Birds in the back yard

[glenn57]

the feeders at home got hammered while i was gone. they were getting hit hard at the cabin to but them f^&*&^ ing blue jays. 

[mike89]

hey those are god's creatures too!!!   

[glenn57]

hey those are god's creatures too!!!   

those creatures can feed somewhere else. I've been trying to feed them lead 

[roony]

Not as bad as tham wrens.

[LPS]

 

[FishThumper]

I can not believe the amount of bird food I’ve been going through. At the cost of it this year I may have to put the birds on a diet ration. I need to find a good source for a good amount of corn. I started putting some corn in the deer feeder and it didn’t take them long to start showing up. First few days just a fork horn. Then he must have told a few friends, and now a few of them are showing up. Fun to get up each morning and check the trail camera pictures on my cell phone. Have a BIG buck I’ve been following for 4 years now. Hope he is still alive. Got picture of him for 3 years now. Been fun watching him grow. He showed up last winter with a bad leg injury. Not sure if he survived winter.

[LPS]

I feel like I have gone through more sunflower seeds than ever too.  They just dropped $5 a bag here.  Maybe due to the harvest. ???

[FishThumper]

I feel like I have gone through more sunflower seeds than ever too.  They just dropped $5 a bag here.  Maybe due to the harvest. ???

Yes the sunflower seeds are getting hit hard. The Finch food even harder. Sometimes there are so many birds on the finch feeder I can not see the tube.

[Dotch]

Guessing the increased acreage planted in the US & extremely good yields probably made the prices go down some. Even though global production is forecast to be down some, the US isn't one of the major players on the world market & exports a relatively small percentage of the crop. Worked with sunflower growers for 3 years when I got out of college. Fascinating crop & NSA has a fun site to dig thru.

https://www.sunflowernsa.com/buyers/SunflowerPricing/

https://www.sunflowernsa.com/stats/historical-prices-values/

https://www.sunflowernsa.com/stats/us-supply/

https://www.sunflowernsa.com/stats/world-supply/

[LPS]

I knew you would have the answer Dotch.   

[fishwidow]

I saw a magpie fly across the road as I was driving yesterday. I didn’t know they were around this far East. I’ve seen lots of them west of here.

[FishThumper]

After the fresh snow and colder temps, The birds were really hitting the feeders this morning. Has to go knock the snow off of them and refill.

[glenn57]

After the fresh snow and colder temps, The birds were really hitting the feeders this morning. Has to go knock the snow off of them and refill.

same here got a bunch of Juncos!!!!!

i'll refill them tomorrow before i head north.

[Dotch]

How far east are you fishwidow? Saw some magpies near Blackduck and points north to I Falls last week. They were common when I lived in the Little House on the Prairie in ND. They loved rummaging through the goose gut piles dumped in the slough.

Checked the suet feeders when I was home a little bit ago. They've been getting hit hard too. Just got more suet so will have to restock the feeders in a day or so.   

[mike89]

I recall seeing some North of Cass Lake about 10 or 12 miles years ago... 

on a side note the birds and tree rats are sure quiet here today...   

[glenn57]

I saw a magpie fly across the road as I was driving yesterday. I didn’t know they were around this far East. I’ve seen lots of them west of here.

been seeing these magpies up north recently......seems like only in the fall for the most part????????

[fishwidow]

Hey, Dotch. North of Grand Rapids and maybe 6-7 miles East. I can remember seeing them in the Dakotas and points west, but I don’t think I have seen any in Minnesota.

Another bird I recall seeing a lot as a kid was meadowlarks. I have seen them further west in relatively recent times. But then I don’t spend as much time on the prairie as I do in the woods.

[LPS]

We have magpies here.

[Jerkbiat]

We have magpies here.

Yes, we see lots of them up here

[tangle tooth]

      Not a backyard bird (well, not my backyard) but I haven't seen many Canada geese this year. They must fear me and stay away.

[Dotch]

Since I'm positive Barry is now playing the sunflower market based on these posts, here's the latest on black oil sunflower prices from Fargo ND:

A year ago: $26/cwt

Last week: $16.80/cwt

This week: $16.30/cwt

Projections are prices in the $16.50 range for Dec, $17.35 for Jan-Mar, & $18 for Apr-Jun.

Should be cheaper bird feeding this winter than last year based on that and prices being seen in the stores. 

[LPS]

Thanks Dotch.  We will hit the Big M today and get some more seeds.

[Dotch]

Feeder activity has slowed somewhat with the warmer temperatures. Still a bunch of robins feeding on the fruit and berry trees & bushes. A few goldfinches reappearing & a loyal group of house finches has developed. Been a few years since we've had them consistently.   

[glenn57]

I'll trade roony wrens for all these effin....f_&-+++( blue jays up here.

[Bobberineyes]

I can cross another bird off the list, we had a pair of Northern Flickers stop by yesterday.  We do get a good variety of wood peckers, although I don't have a suet feeder out they like the tray feeder. I might just try the suet again.

[mike89]

must be at least 50 swans on the north end of the lake this morning!!

[LPS]

Any ice on your lake Mike?

[mike89]

thin layer on the south end is all

[Steve-o]

I heard/saw a flock of cranes fly over while I was enjoying the warm sunny WI breezes yesterday afternoon.  It must be getting colder up north.

[Dotch]

Did see a robin Thanksgiving Day. Three snows on the Robin's tail...