Richard
60 posts
Aug 15, 2007
5:57 PM
|
How manyout there feed the wild birds in the winter or know some one who does.
Richard
|
Missouri-Flyer
803 posts
Aug 15, 2007
6:05 PM
|
I do and have for years, including the humming birds in the summer. Great site to see.
----------
Jerry
Home of "Whispering Wings Loft"
|
nicksiders
2067 posts
Aug 15, 2007
6:11 PM
|
Richard,
I have always feed wild birds. In California it was a year round activity. I used to watch Coopers take House Finches right off of my feeders and make sure of the kill on my fence. I used to come out and see hawks setting on my fence looking into my breeder loft trying to figure out how to get in............well, anyway, I feed wild birds and I have some Bluebird boxes up for next years migratory run of Bluebirds.
----------
Nick
Last Edited by on Aug 15, 2007 6:42 PM
|
Electric-man
503 posts
Aug 15, 2007
6:31 PM
|
I have fed wild birds in the winter as long as I can remember! I am a bird man!!!
----------
Val
"Wind Talker"
|
splitter
16 posts
Aug 15, 2007
6:36 PM
|
I used to feed the wild birds, But I think it keeps the hawks in the area. The last four years I don't feed them and the run in with the hawks are almost nil most of the winter and summer. I still have a few run ins in the spring and fall here.
|
Donny James
21 posts
Aug 15, 2007
8:34 PM
|
hay richard,
i been feeding wild birds for years ........... donny james
|
Santandercol
1338 posts
Aug 15, 2007
9:09 PM
|
A feral pigeon landing on our wildbird feeder 2 Christmases ago is what tweeked my mind into getting into pigeons again after not having them since I was 12 years old with my Russian Trumpeters.Right now it is almost all sparrows feeding there but they come in stages with the Stellars Jays arrival around the corner.Haven't had so many Band-Tailed pigeons around this year as last.I think maybe they clued in that the Peris were moved in here close by this spring so they went elsewhere to nest.Red-winged blackbirds are always a treat to see and their song is sooooooosweet in the springtime.The peris haved moved on finally so pred free skies are here hopefully till October.
----------
Kelly
|
kcfirl
178 posts
Aug 15, 2007
10:34 PM
|
I do. I love animals of all kinds.
Ken Firl
|
DUCKS N ROLLERS
16 posts
Aug 15, 2007
10:40 PM
|
Richard,
I have fed wild birds for as long as i can remember.
we have tons of hummers, six feeders drained weekly.
if it has wings,i feed it !
mike barry
southern california.
|
J_Star
1132 posts
Aug 16, 2007
4:31 AM
|
I did for many years. I stopped for a while back because they attracted the hawks also. My neighbors have feeders all year long and I watch the hawks snatch birds almost everyday. I don’t mind them in the summer time because they kept the hawks occupied but in the winter time they were trouble for me. After I started locking down in the late fall and winter, I started feeding the wild birds.
Currently, I have hawks in the area but they are not bothering me. They are more interested in hunting Robins, Black birds, Starlings and Sparrows. I fly my birds and the Hawk perched on a tree down the corner because I know he is not going to bother my birds and he showed me many times that he has no interest. But comes fall and winter and things will change. Hunting song birds is not enough for the hawks to sustain body temperature to survive through the harsh Ohio winter. They need more fatty meal that will allow them to cope with the cold. A pigeon will offer them that. That is why in the winter time the hawks will go after a pigeon before any other birds.
Jay
Last Edited by on Aug 16, 2007 4:55 AM
|
J_Star
1134 posts
Aug 16, 2007
5:14 AM
|
Any way, when I go visit fanciers and talk pigeons, I noticed allot of them have backyards where I call them pigeon trap yards. The reason is because they have so many trees around the backyard, like living in the woods that will cause the birds to circle around, upon release or landing, which could be trapped easily by a hungry hawk. From so may close trees in and around the yard, hawks can easily conceal themselves and wait for the easy meal. Also noticed that people who complain the most about heavy losses by Bop have backyards like the ones I mentioned about (based on my observation with the fanciers around my area).
Richard, I’ve been to your house couple of years ago (it was your 70th Bday) with Jim Feasle and Jim Hall during your local Sandusky club fly. You live in a semi-country setting where the edge of the woods is about 200 yards from your house. You have an open land between your house and the woods. But I think you are close to the highway system where Bop likes to congregate. Other than that your place is an ideal place to fly rollers but in the winter time, no matter where you live, if you fly pigeons, you will be attacked.
Jay
|
Richard
61 posts
Aug 16, 2007
6:06 AM
|
Jay and others.
I think the main reason the hawks don't bother your birds in the summer is that they are raising young and are unable to carry a pigeon back to the nest. I have seen them too in the summer fly right by my birds but watch out when they are through feeding their young. Now I know the red tail can but very seldom do they bother me, Coopers can't for sure' not sure about the goss hawks or sharpies.
Yes I have an open place and am about 600 years from woods, the reason I know the distance is I occasionally shoot a grown hog back there from the back yeard. I do live about 300 yeard from small town and this is where all the hawks come from.
Feeding the song birds in the winter will draw hawks and then there goes you song birds. Song birds will go south if one does not feed them. This is all part of survival for the song birds. Feeders in the winter should be a no no if you are interested in your song birds. I am. Yes I have an ideal place to fly birds for many years but now is a different story.
Richard
|
classicpony
322 posts
Aug 16, 2007
6:25 PM
|
I always feed the birds and small animals year around. We have a big picture window that we watch the birds, squirrels, deer, rabbits, and chipmunks. I don't hunt but let hunters on my land.
Jim
@thebirdhouse
|
Richard
63 posts
Aug 16, 2007
8:46 PM
|
classicpony
this is fine and dandy but remember when you call all your song birds in to eat, You are leading them to the slaughter, especially in the winter. Just food for though not telling you that you should or should not feed them in the winter.
richard
|
Sourland
93 posts
Aug 17, 2007
10:12 AM
|
I have fed the wild birds at my present location since '64. When I got back into rollers in '03 I wouldn't start feeding yntil lockdown so as not to attract hawks. When I first started feeding the birds, I fed as much as 50 # of bird seed a week. The past winter I fed less than 50# of feed a month. Why? Very simply because there are not as many wild birds. Their populations are also being decimated by the skysharks. I know many people who are birders, and almost to the person they feel there is an overabundance of flying predators. If you do feed the birds, provide escape areas for them-christmas trees stood on end by the feeders work real well. Now that I have given away all of my birds, I will start feeding earlier this autumn.
Geo.
Last Edited by on Aug 17, 2007 10:12 AM
|