c/backyard-birdwatchers

Corn cob baffle trick for squirrel raids

Last month my suet feeder kept getting stripped clean by a fat gray squirrel in Columbus, so I threaded a dried corn cob onto the hanging wire above the cake. The squirrel spent 20 minutes trying to grab the suet through the cob and gave up when it couldn't grip the slick surface. Has anyone else tried baffles that aren't store bought, or is there a cheaper way to stop the little guys without switching to a cage feeder?

Warning: that $40 suet feeder from the big box store was a total scam

Bought a fancy metal suet cage with a tail prop last month at the Lowe's in Eugene and the latch bent after one day, so the woodpeckers just yank the whole block out and eat it on the ground. The starlings figured it out faster than I could even get a photo of the downy I was hoping for. Anyone else had luck with a specific brand that actually locks tight, or should I just stick to the plain wire frames from the feed store?

That blue jay raid wrecked my whole Tuesday morning

I refilled the platform feeder at 6am and by 6:15 a gang of three jays swooped in and scattered half the sunflower seeds across the patio. Has anyone found a feeder style that actually keeps those bullies from dumping everything?

My uncle's feeder spacing tip finally clicked after a slow winter

He swore that 6 feet between feeders cuts down on squabbling, and I thought he was nuts. Last month I moved my thistle sock and suet cage apart in the yard in Toledo, and the finches actually stick around instead of scattering every few minutes. Anyone else find that just changing feeder distance shifts the whole pecking order?

TIL chimney swifts can sleep while flying, had to look it up twice

Was sitting on the porch last week watching a bunch of them circle at dusk, and my neighbor mentioned they never land except to nest. I figured he was exaggerating, so I pulled out my phone and read that they can stay airborne for months at a time, even sleeping mid-air. That blew my mind, especially since I've been feeding birds here in Tulsa for almost 15 seasons and never once thought about how these guys manage. Anyone else get caught off guard by a weird bird fact that made you question everything you thought you knew about your own yard?

The $45 squirrel baffle that turned my feeder into a bird-only club

I got sick of the same fat squirrel hogging my sunflower seeds every morning, so I dropped $45 on one of those dome-shaped baffles last month. The thing looked solid, easy to mount, and the package said it would stop any squirrel short of a pole vaulter. First day it worked great, but by day 3 the little jerk figured out he could jump from the fence and land right on top of it. Now he just sits there like a king while the chickadees and nuthatches wait below, and I'm out the cash plus a bag of seeds he emptied in one afternoon. I've tried greasing the pole with petroleum jelly too, that just made a mess on my patio stones. Has anyone found a baffle that actually holds up against a determined squirrel, or should I just start putting out hot pepper seeds for the birds and let the rodent starve?

Hit 100 species in my yard, thought that was impossible

Started keeping a simple list in a notebook back in March after I put up a second feeder and a small birdbath. This morning I spotted a black-throated blue warbler during migration and that put me at exactly 100 species recorded from my half-acre lot in Ohio. Never expected that number so early, what count are you all sitting at and how long did it take you to get there?

Paid $40 for a fancy ant moat, a bottle cap works better

Picked up one of those copper ant moats at the garden supply store last month. Looked great, hung it off the shepherd's hook, and the hummers still ignored the feeder. Turns out the moat was too shallow and the ants just walked right over the rim. Wasted $40. Then I grabbed a plastic bottle cap from a soda bottle, flipped it upside down, and wedged it over the hook before hanging the feeder. Filled it with water and now the ants can't cross. Has anyone else found a cheap fix that beats the store bought stuff?

That one week the sparrows vanished, then came back with a bang

Last spring, all 3 of my feeders sat silent for 5 straight days. Not a single house sparrow or chickadee. Then on the 6th morning, a flock of 40 hit the platform like a storm. Turns out a Cooper's hawk had been staking out my yard from the maple, and they all knew it. Anyone else see a predator clear out their feeders for a stretch?

Pro tip from my grandma fixed my feeder problem in 2 days

My grandma told me to stop filling my tube feeder to the top because the seed just gets wet and moldy. I thought she was being old school, but I tried it last week after 3 soggy batches. She was right, the finches and chickadees actually eat it all now before rain hits. Anyone else get advice from older relatives that actually works better than what you see online?

Stop using cheap suet cages, watch what happened after 60 days

I always thought any suet cage would do the job, but a starling bent the cheap wire one I got at a big box store within a week. After switching to a heavier welded design from a local feed shop in Ohio, the woodpeckers actually stick around longer and the suet lasts twice as long. Anyone else notice the cheap cages scare off the good birds?

Rant: That $90 squirrel baffle made my feeder a gym for them

Honestly, I thought a baffle would just work after watching a video. Paid $90 for a metal dome one and hung it over the pole, and the squirrels figured out how to jump from a branch onto the top in two days. Ngl, they treat it like a trampoline now and scatter all my sunflower seeds. Has anyone else had luck with a different design or should I just move the feeder to a clothesline?

A stranger at the feeder changed my whole setup after one comment

Last Tuesday I had this older guy walk past my yard while I was filling my tube feeder, and he just said "you know those perches are too short for the chickadees to land right?" I thought it was rude at first, but then I watched for a few days and he was totally right. I switched to a longer perch model from my local bird supply shop in Portland for $18 and now I get twice as many chickadees and nuthatches visiting. Has anyone else had a random passerby point out something obvious that actually fixed your bird activity?

My old feeder cleaning routine was killing birds, here's what I do now

I used to just rinse my tube feeder with a hose every couple weeks until I found a house finch dead in it last March, so now I take it down every Sunday and soak it in a 9 to 1 bleach solution for 20 minutes before drying it in the sun, has anyone else had birds get sick from a moldy feeder this time of year?

Just got my first house finch family after 3 years of trying

Been fighting with this one corner of the yard since 2020. Kept putting out thistle socks and nyjer seed, nothing. Then last week I noticed a pair hanging around my overgrown juniper bush. Turns out they like the seed but they need somewhere to nest nearby. I trimmed it back a little and threw down some extra nesting material like twigs and dry grass. This morning I saw two babies poking out of the bush. Felt like a small victory. Has anyone else had luck by just changing the habitat instead of the food? I'm curious what worked for you.

Unpopular opinion: millet isn't the junk food of birdseed, and here's why

Squirrel-proof feeder arms race, I finally lost after 6 months

I used to just hang a basic tube feeder from a shepherds hook and call it a day, but then the squirrel figured out he could jump from the fence, which is about 8 feet away, and just belly flop onto the perches. So I bought one of those fancy weight-activated feeders, the kind that closes when anything over 2 ounces lands on it, and for two weeks I felt like a genius. Then last Tuesday I watched this little acrobat hang upside down from the top dome and just wiggle seeds out through the gaps, eating maybe 40% of what he knocked loose. Now I have a PVC pipe baffle on the pole and a slinky on the hook, but he just sits on the slinky and taunts me while the sparrows clean up the mess below. Has anyone actually found a cheap trick that works long term, or is this just my life now in Des Moines?

No-mow lawn club vs. traditional grass, who's right for the birds?

So last fall a neighbor saw my scraggly, clover-filled yard and told me I was basically running a rodent hotel. I got defensive, but then I actually watched the birds for a month. The goldfinches went nuts for the seed heads, but I barely saw any robins or flickers digging around like they do on the mowed lawns next door. I switched half the yard to a 3-inch mow height and left the back corner wild. Now I get both, but I'm still torn. Does a neat lawn actually help ground-feeding birds see predators better, or are we just making their lives harder for our own eyes? Anyone else get shamed into changing their habitat setup, and did the birds actually care in the end?

Question about switching from hopper feeders to platform feeders in rainy areas

I ran a hopper feeder for 5 years near Portland and constantly fought soggy seed, so I swapped to a platform with a roof last spring. The cardinals and jays took to it fast, but the sparrows scatter everything. Anyone else made this switch and dealt with the mess differently?

Do suet feeders in summer really attract more wasps than woodpeckers?

I put out a suet block last July and got zero woodpeckers but about 40 yellow jackets swarming it every afternoon. Made me wonder if fruit-based suet is better for birds or if I should just stick to seeds during hot months. Anyone else run into this and change their feeder setup?

Overheard a young birder say 'i just use the app' and it made me pause

I was at the park last Tuesday and heard a teenager tell his friend he didn't need a field guide because his phone could just ID any bird for him. It got me thinking about how I used to sit with my worn out Peterson guide for an hour trying to figure out if that was a downy or a hairy woodpecker. Do you think relying on apps takes away some of the patience we used to learn?

Question about platform feeders vs tube feeders for finches

I put up a new feeder station last month in my backyard in Asheville and had to pick between a platform feeder and a tube feeder for the finches. I went with the tube feeder because I thought it would keep the seed drier and stop the squirrels better. But after 3 weeks I've only had 2 goldfinches visit it while my neighbor's platform feeder is packed every day. Should I switch to a platform feeder or just wait longer for the birds to find mine? Has anyone else had this problem with tube feeders not getting visits?

I was totally wrong about suet feeders being a waste of money

I used to think suet was just for winter birds and not worth the mess. Then last March I hung a simple feeder with a cheap block from the grocery store. Within a week I had a pair of downy woodpeckers and a nuthatch visiting every morning. Now I keep three different suet feeders going year round and the variety of birds I see is way better than just seed. Anyone else have a feeder type they avoided for a long time that ended up being a hit?

Heard my neighbor say chickadees only need three things

I was watering plants and she said they just want black oil seeds, water, and bare branches to perch. So I trimmed back one shrub and put out a shallow dish. Now I got four chickadees visiting daily. Anyone else keep it that simple?

That glass hummingbird feeder shattered after one freeze

Woke up to a mess of broken glass and sticky sugar water all over my patio. Temps dropped to 27 degrees that night in my backyard in Ohio. Anyone else ditch glass feeders for good after something like this?