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conulyThe birds haven't discovered either yet, but that's okay. (Also, we're doing construction on finally fixing the first floor bathroom, and we've had contractors in and out constantly. I'm just glad the birds haven't been totally scared off!) And I put out the fruit feeder, but more to get the placement right. I didn't put any fruit on it.
Google suggested most house sparrows can't readily use upside down suet feeders. I do like to see our sparrows on the suet feeder, and I'm certain most of them are house sparrows, but while I like them just fine I think I'm okay with not subsidizing their year-round no melt suet habit. (Because I'm a soft touch there's a good chance I'll use the regular feeder in the winter next year as well, but I was already going to put out a lot less in the warmer weather.)
The starlings have seemed spectacularly uninterested in the safflower and striped sunflower seeds I put in the closer tray. I'm happy to let them have the seeds in the other try so long as they don't overrun the backyard! If they get to be a problem even with just one tray of food I'll have to stop putting the wider mix out in the back entirely, only put it in the front where I don't really care who eats it. The mourning doves and cardinals don't seem to have a problem with this new set of seeds.
We're definitely getting an increase in bird varieties, probably more because we're approaching spring than anything else. Today I woke up at 3:37am to the sound of a bird singing outside my window. The only bird I can think of that might sing outside my window at the wrong end of dark o'clock is a mockingbird. Lovely animal, annoying habits. And today I saw two male cardinals in the yard at the same time! I legitimately thought for years we only had one pair of cardinals in the entire neighborhood because I only ever saw them separately, so this was a welcome surprise. And better yet, our male cardinals are finally trying out the tray feeder. The girl (girls?) figured it out already, but the boys were only cautiously eating the scraps on the ground. And I also definitely saw some sort of red headed finch - I'm just not sure which one. I should've taken a picture. I could've taken a picture, it was at my own bedroom window! But by the time it occurred to me he'd flown off.
Google suggested most house sparrows can't readily use upside down suet feeders. I do like to see our sparrows on the suet feeder, and I'm certain most of them are house sparrows, but while I like them just fine I think I'm okay with not subsidizing their year-round no melt suet habit. (Because I'm a soft touch there's a good chance I'll use the regular feeder in the winter next year as well, but I was already going to put out a lot less in the warmer weather.)
The starlings have seemed spectacularly uninterested in the safflower and striped sunflower seeds I put in the closer tray. I'm happy to let them have the seeds in the other try so long as they don't overrun the backyard! If they get to be a problem even with just one tray of food I'll have to stop putting the wider mix out in the back entirely, only put it in the front where I don't really care who eats it. The mourning doves and cardinals don't seem to have a problem with this new set of seeds.
We're definitely getting an increase in bird varieties, probably more because we're approaching spring than anything else. Today I woke up at 3:37am to the sound of a bird singing outside my window. The only bird I can think of that might sing outside my window at the wrong end of dark o'clock is a mockingbird. Lovely animal, annoying habits. And today I saw two male cardinals in the yard at the same time! I legitimately thought for years we only had one pair of cardinals in the entire neighborhood because I only ever saw them separately, so this was a welcome surprise. And better yet, our male cardinals are finally trying out the tray feeder. The girl (girls?) figured it out already, but the boys were only cautiously eating the scraps on the ground. And I also definitely saw some sort of red headed finch - I'm just not sure which one. I should've taken a picture. I could've taken a picture, it was at my own bedroom window! But by the time it occurred to me he'd flown off.
