Feeding Wild Birds

[sourland]

Day 32 without measurable rain. There are multiple relatively small fires throughout the state. Activity at the home and club feeders has increased greatly. At the club we have a lot of honeysuckle. The deer use that as winter browse. Because of the drouth they have already eaten most of it.

edited to add: There are for sure 4 and perhaps 6 this year's fawns that have not figured out how to jump the fence. There may not be enough winter forage for them to survive if they don't learn how.

 

[R2elk]

Day 32 without measurable rain. There are multiple relatively small fires throughout the state. Activity at the home and club feeders has increased greatly. At the club we have a lot of honeysuckle. The deer use that as winter browse. Because of the drouth they have already eaten most of it.

The deer here are loving the broken Russian olive branches I am tossing over the fence. They are loaded with ripe olives.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Need to make some more suet this weekend, the birds have eaten through the first batch.

 

[ValerieJ]

When we first moved here, the crows would knock the lid off the garbage can and strew garbage around. I padded a jump trap and set it on top of the garbage bag and secured it to the can. The next morning pluperfect heck broke loose with much clanking and cawing of the resident flock. The Princess asked: "What's going on?" I replied. "Crows are being educated." Went out and explained to the caught (uninjured) crow that he should never do that again. I released him, and he told his flock mates to stay away. Many years later I fed and befriended a flock as a warning system. I still feed them, and they are still cautious around me.

I love it! And I learned a new word!!! Puperflect. That's a great word!!!

 

[sourland]

I learned a new word!!! Puperflect. That's a great word!!!

Goes well with 'heck', and there's another 'H' word it goes really well with.

 

[Bawkbok]

I've noticed a marked decrease in all birds since hit by two hurricanes recently. I saw one Cardinal pair the other day. We have a cat bird that showed up and we used to have mourning doves that serenaded us each morning, again, nothing since the hurricanes. Makes me wonder where they go. Do they vacate prior to the storms approaching if they can sense a change in the barometric pressure? Did they get blown out to sea? We also have a severe decrease in insects - believe it or not. Mosquitoes and knats are a plenty however. We had zero love bugs this year. They usually show up in droves in June and again September. None anywhere.

We quit feeding the wild song birds in February of this year due to acquiring the chickens and I'm fearful of avian flu. That said, I do feel guilty about any of the migratory birds that will pass by here wondering where the feed is that they've come to rely on for the past 12 years.

 

[R2elk]

Saw the first magpie that I have seen since last spring.

 

[sourland]

The flock is growing. 17 turkeys showed up today, and they came in hungry and thirsty. It looks like four of the seven poults are jakes. Today for the first time I saw them posturing and showing off like a gang of teenagers.

 

[sourland]

Things are getting out of hand. 23 turkeys showed today. One jake even figured out how to eat from the feeder by standing on his tippy toes. Anyone need a Thanksgiving turkey ? Corn fed.

 

[R2elk]

Things are getting out of hand. 23 turkeys showed today. One jake even figured out how to eat from the feeder by standing on his tippy toes. Anyone need a Thanksgiving turkey ? Corn fed.

I'm down to 3 wild hens here. They have moved in. I did have 3 turkey licenses and there were 3 young toms in the bunch.

Neighbor stopped by and told me some predator had been picking them off. I smiled.

I am having turkey and dumpling soup today.