A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity The Bird Lovers Forum Bird Seed Question

Right now I have a generic bird seed in my feeders, which I am sure contains a lot of fillers that most birds don't even eat. If I change to all blackoil sunflower seed, will I lose any of the birds that currently visit my feeders?

Current Visitors:
Tuffted Titmouse
bluebird
Chickadee
Cardinal
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

Could I expect other visitors that I haven't had yet?

Annette

If you change to pure Black Oil Sunflower seed, Your number of birds AND your number of species will INCREASE! Look to get House Finches, Cardinals, And Carolina Wrens. Another important thing is to use PLATFORM feeders in addition to the TUBE type feeders. Some birds do NOT like the tube feeders, Cardinals especially! If you spread the BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower seeds)over a broad, flat surface, ALL the birds that use Tube feeders PLUS all the ground feeders will use it! ALSO, don't forget to add suet feeders with peanut flavored suet. Here is MY feeder set-up in MY front yard.


THORN'S FEEDERS


You can see an OLD lantern type tube feeder that the squirrels keep demolishing, TWO green mesh suet cages with cakes of peanut suet in it, TWO 97 cent single-port Hummingbird feeders from Walmart, and just to the right of my NEIGHBOR'S overturned trash can, the corner of a metal and stainless steel table that I use as a platform feeder. Here is a BETTER look at my Platform Feeder loaded with Peanuts for the Blue Jays, Titmousen, and Squirrels, YOUR generic birdseed for Sparrows and Juncos (in Winter) and some drinking dishes. OH1 It's also loaded with my OLD Pal, Mr. Mocky, the Northern Mockingbird who cam to see if I might have left him some apple slices smeared with peanut butter. ALL birds seem to LOVE peanut butter, even insect eaters.

THORN'S PLATFORM FEEDER

I never would have thought about using an old table like that! LOL I did forget to list the Carolina Wren as one of my current visitors, as well. I saw that little beauty on the window ledge, just outside the window where my computer sits.

I have 2 barn style feeders in 2 different areas of the yard. One hangs in my Magnolia tree and I can see it from my computer. There is also a large hummer feeder in the same tree. The other feeder hangs in the front yard where I can see it when I'm sitting on the porch. Then I have a large hummer feeder hanging on the porch, and another hanging near the regular feeder. There is also a concrete bird bath in the front set-up.

I really do want to add more feeders...in BOTH places. I just need to either become a little more creative with what I have on hand to make more, or wait til I have the money to buy more! LOL I really like that table idea, though. I may have something similar that will work.

Thanks for the ideas!

Annette

I thought that gold finches would only eat finch food because of the size until it snowed last month and they were hovered in the platform feeder eating the sunflower seeds all day. I thought size matters.

Goldfinches LOVE Sunflower seeds......but they prefer to eat them right off the flower head. Here are some OLD pictures I took using my FIRST Digital camera.


GOLDFINCH ON SUNFLOWER HEAD



GOLDFINCH ON PLATFORM FEEDER

Peanut butter for the birds - I will give it a try! What do you think they use for fillers in birdseed that the birds don't eat? We have the same problem with rabbit food; they only eat part of it, and the rest goes to waste.

I tink the fillers are mostly grass seeds. At least...that's what tends to come up under the bird feeders! LOL

And I'm putting sunflowers in my garden this year. I plan on cuting the flower heads a fair distance down the stalk and then hanging them upsidedown in the tree for the birds. Unless I can come up with a better way to hang them...

Annette

Don't cut them at all The birds like to eat thes seeds as they grow.

Thorn, do you have your feeders grouped all together like that in other areas. I don't have mine all together. maybe I should.

Yes, since I do a lot of photography, I bunch my feeders close together to make focusing between them easier. The birds don't mind a bit and it also creates a LOT of INTERESTING photo ops!

now why didn't I think of that. I don't know why I thought they should be spread all over the yard. The birds will find the food wherever it is.