calling all wild bird feeders!!

[Highcotton]

We have another nice sunny day and again only a few wood peckers and nuthatches.

As dead as my feeders have been  you would think I ran out of food or never ever feed them.  I have not even used a half a tube of nigel thistle seed all winter.

The Goldfinches flock to the sunflower seeds but I have never gottten them to eat niger thistle.

 

[duluthralphie]

The Goldfinches flock to the sunflower seeds but I have never gottten them to eat niger thistle.

I have a tray of sunflower seeds and have never seen them there. They will eat at my mixed seed feeders now and then. Last year I went through 3 large bags of niger seeds.





And to make a liar of me, I have a gold finch on my niger seed s right now!

 

[keesmom]

There's a light freezing rain today, and the feeders are all very busy. Lots of cardinals still feeding. They usually only feed very early and very late - they must figure the hawks won't be hunting in this mess.

It's 12 and snowing so there is a lot of bird activity. The cardinals and mourning doves have been here all morning, along with the usual crowd. Still no signs of hawks.

The Goldfinches flock to the sunflower seeds but I have never gottten them to eat niger thistle.

The ones here won't touch niger either. They've gone through 2 tube feeders of sunflower already this morning.

 

[sourland]

It is cloudy with rain predicted here today. It was warm, 54 degrees. There is not much bird activity at the feeders. The cardinals are the first birds that I hear in the morning and the last I hear at night except in the summer when the mocking birds sinjg all night.

Interesting observation here - the mocking birds no longer sing at night, and even in the daytime their singing is greatly reduced and never from the tops of the trees. A possible reaction to the very heavy hawk predation? I miss the singing on a full moon evening.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have never thought of putting sunflower seeds in a tube. I will have to try that...

Thanks

 

[topdycke]

We have another nice sunny day and again only a few wood peckers and nuthatches.

As dead as my feeders have been  you would think I ran out of food or never ever feed them.  I have not even used a half a tube of nigel thistle seed all winter.

yes same here on the thistle seed. No customers on that feeder. They are eating the millet though. Last year there were more goldfinch and they didn't come through this year.

 

[duluthralphie]

It's a great day in Minnesota!

I had my first Cardinal of the winter here today. I was enjoying my 3rd or 4th cup of coffee and watching my birds when the bright red male showed up. He went to my tray of millet and sunflower seeds. he sat and ate for 10 minutes or so. Then about 20 minutes later the female Cardinal showed up.

We are getting a wet heavy snow today, I wonder if that plays into their coming to the feeder?

Yesterday I had over a half dozen Gold finches at once. They ate about 1/2 out of my tube of thistle seed.


And of course, I just had to chase the squirrel off the seeds!

 

[sourland]

Here the cardinals feed more heavily during a snow storm. During one storm there were 5 males and many females at the West feeder.

 

[ivan3]

Here the cardinals feed more heavily during a snow storm. During one storm there were 5 males and many females at the West feeder.

Yeah, and they make themselves targets for the cat, foraging on the ground, en masse, at dusk. A few regulars & irregulars: Think this is a Red Shouldered Hawk. Showed up a few years ago (pic on R) and is still here (shot on L just last month). Has never bothered the chooks (probably owing to our turkeys): Red Headed WP & N. Flicker: A Brown Creeper: B. Oriole, E. Bluebirds & RB Grosbeak: A Brown (or Long Beaked) Thrasher & Hobo Thrush??? This was down by the pond: Only have one bunch of Cowbirds, so can enjoy their vocalizations. The European Starling's "iridescence" is appreciated so long as only one shows up... The Wild Eastern Turkeys hang around because of ours yapping at them (don't feed them, but consistent suppression of turkey eating vermin makes them feel safe): Also run a "Window rehab" clinic for the the "glass addled"

 

[duluthralphie]

Nice pictures. You sure get a variety of birds.


I like the red headed wood pecker. I have never seen one here.