Today at the feeder (1 Viewer)

[Larry Lade]

Here is a photo of a regular, daily visitor to our backyard feeders since I put the feeders back up a couple of weeks ago. It is a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a winter visitor to Missouri.

 

[Tero]

I put out mine three days ago. Three species:
Chickadee
Titmouse
Chipmunk underneath

 

[Cyclops]

Its dead here. I normally fill the seed feeder up and within a couple of days the sparrows have cleaned it out. There's been nothing for a few days,where have they all gone?
Also got fat balls and a bell full of bird cake but nothing!
Lots of gulls about tho,great to watch them swoop and dive and occasionally I see one with a very dark back.
Just say a jackdaw on someone's roof. Went to get the camera but he'd buggered off! Typical!

 

[snowyowl]

The first real snow of the winter is forecast for today so it'll be interesting to see what it brings in to the feeders.

 

[Larry Lade]

Here in Missouri this morning it is raining and cold, rather dreary! But so far, I have had American Crows flying over our yard and American Goldfinch, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers coming to the backyard bird feeders.

 

[amkid247]

Usual chickadees, white throated sparrows, dark eyed juncos, cardinals, mourning doves, a downy visited the seed feeder yesterday, along with a white breasted nuthatch visiting the seed today. i woke up to a large male red bellied woodpecker on my suet feeder, after spotting him fleeing the seen yesterday as i walked home from the bus.

 

[amkid247]

today i came home to an american goldfinch stuck in my squirrel feeder -__- let him out he flew right into the tree to his comrades that were chirping loudly! theres a bunch of juncos all over the place, a few goldfinches which only visit me during the cold months and then leave for w/e reason, mourning doves, and a red breasted nuthatch that i actually first saw eating the seeds off the floor! (totally unexpected =O )

 

[Larry Lade]

Today at our backyard feeder (Saint Joseph, Missouri) we had:

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Still no Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak or any of the other "hoped for" birds (from the "north country").

** We have black oil sunflower seed (in the hull), peanuts (with out shell), nyger seed and raw suet feeders. We have not been bothered with overwhelming numbers of starlings or grackles, but do get quite a few House Sparrows. The two Carolina Wrens are particularly fond of the peanuts and the suet.

The Red-breasted Nuthatches have been here daily for over a month now. They generally go for the peanut feeder, but if it is "in use" by a Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy or Red-bellied Woodpecker they will go and get a sunflower seed.

 

[cavan wood]

.... but do get quite a few House Sparrows.

In this, our seventh winter at this location, we have only ever had one or two house sparrows at a time at the feeder, even though there is a feed elevator and several farms nearby. And these visits have been limited to a couple per winter. But this past weekend I had 16 show up all at once on Saturday and two again on Sunday. They were interesting to watch, as their behaviour around the feeder is considerably different than the juncos, tree sparrows, etc., but I sure hope they don't make my feeders a part of their regular route.

I use the same foods as you and get roughly the same birds, minus the wrens and red-bellied woodpecker, and add some mourning doves, hairy woodpeckers, and the occassional siskins, redpolls, and evening grosbeaks.

Scott

 

[Larry Lade]

Scott, send an Evening Grosbeak down our way, will you!

I did see one up at Isabella, Minnesota, a couple of years ago, but I still do not have the Evening Grosbeak on my "Missouri List"!

 

[snowyowl]

A lone male Common Redpoll showed up a couple of days ago but now has been joined by 6-8 others. Not the kind of numbers we usually get but it may continue to build up. A couple of song sparrows are mixed in with the several dozen Juncos that clean up under the feeders.
Three of us were out photographing birds on Sunday and to my great surprise we saw several small flocks of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings along the side of our road, just a few 100 metres from home. We have never had larks on my property and it's been a long time since we had Snow Buntings at the feeders. I've now scattered a lot of cracked corn around in the hope of bringing some of these species to my feeders. We also saw several flocks of Gray Partridge in the same area. Finding them wasn't a surprise but the large number was.

 

[amkid247]

normal visitors, at least 5 goldfinches, a red breasted nuthatch, juncos, doves, white throated sparrows, didnt see any chickadees oddly enough. a male downy woodpecker, i heard a red bellied in my tree as i left for school, and when i got home a massive northern flicker was waiting for me!

 

[cnybirder]

Yesterday we had:
Evening Grosbeak 10
Common Redpoll 12
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Chickadees 5
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
White breasted Nuthatch 3
Mourning Dove 4
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Blue Jay 10

Yesterday there was a Red-winged Blackbird.
We see Goldfinches every couple of days.
Siskins and red-breasted nuthatches haven't been around for the last several weeks. Purple Finches haven't been around since the first of November.
A few days ago I had a raven in the tree near the feeder.
We never have House Sparrows and rarely have House Finches.

Larry: According to Ebird there was a Evening Grosbeak sighting in Cass County, Missouri in November. So maybe there will be more.

 

[Larry Lade]

cnybirder, thanks for the mention of the Missouri Evening Grosbeak. I was aware that one had been seen down there and would probably have gone to see it, if it would have stayed. Apparently, it was only around for that one sighting and then was never seen again.

That's how it goes.."you pays your money and takes your chances".. "here today, and gone tomorrow"..

One of these days!

 

[amkid247]

same birds as usual. the big male red bellied woodpecker showed up today. and to my surprise a lone grackle. he should be south shouldnt he? he seemed a little raggity as well.

 

[cavan wood]

The usual gang this morning except that I've never seen so many juncos. Usually only 4 or 5 but today there were 15.

Scott

 

[amasara]

I think I asked this on another thread - which I can't find now- is the PILE of seed under the thistle feeder hulls or wasted seed?

 

[cavan wood]

I think I asked this on another thread - which I can't find now- is the PILE of seed under the thistle feeder hulls or wasted seed?

Both. Certainly some of it is hulls, but if that's all it was I wouldn't have juncos, redpolls, and goldfinches constantly feeding below. One year I hung the feeder right next to the window (actually safer than 2-3 m away), and I could watch the birds feed a few inches from my face. For every seed they ate, several fell out of the holes. I got one with a tray on it this year, but that just seems to postpone the inevitable drop to the ground when the wind whips up, or it gets caked in by snow. Occassionally I'll see birds feeding directly from the tray, but not usually.

Given the cost of niger, I would be very interested if there is a model of niger feeder that people feel is most effective at reducing spillage.

Scott

 

[snowyowl]

I think I asked this on another thread - which I can't find now- is the PILE of seed under the thistle feeder hulls or wasted seed?

You asked in the "Reports from Home and Away" thread, http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=11308 and I gave a similar answer.
Yesterday I had a Northern Flicker at my suet feeder. they hang out near by but this is the first time that i've seen one on a feeder. It left the suet and went after some cracked corn.

 

[amasara]

thanks for the replys guys - I have always used the tube feeders sans trays at the back window - esp like the upside down kind! - found a new 2 sock feeder (they even have 4 socks) and while it is drawing 30 or so finches the pile of seed under it is ridiculous - wonder if I scooped it up and refilled the feeder.....might try that once it dries out here.
Semi-snowy day - at least it was a minute ago - just looked out to check and cannot see the river! noticed a lone grackle at the deer feeder - actually felt sorry for it - I usually abhor them - must have gotten blown off track - lots of wind today - wonder if it'll stick around or try to go on...
ps - I'm not getting notified re: posts