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Feeding Birds ♥ | Pad Patter 8.2

AnneofAlamo

AnneofAlamo

Slippers IN sunshine? Even better!
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
19,713
I live on the outside of the desert. We have quail. I adore quail. I can watch them for hours. The way they huddle together, then send a spotter out, who whistles different warnings until clear. They as a family all scurry across together.
Anyway, I put a seed block for quails out in my yard.
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Due to us being in the desert, I also have a large bird bath. We fill it up at least once a day. The first month, one family of quail and a whole lot of wrens and doves.

Now, I am like the bird lady of Desert Hills! lol, The blocks are going way faster! lol

I was pondering some seed in the trees for the wrens and such to go to perhaps? Any other bird feeding scrappers out there? What are your tricks and favorite birds to watch
 
My husband puts out seed for the birds - we have a few bird feeders hanging in trees in the backyard - and I love watching the birds come down for it. We get cockatoos, magpies, sparrows, rosellas, some absolutely glorious grass parrots...they come down morning and evening; I watch them from the kitchen while I'm washing baby bottles.
 
My cats are awesome bird catchers so we don't treat them in my garden. I used to buy my Mom some suet and seed blocks for the little sparrows, wild bird seed for the doves and pigeons and some nectar (red colouring and sugar water) in bottles for the small humming birds and sun birds. We also found that in Winter especially they would finish a suet block in less than a week. She would also put out orange slices, banana pieces and apple quarters for the fruit loving variety.
 
Eyeore said:
She would also put out orange slices, banana pieces and apple quarters for the fruit loving variety.
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how smart an idea! we have a ton of bunnies that rummage thru our yard too. Silly things, can't do a proper garden for vegis due to them.
I am a bit weird on the hummingbirds, as they frighten me a bit. bhahah
 
I love to bird watch too. I used to have a couple of feeders right outside my big picture window by my computer. At first I had a few, but like you said, they message got out and then I had a TON. We were going through the bird feed like crazy. Eventually it got too expensive. Neighbors on both sides of us feed the birds too, so I just watch theirs now. We've had quite a few red headed woodpeckers this summer too. They are so pretty... just stay away from my house! Lol!
 
I feed the birds, but try not to feed the squirrels and deer. Yes, both will empty a feeder if they can. I use suet with hot peppers in it. The birds can't taste the heat but the squirrels and raccoons can so they leave it alone. I put out black sunflower seed in a squirrel proof feeder and thistle seed in another feeder. We have a hummingbird feeder by the kitchen French door - that is fun to watch. Then I also plant lots of wildflowers in the yard for the birds to snack on the seeds and flowers (hummers). Butterflies love the flowers too.

We only have the Ruby-throated hummers, but have 3 or more types of woodpeckers, gold finches, blue birds, Carolina wrens, blue jays, etc. And crows, which will empty a suet feeder quickly. Oh well. We have a pair of hawks that live in the neighborhood, but of course they don't come to the feeders. I often hear them on my early morning dog walks.

There is a couple of ponds near my house, so we sometimes see water birds there when I am out walking the dog.

Get a bird book and have the kids identify them!
 
BevG said:
I use suet with hot peppers in it. The birds can't taste the heat but the squirrels and raccoons can so they leave it alone.
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I never knew that! Very interesting and helpful! We have TONS of deer and squirrels in our neighborhood.
 
When I was little my mom had a hummingbird feeder placed in the yard in front of our big window. It was fun to watch them come in for a drink.

We mostly have magpies and crows around here this year and I'm not going to feed them. They make such a mess and dive bomb our porch.... yuck! A few years ago we had a mother robin and her babies, but those darn angry birds scared them away. I miss seeing the cute little nest and blue eggs. I wish I would have thought to take a photo.
 
I put out suet and just recently put out a hummingbird feeder too. I used to have 2 feeders for seed but had to stop b/c the birds would get it all over the porch and backyard and the rats/squirrels started coming. So now we stick to the suet which doesn't create any mess and doesn't attract the rats/squirrels. We love to watch the little chickadees and sparrows and then the bigger birds are the woodpeckers, flickers and sterling jay. The crows are hysterical as they try to land on the suet feeder but just are too big and clumsy to grab onto it for long. I am fascinated by the hummingbirds, the way they move, they way they hover. I watch thru our kitchen window at them on the back porch.
 
We are hit and miss. I love it when I do it - but truthfully I often forget and it's been awhile since I kept up.

And then our neighbors always attracted juvenile raccoon to their feeder. But their deck is a little lower - I never saw them at our deck. I kinda stopped after I saw that.

I have hummingbird feeders but always forget to put them out ... we seem to have so many birds around anyway - doves, woodpeckers, turkey, falcons, red tail hawks, robins (that build nests under our deck every year), blue jay, eastern blue bird, cardinals, yellow finch and ones that like to try to come into the house when we open the front door. There's no shortage of birds here -most of them I don't even know what they are. Duck used to like to hang out in our pool -one even landed in it while the kids were in the pool once! Last week a hummingbird flew about 2 feet in front of my face for a bit - before moving on. Made me think I should put out the hummingbird nectar.

I love quail. Didn't know they did all that Anne. The bird bath sounds lovely!
 
I LURVE quail!!! We have them in our neighborhood along with disgusting pigeons and other birds. I keep meaning to get a quail block, but I think I'll wait until it's cooler so we can actually go outside and enjoy them LOL!!

I love feeding the hummers too!
 
Just another fantastic thing about you Anne! It might be a given that we like birds, but we have an old (really big) plant pot saucer that we keep topped up with water and seeing the different techniques different birds use to bath can be quite funny & distracting. This one family of magpies strut around next to it and seem to think they own it but will let others species use it (they seem to put on a big and brave act all puffed up but will pretend they don't see others ducking in for a quick dip!) We live next to a reserve with a massive Moreton Bay fig tree and it seems to feed all types of birds and bats from everywhere (& they eat more of our mulberries when they're ripe than we get to) so we haven't had to really feed them.
 
My husband puts out wild bird seeds in our backyard to feed birds.

We have ducks and chickens so in addition to their normal feed we give them meal worms. They go crazy for them!!
 
BevG said:
I feed the birds, but try not to feed the squirrels and deer. Yes, both will empty a feeder if they can. I use suet with hot peppers in it. The birds can't taste the heat but the squirrels and raccoons can so they leave it alone. I put out black sunflower seed in a squirrel proof feeder and thistle seed in another feeder. We have a hummingbird feeder by the kitchen French door - that is fun to watch. Then I also plant lots of wildflowers in the yard for the birds to snack on the seeds and flowers (hummers). Butterflies love the flowers too.
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This doesn't work for squirrels in our area. They eat anything and everything, even if it's doused in hot pepper oil!

Although we live in suburbia near a major city we are lucky because of the many streams that run through the area. The counties have done a good job of keeping the land surrounding the streams forested, so we have lots and lots of birds and small animals (fox, possum, fluffy-tailed rats called "squirrels", rats from the school next door, chipmunks). I don't feed the birds just because there are a plethora of natural feeding areas around, but I do have a small birdbath along with birdhouses which may or may not be inhabited.

I tried putting out a hummingbird feeder (with clear syrup, not red!!) after I saw some hummers going for my wild columbines, but I think I got it up too late because they never came back. I did plant a bird, bee & butterfly-friendly garden behind my back fence, but because I've had a strange schedule this summer and haven't been around to water the way its needed the flowers really aren't there. Hopefully next year they'll be better! I have seen some birds eating from the flower seed heads which has made me very happy!

Another thing I'm thinking of is putting out some insect hotels to house beneficial pollinators. why not?

We've also been noticing a deer frequenting our neighborhood. At first I thought it was a fluke and was worried for its safety, but we've been seeing it at least twice a week in broad daylight. I think it's loving the gardens in our neighborhood. I thought we'd never have to worry about deer, but I guess I'm wrong!
 
I am honestly not a big fan of birds :giggle I do put out a humming bird feeder and enjoy them, and we also have hawks that are cool to watch. But other than that, I don't care for the rest of them. They steal my dog food and make a mess on the cars and porch! My cats love them, though!!! :giggle
 
I've always fed the birds and love watching them. Their absolute favourite is sunflower seed hearts. The squirrels love them too, but I don't really mind. I quite like squirrels lol. We also have foxes and hedgehogs. Everything is welcome in my garden
:bird:beat
 
I love to feed the birds, but I only do it in the winter. I feel there is enough food around during the other seasons for them to fend for themselves.

That, and I guess if you remember all my layouts from earlier this year, I really just end up feeding those darn squirrels! lol!
 
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