Bird Nuts...

[griss]

For the last couple of years, I have become more and more interested in the wild birds in my area. I now have 5 seed feeders, 2 suet feeders and about a dozen hummingbird feeders. The seed and suet I keep filled year round and the hummingbird feeders are kept filled in the summer.

For Christmas Eve, my Father and Step-Mother got me a book of wild birds. It's a really nice book by the Stokes and very informative.

Christmas morning after the kids opened their gifts, Mrs Griss was looking out the back window watching the birds. She suddenly called out to me to come to the window. There, at the suet feeders were some of the coolest birds I have ever seen. We have never seen these in our yard before and got the Stokes' book out and began perusing the pages.

Turns out, it was a mated pair of Norther Flickers. Very cool birds.

[t11t5]

We have these Crow sized woodpeckers around my house. They are so loud when they peck at the hallow trees.

[Nina51]

if you put out clusters of grapes, some raisins, currants, you will get all kinds of woodpeckers. they're some of my favorite birds. there's also a suet block made specially for woodpeckers that will keep them coming back for more.

you'll have downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, along with your flickers. they get quite tame and will let you know, in NO uncertain terms, when the feeders are empty.

griss, be sure to avoid the junk seed. use only black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and thistle along with the suet and you'll get mostly good birds. it'll help keep the sparrows and crows and crappy birds away from your yard.

[dinoman]

I've had a few of those show up here a time or two, usually the only time they come around is when its colder than all get out and in the middle of a snow storm.

Right now I just have about 150 goldfinches and chickadees . I swear when you look out the windows it looks like its raining birds. They spook and just fly up into the trees and 30 seconds later they start jumping down to the ground again.

[Hobster]

Thank is a pretty bird. What State are you in?

Since we have been keeping the feeders full, The Wood Peckers have been regulars

Whats really cool is when the "wild" Parrots and Parakeets come by. Sometimes a flock of different colored Parakeets will swarm by and you think you are back in the 60's or 70's

[Misled]

Originally posted by Hobster
Sometimes a flock of different colored Parakeets will swarm by and you think you are back in the 60's or 70's

We do that with pigeons!!!!!

[pnosko]

Originally posted by t11t5
They are so loud when they peck at the hallow trees.

I'm surprised they don't get hit by a bolt of lighting.

[hubris007]

Originally posted by griss

The branch is in the way.

[mrferrit]

i am shocked no one has commented yet on the title

bird nuts

come on guys
someone got to have something to say about that

nic pic though

[griss]

Originally posted by Nina51
if you put out clusters of grapes, some raisins, currants, you will get all kinds of woodpeckers. they're some of my favorite birds. there's also a suet block made specially for woodpeckers that will keep them coming back for more.

you'll have downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, along with your flickers. they get quite tame and will let you know, in NO uncertain terms, when the feeders are empty.

Thanks Nina. I do have a couple varieties of woodpeckers that are starting to frequent my feeders.

Originally posted by Nina51
griss, be sure to avoid the junk seed. use only black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and thistle along with the suet and you'll get mostly good birds. it'll help keep the sparrows and crows and crappy birds away from your yard.

I've learned that this year. In fact, since switching to black oil sunflowers, I am seeing more Cardinals in the yard. I also put out a feeder with just cracked corn in it to see if I can get even more Cards and some Blue Jays.

I am also building a Bluebird house to put up in February to try to attract some Eastern Bluebirds. I'll be sure to follow your recommendation for Mealworms as a treat for them

Originally posted by Hobster
Thank is a pretty bird. What State are you in?

Hobster, I am in Missouri in West St. Louis County.

Originally posted by mrferrit
i am shocked no one has commented yet on the title

bird nuts

come on guys
someone got to have something to say about that

nic pic though

[griss]

Originally posted by hubris007
The branch is in the way.

Here you go Hubris. Beautiful birds.

[fussoverthis]

All you wild bird lovers make me jealous! I used to have feeders out and attracted all kinds of birds to my little back yard in the middle of town. In fact, I would have several clutches of fledging cardinals every spring. Last spring I got rats from the seed that fell to the ground. They never did get in the house, thank God, but they dug holes in my backyard and were just a big nuisance. Had to get rid of the feeders.

The one my birds loved the most was a metal mesh feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds. All the cardinal babies loved it. The parents would bring them there by the ton. It's called a NO/NO Feeder. Not sure how it got that name, but here's a link to it: http://www.no-nobirdfeeder.com/product_detail18.asp

Here are some photos I snapped one day. This was a light feeding time. There were usually lots more.







I also got the rare visit from an indigo bunting. My neighbor was so ticked that I got the visits from the indigo bunting. The woodpeckers would also visit this feeder.

[Nina51]

grissmysweet, i can almost guarantee you that if you are successful at attracting a breeding pair of eastern bluebirds, you will become hooked beyond belief. they have to be the sweetest birds on the planet and watching them raise their young is one of the most rewarding hobbies ever. mealworms aren't just a treat around here. i'm going through 5,000 in a month and that's just with 7 or 8 birds coming to the feeder. they are ravenous this time of year.

fussoverthis, i have that same no/no feeder and i LOVE it! we are blessed with lots of indigo buntings from about may to late august. they were some of gary's favorites.

[pnosko]

Originally posted by t11t5
They are so loud when they peck at the hallow trees.

Originally posted by pnosko
I'm surprised they don't get hit by a bolt of lighting.

BWWAAAHHHAAAA!!!! you kill me...

[fussoverthis]

Nina,
I can't believe the color of the indigo buntings - no wonder Gary loved them. I was going to set up a feeding station for bluebirds, but the rats put a damper on any wild bird feeding, so I have given up. It was very difficult to get rid of the rats even after the bird feeders were removed. I have to live vicariously through others!

[Air Cooled V.W.]

My girlfriend and I love bird watching and I love shooting them with a camera. Thats an awesome picture of the Flicker! We have alot of Red Bellied, Red Headed, and Downys around here (Northern Ohio right on Lake Erie) and I've even spotted a Flicker here in the summer but its colors were not as sweet as the one in your picture. We were also fortunate enough to spot a Pileated Woodpecker at one of out favorite spots to go birding. The other day I was doing dishes and looking out the window I noticed a Mourning Dove on the ground by our feeder but he was very still almost like he was dead. He hadn't moved for several minutes so I started looking around the trees and noticed this guy



stalking the dove. The dove must have been playing dead because he knew the Red Tail was watching over him. I instantly grabbed my camera and ran out the front door to scare the hawk away. I started walking towards the dove to scare him away and he didnt fly off till I was about 6 inches from him. Then the hawk looked down at me like he was gonna swoop down on me and peck my eyes out! I was able to get a couple more pictures of him before he finaly flew away!



We have a large hedge right next to the feeder that alot of sparrows live in and just fly to the feeder and then back to the hedge. Last week I saw a hawk fly out of the hedge and land on the ground right by the feeder and then another Red Tail fly in and landed in a nearby tree. So they know our house is a hot spot. I think we are gonna take the feeders down for a week untill the hawks find somewhere else to feed!

[hubris007]

Originally posted by mrferrit
i am shocked no one has commented yet on the title

bird nuts

come on guys
someone got to have something to say about that

If you will scroll up a bit, you will notice the title "Bird nuts" followed by a picture of a bird followed by a comment along the lines of "the branch is in the way". I'm sorry if that was too subtle for you

[Air Cooled V.W.]

Ha Ha! Nice!