Birds!!

How exciting!! This house had nothing but HOSP when we moved in 1 1/2 yrs ago. I've removed all the plant material that was here, leaving 2 larger trees, and replacing all else with mostly native plants. I haven't fed the birds since we moved in because I wasn't going to feed HOSP. All my plantings are so small, so there really isn't anything to feed them. I finally decided I was going to try safflower, peanuts and I bought a kit to build a squirrel feeder, which my husband and I built. I put it all up on Mon. Tues morning, I had a red bellied woodpecker, chickadees and a pair of blue jays! I'm just so excited to see anything other than a HOSP here that I had to share!

Terry

Yeah, terry! If you build it they WILL come!

Right now I have mostly chicadees and titmice. We had a few juncos and nuthatches too. Occaisionaly red bellied woodpecker.

The squirrels finally nested in the owl house. I figured it was only a matter of time.

Hey joe, go on out and just tell them birdies to come to my house, they won't be sorry!! I can't wait to see a titmouse here. I love those birds! Just thinking about all that will come when my plants actually get some size to them makes me excited....lol.....

Almost everything except HOSP LOVE Black Oil Sunflower seed. If I could only provide one food source for birds it would be Black Oil Sunflower seed.

terryr

Exciting! Maybe you can add suet, and the RBW will come daily and bring friends. Next summer, hope you have room for sunflower plants, or blackeyed susan-or a thistle feeder for goldfinches. My friend has hers right next to the deck; they got used to people and will come to it while you are sitting right there.
I'm tempted to ask Santa for a pellet pistol to get those bad birds~~

Oh my gosh! I forgot, I do have 2 suet feeders up! I have a thistle feeder and niger in the freezer, but I had it out before and I never saw anything. Niger is expensive and seems to go bad fast, so I thought I'd wait till maybe I saw a finch. I've got native plants out there that I know birds will love the seed, I just didn't get any this year. Now maybe they're finding me! And maybe, just maybe, some of my plants will produce berries next year.......

Hey sallyg, ask Santa to send me one those air laser guns..........we'll be pistol packing mama's....lol.......

At my house the finches love the columbine and the rosin weed, they eat those seeds so fast I can hardly collect any for trading.

When we had the big snow fall a few weeks ago, the culversroot and joepyeweed were the only plants above the snow, that had any seeds left. I watched a chickadee perch on the culversroot and eat away, right outside my dining room window. I rarely see the birds eat anything off the culversroot, so I was glad that they found it.

Now see? I have all those plants, but have yet to see any birds eat the seed. It takes time I know I know......;)

The RBW's also love the large seed blocks. I got mine from Wal Mart along with the cage holder and its a favorite with all the birds.

That is very similar to the suet cage my grandmother gave me for Christmas years ago. It's one of the ones out with a big woodpecker suet block in it.

They can be sneaky! I have salvia farinacea along the driveway side of my house but would just get a glimpse of the goldfinches shooting out of there when I suddenly turned the corner. Finally pulled up slowly once and saw that they were all over that salvia. You know there's more happening than you've caught~~
I think it's OK to save your thistle to try again in the spring, I think GF are gone in the winter, but somebody pls correct if that's wrong.

TerryR,

I know this must sound like a 'stupid' question, but does HOSP stand for (mean)?

Marilyn

Marilyn, not a 'stupid' question. Grandma always said there are no stupid questions only dumb answers :o)
HOSP= house sparrow

Thanks Terry. ;-))

Marilyn

Ginger,

What is Qld?

Marilyn

Good Quistion Heres MY dumb answer.
The state I live In QUEENSLAND.

Thanks Ginger!

lol ;-))

oh ginger, now you know that wasn't a dumb answer, you just merely answered her question. A dumb answer would be what my brother does to me all the time when I ask him a question, which is for him to not answer the question at all, but to answer my question with a question. Such as, me "What're ya doing?" him "Writing a book?" now really, that's a dumb answer.

LOL Terry!

That's my brother. My response is usually, yes, and I'm on page 278, chapter 7. Another thing my brother likes to do is tell everyone I'm the oldest. Yep, he was 6 months old and I was 15 when there was a knock at the door and there I was. I can't help but love him, even though sometimes I just wanna punch him!

ROTFL Terry!

Good one!

His wife still tells about at her bridal shower 10 yrs ago, we were sitting on a picnic table, me across from her, suddenly she leans forward and says "So! How much older than Tom are you?" I smacked her on the arm and she claims it still hurts to this day....lol!

lol ;-))

This message was edited Dec 22, 2006 12:40 AM

This message was edited Dec 22, 2006 12:41 AM

I've got Junco's!!!! They were out in my mini prairie eating seeds I would assume from all the indigenous plants I have in there. How exciting!!

Cool!! Here are cardinals from this morning. They're still here too, eating way at our feeders.

terryr-- so good to hear your birdy success story!

Can you tell us a little something about the native plants you put in your garden?

p.s. don't forget, everyone, to check in to the birdwatching forum to post your pics, too!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/birdwatching/all/

What do you want to know? Names of plants? Perennials, shrubs, trees? Size? Moisture requirements? Sun or shade or something in between?

I have a bird question. It's suddenly cold here, and I'd like to put out some suet (in the front, as the cats occasionally inhabit the back). Is it too late? Should I wait until next year? I know if you put it out one year, they count on it the next, and I'm willing to take that on. Since the builders just took out all trees to build the 'hood there aren't many. I just feel sorry for the ones that are there.

Not too late at all.

Go ahead and put out the suet now.

Speaking of trees, You know you have a found a landscaper that is right up your alley, when the guy agrees that the tree recently stuck by lightening should stay, as it is a good habitat tree and its far enough away from everything that it won't do any damage when it falls. Every other landscaper that gave me a quote, recommended that tree be removed :- )

Wow. One who cares more about the environment than his pocket! They'll be few and far between.