Show us Your Feeders! Vol. #14

thanks rose

Look what happened to my feeder! I didn't see who actually did this, however, the main suspect is the critter below in my second pic. Snug

Who said squirrels don't like Nyjer seed!!

Eeewww! Now I know who did that to mine last year.

I had the same thing happen to a new nyjer feeder last year.

Evil, evil. Sorry about our feeder Snug :( Damien DEFINITELY likes nyger seed as he lurks and comes out to grab it if I spill any.

Went to buy the cheapest Wild Bird feed that WM had yesterday, there was nothing even close to cheap. so I paid more than $8.00 for fourteen lb. of a poor seed mix and will feed it to the quail. And they had no Chicken Scratch at all, and won't have any for 2 weeks at least. So I guess I will have to go to local feed store to get more to feed chickens and quail.

Luckily the squirrels or jays have not found my location. I did not plant any nut trees, but have 6 varieties of Oak trees, The oldest is probably 8 or 9 years, and none of them had any acorns this year. I see the orioles built a nest in the top of the Quercus macarocarpa, Burr Oak. I counted the oriole nest still hanging in my trees, there are 20 of them, probably half from last year. They eat a lot of grape jelly and oranges.

Donna

This ceramic flower feeder is usually the busiest feeder on the place. It will only hold a couple of hands full of sunflower, so I have to refill it several times a day. A Slate-colored Junco on it.

That is so prettiful!

I'm new to DG and the forum, but not to bird watching. I moved to the farm in rural Kentucky 5 years ago when I retired, so really enjoy keeping track of birds and taking pictures when I can. I usually see about 50 species each year; 54 in 2009, which was surprising since I was housebound nearly half that time [breast cancer surgery & chemo]. On New Year's morning I saw 16 species at the feeders outside my kitchen window within half an hour.

My daughter won a suet feeder at a Christmas party. I made my own cakes for the first time. Carolina wrens apparently like the recipe.

Welcome Sunfarm......That is a GREAT shot! Please feel free to share your recipe. I am trying to attract the Carolina Wrens on a more regular basis.

Watch that counting species of birds...that can lead to trouble!! LOL

In 2008 I decided to try and get 100 different species of birds within the area I live in and was silly enough to post that here on the forum. I made it ...barely. Will never do THAT again! :)

Thanks for the welcome. I suspect "suet" is a rather flexible recipe. I used a cup each of lard and peanut butter, when melted and nearly liquid I added 2 cups of unbleached plain flour and 3 cups of cornmeal, then mixed in some safflower seeds. I spread it into a rectangular baking dish that had been sprayed with PAM, then let it harden in the freezer for a couple of hours. I cut it into 6 rectangles to fit the wire cage, putting the ones I didn't need immediately into a zip-top bag. While wrens are my best customers I have also seen Carolina chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches partaking of the cake.

Hi, Sunfish
I just got back from Rural KIng, they had the suet blocks for 2 for $1.00. I have made them before, when I wasn't working and had more time. I may try you recipe.

I bought straight sunflower seeds, nyger seeds and a bit of the cracked corn mix for my cardinals. I had one dreadful experience this week, my big black tomcat caught one of my woodpeckers. Needless to say, I moved my suet feeder.

I did get one ceramic feeder for Christmas from my son. It has reddish swirls, very decorative. Sorry no pics, it is so COLD !

Teresa in KY

I try to keep a variety of foods for the birds, though we mostly keep a "gourmet" blend from Southern States, black oil sunflower seeds, and a cob of dry corn on a feeder primarily for squirrels, though the blue jays, red-bellied woodpeckers, and some cardinals like the corn. I try to add safflower seeds sometimes, as I have heard that cowbirds dislike them, but I have not seen that to be effective in discouraging them.

I hope you don't mind me asking but where is Irvine? I live just west of Bowling Green about 30 miles. I have been a birdwatcher all of my life. I am also lucky to live near a wetlands, so I see several types of waterbirds too.

I would love to get some of the wren coming to my feeders. I haven't seen any. I love to watch the little nuthatch. My 83 yr old mom calls them the upside down bird. :)

Welcome Sunfarm ^_^

Welcome Sunfarm. I too have been a birdwatcher all my long life of 83 years.
Have way too many E. sparrows, they keep iother birds away form my many feeders, so I am mostly putting out chicken scratch (couldn't get any at WMa couple of days ago) on the ground is a small area for the quail, so that they can eat it before sparrows. And keep my netting and upside down feeder for the goldfinches, filled with nyjer seed.

Donna

Forum members might be interested in the pole extension my husband designed for one of the feeders in our front yard. The squirrels were cleaning it out when the pole was short enough for me to reach the feeder, so he replaced the pole with a piece of galvanized pipe and attached the feeder to a piece of PVC pipe that fits like a sleeve over the metal pipe. The feeder is attached to a PVC flange, and when the sleeve is slid up the metal pipe it can be held up by a bolt that goes through the metal pipe.
All are common hardware store items. I am attaching a picture of the feeder with pole extended, and will also post a closeup of the hardware.

Here's a closeup of the hardware I described in previous post. The bolt acts like a cotter pin, and has a wire to keep it from slipping out. There are cutouts in the end of the PVC pipe to keep it from rotating when resting on the bolt. I painted the white plastic pipe to make it look a bit less industrial.

I just use a raccoon baffle to keep squirrels and raccoons out of the platform http://www.shopwbu.com/products/productdetail/WBU+APS+Raccoon+Baffle/part_number=3054/567.0.1.1.25214.0.0.0.0?

This message was edited Jan 5, 2010 3:22 PM

I use a wrap-around baffle, but it has to be the right height (of course). It is easy to put on and take off

http://www.shopwbu.com/products/productdetail/WBU+18%22+Wrap+Around+Baffle/part_number=2509/567.0.1.1.25214.0.0.0.0?

To cut down the goldfinch gorging, I started using a nut mix in a couple of my feeders, leaving only 1 feeder with sunflower seed. Otherwise the goldfinches would take up all the space on the feeders and the chickadees, et al would land and look and go next door. I showed those goldfinches who's boss :p

I only wish I had too many goldfinches eevie_beevie!

Hey, remember this one? After the seeds were out, I melted some crisco and peanut butter, mixed it with cornmeal and seeds and stuffed it in the flower head.

That looks so prettifuly Mrs Ed as well as being a feeder. I got back from the SW to find that Damien the Spawn of Satan tree rat had somehow got on the finch feeder and chewed off the plastic feeding hole covers to get at the nyger seed. I'm SO ticked off!

Yes, I know how you feel !! - This tenacious squirrel keeps returning to the now caput nyjer bird feeder - I wonder if he's sharpening his teeth?? LOL I have purchased another "squirrel-proof" feeder in the meantime. I hope it works. Snug

Here's another pic. Snug

Wow. those are crazy squirrels. Mine are well behaved comparatively.

Has anyone ever run into a Carolina wren in NW IN? Or maybe I have a swamp wren? Only one and I only see it in the winter when we have the feeders loaded up and the heater in the bird bath.

I think they're (carolina) supposed to be in the area, Cindy. I've never seen one up here though

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/carolina_wren/id

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGJzhiEcQME
A good way to heat your Hummingbird feeder! It appears to be a candle warmer.

Hey, there goes my idea! darn. not rich this week.

I thought you were working on an attractor for the HB's.
Either that, or we all just copy DellRose's farm-site...What a humming bird's haven/heaven!

Thanks for that link Juney...something to think about next year. Someone in the very southwest corner of Mo. has had a Rufous this winter.

Mrs. Ed...I love that sunflower feeder...will have to remember that next year.

I bought this cute little snack feeder at Tractor Supple last week and it is a real hit especially with the Tufted Titmouse.

ooo, i love that. it would be good for mealworms and bluebird pictures.

That was my thinking also. It was only $7...a real bargain. Unfortunately I had to quit feeding mealworms since the Sparrows were eating the bulk of them! The Blues do show up to eat the sunflower hearts and a berry mix feed though so at least I get to see them everyday.

dellrose, nice feeder and yes not expensive. My idea of not putting much feed out that the E. Sparrows will eat is not working very good. Still as many sparrows as before. The Goldfinches are really busy. And occassionaly a chickadee comes by to get sunflower seeds. It is my very favorite bird.

Donna

The HOSP and the Starlings are r-e-a-l-l-y ruining bird feeding for me right now. Seems like hardly any other birds can get to the feeders anymore.....

I am having more Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds and not so many House Sparrows. Luckily the only ones that like the red caged feeders are the Goldfinch. I have so many feeders out though that every one seems to be able to eat (even though I am going broke)!! I can't believe all the ground feeders including Fox and Tree Sparrows.

One good thing about the Blackbirds is that they come in for awhile and then they all leave together.

Donna...I love the Chickadees too although it is a rare treat when I see one. I think they are just gorgeous and they even sound cute!

Not a feeder but the heated blue pet bowl is very popular again this year!

That is a cute feeder Rose!

Mrs_Ed - Thanks for the feedback. My field guide says they're in the area but, like I mentioned, I only see this one in the winter.