Bird feeding question

[PaulS]

Hi,

This year I was delinquent in filling up the feeder until about 3 weeks ago. Obviously, too late in the year and not one bird has tried my offerings. Any ideas how I can entice some birds to stop by for a meal? I occasionally throw some seeds on the ground in the hope that helps but it only feeds the squirrels.

Thanks

[PRBuzz]

They (especially the sparrows) will eventually find the feeders, give it time. Likely will be chickadees and titmice first if you are lucky.

[Raven]

birds are attracted to it... especially yellow

you need SUET too as Suet is what they need right now
fat to burn... the squares are 92 cents at walmart

the other color is red.... you can save an old onion red bag
you know the red mesh type like a net... and fill it with the white
fat sold at certain grocery stores as Beef suet....too

you can save all your bacon grease into a washed out metal can
then freeze it to solidify it... then you re-melt it real slow
and mix in a seed mix and then refreeze it to "make your own"
suet... this process hardens it.

the suet that's anti melt in straight peanut butter flavor is a huge hit.
take a log of soft wood and drill holes in it with an Inch and one half spade bit
then you can fill those holes with cheap peanut butter
and seed mix or suet to attract the peckers and nut hatches.

take a trash can and make a wooden flat top for it out of plywood
as a raised feeding area so that your offerings are more visible.

After christmas for example, i take my friends old christmas tree which
he paid $100.00 dollars for and its 6 feet wide by ten feet tall
and i turn it into a bird feeding shelter for when the blizzards arrive.

Also find your LOCAL feed store ...they have much more to offer but
they are Pricey....
safflower seed for cardinals
thistle seed for the finches
don't buy any mix with MILLET
it's a rip off _> bigtime

cheapest black oil sunflower seed is sold at Bj's 40lbs for $21.98
get the specialty stuff to salt it in at the feed store as its fresher

[PaulS]

Thanks.

I gotta get some suet today when I go to homies as I forgot to put some out.

[Saltheart]

If you build it they will come.

Use some thistle seed and you'll get finches. Lots of them and many different colors.

Don't worry , they will find it as their need drives them to look.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by PaulS

Thanks.

I gotta get some suet today when I go to homies as I forgot to put some out.

I've had great success getting some Downy Woodpeckers the last month or so when I changed to orange/fruity suet. Nuthatches and bluejays seem to be fans as well.

[Swimmer]

Leave it out and they will come. Suppose to feed them 12 months of the year. Love watching the birds at the feeder, absolutely love it.

[UserRemoved1]

no squirrels this year

I don't know why

[ProfessorM]

my compost pile draws more birds than my 2 feeders. They just luv kitchen scraps.

They will find it . Only took 2 hours for them to get back to using mine, but they were around because of the compost pile.

[Raven]

seen the wrens Paul?

mine know me so well, i can let them in the house to warm up

the feeder (hollow log section)is on the window sill
as is the xmas Pine tree right against the house
...funny part is...the big cat is afraid of them

then i use the recorded mp3 wren songs
to get them all rev'd Up

[Raven]

Agway - Lawn, Garden, Pet, Bird and Farm Specialists | Know How Wild Birds Seasonal Bird Feeding Tips - Winter

[Swimmer]

Agway in Hanson winter bird seed sale is on right now

[basswipe]

Don't forget to check this thread several years of good info:
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...-watching.html

[FishermanTim]

Just to further emphasize the point: fill them and they will come!
Don't go looking for them, as they will soon find you.
They NEED food, and during the winter they need food with a higher fat content like suet and sunflower seeds. Don't forget the niger seeds (thistle) for the finches.

Just be aware of any potential squirrel access areas. If they can jump, climb or swing to it they will!!!

[ProfessorM]

Rav I have not seen the wrens yet but have heard them. sucks I am working days now as I miss watching the little buggers.

[PaulS]

Put some suet out today. Going 3 weeks w/out seeing anything at the feeder. Starting to get mad at myself for waiting so long. I thought I had read that they really didn't need feed in the summer so last year I stopped. Won't let that happen again. Had a bright red cardinal that always hung around the last few years. My wife insisted it was my mom who passed away 6 years ago - I'm not too happy right now.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Raven]

Cardinals prefer to feed off the ground!!
but once they get accustomed to a new Bird feeder (location)
they'll be the last one to go at night and the first to arrive come morning

you can google any birds call as an MP3 file
or a dot wav file (.wav ) so google cardinal.wav
find yourself some chirps and whistles
and spike the punch so to speak
by playing them out the window

Once you get a few birds feeding they'll eventually
send out the
"hey we found the motherload call"
and more birds will approach your spot

doesn't matter which species as one takes "ques" off the other
so do some chickadees too

but, spreading out some seed on the ground where it would be highly visible
by birds flying over head makes a huge difference
orange rind believe it or not attracts cardinals to investigate more

[ProfessorM]

I never feed the birds during the summer and never have had a problem with them finding the feeders within a day or hours. Do you find a lot of birds in your area usually?

[spence]

Originally Posted by Raven

Cardinals prefer to feed off the ground!!

If I had a lot of cardinals I'd use the open fly through feeders. At least that way there's some protection for the seed from some rain.

Just make sure you use safflower so the squirrels don't empty it in a day.

-spence

[striperman36]

For cardinals I have the spring loaded feeder set to the lightest level. The 3/8s dowel is perfect for their feet
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by spence

Just make sure you use safflower so the squirrels don't empty it in a day.

-spence

Not in my neighborhood. Doesn't matter what I put in the feeders and the squirrels empty them with in 2 days. I was told that they didn't like safflower so I filled it up and every time I looked out there was a squirrel on or near the feeder.

This is why I decided on 'other ways' of preventing the squirrels from eating all the food.

[Raven]

you'll have to buy the squirrel proof bird feeder
that closes the slot with their own weight.

[basswipe]

There are two things I do when it comes to squirrels.

I used to grease the poles that the feeders are on and that works good only for a little while and I finally got tired of constantly doing that.Now what I do is use a cheap feeder and fill it with cracked corn which is pretty inexpensive when compared to seed.I place it below and under my bird feeders and the squirrels naturally go for it first.

I also own a match grade pellet pistol.Its sole purpose is to be a tack driver at 10yds.
It has no real significant power and does no real damage other than sting like a bastard,the squirrels tend remember that and will stay away for a while.

[Raven]

there are NO acorns under the snow or cached away
in a hollow tree trunk for lean times this year.

Last year i was inundated with grey squirrels 20
and red squirrels 10
to the point it was a loosing battle.

[PaulS]

I'll spread more seed on the groung today - and try the orange peels. I do have the spring loaded bird feeder and it works much better than the non spring loaded. Live near the beach and don't get a real lot of birds. I think other years when I feed them through the summer, I'd see more around.

I may try to net some at my Dad's this weekend and bring some home w/me.

I read somewhere the acorn crop this year was at it's lowest in many years. Last year there was an abundance - normal cycles.

[Raven]

the day after Christmas
most Christmas trees are free

you can take advantage of that fact
grab a few and make yourself a
temporary instant mini forest...

i go out to my huge blue spruce and toss sunflower seed
up on the branches and soon it is filled with happy birds

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Raven

you can take advantage of that fact
grab a few and make yourself a
temporary instant mini forest...

Usually I take the tree to the recycling center. This year, I'll leave it in the yard.
Thanks