I am watching birds on the birdfeeder...

[midnight armadillo]

...and they are just really, well, interesting. I've even looked them up in the field guide I bought the other day - I knew the downy woodpecker but have now identified a crested titmouse and a white-breasted nuthatch. Now I'm thinking my investment in the $1.95 suet feeder cage and a $4.95 brick of seeds is inadequate and that I should get a real seed feeder.

Dammit!! I fear I'm going to turn into a birder. I will attempt to make up for it by cataloging all of the insects that come to the yard this summer. 17 years of urban living (now we're in the 'burbs) have cleared left me a little starved for nature.

[NJCher]

1. I love watching the birds, too

And did you know that by feeding them, you will give a boost to the songbirds in your area? Yes, the birds will have a stronger survival rate. As habitats disappear for them, bird population is dropping. This has been going on for some time.

Also by feeding birds, you will keep the insect population down in your area. With bats suffering from white nose syndrome, it is helpful to have other insect-eaters around.

I love feeding them. When I go outside to feed the birdfeeder, I can hear them chirping to each other. They fly around overhead and sit on the terrace fences, rosebushes, and trees waiting for me to get the feeder filled.

Meanwhile, my two indoor cats watch in fascination.


Cher

[midnight armadillo]

2. I'm considering a bat house too

There's a decent spot for one if I trim some branches back on a sort of half-dead cedar tree in the yard. It's not ideal (being on a tree) but it gets plenty of sun for keeping the bat pups warm.

A row of bushes are a popular spot for the birds to sit in. Unfortunately for them those bushes are slated for destruction in a few weeks to make room for a dozen blueberry bushes.

Trying to encourage insect-eating birds is a good idea. I will look into what attracts them more.

[sarge43]

8. Birds attract other birds.

They watch one another and when they see other birds comfortable in an area, they'll check it out.

If you want a bunch of feathered dinosaurs in your yard:

A variety of seed types, both on the ground and in hanging feeders

Suet which will attract the insectivores like woodpeckers

As said, a bird bath

Squirrel proof the suet and hanging feeders; those tree rats will eat you out house and home and they discourage the birds from using the feeders. Not much can be done about ground seed.

Watch for cats and dogs. If they're around, birds won't come in.

[lost-in-nj]

3. I have all them to

I have a huge woodpecker and a smaller one come visit....
titmouse, nuthatch, mourning doves (they eat off the deck) of course the squirrels but my favorite winter bird is the Junco.... I love to watch them eat especially if its snowing outside..

they will be leaving soon though... I never see them in the summer







lost

[midnight armadillo]

4. Never heard of a Junco

There's a murder of crows (4-6) that visits most mornings around 7:30AM. I've grown rather fond them.

[sarge43]

6. I'm sure you have juncos.

We have flocks of them here in NH. As noted they're shy and seem to come to feeders only in the winter.

If you have a place for it, birds love a bird bath for both drinking and bathing.

[TZ]

10. Juncos are nick named "snowbirds"

because they are only seen in many states in the winter. IIRC during the summer they live closer to the arctic.

[sarge43]

11. Thanks for the info.

I've wondered where they disappeared to in the summer. We still have a few here; guess they're not quite ready to make the long haul north.

[Mugu]

7. I think that more birds would come around

but, there's a troll that lives under my feeder that scares them away.

[sarge43]

9. Love that picture.

"You gonna eat all that?"

[Brickbat]

5. I love juncos. We didn't have a lot of them this year, which is too bad. They're so tidy-looking.

On the other hand, we had a metric butt-ton of chickadees, which are also awesome to have around.

I also saw five pileated woodpeckers in one tree earlier this winter. And me without my camera!

[Dappleganger]

12. We love our bluebirds!

The FL sun disintegrated their prior home so we have to put another house up, but the mealworm feeder is up (rigged from a hummingbird feeder). We also put out a general feeder as well as thistle.

[kimi]

13. Ah, I'm glad I ran across this thread

Reminds me to put up another bird feeder. I've missed having one, and seeing the different birds around.

Thanks!

[midnight armadillo]

14. Now I'm thinking about ground feeders too

Squirrels aren't too much of a problem due to a healthy fox and hawk population, but there are 4 chimpmunks dwelling in the backyard (2 m/f pairs, we expect more soon!). I had a brick of thistle seed fall off of its hook one morning and it was gone by the afternoon - I blame the chipmunks.

Maybe I should put a ground feeder in the front yard instead.

[lunatica]

15. I used to mix peanut butter into the seeds and

I would heap it into a shallow bowl and put it into a bird cage that had bars wide enough for the little finches to hop right inside. The larger birds had to straddle the bars and stick their heads in to get the seeds so it gave the finches a fighting chance. It was delightful to watch. We had blue jays, finches, hummingbirds and morning doves. Every Spring they brought their babies to show them this was one of the places to find food.

I sure miss the birds in my open house bird cage.

[midnight armadillo]

16. And now I've seen the juncos

A flock of them landed this morning to peck around the ground while the woodpeckers worked over the oak tree and the suet feeder. I'm pretty certain I've just never known what those birds are.

My field guide is coming in very handy!

[csziggy]

17. Be careful - it is more addictive than crack

I am now spending more money each week feeding birds than I do feeding myself or my four horses!

Double check the downy woodpecker, by the way - downys are really small. If it about the size of a chickadee or titmouse, it is a downy. If about the size of a bluebird, it is a hairy woodpecker. They have nearly identical markings and live in the same habitats, so if you see them with no way to tell scale, it it hard to be sure.

[XemaSab]

18. If you only knew how many people started out with birding

and ended up with hard drugs... :P

Downy vs. Hairy is all about the size of the bill relative to the head.

If the bill is tiny, it's a downy. If it's merely small, it's a hairy.

[semillama]

20. Easy way to remember that

"Downys are Dinky; Hairys are Huge!"

[GoCubsGo]

19. Next thing you know, y'all will be starting life lists.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. :-)

Here's a great recipe for "no-melt" suet cakes. You can use lard instead of suet. The birds love this stuff, and it is cheaper than store-bought cakes in most cases: http://buildyourownbirdhouseplans.com/blog/2008/03/01/no-melt-suet-my-secret-to-having-birds-beg-me-for-more/

Feel free to add seeds, nuts, bugs and/or dried fruit to it.


BTW, the white outer tail feathers on the Downy Woodpecker are usually barred in black, giving a spotted effect. With the Hairy, they are all white.