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Author Topic: Birds in the back yard  (Read 289624 times)

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Offline HD

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So.....when you guy's put out grape jelly....

Do you have a special feeder for this?
How do you keep yogi away?
Smuckers or Welches?

What about oranges?
Do ya screw them to a hunk of wood?
Or do ya have a board with some pointed wood dowels you just shove them on?

Yogi not a problem in a good part of the state...  Like Rochester.    But I have never had much luck with oranges or grape jelly.   Or even those fancy freeze dried meal worms...

I need to put together a new feeder with a roof for the oriole smorgasboard.   

I got one of them jumbo suet feeders for freeze dried meal worm blocks. They got seeds and nuts mixed in. I see the orioles on there once in awhile.

Seems like anything I put out for hummers or orioles.....yogi comes in and has a snack.
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Offline Jerkbiat

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We just put our jelly in a bowl about the size of a coffee mug. If it rains it just starts to turn it to grape juice and they will still eat it. So, when it rains I will dump out most of the water when we get home from work or in the morning when I fill it. That is also the trick with yogi, I usually put out jelly in the morning before work so the birds can eat it during the day nad not get lapped up by yogi at night. Find the cheapest grape jelly or jam you can, brand does not matter.
Hey look your bobber is up!

Online glenn57

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I had 4 male orioles at my grape jelly feeder this morning. looked like they were trying to determine turf!!!!
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Offline LPS

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Those two martins were back here yesterday.   :happy1: :happy1:

Online Dotch

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JB has it right. I'll watch the weather and if it looks like heavy rain is forecast, try to gauge the amount of jelly I dump in the feeder accordingly. Sometimes if it rains hard it dilutes the jelly so much I have to start over. The only time I've had any luck with mealworms is when the orioles are nesting and apparently after the young have hatched. Reputedly they don't feed the young jelly and are looking for insects which means protein. I used to put out nectar (sugar water) too but want to find a heavier feeder that's more windproof as well as easy to clean completely. I've seen a glass one at FF that might fit the bill. Then it means getting something to keep the ants out of it... :undecided:

A photo of our oriole feeder. Was swaying in the breeze so hard to get a good shot.

 

[attachment deleted by admin]
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Online glenn57

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been noticing this odd bird. kinda looked like a cardinal at first but the jet black wings just didn't seem right so I googled the scarlet tanager. guess what...…...dats what it is!!!!!! birds are going crazy out there.  :happy1: :happy1: I love it!!!!!!!!
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Offline LPS

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That is a great bird spotting Glenn.  I would love to see one of them. 

Online glenn57

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That is a great bird spotting Glenn.  I would love to see one of them.
google it!!!!!!!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: sorry mikey made me. I thought it wasthat, so that's what I did. picture perfect!!!!! :happy1:
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Offline Jerkbiat

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Dotch. to keeps the ants out of the nector feeder and jelly I will spray the post to the feeders with Tempo 2-3 times through the summer. Does the trick.
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Offline LPS

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Online Dotch

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That is a good idea JB. Unfortunately all my hummer & oriole feeders are tree hangers. One less thing to mow & trim around. I've tried using the permethrin we have for livestock to recharge the last year's ant guards. Works for a week or two then runs out of gas. The hummer feeder has an ant moat on it. Have to fill it with water every few days tho or the ants & earwigs get in the feeder. The insects attracted to the jelly feeder seem to wind up being eaten by whoever happens to be feeding nestlings. I'm a little hesitant to coat the hangers with insecticide as the birds landing on them would be directly exposed. 

Did notice this yesterday the hummers were really looking for flowers as one was working over a flowering crab in the front yard. Not sure how much nectar he was finding but he was sure giving it a whirl. Wife has a lot of potted flowers ready to set out when it warms up. Time to get them out of my way in the pole barn.   
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline Lee Borgersen

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  Clean bird feeders to keep birds healthy!

 :tut: ....
Moldy birdseed and unclean bird feeders can make birds sick. Homeowners who enjoy feeding birds can takes steps now to help birds stay healthy, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

 :coffee: ....
In spring and especially in warm, humid weather, it is common for mold to form on wet birdseed. The mold can cause an avian disease called aspergillosis, which affects the birds respiratory systems. Salmonella is another disease that affects birds and is associated with unclean feeders. Both diseases can be fatal to birds. :banghead:

 :popcorn:
To clean a feeder, use a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water, and scrub the entire surface. Always allow the cleaned feeder to dry out in the sun, as the sunlight will help kill bacteria on the feeder. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned about every week to 10 days during the summer, to keep the sugar water from producing mold.

Staff from the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program urges bird enthusiasts to also rake or sweep up any fallen seeds and seed hulls under their feeder to prevent moldy conditions from occurring on the ground. Seeds left on the ground can also attract meadow voles, house mice, other rodents, raccoons, deer and even bears. :mad1:

Keep the feed dry by using a hopper-type feeder or a fly-through feeder, and always scrape out old seed that accumulates in the corners. Tray feeders with a screen bottom will allow seeds to dry out from above and below after a rain shower, but thick layers of seed could still trap moisture, so consider more frequent fillings with less seed.
More information about bird feeding is available at :police: mndnr.gov/birdfeeding.
« Last Edit: May 05/21/19, 02:49:10 AM by Lee Borgersen »
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Online glenn57

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Couple days ago while out back I had a female grosbeak on the feeder. Haven't seen many of them lately. Still haven't seen the male red breasted grosbeak. :pouty:
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Offline HD

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I got a bunch of those Glenn, probably 12 to 14 pairs. Never seen so many.
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Online glenn57

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I got a bunch of those Glenn, probably 12 to 14 pairs. Never seen so many.
thats crazy. we used have  3-4 pair when we had the seasonal camper, but that was more wooded area then my city lot!!!!!!
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Offline HD

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I got a bunch of those Glenn, probably 12 to 14 pairs. Never seen so many.
thats crazy. we used have  3-4 pair when we had the seasonal camper, but that was more wooded area then my city lot!!!!!!

Yup, it is....that many birds sure clean out a bird feeder quick!
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Online glenn57

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man are them birds going through the grape jelly. I put it out 2 2 1/2 weeks ago and I have already gone through 3 of the 32 oz jars.

my wife went to cashwise yesterday and they didn't have a jar of any size or brand left on the shelf.
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Online mike89

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people were buying it by the flat in Aldi's yesterday!!
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Online Dotch

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Going thru a 32 oz. jar every couple days. Still have a week's supply but am going to DG today to see if they've still got inventory. Snuffed a couple house sparrows this a.m. so that should help.
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline Lee Borgersen

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Couple days ago while out back I had a female grosbeak on the feeder. Haven't seen many of them lately. Still haven't seen the male red breasted grosbeak. :pouty:

Dis was da foyst year fur us ta have any a dem dare grosbesk birds. I didn't know what species dem critters were. Den we looked um up in da boyd book.  Very cool lookin!  :happy1: Unfortunetly we heard a bang on da window and figured it was one a dem goofy birds hit da glass. Sure enough it was one a dem grosbecke boyds. Dare he was on da ground wit what looked like a broken neck.

Told Borgie I'd dispose of him later. When later came it was gone, mus-ta been da friendly neighborhood hawk got um!
« Last Edit: May 05/24/19, 06:45:44 AM by Lee Borgersen »
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Offline LPS

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I had one male Oriole here the other day but only had homemade rhubarb jelly out.  LOL  Now tomorrow I will switch to grape.  I can't believe how much you guys go through.  BUT the good news is that the juvenile female Martin sat in the bird house for at least 15 minutes this evening.  The male sat on the powerline.   :happy1: :happy1:
« Last Edit: May 05/23/19, 07:36:09 PM by LPS »

Offline LPS

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Have grape jelly out now but the Oriole likes the Hummer feeder.  That's ok.  Hope he finds the jelly.  Just had a small hawk in flight pin a bird up against our window and grab it.  Right as we were looking at it.  He better not get that Oriole.  That's all I will say on that subject. 

Offline HD

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While at Menards today, I saw a Oriole feeder for $23
It had a roof, a jelly bowl and 2 spikes for oranges.
I didn't buy it yet cause I'm not sure how to keep Yogi from getting it.
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Offline LPS

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I will check that out.  I want a nice Oriole feeder here to keep em around. 

Offline delcecchi

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Cool.  Right now I just have one oriole feeder up and it is shared by downy woodpeckers, orioles, and the littlest hummer I have ever seen.   

Blowing through a suet cake every couple days with multiple downy, hairy, and red bellied woodpeckers.   

Online glenn57

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Here is my Oriole feeding station. The blue tray in the background is for mealworms.

[attachment deleted by admin]
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Offline fishnutbob

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Bear at back door feeding.

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Online glenn57

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Bear at back door feeding.
:happy1: looks like momma and Jr. Suppose you have that experience quite often.
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Online glenn57

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there has been a  dramatic drop in birds at the feeders lately. can tell by the amount of times and amounts to refill the feeders.

reckon nesting and seks are the culprits!!!!!!
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Offline HD

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I bought another bird feeder from Menards thinking I didn't have to worry anymore....

But, Yoggy came back and trashed another feeder! It only had black sunflower seeds in it, but he tore it down.....

I put the trail camera back out to see what shows up....  :angry2:
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!