I went with the tube feeder after my neighbor said hoppers just waste seed, and honestly, the finches are happier and I'm refilling half as often. Anyone else swear by one type over the other?
I started keeping a list back in March after a friend gave me a basic field guide. Last Tuesday I spotted a brown creeper on my oak tree, that put me at exactly 30 different birds in my yard since January. I never thought I'd see that many since my yard is just a small suburban lot with two feeders and a birdbath. The brown creeper was a total surprise, I almost didn't believe it when I checked the guide. Has anyone else had a milestone like this that just snuck up on you?
I had a glass of oriole jelly get all crusty and moldy after three days of sun exposure, so I put the feeder dish in a shallow pan of water like I saw online... now the jelly stays fresh for almost a whole week and the birds won't leave the dish alone. Has anyone else tried this trick with their sugar water or grape jelly feeders?
My neighbor Tom in Bangor insisted pine needles would keep my blueberry bushes warmer than straw through February. I tried it last winter and lost three bushes to frost heave, while his using straw had zero damage. Anyone else had better luck with pine needles or is this just bad advice?
Was at my feeder Saturday morning. Kid about 8 years old walks by with his dad. Points at the chickadees on my platform feeder. Says 'dad look, tiny angry birds.' I laughed. But then I really watched them. They DO look angry. That little black cap and white cheeks. Like permanent eyebrows. Always in a hurry. Always chasing each other off. Now I can't unsee it. My whole backyard feel shifted. Anyone else have a kid say something that totally reframed a common bird?
I started crushing up eggshells from breakfast about two weeks ago and tossing them on the ground near my feeder. I thought maybe the cardinals or sparrows would pick at them for calcium. Instead, a pair of blue jays showed up within 10 minutes and cleaned every single piece in under an hour. Now they come by every morning around 8 and squawk until I put more out. I guess I learned that blue jays are way more into shells than I expected. Has anyone else seen a specific bird go nuts for something weird like this?
Wasted money on that cheap plastic one from the hardware store, should have just got a ceramic one with a built-in heater for twice the price. Anybody else have luck with a specific brand that actually lasts through a winter?
I've been keeping a list of every bird that lands in my little patch of grass and trees since January, just a small suburban yard with a single feeder and a birdbath. This morning I spotted a scarlet tanager, which brought my total to 75, way more than I ever expected for such a basic setup. Anyone else surprised by how many different birds showed up in their yard once they started paying attention?
Back in 2019 I had a solid week in my yard near Portland where not a single house finch or goldfinch showed up at my thistle feeder, just dead quiet. Turns out a Cooper's hawk had set up shop in the big oak tree down the street and scared everything off for about 10 days. Has anyone else had a predator move in and clear out your whole feeding station for a while?
After watching starlings and grackles clean out my nyjer feeder in about 20 minutes every morning, I swapped to a cheap wooden platform feeder I got at a garage sale. Now the finches and sparrows actually stick around to eat instead of getting bullied off. Has anyone else had better luck stepping down from a 'premium' feeder to something basic?
I started keeping a simple notebook back in January after I saw a bird I couldn't name. I just wanted to track what was coming to my feeders and birdbath. Well I hit 47 species last weekend when a pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks showed up. That number surprised me because I only have a small lot in a suburban neighborhood. It made me realize that even a modest backyard can attract a lot of variety if you keep the habitat right. I started adding a little water feature and some native bushes last spring and I think that helped a lot. Has anyone else been surprised by how many different birds turn up in their yard?
I was out by my feeder last Tuesday and saw my neighbor Mrs. Patterson sitting on her porch with a green notebook. She called me over and showed me she’s been writing down every bird visitor since 2004, over 4,000 entries! She had a whole page on a yellow-bellied sapsucker that stopped by for three days straight. Has anyone else kept a log that long or am I just lazy with my phone notes?
I don't get the hype honestly. Went there last Saturday with my cousin and all the bird baths were just plastic bowls sitting on rocks. Looked like someone's garage sale. Meanwhile the natural brush piles and log feeders had way more action. Am I missing something or do people just like the shiny look?
Turns out a raccoon was swinging on the perches and dumping all the nyjer seed out. Anybody else deal with clever raccoons outsmarting your feeder setup?
Last Tuesday I was sitting on my back porch in Columbus watching my usual crowd of sparrows and cardinals when my neighbor came over with a bag of old white bread. She started tossing handfuls into my yard and the birds went crazy for it. I had to stop her because I know bread fills them up without giving them any real nutrition. It's like feeding kids candy for dinner. I told her politely that it can cause health problems for the birds and even mess up their growth if they rely on it. She got a bit defensive but I offered her some black oil sunflower seeds instead. She actually tried them and said her birds seemed to like it more. Has anyone else had to deal with a neighbor feeding the wrong stuff to the birds?
My neighbor Carol kept telling me to stop scrubbing my tube feeder with soap and water every week. She said it was scaring off the finches because the smell lingers. I ignored her for 2 months until I noticed I went from 15 goldfinches to maybe 2. Finally I just rinsed with hot water and let it air dry, no soap. Now I'm back up to a dozen birds in 3 days. Anyone else had a feeder that got too clean and lost birds?
I put out a ton of mixed seed last spring and barely saw any blue jays. A neighbor told me they actually prefer whole peanuts in the shell, so I switched to that and within a week I had 4 of them showing up daily. Turns out a lot of people think jays eat the same stuff as sparrows, but they really want bigger, high-fat foods. Has anyone else had trouble getting a specific bird because you were using the wrong food?
Dude in the bird seed aisle literally said "you're gonna attract rats with that tray" about my platform feeder, like I hadn't been watching chickadees land on it for a month. Has anyone else gotten unsolicited feeder advice from strangers that just made you want to walk out?
After 3 months of cleaning up cracked shell pieces and wasted seed under my old tube feeder, I finally swapped to a wooden hopper feeder last week and my patio is spotless for the first time, has anyone else noticed a huge drop in waste with hoppers?
I was at the Cranberry Creek preserve watching a pair of blue jays when this older guy walked up and pointed at my feeder setup. He said I was basically running a bird buffet for the local raccoons and that I needed to take my feeders down at night or every single seed would be gone by morning. I laughed it off until I came back the next day and found my hopper feeder cracked on the ground with the lid pried open. Now I bring everything inside after dusk and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar run-in with nocturnal raiders.
I used to have 15-20 mourning doves under my feeder every morning when I first moved into this place in 2018. Now I'm lucky if I see 2 or 3 a week. Not sure if it's the Cooper's hawk that moved into the neighborhood last year or if something else changed in their population. Anyone else notice a big drop in certain birds over time in their area?
Had a couple bags of black oil sunflower seeds that I was dumping straight on the ground under the feeder. Mrs. Garcia from next door pointed out she saw a rat digging around at dawn. Switched to a tray feeder with a catch pan and started putting out just enough for the day, about 3/4 cup each morning. Has anyone else had to change their setup because of rodents?
I hung this fancy red feeder on a south-facing hook near my deck railing in Portland because I figured hummingbirds would see it better. For 4 weeks straight, not a single bird touched it, but my neighbor across the street has a feeder in full shade under a maple tree and she's swarmed daily. I finally moved mine under my own oak tree last Tuesday and had a male Anna's sipping within 2 hours. So which matters more for hummers - bright color visibility or keeping the nectar cool? Has anyone else had a feeder flop because of sun placement?
Had this finch mix suet block hanging near my big oak for weeks with zero takers, then I slid it over to a post near the sunflower feeder and suddenly woodpeckers and chickadees are fighting over it. Anyone else had birds totally ignore a feeder just because of where it sits?
I usually just glance out the window and see a few juncos and chickadees. But last Saturday I actually sat down with a cup of coffee and started counting. Hit 50 individual birds in about 60 minutes. That included 12 house finches, a pair of mourning doves, and a flicker I haven't seen in months. Made me wonder if I'm just not paying attention most days. Anyone else ever actually count how many visit in a set time?