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I just thought I would open a general comment thread.

Today it is snowing to beat the band----and my thistle feeder is half empty. (almost had to happen this morning early)

There is 1 Junco on the wild food feeder trying to stay out of the snow, poor baby.

The only bird we have been seeing lately are the black birds and crows. It will be so nice to see some chickadees soon.

There were many birds on my feeders yesterday. I was on my way out to put some sunflower seeds out for the cardinals, and what do I greet but heavy snowflakes...so, I will try again today...poor birdies.

We have a lot of cardinals in our yard. They're so pretty. I need to fill my thistle feeder too because I noticed that the gold finches are starting to change to their spring color.

The finches & juncos have decided to like my new thistle feeder after all...(it only has 4 perches, but) it has metal pieces instead of plastic & so it will not break in the cold.

It has finally decided to drastically slow down snowing, so I think I can go out & put the platform feeder back out for the Cardinals, as there are many Cardinals in our yard as well....and perhaps I will put out some suet cakes as well.

Forgot to get thistle and the yellow birds are out there in this cold weather and they're almost totally yellow. Seems a bit early.

You can tell my finches ARE finches, but barely. It is too early for them to turn all yellow here yet.

They have been eating the sunflower seeds since there's not thistle out there. Didn't know they'd do that.

still have NOT gotten thistle or niger. Where is my brain.

Cardinals eat Thistle seeds?? I have a special blend made up of Sunflower seeds, Safflower seeds Peanuts, Dried Cherries, and vitamins. It attracts other birds too such as chickadees, but when I am out I just feed my cardinals Sunflower seeds.

IF they will eat Thistle, that would surely be so much easier.

I did not know.
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(An Edit) This is an "almost" direct copy from something I found on the internet:

When Cardinals visit feeders, they need some sort of perch. They are irresistibly lured to feeders filled with sunflower seeds.
They enjoy both the black oil and striped versions.
They also love safflower seed, which few other birds enjoy, so it can be used in a “cardinals only” feeder.
Cardinals eat cracked corn, white millet, peanuts, melon and squash seeds, nutmeats, raisins, white bread, cornbread and apples.
However, sunflower seed alone is a surefire cardinal attraction.
In the winter they also enjoy suet blocks with sunflower seeds imbedded in them.

no cardinals don't eat thistle. Gold finches (yellow birds) eat thistle. I get sunflower seeds for the cardinals. I tried the safflower and they didn't like it.

Johnny fixed the door on the bluebird house Thursday evening. Last night there was a nest in it.

WOW, I am way impressed !

And if I may say Johnny looks pretty good for 63 years old.

I'm very impressed too. And bluebirds in a day are wonderful.

Once in a blue moon the bluebirds will come to the house and drink water out of the birdbath. I tried putting out mealy worms in a platform feeder so I could watch them but they didn't eat them. I think they have too much natural stuff around here to hang out at the feeder.

We went to Rural King today:
I bought a basil plant, and a laguna flower in a pot.

THEN I got a LOT of Thistle seed.

BUT, the great purchase of the day was a "Squirrel proof" wild bird feeder, that I will use next fall/winter.
Got it for $7.00 off of the original price-- "off season I guess"

Do you have a picture? We've tried a bunch of squirrel proof feeders that really aren't.

Here you go: The Brand is "Perky Pet" The name is "Squirrel be Gone 2"
Birds can only access seeds from this one side.

Way cute. I need a few.

We have a problem.

On my west facing glass sliding doors, we have film to keep out the summer heat. BUT apparently it has such a reflection facing out that the birds see themselves. As a result we have 1 young robin that repeatedly runs into the glass doors hitting it's head. We have tried a lot of things...from pictures of decending hawks to regular window clings. This bird Does.not.care.

I am beside myself---it is so lout it wakes is very early in the morning EVERY DAY !! Does anyone have any other ideas ?
And removing the film in NOT an option !

I used some colorful mylar streamers from the dollar store. I hung them around my plants to keep birds away from the babies. (and other critters too) I'm thinking one hung from your eaves or something near your window might help with the bird problem too.

A few years ago, and I think I posted about it, a cardinal decided to run into one of our windows, I think the dining room, and did it over and over and over all day for weeks. I called every wild animal place I could think of and was told that when a bird starts doing this there is nothing to stop them. They will stop when ready or dead. I never did find that dead bird so I guess he either got over it and flew away or was injured and went somewhere else to die. It definitely makes a loud noise.

We think he is doing this b/c he sees himself/herself in the reflection caused but the film I added to keep the heat out of the house.

Once it gets to like noon, the sun is at a different angle and he cannot see his reflection as well, & so he/she stops for the day. I washed off the window & deck floor tonight, but I know I am going to have to do it again tomorrow, and the next day---and the next.......

I do thank you for the information though...I do so hope he/she gets tired of this soon...He appears to be a juvenile..still has a very few tufts of "down" is it called?

Thank goodness it does not go on all day...

Poor bird

Yes indeed.

Today I spent the afternoon chasing the poor guy away by banging on the window. It seemed to have helped...He/she did not come around as much today.

We get a bird or two that ends there life with our windows as well...guess it's not an unusual thing.

That is both sad and comforting to hear...

Did the bird return Junie? It's like they go crazy. You'd think banging your head time after time would get old and they'd try something else.

Last year GG and I built a small bird house on a pole as decor for the flower bed...to our surprise their is a bird nesting in it

That is great news, Sunny. Good for you both !!

Sheri--the bird did return but he was much more laid back--just sorta pecked at the window...so I began hitting back on the window to scare it away. He/She has not been back for a day now--we shall see what happens

Wonder if it's a little house wren.

Last year I bought a beautiful, painted, decorative gourd at the farmers market and hung it outside on a limb never imagining a bird would move in but this year a house wren had her babies in there.

Junie that's what happened to the birds at our house. They were here banging their heads then gone. Who knows.

well., I have no idea why it stopped hitting the glass, but I am sure glad it did !!

It is a swallow bird Sheri. I took a pic...I'll try post it later.

Yesterday grandboy was outside eating a dish of strawberries while wearing a bright orange coat...a hummingbird landed on his head

pic....

Awesome! and cute birdhouse too.

I'm impressed that you built that birdhouse and your flowers are pretty.

VERY nice photo. And very nice landscaping, flowers & I esp. love the birdhouse. I miss our barn swallows, they are so much fun to watch, gracefully gliding thru the sky, eating bugs. I miss that. We have not ever had any here.

Junie, what kind of birds do you have. I know dodge has told me she doesn't have cardinals and we have lots of them.

I have :
Gold Finches
House Finches
Robins
several types of Sparrows
Black birds
Hummingbirds
Juncos
the occasional Downy Woodpecker
Occasionally Cardinals and Blue jays

In the early years of living here, I often had Orioles and some solid blue colored bird. BUT I have had neither for many a year.

I may be missing a few but this is close to all the birds I have.

We don't have cardinals either.

And cardinals are so pretty.

Yes the Cardinals ARE SO very pretty. I have a squirrel proof wild bird food feeder. I think I will put that out with more sunflower seeds in it than is usual in wild bird food. The Cardinals should like that.

I have a funny story for you all. remember the Robin that was banging on my sliding door glass?? And remember how I put window clings on the window?? Well yesterday a Hummingbird was trying to feed on the flowers on the glass..(poor baby)

Poor hummingbird.

aww poor guy was hungry.

I agree with you both. I just today put out fresh nectar for the little guy, I hope he comes back for it.

I think I've read that hummingbirds have poor eyesight. Guess so.

OH! Thanks for the information. I did not know that. It makes sense though.

I'm wondering if my hummingbirds are eating from my flowers instead of feeders because I haven't seen any for a while. Or if the weather has run them off.

very good question..I have not seen a whole lot of mine either----now I am wondering...

This week I have seen bluebirds....they haven't been here in many years. We have lots of blue jay's but the real bluebirds were a joy to see.

OH how wonderful---they are a joy to see. It has been a LONG time since I have seen them here.. I need to buy a blue bird house and make Rod put it up at the correct level on our shed...

We have Eastern bluebirds a lot. We have 3 or 4 broods in our bluebird house every year.

When we put up that house I had read that it sometimes takes an entire season before the birds would use it but they started building a nest the very next day and it's used regularly

Yes, I have found that to be true. Which is strange to me as Birds cannot smell. My youngest DD gave me a white "house" finch feeder that is adorable. The birds would not go near it for 2 years...then it set on my gardening bench for 2 years--NOW they are using it a lot---ya gotta wonder ???

I hung up a decorated gourd that I got at the farmers market that I never dreamed the birds would use but they have. I hung it for decoration and they moved in :)

Awesome, Sheri.

Yes, Sheri, that is wonderful !

I just saw 3 birds (sparrows?) trying to drink from the hummingbird feeder. So, I put out my water feeder. (it is like a thistle feeder, but it is for water.
I bought it from a member (at one time she was anyway) from the east coast someplace ? She has a small shop ?? sells bird items amongst other stuff ???

Wrennie?

Yes I think it WAS---I put down her name first, & went back & exchanged it for the explanation instead. Thanks for verifying my thoughts

Comment---Not ONE bird has gone to my water/feeder. Well, unless they have learned to know when to sat away so I will not catch them drinking.....

Tonight I will put out a tray with water in it.....perhaps that will be more to their liking ????

Did it work?

not yet...I wonder if the neighbors down the road have a bird bath. I am pretty sure they feed the birds.

AND another neighbor at the end of the road, has a really nice, all be it small, fish pond..with rippling water. So, the birds do not go w/o.

I was looking out tonight & I saw a house finch on the water feeder. Apparently the birds have been using the side between the tree & the waterer,,,ssssso I have been unable to see them. Tonight the shadows were such that the bird showed up thru the water reservoir.

We have some kind of virus going through with our birds. We were told to take down feeders, disinfect them and refrain from putting them back up for three weeks. That has never happened before.

Bummer. Do you have a mosquito problem up there, Sunny?

Yes Tina..mosquitoes are awful here. I double checked and they are investigating to see if the birds have 'Frounce'???? Either way, they are asking for us to keep an eye for dead birds and to call a number so they can be collected for examination.

yuck !! Stay safe, Sunny....

I looked up frounce and it is "a form of trichomoniasis affecting hawks, resulting in a sore with a cheesy secretion in the mouth or throat".
Sounds quite nasty.

It's spreading in the finches here...it's sad.

so very sorry to hear this

It causes an infection in the crop of the bird that makes them be unable to swallow, essentially, and they can't eat and they sort of waste away. Sad

That is sad.

Yes I agree it sure is sad.