Today at the feeder (1 Viewer)

[amasara]

Can't believe starlings go all the way up to Canada!!
I had a couple about a month ago when I put out peanut butter - I quit doing that and they left!!
My spring harbinger arrived 2/29 - one lone grackle!!
Only wish his relatives would get lost! How do you hang suet feeders upside down?

 

[Tammie]

Can't believe starlings go all the way up to Canada!!
I had a couple about a month ago when I put out peanut butter - I quit doing that and they left!!
My spring harbinger arrived 2/29 - one lone grackle!!
Only wish his relatives would get lost! How do you hang suet feeders upside down?

Sara, starlings most definitely invade Canada like they do everywhere else!!
I use small cage type suet feeders. To hang them upside down, my husband cut me some aluminum plates to slide under the suet cakes (that I leave in their plastic container so the sides of them are protected as well). Once they are are closed, I use a twist tie on them to make sure they don't pop open when upside down. I tied a string around a section in the middle of the bottom and strung it from a hook. The suet cannot be accessed unless a bird is actually hanging off of it underneath. Doesn't bother the woodpeckers or the nuthatches at all but the starlings do get awfully frustrated! They try to peck through from the top but that's where the aluminum plate comes in. They can't peck through that! Works great.

 

[amasara]

Thanks Tammie - will try that - currently I'm having trouble with racoons carrying off the entire suet block. I tied 2 down with strong cord the other day and so far so good. Too bad critters can't read - we could just post signs - "birds only"!

 

[Starzz]

I had problems with 2 raccoons a few years ago. They would take the suet everynight, and they even took the suet cage, which i never did find! They was becoming a nuisance, so i got a live trap. Took a few nights to get one. Took it about 3 miles from here and let it go. Its mate never did show up again!! Never been back since! *knocks on wood* And i hope they stay away!

Seen a HUGE flock of bohemian waxwings today. They was across the road from the house eating berrys. Then they would fly on the road and get a drink of water. Was fun watching them!

I am not too far up in Canada. I am in southwestern New Brunswick. I am on the border with Maine.

 

[bluesboy]

Diane , Any Warbler reports I'm getting anxious

 

[Celeste]

I heard a red-wing blackbird yesterday.
Diane,
I will be in Cape May for a few days in early April. This may be difficult to answer, but what should I not miss seeing?

 

[amasara]

Likewise - just saw my first rwbb along with hoards of grackles!!

 

[very boring banned member]

Sad news from Hauho. We had one sick Pyrrhula pyrrhula on the feeder, and I had to end its suffering (so it will not spread the disease). Neighbour wondered, why did I not feed it to his cat (and maybe getting Salmonella would have bee right to that beast. Namely, last weekend I was surprised when watching feeder from breakfast table: the feeder hangs in about 1,5 m height and suddenly something big & yellow bounces from ground to a Pyrrhula on the feeder. It was neighbour's Garfield! Did not succeed then, luckily).
But also interesting news: somewhere in the threads I have joked about why am I shovelling snow on my yard (to find hibernating birds). One hour ago I found one! See http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/19729
Actually it is Acanthis flammea, who had dug itself in snow to spend night there, right below the feeder. Hope that neighbour's cats don't find it!

PS - Enormously sorry to put this accidentally in N-America, just read the "Today feeder" title, but enjoy!

 

[amasara]

THanks for the mistake - NEVER have I seen a bird buried ALIVE in the snow!!

 

[shar]

What a cool picture Karwin!

Saw my first r.w.blackbirds and grackles this week also.

 

[Celeste]

2 grackles on the feeder today. Fri. early AM I saw a mystery bird on the feeder. Looked like a yellow-rumped warbler. I have not seen it since.

 

[amasara]

A traumatic day for my birds/and or myself. Had to cut down a favorite tree (Russian Olive) that last years ice-storm actually layed down on grass - as it was still living and I could rearrange the feeders (6-8 of them)
I convinced my husband to leave it alone. Found an Oriental Dogwood at BIg Lots the other day ($12.50) and decided to replace the ugly tree with it. Had to then spend $50+ to purchase a feeder pole and hangers to accomodate the displaced feeders. But the birds have adjusted - already visiting both new tree and feeder pole AND the grackles can't hang on - too big !! Guess they'll have to ear deer corn.

 

[tikey1949]

I had problems with 2 raccoons a few years ago. They would take the suet everynight, and they even took the suet cage, which i never did find! They was becoming a nuisance, so i got a live trap. Took a few nights to get one. Took it about 3 miles from here and let it go. Its mate never did show up again!! Never been back since! *knocks on wood* And i hope they stay away!

Seen a HUGE flock of bohemian waxwings today. They was across the road from the house eating berrys. Then they would fly on the road and get a drink of water. Was fun watching them!

I am not too far up in Canada. I am in southwestern New Brunswick. I am on the border with Maine.

Where did you get your trap? I have one that is driving me crazy. I have to take all bread and suet out of feeders every night. Someone told me w/squirrels you have to take them 5 miles for them not to come. Maybe 3 w/raccoons is good or maybe u were lucky. Also w/raccoons i was told they love tuna fish. Have u heard that? I have squirrel trap and raccoon moved it about 20 feet and emptied all. :h?: :h?:

 

[Starzz]

Where did you get your trap? I have one that is driving me crazy. I have to take all bread and suet out of feeders every night. Someone told me w/squirrels you have to take them 5 miles for them not to come. Maybe 3 w/raccoons is good or maybe u were lucky. Also w/raccoons i was told they love tuna fish. Have u heard that? I have squirrel trap and raccoon moved it about 20 feet and emptied all. :h?: :h?:

Hi! I got my trap from my uncle who has a farm! The trap is about 3 feet long by 1 foot wide by 1.5 feet high. I have never tried tuna fish. I use peanutbutter on crackers. You gotta watch the trap alot, I set it just before it gets dark and i check it every 20-30 minutes, until I go to bed. One time we did have one but it got away. In the morning the trap was set off and the food was gone. We have alot of cats around here too, so I imagine if I put in tuna fish, I would get a cat.
There is alot of houses between me and where I let the raccoons go, so hopefully they found a better place!


Seeing alot more birds at the feeders! Used to have 5 mourning doves, but now there is at least 15. Lots of black capped chickadees and pine siskens and a few red breasted nuthatches. There is a brown creeper that visits the suet feeder, s/he is cute to watch, I can get 10 feet or so away before it will fly! Don't know about the downy and hair woodpeckers. I moved the suet in thicker trees for the winter, so its harder to see. Oh yeah... forgot to mention the *BEEEEEEEEEEEEP* pigeons!!

 

[snowyowl]

Can't believe starlings go all the way up to Canada!!
I had a couple about a month ago when I put out peanut butter - I quit doing that and they left!!
My spring harbinger arrived 2/29 - one lone grackle!!
Only wish his relatives would get lost! How do you hang suet feeders upside down?

There are estimated to be 10000 Starlings living under one bridge in Charlottetown (our provincial capital). It's actually quite an amazing sight if you are is driving across the bridge at dusk when they are going to roost. Flocks are wheeling and swooping all around, really quite beautiful even if they are Starlings (or flying rats as many people refer to them). Personally I don't mind them all that much, if you look closely, they are beautifully marked. I get a few at my feeders regularly but large flocks only visit me occasionally.

 

[snowyowl]

Where did you get your trap? I have one that is driving me crazy. I have to take all bread and suet out of feeders every night. Someone told me w/squirrels you have to take them 5 miles for them not to come. Maybe 3 w/raccoons is good or maybe u were lucky. Also w/raccoons i was told they love tuna fish. Have u heard that? I have squirrel trap and raccoon moved it about 20 feet and emptied all. :h?: :h?:

Our local feed stores carry Hav-a-hart live traps (I think that's the righr spelling).
I have two, one squirrel size and one racoon/skunk size (it also catches cats).
If you don't want to buy a trap, call your local Humane Society. Most of them have traps that they will lend or rent out.
If you do trap a racoon (or any other wild animal), be very careful handling the trap. The trickey part is the release particularly with skunks.

 

[Celeste]

That must be a sight 10,000 starlings. They are very pretty birds, but whenever I see an occasional one at the feeder it scares me. I don't want them invading my yard in droves. I also have a large flock of robins that visit my yard this winter. I don't mind them, as I see some waxwings with them, but the size of the flock in my yard is a little unsettling.

 

[snowyowl]

I haven't seen any yet but both Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles are starting to show up at feeders around here. I did hear some geese flying the other day and some other people have reported seeing flocks.

 

[amasara]

I do agree that Starlings are nicely marked - its numbers in both st. and grackles that get to you and your birdseed!! Do r.wings always travel with grs? I have one again this year who comes to the feeder and he arrived at the same time as the grs.

 

[Larry Lade]

Sometimes the entire flock of birds consists of one species, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Common Grackles or Brown-headed Cowbirds. But a lot of times the "blackbirds" mass in a mixed flock. Then you may see Great-tailed Grackles, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings all together. Occasionally, here in Missouri, I even see Yellow-headed, Brewer's or Rusty Blackbirds in the mix. I believe that about 1/2 of the time I see "single specie" flocks. The other 1/2 of the time there is a mix of "blackbirds". Sometimes the "mix" only consists of two species. At other times there are several species in the flock. Keep watching those "blackbirds", you never know what might "turn up".