calling all wild bird feeders!!

[duluthralphie]

Yes, they do! We have starlings here by the thousands, and they are so loud. I don't see them up close much, mostly they fly around in huge flocks, and stick to the trees. I'm in South Georgia by the way.

Lucky you, getting to spend the winters with them!


Colder than, well you know, up here today, I am out of suet in the feeders they really went through it the last few days. I have to get more out there today.

The cardinals have become regular visitors. I am now waiting for the rose grosbeaks to show up.

 

[Godsgrl]

Lucky you, getting to spend the winters with them!


Colder than, well you know, up here today, I am out of suet in the feeders they really went through it the last few days. I have to get more out there today.

The cardinals have become regular visitors. I am now waiting for the rose grosbeaks to show up.

They are so loud, and gather in huge numbers, but it is neat to see them blacken a field with their numbers. What am I doing wrong with my suet feeders? I can't get anyone to nibble on them down here. Squirrels will steal them if I don't tie the feeder shut, but birds leave them alone. Even my chickens. We have cardinals down here year round, everywhere. They are so pretty.

 

[duluthralphie]

Is it possible your suet is going sour in the warmth?

I noticed last fall the suet that hung most the summer was rejected.


I saved pork fat from the last pig we butchered and the birds are not eating it either. I am going to try and render the fat into lard and pour it into molds filled with seed and see if they will eat that.

I have my suet hanging about 7 ft off the ground.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have had 2 types of sparrows today, House sparrow and tree sparrow.
It is bitterly cold here. I had my usual visitors plus a blue jay not a lot of birds, I am guessing they are hiding out of the wind somewhere.

 

[topdycke]

Finch farming with cracked corn, yesterday: Will see what the snow falling, at present, "drags in" come morning.

the goldfinches totally passed us by this year. We are on the short sprint to spring here. I need to get the camera out and post some pictures. The chickens were chasing the crows a crow would land near the flock as they were free ranging and a hen would run at it to chase it away.

 

[duluthralphie]

I had my first pileated woodpecker of the season!

 

[sourland]

"My" Pileated has never been seen at the feeders or suet blocks. But I generally see or hear him on a daily basis as he works the storm damaged trees on my property. He has been spending a lot of time about a quarter mile down the road working on a partially dead maple on a neighbor's front yard.

 

[duluthralphie]

I made a special suet holder for him.

I read if you have a foot or so of board fastened solidly below and to the suet holder they will land there and eat. It works they need a place to rest their tail while eating is what I read.

 

[ivan3]

Heard one of the turkey hens give out with an anxious yelp, the other day. A Pileated making an appearance in close! Parked itself on one of the main arms of the White Oak we keep the feeders closest to the house attached to, and started "the search". YIKES! This is not good. It immediately identified a "grubby" weakness and attacked. Hoping this is a one-off (tree hangs over house) and that the Oak has another couple of decades of growth in it. When we first moved here, there was a big Hickory stump out back. Over the next couple of months it became noticeably smaller, surrounded by punky blonde chips and chunks - sure enough, Pileated work. Never have touched the suet cakes. Keep hoping to get a shot of all the Peckerwoods on the Oak, at the same time (Downy/Hairy/RH/RB/NF & the rarely seen Yellow Bellied) and get a pic. Oh, well. Late in the day crowd at the same location the Finches were scarfing, slightly different look.

 

[duluthralphie]

One would think with your suet cake right on the tree like you have it the pileated would jump on it.

Nice pictures!