[leasbirds] Re: Home bird feeder
- From: "Dolan, Tom" <tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 13:07:09 -0600
Tess - one trick I used at our house in Abilene was to only put feed in
hanging feeders which only smaller birds can access - i.e. the doves and
grackles can't successfully land on them (though it's comical to watch them
try!) The smaller birds push out a lot of the milo and millet and cracked
corn onto the ground trying to get to the sunflower seeds - then the larger
birds congregate under the feeders waiting for 'mana from heaven'.
I've been additionally throwing scratch on the ground at our Lubbock house
just as an initial attraction to the neighborhood birds to get them used to
coming around, which as Rob was saying attracts the less common birds and
those that migrate through. Since I found an inexpensive source of scratch
(thanks to a list member from Post) I'll probably keep throwing scratch on
the ground so the doves and grackles and juncos get instant gratification -
they've started hanging out in our big pecan tree waiting for me each
morning.
Right now I only have one hanging feeder that holds 3 cups of feed (2 cups
scratch mixed with 1 cup sunflower) and throw about 3 1/2 cups additional
scratch on the ground. In addition I have one thistle sock with about a
cup of seed left of the two cups I put in 2 weeks ago. In other words I
only put out 6 cups of feed a day and seem to get plenty of action as a
result.
Tom Dolan
On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 12:45 PM, Trost, Tess <tess.trost@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Like many of you, at least I think you do, I've got white-wing doves out
> the wazoo. I did a quick estimate at one point and there were over 50 on
> the grass. I like feeding birds but gosh, the feeders get emptied in less
> than 30 minutes. What I've also noticed is there are no Eurasian collard
> doves in the pack. Lots of house finches, sparrows, a pair of juncos and
> an occasional pair of cardinals. Of course, the Cooper's hawk sometimes
> visits.
>
> All the info about what to feed and where to get it has been really
> helpful.
>
> Tess Trost
> tess.trost@xxxxxxx
>
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