calling all wild bird feeders!!

[whoop whoop]

@dululthralphie I love blue birds are your the same as mine





Actually mine are just starlings but in the sunlight they are so blue almost iridescent, They love bathing in my koi pond as we have it running over the rocks, and all the birds love a wash and brush up. Poor fish lol

I hope i'm not being rude but have wanted to ask why you don't have trees?

 

[duluthralphie]

LOL Nope mine are actual bluebirds. They do not visit the feeder. They sit on the fences and in small bushes.

I do not have a picture of mine, but I can get a stock one from the net to show you what I mean.

They are not as pretty of a blue as my indigo buntings are, which are my pictures:

The bird with the red is a rose breasted grosbeak, the blue one is the indigo bunting.

 

[whoop whoop]

Wow that is a super picture love the rose breasted one he looks like quite a meat eater. I tend to get the same birds in winter most of which are rather dreary, just have these guys all time time who are quite colourful. They are all fruit eaters and suffer in the winter so I feed every morning paw paw bananas and grapes.


Leaping out side in my pj's and crying 'morning everyone' and they all come - running lol









I will have to get a more sturdy bird table this one is on it last legs been around for a couple of years (bit like me)

 

[duluthralphie]

Sorry to not post here in a while. I have no good excuse.


I just had an oriole at my feeder eating the jelly. They rarely come so I am excited and have to think it means a good day.

I have so many birds this year, I cannot believe them all. This is the 3rd year with the feeders and they finally seem to have really started using them.
The number of Rose breasted Grossbeaks is amazing, I can have a dozen at a time. I find it funny the bird books and Nat'l Geographic say they may occasionally visit a feeder.


I do not remember Minnesota having so many colorful birds when I was a kid, or I was just not aware of them, Indigo buntings, bluebirds, finches in all colors(red, purple, yellow and blues)woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals the list goes on..

Whoop-Whoop, I am impressed with your birds.. They look like off colored Grosbeaks to me, what are they? Winter birds are a tad more subdued in their colors here too.



The grosbeak, while it looks like the beak would rip carrion, is actually a worm, bug and seed eater. if I recall nearly 60% of their feed is seeds. Those that freeload here are closer to 95% I think, they are here all day long.

 

[turtlelady627]

Wow!! How cool is that?? All those hummingbirds @ one feeder. I think I've had 5 total one time?? I love watching them "bicker" with ea other. People visit and try and tell me to put red food coloring in my nectar, NO WAY!

 

[duluthralphie]

Wow!! How cool is that?? All those hummingbirds @ one feeder. I think I've had 5 total one time?? I love watching them "bicker" with ea other. People visit and try and tell me to put red food coloring in my nectar, NO WAY!

I have red juice for my hummers but I do not think it matters.. I only get one hummer at the feeder at once. I love the way they bicker too.

I should put up a second feeder for them.

The grosbeaks bicker a lot too, Yesterday I had 2 jays bickering in the feeder tray .It was funny.

 

[turtlelady627]

Blue jays? We have those here, not as many of them though. They supposedly kill and eat other baby birds. I have never witnessed that but have seen them harass other birds and animals.
I make my own nectar and have never added food coloring and they seem to like it just fine. Coolest birds to hang around here are scarlet tanager, same time, same place, same sounds just about everyday. I never see them @ my feeders, just above or near me in a tree. Tons of American goldfinches. I think it's neat how they fade more drab during winter months. Only had a few (red breasted?) grosbeaks to ever visit, an oriole every few months. Lots of others too many to list

I have red juice for my hummers  but I do not think it matters..  I only get one hummer at the feeder at once.  I love the way they bicker too.

I should put up a second feeder for them.

 The grosbeaks bicker a lot too, Yesterday I had 2 jays bickering in the feeder tray .It was funny.

 

[duluthralphie]

I know Blue Jays are not the best birds and have some bad habits. I still enjoy them at the feeder.

I had a couple scarlet Tanagers this spring but have not seen them in 6-8 weeks.


I was trying to get a picture of the Oriole but he is just too nervous to allow that.

 

[whoop whoop]

They are Crested Barbets (eat snakes)

Here is a pic of a bird haven't seen for a whle, he is a violet woo Hoopoo plus the added little chap in the back (Mongoose)







This is my little weaver he never leaves with the others in Winter and always stays for the food..



A thrush!!!

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Fun thread...I gotta go back and read each pager now...but in the meanwhile, I'll contribute some clicks and such.

Central Alberta, Canada...Great White North

I carry a small camera round in my pocket...usually on some work bee and look up and see a few perfect photo ops.

These are all photos I have taken, randomly clicked over the years and posted on this thread fer y'all to see.

Got the usual chickadees, towhees, sapsuckers, doves, cowbirds, nuthatches, meadow larks, crows, ravens, blue jays, tons of birds of prey like Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, Barns, Bald Eagles, Hawks of all sorts--very welcome to keep the mice populations in check--no pics of those quite common but maybe I should start clicking. Starlings think about showing up but we put the run on them. Starlings to my knowledge have very vivid feather expressions but wear off the dotty dots over time...so look drabber as the plumage gets worn down.

Wild birds are attracted by several things...food, water, shelter, nesting sites, safe places to teach babes without fear of predation, amongst other reasons.

If you do decide to feed the Wilds, please ensure if you do it starting in winter, you don't suddenly close up the soup kitchen and quit feeding. Kinda skews the bird population artificially in what your area may support comfortably...so diligence is appreciated.

Feeders...

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Filled up with a general mix that includes some Millet seed with an addition of black oil sunflower seeds bought and added to the mixture. I don't do the wild bird seed mixes...my spouse does, I'm busy enough here taking care of the poultry in confinement. LMBO

Niger seed feeder.​

Different feeds attract different species. We introduced the Niger seed feeders a few years back and they get ignored up until the right birds show up...then you can't seem to keep them topped on up.

Nice feature on some of the feeders is a rain cap of some sort. Without it, it gets a tad over WET...

We have even repurposed metal hub caps...nice coat of grey paint and nobody is the wiser.

A small round log with holes drilled in it with suet (lard and some seed...don't hafta buy it pre-made) is appreciated by all sorts of over wintering species. A lil pail of fat to keep warm.


My Hero made this feeder below...I still laugh over the ridiculous crooked shape of the chimney...had it for like over 30 years now...functions great!

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Hummers - Four parts water to one part cane or beet sugar; heat gently to dissolve it by bringing to boil and switching it off to cool. If'n you have hot weather, make a new FRESH batch since after a few days in the heat, well you don't want drunk birds buzzing about now do yah? Hummingbirds can be nasty tempered as it is...without adding hangover to the drama.

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Forget the food colouring, better to buy a red coloured feeder if'n you feel you need to see RED.

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Picking a spot is important...see what works by having hummingbirds come visit the feeder and your feeder not smashed to smitherines by hail. Hummingbirds will visit feeders in the early morn and late evening; they juice up to make it thru the colder nights and to get a fresh start on their day.

Best photo thus far of one of our Hummers. Yeh, I totally know I can get better, it will take some luck and time.

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Housing...bird nests bring in kewl birds that might otherwise never hang about.

We had Wood Ducks nesting here on the property but they moved on when the aspen tree they were using, top of it rotted away.

Wild Wood Duck nest​

Swallows...man alive I love their dynamics in flight.

Purdy, eh​

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Last July, found a baby swallow...silly thing! I kept finding on the ground in the tall grass...jest asking for something to eat or squish it. DANG!

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Bluebirds or Swallows use the bird boxes Rick made...either or, they are most welcome!

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Common House Wren, heard them over the years here, but now their population must be on the major grow...

Man alive ,tiny birds but holy chook poop...can the male EVER sing in volumes!


Male singing his lungs out​

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Last year, I discovered a tiny nest and eggs with puncture marks...thought I would never solve what happened. I guess Common House Wren is a tad mischievously vicious...they will puncture other nest eggs to get rid of rivals in their territory...egads, eh! What is it about these tiny birds and their attitudes, eh. Cute and little, heck no...little in size but make up for it in meanness...hope they never evolve into Ostrich sizes...

June 7, 2014
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Water sources...

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For bathing or drinking...

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Sit by a water source and it is plumb amazing what comes in to use this commodity. This is where I will sit and wait with my big camera...armed but only really dangerous to myself mostly, eh.

Pair of Grosbeaks
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Odds and sods of birds here...

Pair of Canary Finches​

Wood pecker​

Weeding new tater and corn patch...stop to catch breath and there's the Bluebird pair - using one of the nesting boxes my Hero made.

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Male Bluebird feeding babies​

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Female Bluebird feeding babes -she's a mess...go straight from migration, to laying eggs, incubation and then food foraging...

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Rosy Breasted Grosbeak off feeder on house.

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Canada Day - Baby Grosbeak...lands on my knee to say "Hello." Course I am like frozen still, camera idle to enjoy the moment...but once off, here you go...

Baby and Momma​

Pretty big baby to feed...Mom is doing a fine job, eh​

Look how intent he is to mimic Mom...his beak is not yet strong enough to split sunflower seeds, but he's taking NOTES ​

Having grosbeaks around is like having parrots without the commitments of them outliving you...

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Nice to see the wild ones visiting you.

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But kinda nice too when they do make like the birds and well, uh...flock off too. Hee hee...snicker snort.

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Followed the development of a family of Robins that made a nest in our orchard's wishing well...

2012 - Rick did not mow the New Orchard when the Robins set up camp there...leave them be to raise up their brood in peace. ​

Pretty Robin's egg BOO eggs



Ghastly ugly eh...but not for long. - Hatched June 5th, 2012...



Now their are waving YELLER mouths..."Stuff foods here!" - June 12th



Last day in the nesty nest...like there is any room in thar now, eh! - June 15th​

Later that fall of 2012....

One of the babes not so baby feasting on Mountain Ash berries-makes planting trees like this so rewarding!...Sept 12th, 2012​

Positives are that it was kewl to see how fast this species develops...

Negatives...don't get emotionally attached to the well being of the babes...agh!

Every crow, magpie, and raven that flew around and threatened this nest...I felt like I wanted to stand watch over them night and day, guarding them from these winged threats. Gotta remember, the predatory birds, they have families themselves that need feeding too...ACK!


Some of the more kewl shots I've taken...Bluebirds and the male, this time, laughed to see him checking me out to see if I was gone yet...so he could deliver the lovely grub he had...Dad bringing home the grub...ever so tasty...yum!

"Are you gone yet...well are you?" ​

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Love this shot because the Caragana leaves of the shelterbelts we planted 16 years ago are providing coverage and BUGS galore for this Bluebird pair. The photo is almost annoying in itself...move that green blockade so we can SEE him...all of him...move it outta the way I say!

Now here's a vividly obvious abusive behaviour we hope is not repeated. Neighbour not a resident here...decides to put out a 4 by 8 sheet and dump a fifty pound bag of mixed grains on it. OK, I get they want to help the wildlife out...that's a given but man alive...really?

What they end up doing is baiting a young Black Bear cub...poor thing comes in for the grains, then the neighbours beside them put the run on the Bruno...where does the bear end up, being chased by a truck...he has not choice but to go up our shelterbelt and over our triple perimeter fenced barrier.

I find the poor bear in the middle of the day, right beside one of our sheep corrals ​

Thank goodness the bear is just as curious about the sheep as the sheep are about what he is.​

I go and grab my pitchfork off the sheeps' hay bale and then huck some wooden blocks at him... Toque him in the head a few times. He "WOOFS" and I back off but he makes a guided choice...

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Move it along bear...you need to go find proper bear foods...not harvest some sheep meats! He thinks about going up this tree but moves on down further, up a tree and out he goes back over our fences. Much to all our reliefs...

Bird seed in great quantities left out can attract more than a few birdles...

Another attracted species to our place due to the exclusion of predators like c@ts ... and tiny amounts of spilt bird seeds that the birds don't get all cleaned up...not mountains of pounds, eh.

Nope, not lobster tracks in the snow...​

Snowshoe Hares; another side liner to bird seed feeding.

January, 2014​

One bun bun...called this one Krusty the Clown because Rick thought it awfully funny when I described the tracks I had witnessed, as looking like a squirrel's but with mighty big long shoes on.

Course that had Rick label him a "Clown Squirrel" and it all went downhill fast from there...no stopping a snowball headed fer heck...

Second Bun bun showed up...this is a shot taken two Easters ago.



April 20, 2014 - getting summer fur coated up
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I thought perhaps my Veg Garden would get raided with two hares about but they seemed only to hang around in the winter and made themselves quite scarce in the summer time.

Found them quite often in the early morning hours right under the wild bird feeders helping themselves to a grainy snack.

So that be that on the birdles...I got more clicks, not done like dinner in my lifetime but that's what is so neat about putting out the needs of the wilds...put the feed out and you are never gonna be quite sure what kinda things will make you a regular stop over spot on their movements

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada