bird feeding

Haven’t seen the orioles since I put out jelly either. They liked the oranges and hummingbird feeder for a few days and they took off. Almost ready to refill them already- at least 5-6 different hummers coming in. Had a big woody pounding on a stump last night and when I went to fill the feeders in the back yard I was going to grab a couple shovels to put in the shed and almost stepped on this fawn (I know, it’s not a bird). It stayed put when I mowed the front yard and blew the driveway off. The kids were worried that momma wasn’t around. I said- she’ll be back by dark I bet. They patiently watched out the window on/off throughout the evening and yup- she came back right before dark, nudged the fawn a bit to wake it up, nursed it, then they headed off into the woods. I hate living in town- but have a nice wooded lot with plenty of deer, turkeys, ducks, and song birds that helps get me by until I can get out of town.

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The deer pic is very cool.
You can put that pileated in the deep fryer. Hate those destructive birds.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

You can put that pileated in the deep fryer. Hate those destructive birds.

Couldn’t agree more. They are pounding holes in a couple trim boards on my entryway.

I seen an indigo bunting this weekend turkey hunting, cool looking bird, and my first hummingbirds of the year. I also seen a tom that would strut 70 yards away and not take one step closer, either.

Steven Krapfl wrote:

I seen an indigo bunting this weekend turkey hunting,

We had one of those at the bird feeder last week – Way cool looking bird.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Steven Krapfl wrote:</div>
I seen an indigo bunting this weekend turkey hunting,

We had one of those at the bird feeder last week – Way cool looking bird.

He was hanging out with some gold finches, which are our state bird here in Iowa, and it looked like a gold finch, just blue. Thought it was a rare, color phase gold finch, but Google told me otherwise:)

I just had a rose breasted grosbeak. First time in 23 years here.

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Gregg Gunter wrote:

I just had a rose breasted grosbeak. First time in 23 years here.

those are awesome looking birds!!!!!!!

Yeah very cool bird for sure! I had one here last year. I also had an indigo bunting last year.

i very rarely get the indigo bunting or reb breasted gorsebeaks here in town, think the grosebeaks like more of a wooded area…….we get them at the cabin though.

grosebeaks are definitely a wooded area bird.

I had a red-breasted grosbeak in Zumbrota the other day. Way cool bird !

Also had a hummer almost knock my hat off while I sat out on the patio. He stopped at the feeder for 1 second, then went to the hibiscus. Almost black w/a brilliant red throat.

Not sure the occupants of our duck house appreciated this visitor. My wife ran down to the waters edge to scare Mr. Marten away, but it just looked at her as if it didn’t have a care in the world.

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Pretty cool animal! I have never seen one before.

So I have been getting orioles here and there but yet to see a humming bird at my house. They were pretty thick when I was up on Bowstring a couple weekends ago, I usually get quite a few, it seems like there just no around my place this year. Anyone else notice that or have any idea why?

John……are there others in your neighborhood that feed them???? that may have something to do with it????

when was the last time you changed the juice????

I change it pretty regular Glenn, less than a week, not sure about other feeders in the neighborhood. Maybe I got it out to late but thought I was actually early.

A week or so ago I saw 2 sandhill cranes in a field in Woodbury. On Radio Dr just south of Bailey Rd. Yesterday I saw a pair with a chick on Military Rd just east of Radio, so pretty close to the first spot. Maybe last year I saw a pair off Jamaica and Military. Guessing this pattern shows successive breeding seasons.
What are y’all seeing for cranes?

Gregg Gunter wrote:

A week or so ago I saw 2 sandhill cranes in a field in Woodbury. On Radio Dr just south of Bailey Rd. Yesterday I saw a pair with a chick on Military Rd just east of Radio, so pretty close to the first spot. Maybe last year I saw a pair off Jamaica and Military. Guessing this pattern shows successive breeding seasons.
What are y’all seeing for cranes?

Driving around our place we will see 20 to 30 of them a day maybe even more. There is 6 that are in our field everyday all day.

those cranes are definitely making a come back!!!! see fair amount also in my travels.

i but up a mealworm feeder for various birds…..but them f@#$&*( starlings are taking over………so the feeder came down yesterday for a while!!!!

still got orioles which surprises me. they usually bail on me about now!!!!!!1 and man i’m going threw the grape jelly!!!!

glenn57 wrote:

still got orioles which surprises me. they usually bail on me about now!!!!!!1 and man i’m going threw the grape jelly!!!!

I went thru a ton of jelly this year but most of it went to robins. I had four robins that constantly fought with each other and the Orioles and other birds trying to eat at the jelly feeders. These things would sit and guard the jelly feeder. If anything came to the feeder and sat one of the pricks would dive in and chase it away. All 4 of those robins finally experienced health issues and things settled down.

Our Orioles have moved on now save for a couple juveniles. I am waiting for the robins to take their leave now too. Should be soon.

I see cranes everyday. There is a pair in the same spot every morning and afternoon on my way to and from work eating the low spots where the cornfield was wet. Guessing they must have little ones they have been on the same field over a month.

Sparrows, House Finches and Starlings have been constant annoyances at bird feeders here. Some of these birds create so much waste by tossing seed they don’t want out on the ground. Then we get the weeds resulting from that. I finally took down every seed feeder last fall and left just the suet log and suet cages over winter. The suet cakes had sunflower seed mixed in when I made them, so the Chickadees and Nuthatches still had some food source here. Robins and Starlings enjoy the suet too, but they are not welcome. Since Robins and Starlings have a hard time grasping with their feet other than when standing on them, they cannot grasp the wire caging of a suet feeder, however they will sit atop the cage and have at the suet they can reach. I put squirrel baffles over the suet cages and that keeps the Robins and Starlings off.

I put this feeder up earlier this summer and the Chickadees and Gold Finches love it. It uses Niger seed. The old Niger seed feeder was pet of the Sparrows. When Sparrows showed up, nothing else would come in to eat except for maybe House Finches and they’re about as close to a Sparrow as one can get. Since putting this feeder up I’ve had Gold Finches and Chickadees all day long, every day. I have to fill the center tube about every other day.

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glenn57 wrote:

but them f@#$&*( starlings are taking over………so the feeder came down yesterday for a while!!!!

Ya them and the blackbirds are a PITA this year for sure. I’ve never had this much problems with them in the past. I have been filling the black sunflower feeder almost daily. I may have to stop for awhile and see if they move on.

Jimmy Jones wrote:

put this feeder up earlier this summer and the Chickadees and Gold Finches love it. It uses Niger seed. The old Niger seed feeder was pet of the Sparrows. When Sparrows showed up, nothing else would come in to eat except for maybe House Finches and they’re about as close to a Sparrow as one can get. Since putting this feeder up I’ve had Gold Finches and Chickadees all day long, every day. I have to fill the center tube about every other day.

Jimmy I like that design. Where did you get that one?

I found this one in Red Wing’s Runnings store, but I have seen them in Menards too.

I’m thinking of putting a baffle on my hummingbird feeder. All this rain pounding on it dilutes the nectar.

We have cardinals regularly this year, which is cool

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A pair of Chickadees brought their young family to the cage feeder this morning and it’s been a riot. I believe there are three chicks. The chicks treat the cage like a jungle gym, climbing and swinging upside down on the wires. They’re here for five minutes, then gone for fifteen, then back again. I’ve been wanting to grab a picture, but those little suckers are fast and with the chicks here they don’t like any motion in the window at all.