Bird feeding

[Tom Pullings]

How many out there have bird feeders set up on their property. I have for years and I really enjoy watching what comes to my feeders as well as the songs they sing. Had what I think was a northern flicker visit yesterday for a short while.

In the last week or so my feeders have been invaded by juvenile blackbirds of some sort. They waste seed and cling to my feeders sometimes 5 or 6 birds at a time. Oh well. Still better than having no birds around.

[FCLightning]

They are probably Starlings, and if so you would be better off to have no. birds around.

[Scott N]

I feed the local sparrow mostly, but I get Blue Jays and a few other species every now and then.

[Piker]

I get lots of birds. I usually just feed sunflower seeds out of tube feeders so the starlings do not eat them. I get flickers woodpeckers sparrows wrens red and yellow breasted finches plus a few you only see for a short time in the spring and fall. There is a pair of Merlin’s in my back trees so all the other ones are very careful. Also banded doves mourning doves robins a few canaries they stick around if they do not get hassled by the other birds.

[nast70]

We fed our neighborhood birds for a number of years, but like someone else mentioned, had a pair of Merlins move in. not to many small birds around anymore in the spring.
I had more fun tricking the squirrels out of their snacks.
Always liked Blue Jays at the feeder, but don't forget to fill it. They let know know if its empty, Sunday morning when you are trying to sleep in

[Lorne D]

Bluejays and chickadees all winter, the occasional whiskey jack all seem to enjoy Bojangles dog food.

[Little red riding hood]

Wife has been feeding them for a bit, how long do it usually take before the birds start coming around?

[curtz]

I built my house in the middle of the bush and love Sunday morning coffee, we get chickadees , red poles, gross beaks, blue jays, nut hatches, and a lot of others in the summer. The boreal chickadees love nuts.

[FlyTheory]

I have a tray on the deck set up for magpies. I feed them left overs bones and leftovers that have gone a little too bad. Sometimes I get a raven which is a good day! Honestly I like the corvids much more than the song birds, they’re smarter and have a cool way of learning my communications.

[drhu22]

I dont have a feeder as such, but just put out a soaked oatmeal/hulled raw sunflower seeds/chopped raisins mixture in a dish. I settled on that because the magpies and ravens dont bother with it much. Mainly sparrows, and some chickadees, starlings sometimes, but not often. I put out water in the summer as well which attracts almost everything.

[Okotok]

First post. Good to be here. Grew up in Peace River so enjoyed reading some of the old posts about fishing/trapping/hunting in the Peace country. I used to almost live on that river as a kid. Anyway, my wife won't let me put up a feeder anymore as a family of mice moved into the rocks near it one year, collecting the overflow. They then made it into the house via the dryer vent and chewing through the hose. Caught them all in two days but she won't forget, ha! The magpies know whenever it's time for my Newfoundland dog to take a dump (he eats raw which must attract them). They regularly fly away with their prizes before I can get out to pick them up. I'm sure my neighbours roofs and gutters have their share of Newfie turds!

[trigger7mm]

We feed them all winter. We like looking at them when at the kitchen counter. Mostly we get chickadees, redpolls, and a few bluejays. Not to mention the magpies raiding the dogs dishes.

[alacringa]

I use a squirrel-proof feeder, which prevents anything heavier than a Blue Jay from accessing seed. Mostly get chickadees, House Finches and a few House Sparrows, but sometimes siskins or redpolls in the winter and Juncos, White-throated, or White-crowned Sparrows on migration.

[benamen]

In town we feed mostly the sparrows but chickadees, but the redpolls have been around lately along with a few blue jays, juncos. The odd woodpecker attacks my birch tree. Tried feeding them sunflower seed and that mostly gets wasted. Took the same seed to the cabin and there we attracted Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, Blue Jays along with the squirrels. Sparrows and chickadees always seem to be around at the cabin and the odd woodpecker and Nuthatch shows up.

[drhu22]

Originally Posted by Okotok

First post. Good to be here. Grew up in Peace River so enjoyed reading some of the old posts about fishing/trapping/hunting in the Peace country. I used to almost live on that river as a kid. Anyway, my wife won't let me put up a feeder anymore as a family of mice moved into the rocks near it one year, collecting the overflow. They then made it into the house via the dryer vent and chewing through the hose. Caught them all in two days but she won't forget, ha! The magpies know whenever it's time for my Newfoundland dog to take a dump (he eats raw which must attract them). They regularly fly away with their prizes before I can get out to pick them up. I'm sure my neighbours roofs and gutters have their share of Newfie turds!

Welcome to the forum Okotok... mice is the reason I hesitate to get too carried away with bird food in the yard, so I understand your wife not being keen on the idea. They can be hard little buggers to get rid of if they get in the house.

[dodger]

On a side note, I saw a flock of Tree Swallows yesterday. Now I need to get through 4' of snow to get at my Swallow bird houses to get them ready.

If I run into old man winter somewhere I am going to give him a kick in the nards.

Dodger.

[harrry]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

How many out there have bird feeders set up on their property. I have for years and I really enjoy watching what comes to my feeders as well as the songs they sing. Had what I think was a northern flicker visit yesterday for a short while.

In the last week or so my feeders have been invaded by juvenile blackbirds of some sort. They waste seed and cling to my feeders sometimes 5 or 6 birds at a time. Oh well. Still better than having no birds around.

Please post the Pictures or Video

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by dodger

On a side note, I saw a flock of Tree Swallows yesterday. Now I need to get through 4' of snow to get at my Swallow bird houses to get them ready.

If I run into old man winter somewhere I am going to give him a kick in the nards.

Dodger.

Got mine all cleaned and refreshed a couple of weeks ago. The sad news about this is the Swallows are always a week to ten days behind the bluebirds and I haven't seen a bluebird yet - been expecting them.

[JareS]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

Got mine all cleaned and refreshed a couple of weeks ago. The sad news about this is the Swallows are always a week to ten days behind the bluebirds and I haven't seen a bluebird yet - been expecting them.

Saw some Mountain Bluebirds yesterday!

Lots of winter birds still here however. Redpolls and Rough Legged Hawks still haven’t left

[58thecat]

Yup and the spill over is for the deer

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Little red riding hood

Wife has been feeding them for a bit, how long do it usually take before the birds start coming around?

A day ish, I walk out and pour the seed now and they come right to me, some land right beside me and watch....almost too pushy....fat buggers!

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by JareS

Saw some Mountain Bluebirds yesterday!

Lots of winter birds still here however. Redpolls and Rough Legged Hawks still haven’t left

[Tom Pullings]

Originally Posted by harrry

Please post the Pictures or Video

It’s kinda hard to get close enough for a picture but it’s mostly these guys causing the trouble.

[Tom Pullings]

I think they’re just starlings and I don’t really mind them. They can make a terrific mess though. They seem to enjoy flinging seed all over the place. I’ll take them over a bunch of grackles that’s for sure.


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[FCLightning]

Those are starlings and they are one of the worst invasive species to be brought to this continent. They are cavity nesters that are very aggressive and will kill all native cavity nesters they can get into the nest box of and set up shop there.

If you have an accurate pellet gun you would be doing a huge favor to the native songbirds.

[Tom Pullings]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

Those are starlings and they are one of the worst invasive species to be brought to this continent. They are cavity nesters that are very aggressive and will kill all native cavity nesters they can get into the nest box of and set up shop there.

If you have an accurate pellet gun you would be doing a huge favor to the native songbirds.

Yeah I read that they were brought over by European settlers. I do have some accurate pellet guns but I doubt my neighbours would appreciate my urban shooting gallery lol.


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[muzzy]

We feed them all winter. Lots of chickadee's 6 bluejays, two ravins occasional flock of pine grosbeaks, few magpies and woodpeckers on occasion and lots squirrels. Talking about mice the last time I took my wifes and daughters SUV's for oil change the mice had the air filter compartments packed full of birdseed. Daughter only visits occasionally and parks in driveway about 20 feet from nearest feeder. Go figure!!

[Big Sky]

We've put up a couple of feeders. Don't get to watch them as much as I would like.
This winter we've had juncos, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, flickers and surprisingly, the occasional house finch.

Also get black shizas, grey shizas and tuxedo shizas.
AKA black squirrels, grey squirrels and magpies.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

How many out there have bird feeders set up on their property. I have for years and I really enjoy watching what comes to my feeders as well as the songs they sing. Had what I think was a northern flicker visit yesterday for a short while.

In the last week or so my feeders have been invaded by juvenile blackbirds of some sort. They waste seed and cling to my feeders sometimes 5 or 6 birds at a time. Oh well. Still better than having no birds around.

I have nine feeders out, that I maintain all year.

I have posted photos of my setup. My biggest feeders are home built and between them they hold a 25kg bag of Black Oil Sunflower seed.

I have had feeders out for more then twenty years but my fascination of birds started long before that. My first memories of being interested in birds was when I was about ten years old. It started with a book called Birds of Alberta and has grown every year since I first picked up that book.

We have yet to see our first returning migrant.

I often get juvenile Redwing Blackbirds coming in each the spring, they can be a pain.

[260 Rem]

The biggest novelty below our feeder excluding deer is a pair of Ruf Grouse. The male puts on a pretty good show.