Backyard Birds
What kind of birds do you have in your yard?
My first picture is a bluebird eating a mealworm. We raise our own worms and the same bluebirds have been coming back for 4 years now. We whistle and they come. They usually have two sets of babies.
4paws 
@4paws, wonderful pictures! You seem to have so many types of birds. I have several feeders set-up and can only identify the cardinal (pretty easy to spot:-).
ERM 
Calico696 
H'town driver
Steve-0 
We can't have feeders up this time of the year unless you want to feed the bears....
Here is a pic when I could have a feeder up
Nosila 
Red Bellied Woodpecker. I also have a pileated woodpecker but he is camera shy. I am excited to see the shots of the indigo bunting and the grosbeak...used to get them at my other house, as well as cedar waxwing, but not here. Also do get hummingbirds, red wing blackbirds and nuthatch. My neighbor has a bluebird house so we see them as well.
LVMomOfBoys 
The pictures are on a tube finch feeder with a mixture of thistle seed and outside finch seed. I get it at Tickners and mix it. The seed I use in the other feeders is Skylands Premium from Tickners mixed with sunflower chips. They all love sunflower chips. I also have suet cakes up. Not supposed to have any feeders up now, but can't resist feeding the birds and praying the bear doesn't show up, then I will have to take them down. The bunting will only be here for a few days and he moves on. The grosbeak will leave too.
That tree hog is some looking bird :)
Nice picture Nosila.
We have the Pileated woodpecker too and yes he is shy. My daughter has one that comes to her suet feeder, lucky her.
Keep the pictures coming.
Here is another bluebird picture, they get a couple hundred worms a day when the babies are hatched.
My husband took the pictures today.
Great pictures 4paws! I have seen grosbeaks, chipping sparrows, red winged blackbirds, tons of american finches, red bellied woodpeckers as well as the usuals. I hear the pileated woodpecker but he has never come to my feeder. I had bluebirds in the past but not this year...yet. I feed the birds all year round but, since the bears have already been visiting us on our deck, we bring in the feeders every night. What is your system for growing your own mealworms?
Iris 
Hopeful in H-town We get the usual suspects: tufted titmouse, cardinal, white breasted nuthatches, various woodpeckers, sparrows, mourning doves, a few remaining juncos and every now and then a few gold finches. We also have a nest under our garage overhang of house wrens. Does a great blue Heron count-it comes every now and then. Also have a few sets of ducks that visit our pond.
I've stopped feeding them at this point since 1) the squirrels tend to get most of the food and 2) we have a new bear in the neighborhood. Found my feeder on the ground this morning.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the hummingbirds. We have a nice hummingbird friendly planter hanging outside of the kitchen back door. Its so nice to have a visit from a few while having breakfast with my little guy.
blackcat Gee, am I the only lucky one that gets the grackles, starlings, cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds...;-)
The hummers are here! We put up our feeders about a week ago and the males were here the same day! No sign of the females yet; I believe the males arrive first.
In addition to the ones mentioned (except the Pileated!!) we have a catbird, jays, and northern flickers, and 2 times now--an indigo bunting. The trick is finding seed that they like and the blackbirds & squirrels don't. Thought we hit it with safflower until we found the squirrel hanging upside down clinging on with his back feet while busily munching the safflower from an unprotected feeder.
Love seeing the pictures; we never seem to get any.
Davis Now I have to go out and get plants for the hanging planter for the hummers:) Didn't remember them this early. They are soooo cool:)
We do get the occasional Jay. Crows also.
I also put a small hummingbird feeder in the pot with the plants. Had to get new ones this year. last years got broken:(
The squirrels would always destroy the feeders. Lately, the feeders have been knocked down at night. First it was one raccoon, now there are three. So, now I bring them in at night.
darluggh they keep flying into my front window........poor things, have had a few already this season. one has died the others have lived. how can i stop this from happening?
pumpkin43 Since its mating season, they think they are seeing some competition or mate and go for it. There are decals you can put on the window to stop them. I had a couple hit our large picture window. 2 didn't make it. I was so sorry to see a mourning dove hit, drop and shudder its last breath. There is a special spot out on the property where I have made a bird cemetery:(
The sadder part was that there was a pair and when they got spooked by something, one flew around the house and the other, unfortunately, didn't. The mate was back later looking around wondering what happened.
Wow I can't believe it, three Indigo Buntings are out there this AM.
Squirrels are a battle. We got one of those flipper feeders and it is roll on the laughing to watch the squirrel swinging around in a circle trying to hold on and when he falls off, he walks away like a drunk falling all over. We have a old dollhouse that is fastened to the side of the shed and it has plastic all around it trying to keep the squirrels off. So far so good. I'll have my husband put up a picture later as I do not know how to.
Last year the bear broke our flipper and Hubby managed to fix it, so that is put away for now as it cost a lot. We bring in the feeders at night but the bear is here in the daytime. We had one 3 yrs. ago. He hung around for 5 days or so. Last year we had one that hung around for a couple wks, he just didn't seem to get the message that he was not wanted here. Makes me mad I didn't take any pictures, I just wanted him to go someplace else.
Iris---Bears on your deck, makes me shiver!!!!! I'll get back to you later on the meal worms, it is easy. You can also just Google, growing your own meal-worms.
Bergey and I had a bear Saturday night and he wouldnt leave. No matter how much noise we made flashed lights at him (we were in the car coming home) He was determined to finish the garbage and then move on. 5 minutes later he did. He was huge. At least 500 pounds. The scariestr thing is he was right under our DS's window the whole time.
Christine I have a large bird house attached to a fence under a pine tree. I was hoping a larger type bird would use it. I have smaller bird houses that are often used. To my surprise a squirrel family moved into the large bird house last summer. They widened the holes to get in the house. They built a nest in there. I was hoping for birds, the squirrel family was a great alternative!
matt Rebecka, your pictures are GGGGGRRREAT
I liked the Carolina Wren, he looked like he was telling you to beat it or else and the Chickadee in the Holly bush.
Really nice
thanks for sharing
Matt - with a larger house, sometimes putting them up higher (like 15 or 20 feet up) helps attract birds like woodpeckers and owls.
4paws - the wren was definitely telling me to beat it! They hate it when you "invade" their territory. Even if they build a nest right next to your front door -- they'll scold you every time you come home. Big attitudes for little birds.
Rebecka Rebecka, your photos are unbelievable ~ you must have a great lens on your camera!! Loved them, thanks for sharing with us!
Birds are great and watching them is very entertaining. But feeding them is generally not good for them in the long run. It creates dependency in the same way it would for continual handouts to humans. It also increases populations over and above what the environment truly supports, therby creating population stresses.
A little feeding is not a terrible thing, but it should be limited.
jerseydutchman2 Iris, did you look up growing meal worms? If you want to start your own let me know, I'll give you some to start, but you won't have enough to feed till next year. We only give the parents a few because it is important that they don't depend on you feeding them, but when the babies are born we give them a lot especially if the weather is bad for bug hunting, like this cold rainy weather we have been having now.
PhoenixAllen This afternoon saw a hawk (apparently a red-tail) sitting in one of the College View street trees, plucking the black feathers off a caught bird (presumably a grackle). Never saw that before. Crows drew our attention to it.
4paws: No I haven't looked them up yet. I know a friend of mine would buy 1,000 and just put them in the fridge. I volunteer for a wildlife rehab center and we have 4 drawer system for meal worms; 1 drawer for large, 1 drawer for small mealworms, 1 drawer for larvae and the last drawer for beetles. Good news, though, my husband saw a blue bird in our yard today!! Thank you so much for the offer; I'll let you know. Happy birdwatching!!!
Iris, the 4 drawer system is great if you have the room. They are expensive to buy all the time, that's why we started to grow our own. They can be a lot of work and you have to feed them, so there are some dollars involved. My husband takes care of them, I am allergic to them. We have like under the bed containers, one for big worms, one for the beetles a small one for the pupa's etc. My son says they are great for fishing.
Today I saw a Baltimore Oriole, they stay and nest here. Yesterday and today there are 4 grosbeaks and one female one. Way too many blue jays. The indigo buntings have left.
The wildlife rehab must be really fun, I wish I could do that.
Thanks for getting back to me.
Have a catbird visiting the feeders. Also a mystery bird, very small, blue and was near the hummingbird feeder...any ideas?
Could be, Rebecka. I caught it out of the corner of my eye but Allison swears she saw a bright blue bird too so maybe it is an Indigo-I'm soooo excited! See you Friday! Want me to make anything special?
Here is a frequent red bellied woodpecker
note that the squirrels have eaten the bottom of the feeder
Those are some really great pics you all have and thanks for sharing! I too saw a hawk and it was a red-tailed sitting on my fence. by the time i went to get the camera it was gone!
bklyngirl1 Male red bellied woodpecker and his baby!! Nice to see the dad taking care of the babies also had a male grosbeak and his baby at the feeder too! I found dried mealworms, put them out and have a catbirds visiting, they like suet too!
I've seen Robins, Cardinals and Black Birds (crows?). But the best was a Red Tailed Hawk that has been on both my neighbors decks and today while my husband let the dog out in the backyard he swooped down and grabbed a blackbird off the lawn and flew away to enjoy his lunch. It happened so fast, no time for pictures even if he had a camera. My hubby saw the shadow of the bird and looked up in time to see the snatch. That poor bird never knew what hit him. Talk about "fast food".
MCZ I have some birds that have a nest-complete with little ones:)-in the rafters of the overhang of our garage. I cannot figure out what bird this is. I'm going to try hard today and get a picture of the adult so maybe someone can help me figure out who it is. Its about the size of a catbird, brown with a darker brown head.
we've got a heron also, have had a white egret from time to time. Some sort of long legged but small water bird mating pair for a few years now.
Ducks, geese, pretty much all the feeder birds mentioned above but never a bluebird. We are not open field enough for them. And then the noisy noisy catbird...
Stan 
Speaking of which, a few weeks ago I photographed this great blue heron at Stephens State Park near the picnic area just after a rain shower. This was the first outing with my new camera.
GC 
Rebecka, I purchased a Canon 7D after seeing all the great pics posted on this forum. I had to read a 400 page book before I was qualified to use it, I also cheated and watched a few youtube videos. Having previously owned only high end point and shoot cameras, it took me a while to get used to dialing everything in manual mode.
Caged Animal Caged - Did you read the old thread about the tree frogs? People think that's a bird but it's actually a frog.
yes i did this noise sounds like female screaming it could be a fox but is like a peacock or owl we are trying to record it but its not every night
Omni - AWESOME choice - congrats on your new superb camera!!! Can't wait to see more of your shots. You'll have to come to our photo outings... whenever the next one is.
You guys are lucky...only get the usual Robins,Cardinals and Crows mostly...did see a hummingbird last year.
I did go to trim the hedges a couple weeks ago and saw a cardinal fly out. Made sure to doublecheck and there was a nest. It was right outside our downstairs window so u could see the parents coming and going only a few feet away. 9 days later saw them leave the nest. Here is a pic of their first day...2 hatched and one not quite yet.
KKDL We love hearing a pewee [sort of] calling out its name somewhere behind our yard. We never see it though.
Got this shot of a Cooper's Hawk dining on a Starling for breakfast in my yard yesterday.
Mansfield Res - Send that hawk my way. I don't necessarily want it to kill the Starlings and bigger birds. But I wouldn't mind it scaring them away, particularly on trash day.
There are a pair of cooper's and at least one sharp shinned that I have seen either circling or sitting in the trees behind the house. This is the first year that I have actually this many predatory birds in my yard. I also hear at least two owls when I go outside early in the morning. I have tried to find them but have been unsuccessful. I would appreciate it if anyone has some tips how I can track these birds down and get some pictures.
These photos are spectacular, any have a recommendation on the best bird seed to get the largest variety of birds?
NotaNJNative I buy whatever is on sale at Lowes, Home Depot, or Tickners. I also buy large bags of sunflower seeds and add them to the regular seed to up the sunflower seed content. I also put out a suet cake and a feeder with either peanut butter or berry nuggets. I am also planning to add some type of feeder with meal worms in it. There have been a number of bluebirds checking out a martin house that I have in the yard and I would like to try and keep them around
Mansfield res - that is an incredible shot!!
In terms of luring in hawks, especially ones that specialize in eating other birds, there is not much you can do, except just continue feeding the songbirds. They will hang out wherever they think they might get a meal.
Seeing owls during the day is SO difficult. They are so well camouflaged. Except the Snowy at Merrill Creek is easy to spot! Some pro owl and hawk photogs bait the birds (with mice. Not exactly sure how) but this practice is frowned upon by most.
In terms of best food to provide: I have all types of seed out, but they all want the same things: the black oil sunflower seeds and also the suet. One thing I have not tried yet is mealworms for bluebirds though. Anyone have success with this?
Took a walk out on my deck and found a bird who made a nest in our folded up awning that is attached to the house. As I got closer there was a dead bird hanging from it. Looks like the poor thing got his leg caught in the nest. :( poor thing. Now how can I get one of my kids to remove it. Poor thing............
Christine - this happened to you last year? Birds haven't started nesting yet here.
No NOW! This is a new nest........bird is freshly dead. I have a few new nests. One is in the awning and one is a tree outside a bedroom.
I have bluebirds in my yard every year. I don't put seed out, they eat out of the yard and the garden. I don't need to encourage the bears. I've also been lucky enough to see a scarlet tanager in our mulberry tree. And a Cooper's hawk brought down a small bird in right over my yard two years ago. This is a fabulous area for bird watching!
lilacpuppies Thanks Mansfield Res, those are great tips, any particular feeder type? We are due for a couple new ones this year.
I have a garden treasures cake feeder from Lowes, a cage feeder for the pellets, a suet cage and tower feeder for the mixed seed. I also just hung a platform feeder with some freeze dried meal worms this morning. I'll let you know if the bluebirds take to it.
Mansfield Res- great picture of the hawk, we have them here also. Do you have a bluebird house for the bluebirds? We have several of them spread around our yard. One house the wrens steal every year. The bluebirds go back to the same house every year. I will know when they are here because they sit on the wire and stare at the house or they sit on the dog fence and when I go out with the dog, they look at me like where's our worms. I have never had any luck with the dried worms, probably because we have always given them live worms. I have a high sided ceramic bowl that I sit inside a wired cage and I put the worms in there. If I don't put it in the cage the bigger birds will eat them. I first read the article in the birds and blooms magazine about a man that used to call the bluebirds and they would come down and eat the worms, I thought, oh sure, they come when they are called. So I tried it. I put out worms and whistled and in a few days when I went out and whistled, they came right away and they are still coming 4 years later. With the way the weather has been it seems everything is off schedule. We have seen the bluebirds in the yard already. Flowers are blooming that shouldn't be yet. The next thing you know I'll be making hummingbird food. I love them.
Good luck with your bluebirds, hope they stay for you.
I don't have any bluebird houses. We have a martin house that was used by a pair of bluebirds two years. Last year it was occupied by a pair of wrens that would not let any other birds near it else near it.
Every spring when our apple tree blossoms, we have a male Baltimore oriole visit. He stays for only a day or two, jumping around the blossoms and eating from them. It is a beautiful bird with a unique song. Here is a shot of him from last year.
JS 4paws - you make me want to start putting out mealworms for the bluebirds. They nest near our house (not right out back but off of one of our fields), and it would be great to be able to call them in by whistling. How amazing! I get Birds & Blooms, too, and enjoy the magazine.
The coolest birds I've noticed in my yard are the 20 guinea hens the come through every so often. What a racket!
Panda Panda Koala I have a Red Tail here in Hackettstown Iris. I also saw my first Robin AND a Hummingbird yesterday. YIKES! Spring is really off to a fast start. :)
suzique Wow, hummingbirds are arriving already!? That's good to know. If you put your feeders out when they first arrive, I've heard they will stick around all summer and use them, and nest nearby.
What's it like to be one of these freshly-arrived robins?
Well, they are male, as the females arrive a little later. And these males have been enjoying great guy time with their fellow males, traveling from place to place.
But now it is responsibility time. A territory has to be established, which means fighting. Then a mate has to be acquired, which probably means more fighting with a former male buddy or two, while looking good for the female he wants. Then comes helping out with the nest-building, keeping eggs warm, feeding the always hungry young. And then a second brood not long after the first are grown.
Do they look a little stressed?
I put my hummingbird feeder out yesterday as soon as I saw him! I'd love blue birds but the the house wrens(?) chase them off.
This week a pair of ducks, at least 4 doves and murder of crows have decided to make my yard their new home. I'd like to try to get rid of the ducks before the pool opens - oh it's going to be an interesting summer.
Iris - You make your own? My mom has looked into that several times, I think did it once, has a number of feeders, etc. What do you put in yours?
GC - hummingbird food: 1 part sugar, 4 parts water - boil, let cool, voila. (I'm typing this ratio from memory, but should double-check before making again this year.)
What birds are nesting right now? I know owls nest very early, but any others? Christine mentioned birds nesting in her backyard, but I can't figure out what type that would be. Do you know the species, by any chance, Christine?
I have a sparrow attempting to get into an unused vent in the side of the house. Lots of dropped nesting material because it's having a tough time getting in as well as carrying anything.
I have a Dove sitting on eggs. The bluebirds are filling their house too.
Too warm, too early. I am not a big fan of winter, but it should be march winds and snow and cold.
Rebecka: That is how we make our hummingbird food as well. I love to sit out on the deck and watch them come for dinner.
Joyful Daphine - A net and a can of Krylon?
Otherwise I think you just gotta be lucky, and have a bird house so they'll stay.
Question for bird lovers: does anyone have an oriole feeder out, and does it work to attract Baltimore Orioles? Or maybe you offer oranges and grape jelly, and that works?
Thanks in advance. Would love to glimpse one of these beauties.
Rebecka, I was just getting ready to put out some oranges for the orioles. I saw an easy way to do it--just slice the oranges and put them in a regular suet cage. I've never done it before either, it just seemed like a neat idea.
I have tried too, Rebecka, but never had one oriole visit. I am going to try the grape jelly this year. Hope the squirrels dont like grape jelly!
jennymc I have no idea how they did it, or even if they did something special, but orioles were regular visitors to Black River Barn last year.
Ok so I made a list of the bird species that came to my backyard tree feeding station over the course of an hour last week. Thought I would share so that maybe we could compare notes. The variety amazed me. I didn't really realize how many different species were coming until I sat down for a period and watched (with binocs) and actually noted. Here they are (listed as singular even though there were usually several of each):
At feeders:
Goldfinch
Purple or House Finch (I'm really bad at distinguishing these, so I can't be sure)
Pine Siskin
Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Cowbird
On ground under feeders:
Chipping Sparrow
Cardinal
Robin
Mourning Dove
Bluejay
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
On tree:
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Easter Phoebe (they are building a nest in my chicken coop)
... as well as 6 (six!) squirrels on the tree eating from their own feeders.
And then a predatory Hawk flew in and scared *everyone* away!
_____________________________
Here is my "I wish they would come" list:
Baltimore Oriole
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Bluebird
(Feeders for these 3 species are set up at another location.)
and...
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
(They used to come to my feeders in the winter, but maybe they've moved North? Anyone still get these in spring/summer?)
House finches are very common. I don't think I've ever seen a purple finch.
My mom knows them very well for sure, but that's definitely a house finch. The purple finch color goes all the way under the belly. The house finch color is just a short band. The purple color is also a very odd hard to put your finger on it color while you instantly call the house finch red. I've seen lots of both in PA.
I agree, it is a house finch. That's a lot of feeders Rebecka. It must take a long time to fill them all. I see you have them strung out and tied to the tree. Is that to keep the bear from reaching them?
Last year and the year before we had flocks of purple finches. They stayed about a wk or so and moved on. They love shelled sunflower seeds. They are a little bigger than the house finch and there color like GC said is hard to describe, it is kinda pink, reddish, cinnamon. They also have a bigger bill.
Our bluebirds are piggin out on their meelworms. Animals never cease to amaze me. We have moved the bluebird feeder now 2 steps up on the front porch. Yesterday I went to the kitchen sink and there ( on the other side of the house) sat the male bluebird on the fence around the flowers staring at me, with that WELL WHERE'S MY BREAKFAST look. I went out and gave him worms. They are so pretty.
Thank you GC and 4paws for the correct ID!
4paws - do you offer the mealworms in a bowl or flat feeder? I got the dried mealworms - are you offering live? Anyone else want to weigh in on this, because I really haven't had luck attracting bluebirds. Maybe I'm using the wrong type of feeder and worms.
Re: what is in my hanging feeders, and how they work: we have a crew of guys helping us with our trees (pruning, cutting, chipping), and since they have huge ladders, I designed a type of pulley system I had been wanting for years, and they installed it for me.
Because there are so many feeders and they are all pretty big capacity, I don't have to fill them often, but when I do, it's super easy. Just lower the green rope, for example, and fill that particular feeder. Each rope has two steel rings on it, which get hinged on a hook on the tree. One ring is at the right length rope to hang the feeder way out of reach of the bears, the other is at the right length for refills.
Every kind of seed I can find is in the feeders. Berry and nut blends, black oil sunflower, thistle and millet seed mixes for the little guys, safflower, ground corn, etc. On the ground is more corn and dove seed. For the squirrels I buy whole peanuts, plus pet hamster, guinea pig and parrot food, and mix it all up and put it in their little feeder. They go pretty crazy for it. There's always a squirrel with his butt sticking up out of the tree feeder.
I call the tree my "Giving Tree."
Rebecka, I use live worms only. They won't touch the dry ones, they are spoiled. Some people have good luck with the dry ones. I bought the wire cage in Tickners. It is 18 1/2 " high and 8 1/4" across. I put the worms in a heavy ceramic bowl that will fit inside the cage. If you put them on a flat feeder they will crawl out and the bigger birds will eat them, that's why they are in a cage, only the smaller birds can get in. We have been raising our own worms for 4 or 5 years as they are really expensive. They get around 20 worms AM and PM. When they start feeding their babies, they get a good 100 worms AM and PM. I don't think they like to be where there are a lot of other birds around. Day before I whistled and the male flew to the apple tree and stopped, I wondered why??? Over flew the hawk. When he was gone, they came and ate. If you want to try live worms, Hackettstown Pet Supply, Jim has them.
Anyone recognize this bird? First time I ever saw this type of bird on the ground by the feeders.
Greg 
John C We have been having quite a few red winged blackbirds at our feeders lately. Never say them there before.
The first Grosbeak of the season showed up at the feeder yesterday and again today. Only one male. We have not seen any females yet. We also have an Eastern Towhee that has been visiting for about a week. Finally, two female turkeys have been making a regular visit for the past two weeks, eating the seed off of the ground.
Red winged blackbirds at feeders? How unusual. Never had them before - nor did I even know they went to feeders.
I'll be keeping an eye out for grosbeaks and towhees!
The bluebirds are feeding babies and begging for more worms because the weather has been so cold and rainy. Not very many bugs for them to catch.
While others have shy pileateds, the one today showed up right in the middle of the development. Now if I only had one of those 5D Mark IV with the 300mm I could have gotten a good shot of it. But in absence of that, this is what I could get as it turned sideways to clearly see its colors.
WOW!!! I'm so jealous, GC. I've only seen one where I live but I hear them in the woods all the time. Keep your camera handy at all times!!!
Iris - I actually saw one of those before in Denville. They were building a development down the road and a lot of downed trees meant they were on the move. Stupid thing one morning mistook some siding as a tree and caused a heck of a racket. But it liked the Japanese maple in the yard and stayed around to introduce itself. As for a camera handy, it comes with the territory of two cats and Grandma Tuna that wants to see what's up with them all the time.
Nice picture. I have a couple Red Headed, Downys, and Hairy Woodpeckers that visit the feeders but have not had a Pileated. At least I think that I've had a couple Hairy wood peckers visit. They look like the Downys but are noticeably bigger.
GC, nice picture, you're lucky. We have them around, but they are always too far away to get a picture.
Great picture OP -
Good Job GC for getting the picture of the elusive woodpecker
Does anyone recognize this bird? A juvenile Robin?
Yup, that's a juvey Robin, Jenny. They are fledging now, so keep an eye on your outdoor kitties, everyone. We keep ours inside a lot this time of year (much to their chagrin).
You see the six feeders hanging on my tree in the pic above? Well, the squirrels have successfully felled four of them, and I imagine the last two are next on their little rodent list. How?! How did they figure out that by chewing apart a rope, the feeder falls and they can then get to the seed on the ground? Do they teach physics in squirrel school or WHAT? Now I have to have the tree guys re-hang all the feeders using metal wire rope type stuff. The squirrels are lucky I don't own a bb gun I swear to G-d.
Rebecka, do you want a really good laugh. Buy a Flipper for your bird seed. It is battery operated and rechargeable. We have had ours for 3-4 years. If a squirrel gets on it, it swings him around until he falls on the ground and walks like he had one too many to drink. They had them in HomeTown Hardware and I think Tickners.
I too think they go to school. I can't believe what they can do to get at a bird feeder. Our other feeders are on pipes with PVC over the outside, they can't climb the PVC.
A couple years ago they had a show on TV about trying to outsmart squirrels. They set up all these different things that they had to climb or open, ropes and ladders etc. to see how long it would take the squirrel to figure out how to get to the seed, they had to have over 30 obstacles this squirrel had to figure out. It took him 3 days but he got to the birdseed. I wish I had taped it.
Rich I'm not a raptor expert, but I'm seeing a red tail there... Red Tailed Hawk, right? He looks pretty enormous.
4paws - I bet there are some great Flipper v. Squirrel youtube vids.
So just out of curiosity, how often does everyone refill their feeders? We have a fairly large one that probably holds about 5-7 pounds of seed. These fat birds can plow through the entire thing in about 24 hours. I watch the birds, there are about 10-12 of the same kind, little brownish birds. I've seen up to 8 on the feeder at once, usually a couple more in the tree, on the ground, or in the nearby bush. They typically knock more seed out onto the ground than whatever they could possibly eat. It's so funny. I tell my husband not to refill it until they eat what's on the ground. They they do that. Plus a couple cute little chipmunks and a mourning dove or two.
Tracy I can't feed the birds once the bears are out of hibernation. They are here every day. Very bold. I keep the birds fat all winter though.
Martha Rebecka, somehow I could watch this all day lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDa_cpgHWs
Female goldfinch in yard today being followed by a young cowbird. Not a sight we like to see.
Tracy - sounds like you have cowbirds? Like, a herd of cowbirds? That's a lot of seed to go through! I don't fill mine as much as you do.
That squirrel vid was too much. I seriously got dizzy just watching it.
No bird seed out for now until our big black furry visitor goes away.
Too bad they didn't show the squirrel walking after his ride on the flipper. Last year the bear just about destroyed ours but DH managed to get it back together. That is also put away till winter, cost too much to have the bear play with it. We are still feeding the bluebirds. They come right to the porch as soon as we whistle. They are raising brood number 3. I think they lost the second set of babies.
Cowbirds are horrible, lazy, (smart). They lay their eggs in other bird nest. It's like they have their fun and leave the raising of the young to somebirdy else.
It has been a very bad year for our fruit and veggies thanks to the groundhog, the rabbit, the deer. The deer are pushing our fences over to eat my flowers :( I think there is one peach left on the tree, all the plums are gone and now they are after the apples. Even the birds cleaned out our berries and cherries. ANNND that cute little chipmunk that was seen running across the yard with a strawberry in his mouth.
That's life in the country. I guess we will be going to Best's fruit farm soon.
Tommy 
gpg 
I sat out on the front deck this morning with my husband's zoom lens. It was a feeding frenzy. They've mowed through the entire feeder's worth in about 48 hours. Most of it's on the ground. I had to shoot from a sitting position, otherwise the neighbor's eyesore truck would be in every shot.
Last one...all the seed on the ground and the Mourning Dove. I couldn't get the chipmunk. He took off when I came outside with the camera.
Got a better picture of this little guy. I can see why Rebecka photographs birds. It's kind of addicting.
Anyone know what kind of bird this is? I get about 20 of them under the feeder. The black one... not the squirrel.
Main St 
TinaC 
Hello,
I have no idea what kind bird this is... We call her Mama Bird... She has a nest on our porch with 3 babies in it. I finally got a good picture of her with live food in her mouth.
photofun123 Cool pic, photo fun. Looks like you've got an Eastern Phoebe there. The parents have a forked tail, right? And they "scold" you whenever you go on "their" porch?
I think they do have a forked tails. Not a 100% sure though. She is getting very use to us. she waits so patiently for us to move off the porch and at night sometimes she wont even fly away when we come out..
Mama bird dont look well, Ive seen several woodpeckers recently. The ones with the red streak that are named Pilated.
Chickadees and Mourning Doves in your photos, Tracy. Also some kind of sparrows or finches in the background of the ground shot, but I can't tell what kind.
Belted Kingfisher taken in Mansfield......Apparently pretty rare especially this time of the year
http://wildobs.com/place/New-Jersey-USA/Belted-Kingfisher
Cool Nosila - I don't know how I missed this when you first posted a few days ago. Very rare indeed - I've never seen one in NJ. Was he above a stream fishing?
Here is the much more common Chipping Sparrow - took this shot yesterday morning.
Rebecka- He was on a tree above that pond at the farm.
I'm going to take the fur balls there swimming again today. I will let you know if I see him again.
I really enjoy seeing all the birds.....I think this winter I will go all out with feeding them
We have a pair of great crested flycatchers in our neighborhood, (Mansfield Twp) hard to see but we can identify the call.
mt bethel I've been hearing what I thought was a Kingfisher near the Hatchery, as I got to hear and watch one while fishing down near Freehold in Allaire state park.
But thanks Nosila for posting the pic ... don't know if mine is a different type of kingfisher but now I know I'm not completely looney!
I had put out seed and water during the drought, and all the birds I see in winter flocked in, except for the titmouse.
Anyone see goldfinches? The last goldfinch I saw was chasing a cardinal out of its territory believe it or not.
redmink1 
Look who moved into my pond! He's been there for 3 weeks, so I figured I might as well name him.
Meet Sherman.
Had to take my feeders down for a while. A bear walked into my garage and took my big container filled with sunflower seeds and had a feast. My daughter was outside taking the dogs for a walk when she had this close encounter! I always keep my garage doors closed just so this wouldnt happen but I was away and she didnt realize this could happen. Beware!
Holy cow, Iris - a bear that comes into a dwelling is pretty rare in NJ, right? Usually they're more timid than that? Scary!
They tell you to keep your garbage cans in the garage because of the bears. There was a person that did that and they kept the garage door shut, the bear broke thru the door. The Gov. also tells you to bring in your feeders at night; bears are out all the time not just at night.
This is why we took our feeders down. I always hope he doesn't smell my cat's food on the other side of that door.
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