Feeding Wild Birds

[R2elk]

They were extremely hungry, poor things.

They were well fed while they were here. They really are a fearless little bird. There are many stories of a Mountain Chickadee landing on a hunter's rifle barrel while the hunter was sitting waiting for game.

 

[007Sean]

They were well fed while they were here. They really are a fearless little bird. There are many stories of a Mountain Chickadee landing on a hunter's rifle barrel while the hunter was sitting waiting for game.

Yep, I've never had them land on me but have had house wrens land on me while I was hunting.

 

[NightingaleJen]

I've been seeing Mockingbirds, Siskins, House Finches, Juncos, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Short-eared Owls, Kestrels, Horned Larks (by the fifties!), Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and American Tree Sparrows, as well as all the usual hawks and junk birds. From what I've been hearing through the grape vine, some individuals are still spotting the occasional WARBLER.

Beautiful photo! Here in east central Ohio our bird populations seem to be doing well, and we've most of the same birds you do. Over the summer I downloaded a great little app that will record birdsong, then give you a pretty darned good guess as to what kind of bird it is (helpful, since many of our birds, living in the woods with us, are shy). Used it all the time while walking the dog in the woods.

Though for some reason, I keep unintentionally calling Red-bellied Woodpeckers (of which we seem to have several hundred) "Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers". One of these days they're going to make me pay...

 

[blackandtan]

Not a lot here right now, lots of chickadees of course and Canada jays, blue jays, I have noticed that there haven’t been any pine grosbeaks here this year, and we usually get a ton in winter.

I saved a white wing crossbill last week, such a neat little bird! He’d been hit and was sitting on the road so I picked him up on my way to town and put him in a little donut hole box, (from my last trip to town, don’t judge!). I didn’t see any injuries though there was a little blood on the cardboard, and by the time I was going home he was pretty lively so I released him.

I did note that there were a lot more monarchs about last year, and I hadn’t seen any for a couple years so that was exciting

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We continue to be overrun with birds here. We are having a pretty mild winter so far, so that may be contributing to more birds sticking around this winter.

We even have a big beautiful pileated woodpecker, as well as red bellied, and hairy and downy woodpeckers. The jays are crazy too this year. We run out of suet quickly here.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I feed the wild birds year round. I don't have to fill them much in the summer just for the goldfinches and the purple finches. We have tons and tons of birds. Blue Jays, Cardinals, Juncos, Nuthatches, 3 different woodpeckers, doves, stupid rats with wings (sparrows) Red Winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Grosbeaks, Orioles, Robins, Barn Swallows (my favorites!), Mockingbirds, Killdeer, and on and on. Wild pheasants and bobwhite quail like to hang out in our huge yard too. I think all of our birds attract them. We live in the country but a couple pigeons made our farm their home and over the years their young have made them a nice little flock. We have occasional visitors such as Swans, Mallards, Loons, and Canadian Geese. As well as Bald Eagles and Great Horned Owls. If its a bird I love it, except sparrows, they can all die.

 

[sourland]

Talked to a neighbor yesterday and she informed me that the bird population at her feeders is way down. I'm guessing with last summer's rain and high mosquito population West Nile virus took its toll on the birds.

 

[CapricornFarm]

We continue to be overrun with birds here. We are having a pretty mild winter so far, so that may be contributing to more birds sticking around this winter.

We even have a big beautiful pileated woodpecker, as well as red bellied, and hairy and downy woodpeckers. The jays are crazy too this year. We run out of suet quickly here.

I buy suet by the case, much easier.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I buy suet by the case, much easier.

I do too. I buy Nutty Butty suet. It's the only thing they like here. I go through boxes of it a month.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I do too. I buy Nutty Butty suet. It's the only thing they like here. I go through boxes of it a month.

I found out today they have special woodpecker suet. So I got a box of that.