Bird feeder thread

Haven't had a bunch of birds this year.
There is ~20 doves that have found the deer corn up the drive and seem to be around daily.
Earlier in the summer we were watching dove(s) fight and chase each other under the feeder - never seen that behavior from them before

 

A storm is on the way today and I topped off the feeders. The red-breasted nuthatch is making many trips back and forth to the tube feeder. There is a pair here and they are caching seeds away.

I took the posts off the tube feeders a few years ago to discourage purple finches to sit and tie up the feeder. There was one sparrow ground feeding that I have to look up as I did not recognize it. Today will be a wood carving day so I get a great view of the feeder area from where I sit.

The hawks are busy here as the winter flock of house finches has been hit. I'm finding bits of them here and there every few days. They are an aggressive, destructive and filthy bird. I did take some reference photos of their legs for when I carve. Pretty sharp little picks they wear. They decimate native bird nests too.

 

Man those are some nasty looking claws.

 

There is a bluebird website that has many reports and pictures of what these birds are capable of doing. A real eye opener on what invasive species can do to native populations.

 

I was finally able to get some pics of some of the birds at the feeders .

 

Nice Carolina Wren. That is my current carving project.

The downy woodpecker was my last one made.

 

Mrs Scopes thought the squirrels have been eating the bird feed?

Booms busted this morning.

 

We have a pair over wintering here .

 

That's not me Dad just some other dog that looks like me

 

Better pic

 

I'll go thru four 50 pound bags of sunflower seeds in a year.
I also put out suet cakes and buy beef suet when they have it at the meat dept at Market Basket.
I used to go thru 25 or 30 pounds of thistle seed too for the finches but must have gotten some old seed that was rancid and they wouldn't touch. I don't bother any more with the thistle seed. The invasive purple finches would just come in a huge flock and empty it anyway. The yellow finches seem to be happy enough with sunflower seed although there aren't too many of them this year.
Have had a Carolina Wren around for the last three Winters. They are LOUD for their size and I have one that keeps my aluminum storm windows free of bugs. Comes just about every day. I couldn't figure out wtf was scraping and hopping around in my gutters until I saw the stupid bird hopping around on top of the storms. He can hang onto the screens scoping things out too. Noisy little SOB. LOL.

 

With the ice and cold temps last night the birds were at it today.
Titmouse, chickadees, red finches, wrens, doves, and a couple of woodpeckers.
I sprinkled some shelled sunflower on the ground so the ground feeders could get something as the ice has barely melted

 

I'm so glad to read your post! My bride feeds the birds all year. She loves her animals and even willingly feeds the squirrels.

I'm amazed how much we spend on animal feed. But when I kindly show here the receipts she reminds me she could be spending even more than that if she bought shoes and clothes like her mother does.

She has a point.

 

Birds have been showing up earlier this year. Yellow finches just the other day. Chickadees have been checking out the bird houses to set up home.

 

Not near fast enough to get a pic but chased up a prairie falcon yesterday morning when I stepped out the back door.

 

Know any realistic way to keep predatory birds from picking off the song birds visiting my feeders?