Closing down the feeder for the summer. (1 Viewer)

[cavan wood]

I usually shut down my feeders for the summer and I was wondering how many others did the same, or conversely, how many continue to feed all year.

My reasons for shutting down are:
1. grackles - round about the end of april I feel like I'm in an Alfred Hitcock movie.
2. absenteeism - we frequently go away for days at a time during summer and I feel that the inconsistency could be hard on the birds.
3. mess - well not really, in the fall I just rake now and then and mow over it.
4. expense - I spend over $20 a month on food through the winter and I need a break
5. disrupting migration - I always worry if I feed from summer into fall that some birds will stick around that shouldn't. I had a song sparrow all this winter and I kept thinking the little buggar would freeze, but he was still ticking by the middle of March, so perhaps that's silly.

Look forward to your feedback
Scott

 

[Vik]

Hi: We feed the birds all year. The beauty part is that in the summer you get different birds. We get rose-breasted grosbeaks each spring/summer. And we've had orioles which are not here in the cold months. And, of course, we put out sugar water and we have hummingbirds from May to September. We still get some of the winter residents like the cardinals, bluejays, and woodpeckers, among others. And it's a thrill when the birds bring their babies to feed. Do feed during the summer. It's worth it.

 

[timmyjones]

I dont feed seed but mealworms and worms for the parents and young

 

[david2004]

The RSPB and BTO over here in the UK recommend feeding all year round. The spring and summer months can be the most important. This is because adult birds spend much of their time and more energy by finding food for their young. This means less time to get food themselves, so it is much easier for them when food is provided.

I feed all year round.

 

[FeistyRdHd]

I usually shut down my feeders for the summer and I was wondering how many others did the same, or conversely, how many continue to feed all year.

My reasons for shutting down are:
1. grackles - round about the end of april I feel like I'm in an Alfred Hitcock movie.
2. absenteeism - we frequently go away for days at a time during summer and I feel that the inconsistency could be hard on the birds.
3. mess - well not really, in the fall I just rake now and then and mow over it.
4. expense - I spend over $20 a month on food through the winter and I need a break
5. disrupting migration - I always worry if I feed from summer into fall that some birds will stick around that shouldn't. I had a song sparrow all this winter and I kept thinking the little buggar would freeze, but he was still ticking by the middle of March, so perhaps that's silly.

Look forward to your feedback
Scott

Hi, Scott!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr, I'm sure it's still cold up in Ontario..that's one tough sparrow you have there

We feed all year-round, but I am a would-be photographer, and they are my primary subjects. We enjoy the variety we get by feeding all year-round. It does, however, get expensive. And with the exception of hummingbirds, if you leave town your birds will find other sources of food although they may not come back when you do.

It's a personal choice. They certainly can survive in the summer much better than in the winter without our help. However, being as far north as you are, I might consider waiting until things start to bloom before you take your feeders down.

That's my two-cent's worth.

Lydia

 

[cavan wood]

Thanks for the responses so far. The red-breasted grosbeak is one primary incentive to keep feeding. I had them here the first year when I fed a little later into the summer and the one male would land right on the deck rail beside us. Wow.

I do feed hummers. They are also a delight.

Well, I'm going to think it through and play it by ear. It is fun to sit outside and listen to them during the nice weather.

Scott

 

[humminbird]

In response to your reason 5 Scott:

5. disrupting migration - I always worry if I feed from summer into fall that some birds will stick around that shouldn't. I had a song sparrow all this winter and I kept thinking the little buggar would freeze, but he was still ticking by the middle of March, so perhaps that's silly.

There is absolutely no truth to the myth that if you keep a feeder out birds will not migrate. The trigger to migration is much stronger than a plastic tube full of a few seeds, and if the bird is gonna go it is gonna go. Nothing you can do legally will keep it. A prime example of this is in hummingbirds around a feeder at migration time. Here in the south, that means first week in September. I go to bed with 15 or more hummingbirds buzzing a feeder. Over night we have a cold front and when I wake next day there are only two birds at my feeder. The other 13 left DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF A FEEDER. (actually banders would probably tell me all 15 left and two new ones moved in). So I would not worry about keeping the birds from moving with a feeder.

Personally, I will feed all year long because I get very different birds in the summer than in the winter.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[snowyowl]

I usually shut down my feeders for the summer and I was wondering how many others did the same, or conversely, how many continue to feed all year.

My reasons for shutting down are:
1. grackles - round about the end of april I feel like I'm in an Alfred Hitcock movie.

The Grackles will move on after a while, at least mine do. They've arrived here, by the way.


2. absenteeism - we frequently go away for days at a time during summer and I feel that the inconsistency could be hard on the birds.

Studies have shown that absenteeism doesn't hurt the birds even in winter. Even with feeders available, they still get most of their food from the wild.
I think Project Feeder Watch published some figures on the percentages feeders vs natural.

3. mess - well not really, in the fall I just rake now and then and mow over it.

My dog makes more mess. 'nuff said!

4. expense - I spend over $20 a month on food through the winter and I need a break.

I can relate. I've never dared add up the cost. Thank God for a tolerant wife.

5. disrupting migration - I always worry if I feed from summer into fall that some birds will stick around that shouldn't. I had a song sparrow all this winter and I kept thinking the little buggar would freeze, but he was still ticking by the middle of March, so perhaps that's silly.

I have Song Sparrows fairly commonly all winter. They survive very nicely.
This year, an Eastern meadowlark has hung around at someone's feeder all winter.

Look forward to your feedback
Scott

Some people say that it helps the birds if you feed while they are raising young. I'm not sure.

 

[amasara]

4. expense - I spend over $20 a month on food through the winter and I need a break

My husband WISHES I only spent $20 a month - but I do include deer and squirrels and turkeys to my shopping list. Agree with you re: grackles - I switch to mixed seed with corn in it - cheaper and goes further.

 

[snowyowl]

4. expense - I spend over $20 a month on food through the winter and I need a break

My husband WISHES I only spent $20 a month - but I do include deer and squirrels and turkeys to my shopping list. Agree with you re: grackles - I switch to mixed seed with corn in it - cheaper and goes further.

I buy 50 lb bags of cracked corn. It's cheap and works quite well.

 

[SRE]

Here in eastern Ontario I feed year round - have watched nuthatches, cardinals, hairy and downy woodpeckers and blue jays all bring their young to the feeders - in warm months we also put out a bird bath with a drip tube and the birds all love it - great entertainment for the people watching too!

 

[Lady19thC]

Hi...I live in Northern Massachusetts and I feed year round. The grackles are here, too, so each March I set up a new routine until October, when the blackbirds depart. I take down my suet, sunflower, mixes and peanuts, and put up safflower and still keep the thistle out. Also, sugar water for the hummers and oranges for the orioles and tanagers. Safflower is wonderful. It has a bitter taste that grackles detest and house sparrows cannot open it. Squirrels also don't like it. But Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, all Grosbeaks, House and Purpe finches, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice love it. And since it is a very hard shell, it goes down a bit slower, so you can save a bit of money. What falls on the ground the red-winged blackbirds and the mourning doves eat, plus baby cardinals. I love summer feeding because I get to see the baby finches and cardinals and the rose-breasted grosbeaks always stop by. I only fill one tube with safflower and 2-3 with thistle, since we have tons of goldfinches. Hope this helps!

 

[snowyowl]

Please tell me more about the safflower feeding. I've tried it a bit without the kind of success that you are describing. What kind of feeders are you using? Anything else that you can think of? All of the studies that I've seen say that safflower is liked by a very limited number of species.
Safflower is hard to get here but I probably could find some if I tried hard enough.

 

[Lady19thC]

Safflower is really gaining popularity around here, because we have soooo many grackles in the spring/summer and early fall, that it is impossible to feed, unless you use one of those haven feeders. Even then, anything that drops, the grackles come flocking for. Safflower is a white, very hard seed. It has a bitter taste which some birds absolutely love and others do not care for. House sparrows do not like it, which I am glad for. It keeps them out of my yard. As I said, Cardinals, House finches, Purple finches, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees love it. So do Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. I had one that ate at it, continually, one June, for a week, before heading north. I get them every year, now. I simply buy bags at the local nursery, or pet shop, or birding shop, and fill a tube. Give them time to find it and adjust, but if they are hungry, it is so worth it. Some people mix sunflower and safflower together, to first get birds adjusted to it, but my birds love it, and never complain. I filled the safflower up late yesterday evening, and it is over half empty. I am using a duncraft tube feeder with 6 perches. The cardinals line up their babies, in summer, at my deck stairs, and feed them the safflower, so they grow up on it. Any that falls to the ground goes to red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves (they eat the whole thing, so they do a great clean-up job, thus little raking to do!) and any cardinals that are interested. I have also seen white-crowned and white-throated sparrows at it. Needless to say, yes...chickadees prefer black sunflower, nuthatches prefer peanuts, as do titmice, but come summer they don't eat at my feeders anyhow, because they really prefer bugs! But it does give you an opportunity to try summer feeding and see some young house finches, and cardinals and keep any grosbeaks happy. As more people are using it, the birds are getting more attached to it. And it is in most quality mixes, as well as any cardinal mix. Give it a try! And if you have trouble getting them to come (give them a few days) try mixing it with sunflower. Seriously, my birds love it!

 

[Lady19thC]

And here are some pics of my success with safflower!

 

[Lady19thC]

As well as this content cardinal, we affectionately call Mr. Tomato Face, and a female purple finch having a little feast!

 

[humminbird]

As I said, Cardinals, House finches, Purple finches, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees love it.

I have not experienced that at all Lady19thC. I run as many as 20 seed feeders (plus additional suet, cake and nectar feeders) and the Safflower feeders (3 of them) are always the LAST ones emptied. I have plenty of Cardinals, House Finches, Purple Finches, Titmice and Carolina Chickadees.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[Lady19thC]

Yes, if I fed sunflower and mixes, and suet, they would pay a lot less attention to my safflower, but as the purpose of this thread is to find a way to keep the grackles away, and feed some birds, I take those other feeders away, and keep up the thistle, and one tube of safflower (I could easily make it 2 tubes with all the cardinals and finches I get) and the other birds I mentioned do eat it. My pictures show it. What can I say? I have been feeding safflower every spring/summer and early fall for the past three years. This will be my fourth. The original poster can try it, or not! No harm in trying, but as we all know, what works in one yard, doesn't always work in another. I live in MA, you are in TX and others are all over the place! Whatever!

 

[humminbird]

Well, since the thread is about avoiding Grackles, and since I live in some pretty high concentrations of Grackles and have not had one at my feeders, I would comment that I attribute a lot of my success to not developing Grackle habitat. Neighbors across the road a swarmed with them. My landscape is trees, shrubs and perenials. His is grass.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[snowyowl]

As I said, Cardinals, House finches, Purple finches, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees love it.

I have not experienced that at all Lady19thC. I run as many as 20 seed feeders (plus additional suet, cake and nectar feeders) and the Safflower feeders (3 of them) are always the LAST ones emptied. I have plenty of Cardinals, House Finches, Purple Finches, Titmice and Carolina Chickadees.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

That pretty much reflects my experience. That's why I was interested in Lady19thC's report.