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Bird feeder #6707782
12/27/19 07:11 PM
12/27/19 07:11 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
I have had some feeders out since I first set up the camper before we got the boat up here. The thing is that we always had a generator running during day time hours. Now we have been on quiet electrickery for a month or so and the wildlife is coming in more every day. Now that things are quiet, I have deer walking right past the boat ( Hence forth to be known as cabin ) Boat just sounds weird when one is on a 1400 foot hill not due to marginal navigation skills. We see one or two new species of birds every day and the numbers of those species are going up as well. We now have two pairs of Cardinals , two pairs of red bellied woodpeckers and so on around the place . A dozen or so tufted titmouse ..... sparrows till the cows come home and two pairs of blue jays. Junkos and wrens. I am waiting for the day that I do not see a bird species that we have not seen here before but so far ....Mother nature just keeps coming up with new ones that pay us a visit. No matter how much they eat, I can keep up with it. I have around 150 pounds of bird food that I mixed myself and about 30 pounds of DIY suet blocks that fit into those little cages. The kitchen has had a remodel and is now a bird watching station with a breakfast bar along 3 windows facing the feeders. Hey Jonathan .... what ya think of it so far ??

ATB

Michael

Last edited by Scuba1; 12/27/19 07:14 PM.

Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707805
12/27/19 07:43 PM
12/27/19 07:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 29,750
williamsburg ks
D
danny clifton Offline
"Grumpy Old Man"
danny clifton  Offline
"Grumpy Old Man"
D

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 29,750
williamsburg ks
your probably going to want a bear tag. used to hunt them when i was a kid when the grass first got green again. they like that first spring meal to be fresh green grass. they find that bird feeder they will hang around. where i was in the fall you found them often in the oak brush eating acorns. they eat amazing amounts of feed in the fall. trash cans can be an attraction too. make a bigger mess of your trash than a dog will. anyway its just something to keep in the back of your mind. you dont want one coming in the house.


Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707810
12/27/19 07:53 PM
12/27/19 07:53 PM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,117
Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
Hodagtrapper Offline
Muskrat Master
Hodagtrapper  Offline
Muskrat Master

Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,117
Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
I imagine Jonathan is looking down from heaven with a smile!

Chris


>>In God we trust<<
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707838
12/27/19 08:26 PM
12/27/19 08:26 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,278
Va
O
Owen156 Offline
trapper
Owen156  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,278
Va
Suet is a bear magnet!

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707850
12/27/19 08:38 PM
12/27/19 08:38 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,655
ND
M
MJM Offline
trapper
MJM  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,655
ND
My birds like oil seed sunflowers as much as anything. The gold finch went for whole sunflower seeds over thistle seed by far. The squirrels like them too.

Last edited by MJM; 12/28/19 02:19 PM.

"Not Really, Not Really"
Mark J Monti
"MJM you're a jerk."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707878
12/27/19 09:14 PM
12/27/19 09:14 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
I bought big bags of black oil sunflower seed, crushed corn dried meal worms, sunflower, peanuts. and thistle seed. Then mixed batches of suet blocks and filled the feeders. The corn I just scattered around a little farther away for the turkeys. From what I have heard so far from people, bears are pretty thin on the ground around here. I guess we will see.


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707896
12/27/19 09:22 PM
12/27/19 09:22 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
Keep a" Yard List" in what you see and you will know from year to year what comes in migration and what is local.

Squirrel resistant feeders pay for themselves in the matter of weeks.

Watch those sparrows there are about 10 species to work through. You can always remember the White-throated sparrow cause he sings "oh sweet Canada-Canada "

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707906
12/27/19 09:27 PM
12/27/19 09:27 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Sparrows are tough to tell apart. Well the Jack Sparrow is easy because of the funny hat and the eye patch. But theaters are not easy to tell apart. Getting there though. On the upside, these birds are way easier to feed than the ones I used to have on the boat. ....... before it was a cabin


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707910
12/27/19 09:29 PM
12/27/19 09:29 PM
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,172
Wyoming County Pa.
Hornady Reloader Offline
trapper
Hornady Reloader  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,172
Wyoming County Pa.
We buy 400 pounds of black oil sunflower and 3 dozen suit blocks every year. Bird count is way down this year.

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707913
12/27/19 09:33 PM
12/27/19 09:33 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,386
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,386
Green County Wisconsin
we don't have spring bear season but depending on where you are people mark first bear sighting in the spring and then always put the feeders away the week before first bear sighting the previous year.

soon you will fill your deer tags from the porch

just eat the squirrels their tasty


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707920
12/27/19 09:41 PM
12/27/19 09:41 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
If I leave the sliding door open, I could hunt deer and watch TV at the same time. But it would freak the cats out if I did take a shot lol


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707946
12/27/19 10:00 PM
12/27/19 10:00 PM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
D
Dirty D Offline
trapper
Dirty D  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
We gave up feeding birds even tho it was very enjoyable to watch them.

The Coons, deer and turkeys made a mess of the yard around the feeder.
The coons would wake us up at night with all their fighting and growling.

After the turkeys first showed up bought some corn and threw it out on the driveway.
Let me tell you $5 of corn disappears very fast with over 30 turkeys.
Gets expensive in a hurry.

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6707983
12/27/19 10:27 PM
12/27/19 10:27 PM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
G
Getting There Offline
trapper
Getting There  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
I have fed the bird for years, in the last 4 years we are getting fewer and fewer birds, I bet out numbers are down by 85% or more. Same place, same food. I will keep a watch on this thread.


To Old
U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708562
12/28/19 02:13 PM
12/28/19 02:13 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline OP
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
As far as bird count goes, I have nothing to compare it with as the birds I used to feed ( 3 of them ) just ate fish and turned up at the fridge like clockwork. It does seem quite lively out there though now that the word is getting around that there is free food to be had.


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708619
12/28/19 03:03 PM
12/28/19 03:03 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Originally Posted by Scuba1
I have had some feeders out since I first set up the camper before we got the boat up here. The thing is that we always had a generator running during day time hours. Now we have been on quiet electrickery for a month or so and the wildlife is coming in more every day. Now that things are quiet, I have deer walking right past the boat ( Hence forth to be known as cabin ) Boat just sounds weird when one is on a 1400 foot hill not due to marginal navigation skills. We see one or two new species of birds every day and the numbers of those species are going up as well. We now have two pairs of Cardinals , two pairs of red bellied woodpeckers and so on around the place . A dozen or so tufted titmouse ..... sparrows till the cows come home and two pairs of blue jays. Junkos and wrens. I am waiting for the day that I do not see a bird species that we have not seen here before but so far ....Mother nature just keeps coming up with new ones that pay us a visit. No matter how much they eat, I can keep up with it. I have around 150 pounds of bird food that I mixed myself and about 30 pounds of DIY suet blocks that fit into those little cages. The kitchen has had a remodel and is now a bird watching station with a breakfast bar along 3 windows facing the feeders. Hey Jonathan .... what ya think of it so far ??

ATB

Michael





Jonathan would be proud !

You are on to a great start.

I feed just chopped suet from my local butcher, nothing else added. In three cages on pulleys , around 17 feet up the trees, to keep the occasional bear from accessing them. Flying squirrels like it too . A light available at night will show them gliding from tree to tree.

I feed sunflower seed and millet. There are birdies who prefer the millet , such as Song Sparrows , Juncos, etc.

If you want to target only the wee ones, a couple globe feeders ( no perches, just holes to grasp along the side and reach in) are the way to go. I have two of those , along with two large platform feeders with easy removable trays.

The millet I just sprinkle on the ground. The ones who like it are generally ground feeders anyway.

A birdbath will have you enjoy all the ones who are not seed eaters. You will see them all, that way.

I also encourage indigenous shrubs that wield berries all over the property, or plant them purposely , if needed. Grouse and turkeys, and everyone else loves them all summer and winter.

You are in for lots of enjoyable life experiences from the flyers, Michael.


Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708632
12/28/19 03:12 PM
12/28/19 03:12 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
Good encouragement Sharon, and sound advise.


Beef suet in 1/4 or 1/2 inch hardware cloth cages usually free from the butcher is the way to go; on a pulley system.

I think 330 trapper has some nice feeder pics of how to make a feeder for Pileated woodpeckers

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708701
12/28/19 04:14 PM
12/28/19 04:14 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
"I think 330 trapper has some nice feeder pics of how to make a feeder for Pileated woodpeckers"

[Linked Image]
These hold 3 full suet cakes

And this one holds Two full cakes [Linked Image]

No melt suet is costly to make with all the berries and raisins...but the Birds love it !!!

Last edited by 330-Trapper; 12/28/19 04:16 PM.

NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708704
12/28/19 04:17 PM
12/28/19 04:17 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
T
Tray Offline
"Wilson Jr."
Tray  Offline
"Wilson Jr."
T

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
Those are really nice suet feeders 330.

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708749
12/28/19 05:07 PM
12/28/19 05:07 PM
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,172
Wyoming County Pa.
Hornady Reloader Offline
trapper
Hornady Reloader  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,172
Wyoming County Pa.
Nice feeders. My buddy gave me some Bear fat that I plan on mixing with mixed seed this week.

Re: Bird feeder [Re: Scuba1] #6708895
12/28/19 07:24 PM
12/28/19 07:24 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
Birds Love Bear fat!


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




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