Show us your feeders, vol. 2

Hey Mikey, they LIKE it!!

Oh very good! :-)

Here's a peppy, hippity-hop Junco on my "deck feeder".

What's great about these cheerful little birds is that they seem to love the cheapest seed that money can buy - Millet.

Now, that's a bird after my own heart.

That Junco is so pretty!

Dwdruley,

Great shot of that beautiful Junco! We love then also! Love to 'host' them and the White Throated Sparrows during the colder months too!

Thank you for sharing.

Marilyn

Nice pic Dave!

Hello,

Other than suet feeders, does anyone have an idea for feeders for Nuthatches? Maybe one of those logs with holes drilled in it? I have a number of nuthatches on the trees, but I'd like them to slow down a while!

Hi Mrs Ed, I've seen my RB Nuthatches come to a platform feeder(containing peanut halves along w/ other things) and also a Peanut Silo.

My WB Nuthatch has actually gone from the tree down to the ground below the feeder to pick up things.

hmmm, maybe a peanut silo. I have too many squirrels for a platform! Thanks Pelle

Mrs_Ed,

Hi Mrs Ed,

We seen the Nuthatches use the tray/platform hanging feeder that we fill with black oil sunflower seeds, the old farm post (that was here when we built the house) that I spread with Jif extra crunchy peanut butter, and the upside down suet feeder. Always a Thrill to see the Nuthatches! ;-)

Marilyn

Hi Dave, Do you have a lot of squirrels around?

I would love to have something like that but my squirrels would definitely overrun it.

Each time I try to think of new things the squirrels have to be the major consideration for me. I really envy you folks that don't have to deal w/ this problem; believe me.

I have been trying to come up w/ some natural looking things that could somehow be baffled.

I also would like to somehow secure larger branches w/ side branches into the ground just for perching shots. :-)

Hey Dave, that looks like a fun project, will have to get the DH started on something. Hee hee.

Oh yah, i DID see one of those upside down suet feeders. I definitely should get one of those. Otherwise, this winter, the starlings make pigs of themselves on the suet.

Thanks!

Unfortunately Starlings can use Upside Down Suet Feeders. I couldn't believe how fast they figured mine out.

The only type of suet feeder I haven't tried yet is the one thats deep inside a box shaped cage.

I also have to see how the suet in the sandwich style feeder is going to work out w/ the Starlings.

They really are incredible (although a pain). :-)

d'oh!! Darn them! Maybe someone from MIT can come up with one that opens the door when a small bird approaches, but closes when a big one happens along. Ha! I patent that idea right now!!!
:D

Pelle,

I agree with you about the Starlings! They sure can use those 'Starling resistant' feeders and hang on!

Marilyn

It has been my experience that nuthatches will eat from a platform feeder better if there are branches attached to the feeder. They love to land on the branches and work their way down to the feeder. They hang on the branch till they pick out the seed they want. Besides, branches make better pics. I have seen them pick over and move aside peanuts to get to the BOSS.

After they have picked out that one special seed, they make a mad dash for it and then they are gone.

Pelle,

I used to enjoy squirrels until they starting interfering with my newly found bird watching hobby. I have none today simply because I've baffled everything they like to eat. I even put baffles on my finch feeder and hummingbird feeder when I went "baffle-crazy".

I don't know of any other answer to the problem. I occasionally get a stray stopping by for a drink of water which I enjoy viewing and photographing now that they are no longer a nuisance to me.

Sorry, that's the only magic bullet I know. I think it helped me a lot that neighbors on both sides enjoy feeding them, also.

Dave

Hi Dave, My main feeder area is baffled and I have 1 squirrel proof feeder hanging from a tree. The 2 thistle stations are not baffled but I've never seen squirrels bother w/ thistle. I would love to have another baffled pole thats mainly a suet station.

Nice pics Frank!

My problem is that I only have a small back yard, and no matter where I put a feeder, it would be too close to a fence, or a shed, or a tree, that the squirrels would be able to jump to the feeder of their choice, even with a baffle, I think. But, I only have 3 squirrels. And the dogs do like to chase them away.

Up until now, my approach is to use only safflower in the main feeder, then have thistle feeders. Also I occasionally have corn ears for squirrels. But I'd like to start pulling in a few more bird types more frequently. I DO have a baffle so maybe a platform with that… stay tuned.

Pelle,

The only reason I put a baffle over the finch feeder was to help keep the thistle dry (I had baffles coming out of my ears). Does it work? I'm too much of a newbie to know for sure. All I know is that in a rain with no high winds blowing it doesn't get wet.

As for the baffle over the HB feeder - you'll laugh. It was needed as a part of another one of my newbie Rube Goldberg projects that I'll post later.

Dave

Pelle - you asked about the large thistle/safflower seed feeder I am using. Here is a link to the product:

http://www.stokesselect.com/products/template/product_detail.php?PHPSESSID=c8811d08bcdbb7366b72ddda25897528&item_id_D=122

Sybil,

I really like that feeder on the right too! (I like the one on the left also!)

Pelle,

I'm pretty sure I saw the feeder on the right at the local PetSmart (PetsMart) store today.

Marilyn

Thanks sybil and Marilyn!

If you have a Tractor Supply store there, they have them too. I saw that one but opted for 2 different Stokes feeders, 2 platform feeders, that can be ground mounted or hung and 1 wire mesh for BOSS.
Here's 1 of the platform feeders

Here's the BOSS feeder. I don't remember the capacity but it holds quite a bit.

Nice sadie may; you have 2 of my favorite birds there!

Pelle and Marilyn ~ the woodpeckers are my absolute favorites! Right now, the Red Bellies must be working out some territorial problems, I saw 2 fly into each other and down onto the ground the other day and they are constantly squawking at each other!

I've got a fruit and nut mix, from Tractor Supply, in the platform feeders. Going from memory (because I'm too lazy to get up) I think it has walnuts, peanuts, shelled pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower hearts, and striped sunflower seeds, I think the fruits are dried cherries and raisins. All of the birds seem to love it. Occasionally, I'll add some unsalted, roasted, in-the-shell peanuts to the mix if there are a lot of Jays around. The other feeder is just BOSS.

I also use sunflower hearts in my tube feeders and a refillable thistle sock for the finches. Oh yeah, and a suet feeder and a big green cage feeder that holds those Bird Ola seed blocks...LOL, I'm beginning to think I spend more on bird food than on groceries!!

I really am enjoying my new feeders, especially the platform feeders. The wooden ones I bought earlier in the year at Walmart are looking pretty rough by now. So far, I've seen Chickadees, Tits and a Downy WP on the BOSS feeder and just about everything that visits has stopped by the platform types.

Sadie Mae,

Another great pic! Love the Downies also! ;-)

What's this BOSS bird feeder you're talking about? Is that the name of it? Who makes it? Can you tell me more about it?

Thanks for the info on the bird food. I'll just have to check out our local Tracker Supply company again. The last time was many years ago. I usually go to Lowe's and Meijer's. Sometimes I buy bird food at Petsmart.

Thanks!

Marilyn

Very nice pic of the Downy sadie mae!

Yes the Nut n Berry mix seems to be very popular w/ all types of birds.

Thanks, glad ya'll liked the pics :-)

Marilyn ~ the BOSS feeder is the wire mesh feeder above, with the Titmouse on it. Both it and the platform feeder are made by Stokes. I'd never seen the Stokes brand feeders at Tractor Supply until recently, they must be a new item for them. They seem better made than most of the other feeders they carry. I think the feeder that I have the BOSS in was actually called a Sunflower Seed Screen Feeder, BOSS just stands for black oil sunflower seeds.

This little male Downy is addicted to the sunflower hearts in this feeder, he always goes to it first and does NOT like to share, LOL!!

sadie_mae,

Thanks for the info!

Another great photo! Love your comment about the Downy! lol Love the darling Chick A Dee too! They're another favorite! Looks like all you have in that feeders is unshelled sunflower seeds. What else is in there? What are sunflower hearts? I thought there was just broken up sunflower seeds in there.

Sunflower hearts is what they're called by some brands, they all look about the same to me. Some brands say sunflower pieces, but all they are is shelled sunflower seeds, no matter what they call them :-) I think maybe the hearts are supposed to be less broken up than the pieces but as you can see, they all look broken to me!

Is this the Stokes BOSS feeder you're talking about sadie mae?

http://www.stokesselect.com/products/template/product_detail.php?PHPSESSID=c8811d08bcdbb7366b72ddda25897528&item_id_D=126

I clicked onto the Stokes website. How much do you fill it up to? Is it heavy?

Where did you say you found it at? Do you know how much it cost?

Thanks!

Marilyn

This message was edited Nov 3, 2007 1:49 PM

Yep, that's the one.

I got it at Tractor Supply for $17.50, I believe.

I'm not sure how heavy it is, the link you posted says it can hold 6 - 7 lbs of hulled sunflower seeds so filled with the BOSS, it should be lighter than that. I only filled mine about 2/3 full, because that's all the container, that I used to carry the seed outside, would hold.

The Goldfinches really like this feeder too, they were all over it when I was outside earlier today.

sadie mae,

Thanks for the info! I'm going to check out Tractor Supply tomorrow or Monday.

Love the sweet and charming Goldfinches!

Marilyn

Sadie mae,