[Birdtalk] Backyard birds Steller's Jays again

[Connie McManus]

There seems to be a bit of talk about feeders lately.  I have a tube feeder
that hangs in a tree in my front yard.  THe birds hardly touch it.  My
husband, Bill, took some old juice jugs (1 gallon size) and made feeders out
of them and the birds come to them.  Why they like these and not the $20.00
tube feeders beats me. go figure.  In our back yard, under our crab apple,
we have a large work table that somehow has become a platform feeder.  I
sprinkle black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, oatmeal, rice, bird seed,
bakery items like dried bread, old pancakes, etc. on this table.   I also
have suet cages hanging in various places, but the birds flock to the table
in massive numbers.  So far, the chickadees will eat from the suet feeders
(which are filled primarily with mixed wildbird seed and black oil sunflower
seeds - the same stuff I sprinkle on the table).  what is hilarious to watch
is my dog, Jack.  This dog is huge (a kuvasz) and when I put out baked goods
for the birds, he very nonchallantly goes to the table when he thinks I'm
not looking and scarfs down the little crumbs of bread, pancakes, etc.  I
might mention that I soak the baked goods in hamburger or bacon drippings,
so that has probably whetted Jack's appetite, too.

The birds that come are to my feeder are:
 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES
HOUSE FINCHES
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS
DARK-EYED JUNCOS
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES
 the ever present, ubiquitous HOUSE SPARROWS.
RED-WINGED BLACK BIRDS (occassionally)
There is a MOURNING DOVE now perched in another tree in my yard that seems
to be looking hungrily at the table feeder.  Is he waiting for the other
birds to invite him or is that just my imagination?  I've noticed that when
new species want to come to the feeder, one or two will hang out some
distance away, then venture in while the others are perched elsewhere.
Eventually, they become part of the flock that feeds.

I have not seen the Northern Shrike or the Sharp-Shinned Hawk for a long
time.  The Shrike appeared a couple of times and I was hoping he would be a
regular, but no such luck.  Of course, that would suck for the feeder birds.


Other birds I haven't seen in a while are the downy woodpecker and the
northern flicker.  I can't figure out why the robins don't come to my yard,
either -  they are very abundant from spring to fall.

---
ConnieM
Cache Valley
----------------------------------------------------


On Jan 17, 2008 10:17 PM, Brenda Kidman <bkidman at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> Gosh, with this weather being so fierce I hope that those of you that can
> are keeping your backyard feeders filled.  It is so cold and so snowy.  Here
> in South Weber we got over 19 inches last week and there is no way the birds
> can find their way to seeds naturally through that kind of covering with the
> snow being sustained through these super freezing temperatures.
>
> If you get some feeders out, or keep your existing feeders filled you will
> have a better variety to report during the GBBC which is coming up in a
> month!
>
> http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Jan08/bird.count.html
>
> Today the Steller's Jay was back, we have had six Eurasians that hang
> around all the time, five or so Flickers, Mountain Chickadees, Black Capped
> Chickadees, bajillions of Juncos and Sparrows, House Finches, American
> Goldfinches, and a Sharpie that feeds daily.  We actually had a Kestrel that
> was hanging out.
>
> Be safe and good birding!
>
> Brenda
>
>
>
> --
> I hope that my achievements in life shall be these -- that I will have
> fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which
> mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I
> will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've
> been. ~ C. Hoppe
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>
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