Show Us Your Birdfeeders Vol. 11

Wow that's pretty 3g's!!

I am starting to feel totally inadequate here...lol!

LOL...Nanny, I was thinking the same thing!

Adel and 3G...both are cool feeders!

Looks like safflower seed.

I made a new batch of my my homemade suet mixture to fill these gigantic cones that my uncle brought to me. They are the biggest cones I've ever seen. There were three of them. One each for him, his lady friend and one for me. I couldn't believe how heavy they were once I got them filled. I just HAD to weigh them...4 pounds each!! You can see on the left of the big ones, the size I usually use.

It didn't take but seconds to attract a few customers....

avaeads...............can't be sure, but those look like cones from a sugar pine.

Thanks for the cone ID. Where do Sugar Pines grow?

avaeads..........mostly in Calif. and Oregon. I have some on my property here in N. Cal. The Coulter Pine cones are heavier but not quite as long and narrow'

It is safflower. The squirrels leave that one alone and go for the feeders with sunflower seeds.
I love sugarpine cones. They are beautiful. And what a serving of suet! How long will that last your birds?

I would think one this size should last at least a month, but it's hard to say. I have several other suet feeders out there too. Another factor is the mass of siskins and redpolls that are here now (at least 2 -3 hundred). They are so aggressive, they have run off most of my other suet lovers such as downys, hairys, nuthatches and chickadees.

I love that pine cone suet feeder...good grief you do have the birds don't you. I almost fainted every time I saw our one little Redpoll!! LOL!!

Hard to believe those "sweet" little siskins and redpolls could be so mean! Strength in numbers I guess.

A long time ago, when our family was on a vacation in OR and Calif. my oldest son climbed up one of those pinetrees and got 3 or 4 of those large cones. I had them for years but they got lost when I moved. Wish I had them still, they do make great feeders.

Donna

Feeder question: Since putting out my hanging tray feeder this month, Mr and Mrs. Mockingbird will not let ANY other bird feed there. Even the blue jays. They sit nearby and chase anyone who lands on it. Gimmie gimmie mine all mine is what they think! How can I discourage this behavior? Thanks, GM

What do you have in it Maggie?

I have black oil sunflower, nut and berry, and some peanuts in the shell.

Mrs_Ed - the siskins don't need large numbers. Even when there's only 1 on a feeder, they'll make a move for any bird that tries to share the feeder. little buggers!

Grandmaggie - I have a tray feeder, small though, that came with a clear, plastic "roof". It was tented a bit so the middle was higher than the corners, and the corners had holes with a slot so they could easily go around the string that come from the corners of the feeder. you can sit it real low so only smaller birds can get in (or a larger bird if they're really diligent).

Question that's sort of feeder related: when do y'all put out nesting material? I never get any takers, and I'm not sure if they're just not interested (there's plenty of natural material around) or if I'm too late in putting it out (which is what I'm starting to suspect). I have a few bags left over still and I'd love to get rid of it :)

Grandmaggie - sorry, to follow (and finish!) what I was saying, you can maybe use a dome baffle to do something similar, or rig something up?

I put some nesting material out last year and had no takers what so ever. I put it out sometime in March. I decided like you that I am in an area where there is plenty of natural and probably preferred material. So won't waste my $$ this year.

This message was edited Feb 17, 2009 6:42 PM

I don't buy that; I just brush the persian cat. :-)

Glad you said that though.

And I just brush my Carolina Dog and put the fur in a hanging suet feeder!

ah, free material! :)

so when do you put it out your fur?

what made me think of it is I thought I saw a starling picking up some dead grass, and I thought, hmmm, maybe I need to put it out soon??

Ditto to GM. I used to put out all my dog hair from the brush and sweeping and such and put it in the hanging feeder. Lots of takers, but only house sparrows. So I didn't do it last year.

One year I had a fun time watching a female cardinal yanking on some deadish daffodils. Last year the stinker sparrows started tugging at my coconut mat in my hanging basket!

This year I'm going to get some cattails and hang next to my mom's hummingbird feeder. Ever since Tigerlily showed that last year I've been wanting to do it.

I scatter it around in different places; shrubs,tree's and on the fence.

On Palm Sunday I strip some of my palms into thin (almost thread-like) strips and put it outside.
I've seen some of the birds take off with some.
That was fun.
My friend's 6 year old daughter said that means they'll have "holy nests".
LOL!

LOL!!!

Thanks for the info, evie!
I will put out my dog fur in the cage next week or so. GM

ok, cool, I'll start putting stuff out next month as a test. thanks!

and I've started buying beef suet from the local grocery stores - there are two that sell it, and it is cheap. And the birds do eat it. No work, and cheap - w00t!!

Here is a SQUIRREL enjoying some of my home made suet cupcakes on my old fashioned corn cob feeder. Ya think I need to baffle this? LOL

I've already hung an oooold rabbit fur coat out for them. They have been acting like it's getting close to the time. Last March I had an unknown bird snatch a pretty good sized lock of MY hair as I worked in the yard.

No Mrs. Ed, I think it likes it just fine as is! ;)

Probably a Titmouse JuneyBug.

3gardeners I just saw your pottery feeder, I totally love it. You did a great job.

Adel,
Hubby and I are close to retirement, will you build us a small cabin... just like the feeder, only way bigger. It's adorable.

Dove

A titmouse! And I Love them. They raised at least one, maybe 2 broods last year with my hair lining that nest.

Here's a pic of some of my feeders. My Aunt Letty just gave me the little one with the chick feeder base, Mason jar, and old-fashioned potty bucket lid (maybe I won't be the only one who remembers those!) LOL

Nice feeders cb!

You have some great feeders, I especially love Aunt Letty's. And yes, I remember those ;-)

Tray feeder update: Mr. Cardinal has chased off the Mockingbirds during the afternoon hours. They still guard it in the am, but all are welcome later in the day!

LOL, Glad to hear their taking shifts GM!

Nice that they can share after all!!!