Community Chat

[goldensrbest]

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@chickenbutt wrote:

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@goldensrbest wrote:

I bought two bird feeders this week , one has sunflower seeds in it ,the other salflower seeds, why would they not be eating from them?

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Are the seeds in the shells?  I know that the types of birdies who like to eat the seeds, especially the little bitty ones, tend to not go for anything still in the shell.

The only whole ones I do are the peanuts for the scrub jays.  

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I thought black sunflower seeds ,were all the same you buy for birds.

[goldensrbest]

Up date on my bird feeding, the wild turkeys have found the feeding station,started out with 3 ,now 9 ,poop every where,yuck!!!

[ID2]

I feed my birds every season. But right now I can't even get to any of my feeders. We're having one heck of a winter and the snowfall amount is nearly up to my waist. My birds must have all flown south this winter (lucky) as I haven't seen many at my feeders. 

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@goldensrbest wrote:

Up date on my bird feeding, the wild turkeys have found the feeding station,started out with 3 ,now 9 ,poop every where,yuck!!!

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@goldensrbest . Can you put the food where the turkeys can’t get to it? If not, stop feeding. Once the turkeys get used to food, they won’t leave.

[goldensrbest]

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

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@goldensrbest wrote:

Up date on my bird feeding, the wild turkeys have found the feeding station,started out with 3 ,now 9 ,poop every where,yuck!!!

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@goldensrbest . Can you put the food where the turkeys can’t get to it? If not, stop feeding. Once the turkeys get used to food, they won’t leave.

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Squirrels get on the bird feeders. so i use a huge boulder in my yard, i have a old mailbox on it ,put seed in it ,and boulder, going to stop.

[DebbieMA]

I only feed the birds in the winter. We used to have many bird feeders up but black bears pull them down for the seed. We do have a birdbath up in the summer for fresh water.

[esmerelda]

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@1Snickers wrote:

I wonder I’d hot pepper mixed with seeds will help with the rat problem?The local bird store sells it for squirrels.

When I was little we had a Cocker Spaniel. There was an alley near the house and naturally rats.(I had a pet white one).

I remember waking up hearing a commotion outside and my Mother said it was just the Cocker chasing a Rat!

Maybe Cockers, or cats are the answer!

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@1Snickers Squirrels and rats are both rodents, right?  The hot seed should discourage the rats too. 

[esmerelda]

No, I'm not talking to myself.  I wanted to say more yesterday, but on the iphone it's a nightmare!!  So...

As I was filling the feeders yesterday, I wondered how much should I feed?  I have 8 feeders out.  

Two hang on shepherd hooks.  One of them is metal has a little "cage" around it--big enough for smaller birds to get in but squirrels and biggter birds have no luck.  The other is plastic (when I fill it I remember the $5 I paid for it, so it's not high tech or anything) and I only put "Sizzle N Heat" feed in that.  Squirrels know it's not for them.

The others hang on a thin wire between two trees (edge of the woods so not a danger).  Squirrels aren't good wire walkers...except that one that I couldn't believe was on one of the feeders one day!

So if any of you with squirrel or rat (or wild turkey) problems have any way of safely running a wire, try that.

And there are squirrel baffles available to attach to poles or posts (4" square).  I think I saw them in the Duncraft catalog.

Except for specific food for woodpeckers, nyjer for goldfinches and suet, for everyone else, I mix black oil sunflower seed and "songbird blend"  and sometimes safflower.  This time of year I go heavier on safflower seed to discourage grackles which should be showing up soon.  I try to use feeders that grackles can't use because of their size.  I have one open/platform feeder.  I bury a bit of sunflower seed under safflower seed in that one when the grackles are in town.

In addition I feed squirrels peanuts in the shell (even though peanuts are technically a legume and not a nut) and occasionally add a handful of hazelnuts (in the shell) to the bag so they get a couple of them now and then.  I also put out ear corn.

Bottom line...I'm spending too much and I think feeding too much.  Especially given that most of what I see is goldfinches.  I think come summer I'll decrease the number of feeders and not put all of them out again in the winter.

Water...also hanging from the wire.  When I fill the birdbath, I get turkey vultures.  NO THANKS!!

[happycat]

Well, I have an update, I noticed my first bluebird this morning. I think they like mealworms and I don't have any...will pick some up when I go to town.

@goldensrbest , maybe the wild turkeys will move on, I hope.

[NickNack]

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@happycat wrote:

Well, I have an update, I noticed my first bluebird this morning. I think they like mealworms and I don't have any...will pick some up when I go to town.

@goldensrbest , maybe the wild turkeys will move on, I hope.

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@happycat   I used to feed live mealworms, but the bluebirds never found them.  The Carolina Wrens used to eat them, and I love watching them, too.  I did have a nesting box that the bluebirds used.  I hope the bluebirds find your mealworms.

A few months ago I bought a cylinder feeder to feed cylinder seed.  I bought the woodpecker blend from Wild Birds Unlimted.  To my surprise the bluebirds eat it all the time.  I'll have as many as six bluebirds at a time.  I think it's the suet and fruit that they like.