Feeding Wild Birds

[Molpet]

No photo to share, but I had a local sighting of a Pileated woodpecker today!

I was outside, and heard a slow, deep pecking sound. I spotted a large woodpecker high up on a tree in the woods next to my house. I knew my phone would be unable to capture an image at the distance, so I stepped inside and grabbed my Sony DSLR. The battery was exhausted so I changed it just in time to see the woodpecker flying farther into the woods. Then I heard a rapid drumming.

I was very excited, as I've not seen a Pileated here in years.

I have seen them a couple times in the last 10 years.
Scares the chickens since it's the size of a coopers hawk.

 

[TwoCrows]

No photo to share, but I had a local sighting of a Pileated woodpecker today!

I was outside, and heard a slow, deep pecking sound. I spotted a large woodpecker high up on a tree in the woods next to my house. I knew my phone would be unable to capture an image at the distance, so I stepped inside and grabbed my Sony DSLR. The battery was exhausted so I changed it just in time to see the woodpecker flying farther into the woods. Then I heard a rapid drumming.

I was very excited, as I've not seen a Pileated here in years.

I've never seen one either, I don't believe they range in my territory of New Mexico.

 

[Debbie292d]

We have a very busy feeder since this summer, with constant visits from Cardinals, Blue Jays, Pine Martens, Tufted Titmouse, two kinds of Woodpeckers, Morning Doves, and a variety of tiny birds with different markings on the face and chest that my mom identified and I've forgotten, oops.

Our feeder is so busy they are costing us a lot to feed. Any suggestions on cheaper sources with a good variety and quality?
The mealworms especially! The only thing these guys don't seem to eat is the tiny seeds that form the bulk of most mixes, so we've been buying ingredients separately (tsc mostly) and mixing ourselves.

Mr. Woody Woodpecker here...View attachment 4277468
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(I got rid of the side suet brackets since this was taken, which they appreciate for landing purposes).

Nice feeder!

In winter, we only feed sunflower seeds and suet. That gets a lot of birds, including woodpeckers, titmice, cardinals, snowbirds, nuthatches, goldfinches, chickadees, evening grosbeaks, morning doves (clean up on the ground), and no sparrows. In the summer, all of them, plus the indigo buntings, and orioles for the grape jelly.

This is below a feeder that's up in the trees.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I saw a robin today. I’m not sure if he stuck around or is just really really early coming back.

 

[R2elk]

Wind blew in at least 7 male Red-wings. It also blew in hundreds of starlings.

The owl isn't getting much sleep today. The wind keeps him rocking. He has been awake and alert, eyes open every time I went by today.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I had some European Starlings stop by yesterday. There is still suet in the feeder so presumably they realized it was safflower and bugged off.

 

[fuzzi]

Spotted in a field on the drive home from church today...

Gobble gobble!

 

[R2elk]

 

[sourland]

Impressive tools for a killing machine.

 

[alinas2010]

View attachment 4286898View attachment 4286899

I hope it’s a girl and has babies this year at your house.