nov 17 21:03 UTC 1996 |
You have finches this time of year? Are they still gold? They turn
up at my place (near Ann Arbor) in the early spring, looking drab,
and then turn bright, and then disappear.
|
mcpoz
|
|
response 21 of 55:
|
Nov 17 23:33 UTC 1996 |
We have gold finches which have lost their color and purple finches which
retain their red throughout winter. The gold finches are sort of a brownish
olive drab color. Could be mistaken for sparrows at any reasonable distance.
|
robh
|
|
response 22 of 55:
|
Nov 21 15:07 UTC 1996 |
The istem has been linked from Ing 63 to Intro 121.
Type "join ing" at the Ok: prompt for discussion of
doING interestING thINGs, like watchING thINGs with wINGs.
Here in my new apartment, I have a tree that comes within
five feet of my balcony. May birds have stopped by right
outside the window, including a cardinal and a blue jay.
I haven't seen any birds here lately, the squirrels seem to have
taken over the tree for now. >8)
|
otter
|
|
response 23 of 55:
|
Nov 23 01:04 UTC 1996 |
Though I haven't yet seen this, two witnesses have reported the feats of a
fat squirrel at my suet feeder. The feeder is a square of cedar with a rope
hanger that goes through the lid at two points, allowing the lid to be slid
up the hanger for filling. (I hope that makes sense.) Anyway, this squirrel
grabs the feeder by the wire mesh and pulls it up to him, holds it lid down,
and slides the lid "down" the rope and breaks off big chunks of suet. Kenn
has set up the video camera by the window. Film at 11:00. 8^}
|
otter
|
|
response 24 of 55:
|
Dec 2 02:26 UTC 1996 |
ref #12: I haven't tried this, but it seems to work for my grandad: put a few
brightly colored static stickers on that big window, and the birds will stop
crashing into it. There are lots of theories on why they crash, but breaking
up the plain flatness of the window seems to stop it.
Could someone here please enlighten me on the behavior of red squirrels? Are
they sort of nomadic, or just fickle? We have one that shows up every coulple
of months, brings friends, hangs out for a week or so, then disappears.
|