What's Your Winter Feeder Set Up?

[blackdog1101]

I'm wondering what set ups you folks have for your winter bird feeding? Right now I've got a suet feeder; one of those tubular thistle feeders; and a (relatively) squirrel-proof feeder with black sunflower. I get downy, hairy, red belly and pileated woodpeckers at the suet. At the black sunflower feeder I'm mostly getting chickadees, goldfinches, juncos, nuthatches, house finches, cardinals, and a few bluejays. But ever since I put out the black sunflower the thistle feeder has pretty much been ignored. What other options do I have to attract other types of birds?

I live in the far west metro area close to Lake Minnetonka, with a 15 acre slough behind my house. Between my yard and the slough are various large deciduous trees and a bunch of buckthorn.

I appreciate any pointers you more experienced bird folks can give me.

[bobbymalone]

I have feeders get forgotten when I fill one with better food. My guess is those birds are getting fat for the winter and sunflower packs a lot bigger bang for the buck than thistle. Same thing as fall walleyes wanting the fat baits.

I've seen that happen with cracked corn too, where the birds prefer somethign different. Squirrels too. I mix seed together and made one with mostly cracked corn for the squirrels. Squirrels ate all the sunflower out, made a mess of the corn, then came back and ate the corn off the ground when the sunflower was gone.

I'm not a bird feeder expert but it sounds like you are getting the normal birds you should expect. I make a mix of about half sunflower and half whatever sort of commercial mix I can find cheap. Usually one of those mixes with a lot of millet. Birds seem to always prefer the sunflower though. I'm not sure you can attract other types of birds in the winter with a different seed. Just watch the seasons pass and the birds migrate and hope you catch some of the less common birds as they come through.

I think your best bet for attracting less common birds is to keep the feeders full and your eyes on it. Also give them different feeding options. Some birds, like cardinals, seem to prefer a platform type feeder over a tube feeder.

Sounds like you live a deer heavy area, eh? Me too. Good luck with that when the snow gets deep and they get hungry

[bobbymalone]

I was thinking about it and I do attact a lot of bluejays with a corn cob squirrel feeder and with peanuts. They don't come to the regular feeders much.

[eyeguy 54]

i have 3 tubes and a house all with oils in a small area about 8 feet by 3 feet. also have 4 suet feeders out. same thing all year round. Cardinals on the ground and the house feeder, they fall off the tube feeeders lol. Kinda funny. I built the ledge out a bit on the new house feeder I bought. They love it. Sparrows love the millet, give it to the neighbors. ;>) BlueJays really like peanuts. Grey Squirrels are insane here. Took 29 out in the last 6 weeks. Shhesh!

[Jim Almquist]

All I put out in my yard is black oil sunflower seeds and cracked corn. The seeds I put in open feeder as well as on the ground and the corn is on a table top and the ground. I get my seed in a 40lb bag and the cracked corn in a 50lb bag. I also have a suet feeder close to the other feeders. Right now can be pretty nuts out there with all the different birds plus the regulars. We have lots of Redpolls and Pine Siskins and a few Pine Grosbeaks. The regulars are Red and White Nuthatches, Cardinals, Bluejays, Black Capped Chickadees, Hairy and Downy WP, Red Bellied WP and a few Morning Doves.

[Dotch]

We have 2 suet feeders, 2 squirrel proof (ya, right) sunflower feeders, 2 screen type and one tube type thistle seed feeders and an ear corn feeder. When the snow becomes a factor we also put out an ear corn feeder for the pheasants in some brushy cover on the edge of the yard. We're relatively open country and rely on planted cover to keep the birds interested in sticking around. The goldfinches generally do like their thistle seed here especially as the winter drags on. Right now though they pick at both sunflower & thistle feeders without showing a clear preference. We also get plenty of house sparrows that have adapted well to the black oil sunflower so we continue to put out the thistle feeders. A typical day here at the feeders includes black capped chickadees, downies, hairies, red-bellies, white breasted nuthatches, blue jays, juncos, goldfinches, house finches, occasionally a mourning dove, a pine siskin or a stray migrating blackbird and of course a few fox squirrels. The squirrels share the ear corn with the blue jays and the red-bellied woodpecker. We have had pileated woodpeckers and cardinals too but they are inconsistent. During the irruption a few years ago, having the thistle seed out was a plus for the siskins and redpolls. They ate the sunflower too but preferred the thistle seed. While they nearly ate us out of house and home, they didn't take any guff from the house sparrows due to sheer numbers.

[Jim Almquist]

Dotch, I wonder if this will be one of those years where you will see a few Redpolls. I think this is the earliest we have had them in such numbers along with the Pine Grosbeaks.

[Dotch]

Hmmmm...I'll have to keep my eyes peeled. They were preceded by the pine siskins here when we had the irruption if memory serves me correctly. There have been a few siskins already.

[traveler]

We have 4 hanging feeders and a table top...all black oil. Oh, and a couple suet feeders too. Our redpolls and pine grosbeaks make up the bulk of the birds, along with both nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, and a single junco who seems a little lost:) Saw the northern shrike again a couple days ago too. Surprising we don't have any siskins, we get them spring and fall but not in the winter.

[blackdog1101]

I did some Googling today looking for inexpensive ideas to make my own birdfeeder. I lost my job about 10 weeks ago so saving money is important. While I'm Googling I see where people have used chick feeders to make birdfeeders. Me, being a city boy, didn't realize that the Baltimore Oriole feeder I have is nothing more than a watering tray for chicks. So I went to a nearby farm supply store, and for $3.29 bought a seed feeder and removed the watering tray from the oriole feeder. Now I've got a "convertible" year-round feeder. I will probably replace those white plastic "tabs" with something a little studier.

Here is the a picture (from the internet) of the "Little Giant" watering tray that is the same as on my oriole feeder. $1.59.

This would be dead easy to make if you have tools for simple woodworking. The hole in the cedar is 6" around. The jar is a small mouthed one-quart canning jar. Now that I know this I may make another.