Bird feeding

[drhu22]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

The biggest novelty below our feeder excluding deer is a pair of Ruf Grouse. The male puts on a pretty good show.

I know they're not in season but for next fall...
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/crazy-...pes-need-pics/

[creeky]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I have nine feeders out, that I maintain all year.

I have posted photos of my setup. My biggest feeders are home built and between them they hold a 25kg bag of Black Oil Sunflower seed.

I have had feeders out for more then twenty years but my fascination of birds started long before that. My first memories of being interested in birds was when I was about ten years old. It started with a book called Birds of Alberta and has grown every year since I first picked up that book.

We have yet to see our first returning migrant.

I often get juvenile Redwing Blackbirds coming in each the spring, they can be a pain.

Stellar photo Keg!


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[drhu22]

Originally Posted by creeky

Stellar photo Keg!
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Seconded... That is a btfl shot!

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by creeky

Stellar photo Keg!


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It's not my photo.

I do have photos of these birds looking just like this one, at my feeders.

But my photos are not nearly as good so I opted for a photo from google.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

The biggest novelty below our feeder excluding deer is a pair of Ruf Grouse. The male puts on a pretty good show.

We had two bucks cleaning up below our feeders yesterday.

I used to get Ruffed Grouse at our feeders when we lived in North Star, but not here. It seems rather odd to me actually because North Star is surrounded by fields, here we have nothing but undeveloped bush land to the west and north of us. We see lots more grouse close to this property and I have seen them on this property many times but never close to our feeders.

We also see fewer Woodpeckers here. I'm sure it's the nature of the environment here. It's poor soil and there is little in the way of natural water bodies. There is not much variety in the tree cover and other vegetation.
North Star had a much richer environment.

But we love the property and our neighbors here.

[Fish along]

I to feed birds during the winter, lots of chickadees, redp
ols,sparrows ,hairy and downy woodpeckers ,blue jays,
Northern Flickers,and the occasional Magpie,I feed the chickadees out plastic bottles with holes cut in them at 11/4 inch diameter this ensures that the smaller birds are not crowded out by larger birds, I use a larger feeder for the bigger ones.I usually put out pieces of beef fat for the woodpeckers they are on it constantly all winter.Its a pleasure to have them around during the long winter.

[farmer60]

Had to drive 20 hrs S. to find Spring, but here, hummers sure like sugar and water. Very numerous other feathers like thistle seed.
Anna's Female has a small gorget that I shot.

[Tom Pullings]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Yup and the spill over is for the deer

Haha this is funny because last night at about 2 am I heard a commotion by my living room window so I went out to investigate thinking it may be burglars. Shined my light on a couple of mulies taking advantage of the spilled seed.


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[Dougarmitage]

My favourites are the house finches. Wonderful songs. Seem to be somewhat new to Alberta; I don’t remember them 10years ago.

[Tom Pullings]

I’m happy to report that the starlings seem to have moved on and have been replaced by a whole bunch of pine grosbeaks.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

How many out there have bird feeders set up on their property. I have for years and I really enjoy watching what comes to my feeders as well as the songs they sing. Had what I think was a northern flicker visit yesterday for a short while.

In the last week or so my feeders have been invaded by juvenile blackbirds of some sort. They waste seed and cling to my feeders sometimes 5 or 6 birds at a time. Oh well. Still better than having no birds around.

Had a couple black birds come and beg for perch one day while fishing. That was pretty cool. Had a great blue heron fly in and eat 28 perch before flying away. Stunned a few perch once when the loons came by. Tossed them into the water and watched the loons eat them under the water.

[Tom Pullings]

Are these pine grosbeaks? I get flocks of them pretty much daily. They have a nice song and I enjoy their antics.

[JareS]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

Are these pine grosbeaks? I get flocks of them pretty much daily. They have a nice song and I enjoy their antics.

House Finches!

[Tom Pullings]

Originally Posted by JareS

House Finches!

Haha so it is! All this time I was thinking they were grosbeaks. Funny house finches didn’t come up when I originally tried to figure it out.

[JareS]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

Haha so it is! All this time I was thinking they were grosbeaks. Funny house finches didn’t come up when I originally tried to figure it out.

Pine Grosbeaks would be larger (robin sized) and the female is dull yellow.

As another member mentioned, House Finches have expanded their range north to Canada in the past couple decades

[Tom Pullings]

The little buggers seem to chase away the chickadees. I put up 4 feeders so now there’s room for everyone. Only problem is I can’t watch them all at once.

[Zip-in-Z]

Mr Pileated Woodpecker still keeps coming for a visit, he's a bit smaller than a crow but what a voice, he let's you know when he's arrived. He sure likes the mixed nut slabs/cakes I found at Peavey Mart and what he knocks off and falls down gets cleaned up by every other variety including a few Red Wing B-birds.

Note: DIY nut cage made from stucco wire, that's what's left out of an approx 8"x8"x2" nut slab/cake.

[FCLightning]

Those are cool birds


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[Tom Pullings]

I even have some red wing blackbirds showing up at my feeders now. I’ve never seen them in town let alone at a feeder.

[Zip-in-Z]

Mr. Sunshine the goldfinch has joined the party.

D.

.

[Scott N]

I had the first goldfinch that I've seen this year visit my bird feeder tonight.

[moosemad]

Ive heard bird feeders attract mice, not sure if its an old wives tale or not. Would love to have some feeders but wifey is not known to get along with mice. Any opinions?

[Marten1576]

Originally Posted by moosemad

Ive heard bird feeders attract mice, not sure if its an old wives tale or not. Would love to have some feeders but wifey is not known to get along with mice. Any opinions?

Humming bird feeder. They are the most entertaining!

[JareS]

Originally Posted by moosemad

Ive heard bird feeders attract mice, not sure if its an old wives tale or not. Would love to have some feeders but wifey is not known to get along with mice. Any opinions?

I find the predatory birds seem to take care of that problem before it becomes one

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by moosemad

Ive heard bird feeders attract mice, not sure if its an old wives tale or not. Would love to have some feeders but wifey is not known to get along with mice. Any opinions?

My backyard feeder definitely attracts mice as I've seen a number of them over the years, but there aren't any there this year.

[Big Sky]

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

I even have some red wing blackbirds showing up at my feeders now. I’ve never seen them in town let alone at a feeder.

Blackbirds are quite aggressive and will keep the smaller birds away. They come by once in a while. If we're around we'll scare the blackbirds away.

Originally Posted by moosemad

Ive heard bird feeders attract mice, not sure if its an old wives tale or not. Would love to have some feeders but wifey is not known to get along with mice. Any opinions?

Keep the feeder away from the house. We have our feeder over the end of our cement patio. The ground feeders, like sparrows and juncos, clean the dropped seed up pretty quickly.

We are getting sparrows, house finches, goldfinches, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and flickers at our feeders in the last week