calling all wild bird feeders!!

[duluthralphie]

I had a strange visitor today. It was a sparrow of some kind thought.

I checked whatbird and merlin. I looked at bird pictures for an hour.
After all of that I decided it was most likely just a female Junco with lighter colored back feathers.

I am not 100% sure, but that is all I could come up with.

I wish I had a camera set up to take pictures.

 

[topdycke]

Having had the squirrels eat through siding and cause water damage not to mention destroying a couple of feeders - DH is shooting them I think this is like emptying the ocean with a spoon as soon as we take two out three more take their places. They are icky can't imagine eating them

 

[duluthralphie]

Having had the squirrels eat through siding and cause water damage not to mention destroying a couple of feeders - DH is shooting them I think this is like emptying the ocean with a spoon as soon as we take two out three more take their places. They are icky can't imagine eating them

I guess It depends on the species of squirrel.

I just find it a lot of work for the little bit of meat. I use to clean and eat them as a kid. We only ate grey or fox squirrels, red have just been pests.

 

[sourland]

I got real good at skinning squirrels - tasty little devils for sure. Needless to say the Princess will not eat them. What's a guy to do?

I haven't been feeding suet this winter - no particular reason just hadn't gotten around to it. Bought some suet blocks yesterday and hung two suet feeders. Just saw one of the missing 'Carolina' wrens feeding on the suet. Also for some reason the birds stopped using the South feeder (I'm guessing too open to hawk attacks.) I moved it to the back of the chicken coop where it is shrouded by variegated willows. I also hung the feeder somewhat lower (until the deer locate it), and the juncos are loving it. Right now it is my busiest feeder.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

We eat a lot of squirrel at my house. My husband shoots them, and I do the rest! My kids love to take the leftovers to school for lunch
Haven't had many birds around lately, besides the hawks. They're everywhere! I went out yesterday to feed and water the chickens, and I counted six sitting in the trees above the coops. I banged my milk jugs together and they all took off (thank goodness).

 

[duluthralphie]

I have lots of ravens around, they help control the hawks, but the eagles are another story. I love looking at them but they are rough on my chickens.


Today was a blue Jay, junco and red breasted nut hatch day but it is bitterly cold and windy here.

 

[duluthralphie]

It is finally sunny and half way decent again, almost 30 degree and no nasty wind. The tweetie birds are out in force, but nothing special, new or unique today. There is a white breasted Nuthatch just hanging out on a suet cake, that is different. Not moving I think he is sleeping upside down.

 

[sourland]

Cold her (for us that is.) Low single digits this morning and teens right now. Fifteen to twenty mph winds, but the birds are busy. Woodpeckers are really glad that I finally put out suet blocks. Just put a couple of bills in the mailbox, and the Pileated was working on a dead Sassafras tree in the front hedgerow right by the road. Neighbor up the road has a partially dead Maple right by the road. Something has been working on that - maybe the Pileated..

 

[topdycke]

Huge flock of brown headed cowbirds foraging this morning. We don't usually see them year round so they must migrate through.

 

[sourland]

They haven't shown up here yet - not my favorite birds. When the male redwing blackbirds show up, I know that spring is on it's way.