How many here feed birds?

[KittyCatCove]

I live in an urban neighborhood and every morning I have about 300 pigeons, sparrows, starlings, ravens and doves that come to eat. I feed them wild bird seed, shelled peanuts and stale dry cat food. The peanuts are the first thing that go. I go through 80lbs of bird seed and 10lbs of peanuts per week.

 

[Elphaba09]

That is sweet of you! So many birds! Wow!

I have a feeder on my front porch because my cats like to watch the birds eat. I do, however, have this strange hope that I will one day befriend some crows.

 

[verna davies]

I live in a semi rural area with lots of trees so have many feeders of seeds, nuts, fat balls. There's quite a variety of birds, sparrows, wrens, crows, magpies, robins, greater spotted woodpeckers, nuthatch, blue, great and long tailed tits. My cats spend hours watching them as do I. Well worth the cost of the food.

 

[lizzie]

I do!Oh my goodness...hard to tell who loves the birds more...me or the cats!Hubby calls it their free tv.We have a big picture window in the dining room,with an awning over it.That's what my bird feeder and suet feeder hang from,so their food is protected.I feed a nut and berry blend in the feeder,and what they call woodpecker treat in the suet feeder.We also put out a pan of cracked corn that sits under his pickup,and the rabbits,doves and squirrels eat mostly there...and an occasional deer,raccoon and possum.

 

[DreamerRose]

Yes, I feed the birds in the winter on the deck outside the sliders. I spread it all over the table there. The cats love it and spend hours watching the birds. I like to watch, too, and we attract a lot of wildlife - chipmunks, squirrels, and skunks.

 

[Silver Crazy]

I have a feeder right near the side door and have all sorts of parrots and doves. Its a very noisy place..lol
We are waiting for the pair of Bronze Doves to arrive that come and nest in late spring every year, a big bird and quite dowdy looking until they open their wings and everything flashes gold.
We have had a rat helping himself the to the seed but the cat got him yesterday and dropped it on my foot..Good Kitty..lol

 

[BellaGooch]

That's so cool!
We only feed our flock of parakeets here lol

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I started feeding birds years and years ago. I began with one bird feeder, but realized it was too small for the numerous mourning doves that we have in our yard. So, I added a second, bigger bird feeder. We have titmice, blue jays, cardinals, several types of woodpeckers, wrens (who really only eat the bugs that are in the bird feeders), and numerous sparrows/finches that come from up north in the winter, in addition to the mourning doves. There are also a couple of 'mystery' birds that I have no idea what they are. We have even attracted a few crows/black birds/ravens from time to time.

Then, the squirrels started getting on the bird feeders. So, I added squirrel feeders and that worked for a while, but eventually the squirrels were using the bird feeders in addition to their own feeders. After many attempts with squirrel baffles, I have successfully - so far - kept the squirrels completely off the bird feeders. But, in the process, the squirrel feeders have been expanded to 5 different ones!!

The squirrels are 'pigs', the birds are not. Nonetheless, I go through a 20 lb bag of squirrel food, and a 14 lb bag of bird food in just a little over a week - not to mention the monthly bag of peanuts I also buy. Admittedly, bird food gets mixed with the squirrel food for the squirrel feeders because the squirrels really prefer the nuts and sunflower seeds over the corn that comes in their own food.

I also have a 'watering hole' set up in which water is automatically refreshed daily. The birds - and the squirrels - use it every day! In hot weather, the cardinals and doves love to take their 'baths' in it!

Feeby is so accustomed to it all, that she just considers it a part of normal daily life!! So much for this all starting to give her entertainment!!

 

[DreamerRose]

I put out extra peanuts and sunflower seeds for the squirrels, and that seems to satisfy them. I've never had more than three.

 

[KittyCatCove]

Wow! Okay I feel better now... I am not the only bird nut on this cat forum!

My cats LOVE watching all the birds. Every morning they know the show is coming and they set up in their fav spots before the birds even arrive. Sometimes the pigeons land on the window sill... my kitties go bananas when they do that.

My neighbors must hate me... I'm the pesky neighbor who feeds stray/feral cats and flocks of birds.

 

[muffy]

I feed the squirrels peanuts and sunflower seeds. If the birds want to eat it is ok with me. I get blue jays, cardinals wood peckers and some kind of little birds. I have about 13 squirrels. I also put out dry cat food for the raccoons and opossums that come up at night. I have been doing this for 25 years. I also used to have a feral cat colony. I have only seen two large rats but never any skunks.

 

[DreamerRose]

 

[Furballsmom]

My goodness, s/he is healthy looking

We, or rather I lol, put out hummingbird feeders in the summer

 

[fionasmom]

I have fed crows for years as they are my favorite bird. But along the way there have been doves, sparrows, scrub jays, and a few others. I buy finch seed and dove seed and put it out in 5 places around my property in the morning. The jays want peanuts and the crows get dry cat food, peanuts, and leftover meat or chicken, along with some inexpensive frozen meatballs. The birds show up like clockwork, especially the crows, so I have to be ready for them. The smaller birds eat in the front near windows so it is like cat TV.

Other wildlife appear as well, but not as regularly. There is a skunk and a raccoon with a mildly injured paw, along with a possum who evidently sleeps in the garage all day. I discovered him when I walked into the garage and heard very loud snoring, almost like a Disney cartoon animal.

 

[mama africa]

Blue tits, Great tits, Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens, collared doves, wood pigeons, great spotted woodpecker.

 

[neely]

I actually had suets on my shopping list for the birds today.

 

[Tobermory]

I’ve always fed the birds. I currently have one feeder with no-mess seed (already hulled), two with nyjer (thistle) seed for the finches, and a hummingbird feeder with homemade sugar water. One of our hummer varieties—the Anna’s hummingbird—stays all winter so I always make sure they have food available.

 

[35 year catdad]

I use a suet feeder and hummer feeder side by side to entertain my indoor only 3. Seed that falls on ground seems to attract rodents and so I made a little cardboard tray under suet feeder to catch excess.
My mean neighbor downstairs filmed the birds eating the suet filed a complaint with the HOA before telling me about the very small mess on his rail downstairs attracting rodents he claimed . hes one of God's special children.
The more I learn about human behavior.....the more I love cats!! and birds

 

[KittyCatCove]

I really envy you ppl that live in burbs or country... you get to see more rare native birds I never see in my neighborhood. 5-10 years ago I used to have Bluejays and Cardinals come... not anymore.

I also have hawks hunting the pigeons. Sometimes they are successful. I try my best to scare them away, but if they're really hungry (winter), they don't scare off too easily. The hawk swoops down to grab a pigeon like a bolt of lightening... if you blink your eye, you miss it... he must be traveling at 70-80mph

 

[FeebysOwner]

I also have hawks hunting the pigeons. Sometimes they are successful. I try my best to scare them away, but if they're really hungry (winter), they don't scare off too easily. The hawk swoops down to grab a pigeon like a bolt of lightening... if you blink your eye, you miss it... he must be traveling at 70-80mph

Alas, we have hawks here too, and the poor mourning doves suffer for it. The other resident birds are able to escape the hawks' grasp, but not the mourning doves.