As I’ve said, I like to provide food for any of the birds that show up in my yard. I didn’t exactly mean I’d serve little birds to the hawks, but sometimes it happens that way.
This Cooper’s Hawk buzzed the feeders this evening and then perched on the fence for a few minutes. I looked outside when I heard all the little birds chirping. No one was eaten and the hawk went on his way. I have some grackle on the menu if he’d like to come back tomorrow.
Posted in Birds | Tagged birds, hawk, Photos, Wildlife | 1 Comment »
Bad birds, bad birds, what ya gonna do…
I’ve had a flock of grackles hanging around my feeders for 3 weeks now, sometimes 50 birds at once. Usually the grackles move on after a week or so but these seem determined to stay. Perhaps I need to make the yard less attractive. Four regularly filled seed feeders, suet and three bird baths may be too hospitable.
I always provide food for whatever birds show up and that has worked fine, until now. The grackles are too aggressive and they bring lots of friends. The little birds are getting knocked off the feeders and scared away until the grackles are finished. And they eat and eat and eat until nothing is left for anyone else. They can consume a suet cake in one day. The only bird that doesn’t back down to them is the Blue Jay. I had a Cooper’s Hawk show up and that chased them away for a few days but alas, they returned.
I’m considering replacing one of my feeders with the type that has the wire mesh around it so only the little birds can get in. At least the little guys will be able to eat. Also, I hear the upside down suet feeders are an option that woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches can use but not the big birds, so I can add one of those.
Anyone have a better suggestion? I’ve gone through 50 pounds of bird seed and several suet cakes a week this month.
Update 10/13/2010:
I replaced the sunflower seed in the white tube feeder with safflower and I stopped filling the tray feeder with cracked corn, nuts and millet and instead left it empty. I also left the suet holder empty. Within a week the grackles were almost gone except for one or two. The number of sparrows also declined but the number of cardinals and finches doubled.
Last weekend I put the suet back up and put seed and nuts back in the tray feeder. I’m leaving the safflower out as the finches, cardinals and chickadees are eating it. So far so good.
Posted in Birds | Tagged birds, Wildlife | 3 Comments »
My new hibiscus plant surprised me with a beautiful red flower this morning on an otherwise gloomy rainy day.
Posted in flowers, Garden | Tagged flowers, Hibiscus | Leave a Comment »
Photos taken at Brookfield Zoo.
These birds were very approachable. They have the run of the grounds and don’t mind the visitors. The mom and baby popped out of the bushes and posed for a picture. They dove back in when a flock of geese landed nearby. The male was on the other side of the zoo nibbling grass and watching people.
More Wordless Wednesday.
Posted in Wordless Wednesday | Tagged Peacocks, Wordless Wednesday | 3 Comments »
The Tall Coneflower is a new addition to the perennial garden this year.
The bees seem happy with it and so am I. Yesterday one of the Mourning Doves was sitting on the deck railing pecking at the flower seeds.
Posted in flowers, Garden | Tagged Coneflower, flowers, Garden | Leave a Comment »
I was blaming Mr. Squirrel for this thievery.
And it was baby bunny!
Lucky for you that you’re a cute little bunny.
More Wordless Wednesday.
Posted in Bunny | Tagged bunny, Garden, tomato | 5 Comments »
Yesterday I noticed this little guy crawling around on my parsley. This is the caterpillar of the Black Swallowtail butterfly. Apparently they eat food in the Apiaceae family, of which parsley is a member and upon which the female lays her eggs. He was chowing down on that plant, but I have enough to spare.
I’ve been growing parsley for years and never noticed them before. Soon the caterpillar will form a chrysalis from which a Swallowtail butterfly will emerge in the spring.
Posted in Bugs, Garden | Tagged Caterpillar, Garden | 3 Comments »
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