Show Us Your Feeders, #15

Photo with some birds on it.

Sweet!

I do like that cage feeder alot! Pelle, have you seen any Cardinal trying it out yet?

Hi Lily, No I haven't seen many Cardinal around lately but I'll keep an eye out.

I have two of those feeders Pelle and also feed sunflower hearts in it. I got them mainly for the Indigos but all of the smaller birds like it too. The Red-bellied Woodpecker uses it also and gets the seeds with his long tongue. I haven't seen any Cardinals use them since I got them over a year ago. I had a pic showing the RB Woodpecker using it and I will try and find it. It was quite comical to watch!!

That does it, now I've gotta have them too. lol Welcome back Rose, I've been missing your post.

A 'table top' feeder has became one of the fav. feed station for Housefinches and friends.

Stringed candles holders as a feeder hung on a trellis.

oh neat! close up please!

Isn't that cute? I know just what to get you for Christmas. :) Be back later with more pix this evening.

Oh yes, that's very cute! I was trying to see how they were hanging.

Let's see ... The metal string is barely visible. Thus far, Cardinals and finches have discovered the seeds. I was having Blue birds in mind, maybe I can offer mealworms as treats for them during the winter. Will see.

very nice!

Thanks. Here is another novelty. I saw this at a thrift store. I thought I could use it for whole peanut cage feeder for my birds. Tufted Titmice love it. Cardinal too were seen around the trellis this morning.

Good idea. looks like the spiders like it too

Lily_love,
Those are great ideas! I really like the thrift store find. I sure wish I had an eye for things like that, to see a purpose in something that otherwise just looks like clutter.

Thanks.

I have yet to find the perfect feeder. I have one I like for small birds but as for woodpeckers and such I'm still looking. You should see the bird feeder graveyard in my shed. Just bought a cheap one from a local hardware store that said squirrel proof and guaranteed for life. It's not squirrel proof and I'm not sure I want it to last a lifetime!

Anyway, here is the reason for my post. I just bought a 50 pound bag of safflower seed and saved $40 -- that's right FORTY DOLLARS SAVED! I'm such an idiot. I can't believe that I've just been going to the big chain hardware store when I should have investigated the local feed store. Not only did I get it much cheaper if I bought in bulk but the owner told me that if you buy in bulk you are considered a feeder of wildlife and in Texas you are not taxed if you feed the wildlife, so I didn't have to pay tax.

I'm sure none of you are as dumb as I was especially those of you in the country. I live near downtown Houston and there are 2 feed stores in the heights, so you don't have to go to the country. The one I went to was on Main street and I think it has better deals.

I was shocked to see how much sunflower seed has jumped up at Tractor Supply. I have been feeding sunflower hearts all summer because they had them on special until the end of July. Now they have Cardinal Mix on special thru October 25. I really need to checkout a feed store.

One of our local country stores has stopped selling sunflower seeds because of the increased cost. I bought 10, 50 pound bags at the Amish market a few weeks ago and paid $27.00 per bag. They are now $34.00 per 50 pound bag. I have not checked at the local feed mill, but I would bet the price is the same there.

That is one reason I stopped filling the feeders when the Grackles were here in full force. I started filling them again--now I suppose that darned big bear will visit! LOL

That's funny b/c when I was talking with owner to find out how to get a cheaper safflower seed, he suggested that I switch to black-oil sunflower seed. He did say that all seed prices have gone up. I think he blamed crop failure which made sense to me b/c I'm in drought stricken Texas where even huge oak trees are dying, but there isn't drought everywhere in the country. I guess production would still be down.

I'm trying to be selective about which birds I feed which is why I have some safflower feeders. I have noticed that grackles are not as fond of clinging feeders (no perches) as other feeders.

We're heading to an Amish area next week and have been thinking about getting seed, but need to figure the best way to store it.

We just found out we had a problem with bugs, even though the seed was put in Rubbermaid totes. No flies, but what we think were Indian Meal Moths. We had those moths flying around all winter. Not a lot, but more than just a stray that might have gotten indoors. We keep our flour and such sealed, so had no idea where they were coming from until this summer when I saw the crawlies in the seed. Would this make the birds sick at all?

I doubt it Chilly, they eat all kind of bugs in the wild. Do you have a storage bin outdoors? I use one, that double as a seat. I keep 4, 5 gal pails in it for the seeds, and enough room left for gardening stuff.

The eggs were probably already in the seed when you bought it. In my experience if there is something like that in the seed, the birds don't eat it. Seems like they should because they do eat bugs, but whenever the birds aren't eatiing seed that I put out, I check the bags and sometimes I find that webby stuff indicating bugs. Sometimes, there doesn't seem to be any reason. I just chalk it up to bad seed. I keep my seed indoors to keep the animals out of it and b/c I think the heat ruins it, but that might be my imagination.

yah, well if it goes rancid as with lots of high fat foods, they don't like it. Don't blame them!

so, the next person who gets a nice new feeder, please start a new thread!

Okay, here is a new thread since I've got "a nice new feeder". lol Please everyone come and join me here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1214698/