Backyard bird watching

[Chris in Mass]

Northern Flicker today at the feeder (Red Spot on the back of the head - Yellow Shafted I beleive). First one I have spotted. Soft ground and wind slowly pushed over iron pole so feeders are at about ground level. Not sure if this is what attracted it or not. It's great when a newbie shows up.

[PRBuzz]

Suet cakes disappearing rapidly with the starlings/grackles now having returned.

[Raven]

or observation...............

if you scroll up to my post where it says "get creative"
on the title

the picture attached shows an old birdhouse
that i had filled with black sunflower seed first
and then i cut a suet cake in half and shoved it in there
hoping to foil the wolf pack of bluejays and provide some
suet for the other birds during the blizzrd conditions that
were soon to follow. Having long been disatisfied with the cages
for putting out suet cakes because during the rainy weather
they eventually start getting covered in black mold...

this single act...(experiment) has made me re-think how
i'll provide suet in the future from here on out.

Every type of wood pecker,
nuthatch, and small bird has either leaned in or ventured inside to
get some suet cake that was completely out of the weather
and has outlasted the hanging cages by a long shot.

[Chris in Mass]

Raven, you get many Northern Flickers? I was reading that they prefer insects out of the ground.

[striperman36]

I've lost most of my flickers to friggin robins not wooded enough.
i used to see them grubbin it in my front yard.

[PRBuzz]

I've got one (some?) that frequent throughout spring/summer....they are welcome to as many grubs as one can eat! Not very wooded around here but keep seeing them. 1st of the season was a week or so ago.

[striperman36]

i did have their nesting box taken over by a saw whet owl, that was very cool. 3" hole is very prone to inflitration

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Chris in Mass

Raven, you get many Northern Flickers? I was reading that they prefer insects out of the ground.

not at this location...

an apparent lack of lawn grubs i'd imagine
but at my last one there was always two pairs of them
and they always worked this one particular spot

My neighbor who was the owner of the land there
asked me "hey Rav....what the hell makes all these holes?"
he was completely puzzled

YELLOW SHAFTED FLICKERS
i told him
you have a grub infestation

[Chris in Mass]

Originally Posted by Raven

not at this location...

an apparent lack of lawn grubs i'd imagine
but at my last one there was always two pairs of them
and they always worked this one particular spot

My neighbor who was the owner of the land there
asked me "hey Rav....what the hell makes all these holes?"
he was completely puzzled

YELLOW SHAFTED FLICKERS
i told him
you have a grub infestation

Too funny. Their beaks look like they could do some damage. I'll have to be careful what I wish for.

[Chris in Mass]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

I've got one (some?) that frequent throughout spring/summer....they are welcome to as many grubs as one can eat! Not very wooded around here but keep seeing them. 1st of the season was a week or so ago.

Originally Posted by striperman36

I've lost most of my flickers to friggin robins not wooded enough.
i used to see them grubbin it in my front yard.

Cool looking bird. I'll take'm over robins if I have to have grubs

[Raven]

their call is heard from a mile away its so loud

one summer,,,i had them eating suet droppings

at the feeder zone on the ground....

having a row of those push in the ground
sheeper herder shaped black iron posts

[PRBuzz]

BTW: I treat heavily to prevent grubs in the lawn but can't get every one. I do have a very good crop of night crawlers that should be appearing any day.......

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

BTW: I treat heavily to prevent grubs in the lawn but can't get every one. I do have a very good crop of night crawlers that should be appearing any day.......

my personal record for pulling them
was 320 in one hour

[saltfly]

Flock of Bluebirds in the yard this morning.The only time they're around is when the weather is Nasty.3:1 males v females.

[PRBuzz]

With 6+" rain and more falling, I think I hear the chickadees saying: "I wish I were a Bufflehead"?

[JohnnyD]

Where are you guys placing your feeders? I'd like to put mine near or on the deck, but am concerned about the squirrels.

[PRBuzz]

The squirrels will find and get to a feeder no matter where you put them! I do have one on a metal pole about 2-3 ft off the deck area.

[Raven]

i have a piece of aluminum square stock tubing that i will

use for the big one thats 8' tall ----

otherwise you need a good squirrel dog to
send them on their way.

[Chris in Mass]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Where are you guys placing your feeders? I'd like to put mine near or on the deck, but am concerned about the squirrels.

If your feeder is around your railing height or lower, I would moved it at least 6' away from the railing. If Squirrels are making suicide leaps at that length, keep moving. You'll know quickly. Just experiment and buy a squirrel baffle so they won't get you from below either.

[Raven]

dust that seed with some cayene pepper- works too

when it isn't raining... birds are immune to it

[likwid]

5 bluejays and a common grackle decided to show up today.

The resident red bellied woodpecker sent them packing off the feeder.

[likwid]

Grackles aren't a problem here (anymore... they were coming in in droves)

We've got a couple hawks that have decided my yard is a good place to get lunch.

Bluejays, finches, woodpeckers don't seem to be bothered by the hawks though?

[likwid]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Where are you guys placing your feeders? I'd like to put mine near or on the deck, but am concerned about the squirrels.

Get a bow, and look up the mepps squirrel tail program.

[basswipe]

What a horrible Spring for the birds.But then again our household is in complete disarray after the last week and the feeders really haven't been a priority.

Lotsa grackles sh!!ting on everything and of course robins but until we get are sh!t taken care of those are all I expect.

[Chris in Mass]

Hang in there BW. This to shall pass.

[Raven]

i was rather Astonished to LEARN....

i was taking apart a bird house i had set up for
chickadees i had in there last year to clean it out

so i could re -use it ......at my new place...
anxiously wanting to see the type of nest they make

and what did i find... nothing but greenish yellow moss
the kind that grows on streamside rocks...

no grass or small sticks like a typical birds nest
it was as soft as a tempurpedic bed too.

[FishermanTim]

Certain birds prefer certain materials for nests.
I put out pieces of string, clumps of drier lint, cotton balls or anything that could be used to line a nest/birdhouse.
They will take whatever they can find.

As for Common Flickers, they are primarliy insect (ants) eaters.
Then again, ANY bird will eat suet during the winter because they ALL need fat/protein in their diet.

During the spring you should try sticking apple and/or orange halves in the same area where your feeders are. I stick mine on tree branches. These will attact the fruit eating birds. For me, it means Baltimore Orioles.

Nothing like hearing them fighting/squawking over nesting territory, an seeing those bright orange kamikazi's whizzing around the neighborhood. They are loud and fast, plain and simple.

[Raven]

there's nectar feeders for Oriels too
all good tips TIM

[striperman36]

I am gonna try that

[Raven]

i've had more Birds (or sucess) come to my feeders that had suet
in them than just different types of seed.

Even Oriels... and Bluebirds will eat the droppings....

i have a wood pecker tree now meaning they have already started drilling it where the inner wood is soft so i take my suet cake and smear it or MASH it right in there ...especially any small crevice or hole.
this is the equivalent of them finding a wood grub, a highly soft after prize.

I also re attached my old bluebird house there and screwed it on right where a limb had been sawn off years ago.
it is full of black oiled sunflower seed and suet cakes i sawed in half
with a long serated knife and then i shoved them in there.

Soon i will have every concievable wood pecker , nut hatch,
tuffed titmouse , brown creeper ect. coming around.

I had a chickadee yesterday four feet from my face
just happier than can be because of all the seed i just put out.

He's goin: CHICK a dee dee to me... so i'd say it right back to him
"in my best impersonation" trying mainly to have the timing off the "notes exact" as i have practiced this for years.

this made him even friendlier and it was blowing his mind and
he was reacting in such a cool way as if to say "wow" this guy (human)
is talking to me in my language ...and he'd kind of jump on
the grape vine there and grab at it with his beak.

It was fun to watch his/her reaction. "I know when they know" and i'll settle for nothing less than them eating out of my hand someday.

I bought ten packs of Russian Mamoth sunflower seed and i will
grow a forest of them where right now its just a narley tangle
of vines then i'll dry the huge heads for winter. Plus i bought
the red variety for the different color.

Right After the birds......
yank out the striped seeds out of the seed heads the holes left behind make the most perfect place to put "hulled" sunflower seed
which is a bit pricier.

it's a bit tricky to dry them so they'll stay flat
and and not get moldy on the back side

so this year i'll make a large clamp style wood frame specifically for that purpous and find a dry place in the green house
to speed up that process.

One reason i get into this is because...you can be having the MOST crappiest day where everything possible seems to be going wrong and your JUST mad as hell in General...

and then one of these Happy ,totally cheerful little birds make it all melt all away in a single moment and you forget all about it.