POLL: For the Birds

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After refilling my feeders with about 8 pounds of seed in bone-chilling cold last evening, as I do every evening this time of year, I wondered: do SP folk feed birds or am I the odd one here? So tell us and then describe it a bit.

I have a lot of typical backyard birds for this area, especially American goldfinches. At this time of year I can have nearly a hundred in the yard at any one time, using the 4 thistle feeders, 1 sunflower chip feeder, and 3 whole sunflower feeders I have up.

Oddities I have seen (not all that this time of year) are a yellow-bellied sapsucker (much prettier than its name), an actual red-headed woodpecker (rare around here), and indigo buntings.

Won't list more now, in case it turns out I really am the only one daft enough to drop all this money for the birds.

Poll Information
This poll contains 2 question(s). 26 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: For the Birds (26 votes.)

Do you feed birds near your home? (Choose 1)
* Yes, I feed birds near my home. - 50% (13)
* No, I don't feed them. - 50% (13)

If you do, how many feeders do you maintain? (Choose 1)
* One feeder - 12% (3)
* Two feeders - 19% (5)
* Three feeders - 0% (0)
* Four or more feeders - 12% (3)
* No feeders - I scatter food on the ground. - 58% (15)

 

Broken poll: second question doesn't have an "I don't" option.

Anyway, I prefer eating birds to feeding them.

 

You put out 8 pounds of bird feed every night? Wow!

(Shouldn't some of the birds be ready to eat by now?)

 

You spend actual money to feed wild birds?

I chuck old bread out to them sometimes but I would never dream of shelling out any cash to feed them.

 

I voted no and then used the last answer for #2.

When I first moved here I did feed the birds but we have two problems here; geese and squirrels.

I had to stop feeding the birds when the geese started coming over from the lake.

Squirrels are a serious problem in our area and invade our houses. I had the cats chasing one around inside the house just the other day.

 

We have a feeder in the bush out the front and a larger feeder out the back that has a little tray and stuff hanging from it. This isn't really a bird friendly area so we get all the birds

 

Where I used to live I threw old bread out of our kitchen window, that fed 3 squirrels, 6 or 7 birds, 2 cats and at one point even a tiny skunk.

Now I live in a high riser so, no feeding allowed.

 

Felinoid, right, I should have had a don't-feed-them option on question 2.

Yeah, I really do spend money on the little feathered friends. But look at this way: I have a backyard full of the last of dinosaurs.

EDIT: Just sat down and thought about it. I buy the seed in bulk and occasionally spring for a suet cake. This time of year, the coldest and with the lowest availability of food in the wild, is when they eat the most; much of the year I can go days without refilling the feeders, and indeed take some of them down to avoid having the seed get moldy. I think I'm spending about $3 or $4 U.S. daily at this most expensive time. Isn't that close to what people spend on pet food and care? So I don't know that it's so far out of line, really.

I'm the only one in the near neighborhood feeding them, one of the reasons they clean me out daily.

[ February 16, 2007, 01:05: Message edited by: revmaf ]

 

I put "no" and then realized that I do in fact feed birds. In the warmer seasons I like to feed the seagulls. I generally go feed them leftover bread and crackers that are too old for us to eat but I know that the birdies like them.

 

There's too many cats allowed loose in the neighborhood for me to put out feeders where I live.

Right now the robins and cedar waxwings are invading the area. Usually we see them in transit during migration, but they seemed to have just stopped here this winter.

 

Yes

We have a seed feeder and bird bath in the back garden.
In the front garder we have a peanut cage feeder, A sunflower seed block, A hanging fat ball, a tray for bacon rind, bread crumbs etc, and a water bowl.

We also have some plants purely for the seed heads to attract birds - Scottish Thistle (It grew to be a 9' monster last year) and Teasels for example.

The most interesting bird we've had is a Sparrow Hawk perching outside the bedroom window - obviously looking to feed on some of the other visitors.

 

I mostly live opposite a river so I feed the ducks, swans and moorhens. The herons can feed themselves.

I have a few feeders in the backgarden and this year I have actually had a few visitors that I can't identify.

 

Yes, we have a makeshift bird feeder and birdbath in the backyard. Although all we get are Indian Mynas, Noisy Mynas, and Pigeons the occasional Pee-Wee and Crow and maybe a Magpie, Rosella or Lorikeet.

 

Ah yes, friggin Myna birds. Bloody well everywhere here. They arent the brightest little critters either. Keep swooping at our cat trying to frighten her away but only succeeding in feeding her.

Other than them, we do get the occasional cockatoo, king parrot, pigeons, pee-wees, willy wagtails, lorikeets, magpies and crows. Also have a few wood ducks and a Maschovy (sp?) duck that have taken up residence on our dam.

We do have a feeder down the back but rarely ever put anything in it.

 

I know! They're so annoying too! Apparently there are Mynas in over 90% of Sydney gardens! Some guy in the local newspaper actually made a device to trap them but ended up catching some stray cats instead...-_-;; Oh well, at least he tried.

 

I do not, never liked those animals so to hell with 'em they can feed themselves. However my neighbourg does feed them out of a home made feeder. Bloody birds! Ever since I saw Hitchock's Bird, I never thrusted those critters! They're comming for us I tell you!

 

I did feed birds in Iowa on 1 feeder and a suet brick in a magnolia tree. I got a lot (30+) sparrows and a mated pair of cardinals for several years. Up here, if I have the energy to walk to the pond, I'll feed the ducks.

My parents get a squirrel family.

 

I don't feed the birds at my house but whenever my parents are away I end up refilling their feeders for them.

At their house they have a squirrel proof feeder (that actually works!) that we fill with sunflower and smaller seed, a hanging feeder for niger seed. The main feeder has a constant clientelle of sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves etc. while the niger seed attracts a horde of yellow finches.

At the cottage we have three hummingbird feeders that make it almost a hazard to walk around the cottage. During the summer there are so many of the damned things buzzing around that it is crazy.

 

Nope, the last time I fed birds was years ago giving stale bread to ducks. The joy of trips to the park.

 

I don't do it but my parents do. When I get a real house instead of an appartment I might do so too. It's interesting to look now and then and spot new kinds of birds. My father lives in the middle of nowhere admist the woods so they have a some rare species visiting every now and then.

I've actually heard that people really should not feed birds because if you for one or another reason stop doing it they out of old habit will still expect there to be food and might be unable to find other sources for food especially during the winter. I'm not sure how true this is in reality though.