My Feeders are going insane as of late.

[Paul]

I am not sure what is going on, but I am going through about 50+ lbs of seed a week the last 3-4 weeks, plus half dozen suet blocks. B4 that only 5-10 lbs a week. It is not that there are more variety, just seems to be a more constant streem of chow hounds. Any One else seen this trend as of late? The gal of at "Critters Seed and Feed" in Moorhead said she had been hearing that from a lot of people this year in our area. Maybe it is the Drought out west and our recent downpours.

How are things at your feeding stations?

[Steve Foss]

Mine's fairly quiet. Some goldfinches and mourning doves and hummers but not much else.

But then, I'm a whole state away and in a very different ecological zone.

[Dotch]

What kinds of birds are you feeding Paul?

Down south here in the land of corn and soybeans, the goldfinches and house finches are back up to 20 lbs. of thistle seed every other week and roughly 20 lbs. of black oil seed sunflower per week. Stopped with the suet as the starlings were eating that while the downies and hairies were busy eating sunflower seed. About 10 mourning doves and a couple blue jays still coming around too. Hummingbird activity has picked up even more this week but the orioles have been a no-show.

[Paul]

I have had ZERO hummers as of today. I have been seeing a ton of Cardinals, woodpeckers, shrikes, vireos, chicadee. I had some grey jays, blue jays, indigo buntings, 1 scarlet tanager in may, some house finches. It is hard to tell sometimes because there are so many birds and I have had some long work days and some trips so I have not been home a lot of the time. I noticed My neighbors took their feeders down due to excessice gackle population. I am a little disappointed that I have not been able to keep any of the highly colored birds around long enough to get some pictures of many of them. I just need to get my [PoorWordUsage] in a scoop and set up blind under the tree I guess. My house is only about 2.5 blocks away from the shores of the Red River so I see lots of activity. Some friends of mine that live near Glyndon are going through two 5 gallon buckets a day of seed. They live on the river and have even had swans in their yards.

[Dotch]

Wowsirs! Most impressive Paul! The male oriole was back this morning. Caught a glimpse of him after chores.

[Paul]

OK, I found out what has been destroying my seed. I got up this morning only to find about 200 gackles in my yard. It was like I had a flock of them dang things hanging out everywere. They had completly emptied my 2 large feeders. But at my small feeders I had some surprises. 3 house finches, a scarlet tanager( 2nd one this year) , 2 blue jays (haven't seen for over a month), and some yellow finches (which have been absent all year from my yard), and one that I have not been able to identify. I will try and get some pictures later on and post. Dang camera is packed up in the truck for a fishing trip.

[UdeLakeTom]

It's the starlings...they can wipe out a feeder in a day. I thought it was the squirrels, until I watched them one Saturday. They are the biggest reason I don't have a feeder anymore. Especially if you have any kind of nuts mixed in.

[shorebird]

I have a cabin that I feed birds at, I go through about 50 lbs. a week not counting the corn/millet that goes on the ground with an automatic feeder.

The last couple of bird watchers to stay there said that a Raccoon climbed up the 1" steel pole got around the gaurd and was hanging there eating the sunflower chips with one paw.

The best birds for me this week was a pair of Upland Sandpipers and a Willet at one of the ponds.

[Steve Foss]

Hey shorebird, welcome to HSO/FM and the bird watching board. Great to have you here!

With a handle like yours, it's no surprise your best birds this week were the upland sandpiper and willet.

Those darn raccoons can get around nearly any kind of barrier.

[croixflats]

My bird feeders are at slow action get cardnals in evening and a few wood peckers. The spring was crazy with all kinds. Is it the time of year that slow down. Hope it isnt the neighbors cat thats effecting anything. I would just hate to have to get a paintball gun

[Steve Foss]

Bird activity in general at feeding stations drops this time of year. Spring is full of migrants, summer is about nesting and fledging young, and then late summer and fall it bursts out in feeder activity again.

[Paul]

I am either really late or Really early, becaue tonight, I had 2 varieties of wood peckers, blue jays, Finchs, every kind of sparrow know to man kind and a gazillion black gackles. I think what has happened from looking around, eveyone quit feeding in their yards due to all the gackles, So I get them all. Oh Well.

[croixflats]

thanks stfcatfish, though Iwas looking foward to seeing a green spoted cat in town

I would never do that but its nice to dream

[Steve Foss]

Feral cats, or house cats let out to roam, suck when it comes to bird feeders. The temptation to eliminate them, or at least send them packing with a tiny bit of lead beneath their skin, is always there.

Here's a typical day at my feeders in late June or early July. Hairy and downy woodpeckers at suet. Red-breasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees at black oil sunflower or suet. Purple or house finches. Goldfinches. Male ruby-throated hummingbird. The odd starling. Evening grosbeaks. Chipping and white-throated sparrows. Cardinals on occasion. Bluejays on occasion.

There are a dozen other species in the yard that don't come in to feeders because I don't feed insects or grubs. Robins, catbirds, house wrens, yellow warblers, redstarts, etc, etc.

[Catmendo]

Steve, I couldn't agree with your sentiments more regarding feral or domestic house cats that their owners allow to roan FREELY outdoors!

These cats, like all members of the feline are born to hunt & kill. It's simply the nature of beast. Having said that, it doesn't make it right and once again the onus comes on the pet owners who allow their furry little darlings to roam the countryside and kill!

FACT: The average domestic cats averages a staggering "1000" kills in a single year "if" allowed to roam freely outside! I can't help but wonder how many of Gods little creatures met a violent and uneccesary death due to work of a cat. How many fledglings are left to fend for themselves because their parents were killed by a cat...

For those per owners who own cats, please don't let them wander freely in the outdoors...

[Paul]

I figured it out. Grackles don't like Saphron, so looks like a minor change is in the works.