Misty,

Thistle is usually put out in a "sock," a white, fabric thing that the birds can pull the seeds thru tiny holes in the weave, or else in a special "thistle feeder." Because the seeds are so small I think you might wind up with a lot of it wasted if you mix it with the other bigger seeds, so if you haven't mixed it ALL in, I recommend saving the rest to use in a thistle feeder. At Walmart you can get a thistle sock--filled with seed--for $5, and King Soopers has (had at least) a metal tube thistle feeder for $10. No ports, just black metal with TINY holes in it! If you get a thistle feeder odds are you'll get some goldfinches pretty quickly! No guarantee--with me it's feast or famine with the goldfinches--but they're amazing when you see them! (They MAY find the thistle if it's mixed with other seed, but more likely to find it in a thistle sock or feeder.)

I've never actually seen that type of squirrel proof feeder that you got, but it looks pretty good--and, actually, that was a pretty good price! Feeders can be incredibly expensive!

I knew if you started feeding you'd be HOOKED! I even take a $1 WM feeder along with me on my trips and put seed out at most of the cabins where I stay! (Feed the ground-type critters too!) Glad you're enjoying it! The more birds you see and learn to identify, the better it gets!

Skybird

Thanks Skybird - I'll pick up the thistle sock today as I already planned to go to Walmart for some other things. Still have more than half a bag left of the thistle. Maybe I can sift out the other from my mix - lol. Or just chalk it up to live and learn! :) That's neat you take a bird feeder with you on your trips!

I'm getting doves visiting as well - they're eating up the spills on the ground. So maybe my thistle seed isn't getting wasted - just not all going to the finches.

Update - the squirrel proofing worked! Saw one sitting on top of the arch, and then it hopped down onto the feeder. He crawled around it for a minute, looking like he was hunting for how to get to the seeds. But gave up and hopped back to the ground, flicking his tail like he was frustrated - lol. It settled for snacking on the spills on the ground - which is fine with me. Jax is still having that bird seed give away with purchase of a feeder today if anyone wants to pick one of these feeders, or other, up.

I probably will not get a thistle sock today afterall - forgot for a second about the squirrels 8^/ - unless I can find a squirrel proof one!

We have hummingbirds out here already, must be suicidal! So in addition to the multiple feeders I have out for the birds that stay all year round I have one hummingbird feeder in the front yard and one in the back, made the mix a bit more sugary than normal due to the cold temps we've had overnight the last few and that are coming up next week. Feel bad for them because the only flowers open here are a few tulips and crabapples, nor are there any little flying insects right now.

Squirrels are pretty ingenious and determined. I purchased a couple of squirrelproofer thingies to go on existing feeders. They basically look like a small umbrella made out of 2 parts of hard plastic that snap together with a hole in the middle for the feeder to hang through. They've figured out if they pull on it hard enough it will split and fall off....if they're willing to work that hard for the seed I'm saying they deserve it. Next thing to try is a slinky attached to the pole, see if they figure a way around that....

Real quick, I'm getting ready to leave for much of the rest of the day! The squirrels don't eat thistle--or safflower, Misty! That's one of the benefits of feeding them--even tho they are more expensive than sunflower or the "generic mixes." (I don't feed "tan" seeds at all anymore.)

The only possible problem with the thistle sock is to be sure you hang it high enough that CATS that are trying to catch your birds don't jump up and "grab onto it," which will tear it to shreds! I know--from experience--from my neighbor's UNCONTROLLED cats!

Skybird

Oh, good to know Skybird! Thanks, AGAIN!!

Liz - I was going to get one of those umbrella squirrel baffles for a regular tube feeder, until I saw the one I got. Glad I didn't get it! Those darn squirrels - smart little buggers!

ZachS said: well, you know me....

Yes, we know you are very good at ID'ing birds, Zach! Say's Phoebes? I've wondered about those but I'm sure that I've mostly just said, "flycatcher" and left it at that. Those sparrows - sure, I can do the white-crowned, but ...

Hey you know, hummers eat bugs. From reports the Calliope has arrived up here but flowers? Maybe just now. However, every warm afternoon the no-see-ems are everywhere. I bet a hummingbird can see em! High quality protein, bugs are.

Steve

As someone who "caught the bug" over a decade ago, I say welcome! :)

My
little yard is just a postage stamp sized patch in SE Fort Collins, but
I've managed to get no less than 34 species of birds at our feeders.
Black sunflower seed brings in the widest variety, but it's always fun
to get downy woodpeckers and northern flickers by putting up nut butter
or suet, as well as peanut halves for black capped chickadees and blue
jays. Robins appreciate mealy worms and old apples (but they wait until
they're thoroughly rotted before they peck at them with great relish)
And not everyone loves them but black-billed magpies show up for the
occasional handout of dog kibble. Above all, the greatest attractant of
birds has been A) wildlife friendly plants (planted sunflowers, bee
balm, rudbeckia, zinnias, cherry trees, etc etc) and B) several water
sources at different heights (i.e., large pot saucers that are
regularly cleaned and refilled) Oh, and mud puddles and nesting
materials are helpful this time of year, in the form of uncleared dried
stems/grasses, craft feathers, and netted balls of cottonseed fluff you
can pick up at Wild Birds Unlimited or other places that cater to the
birdfeeding crowd. Interestingly, the goldfinches start their nesting
period much later than some and seem to appreciate the fluff very much!

Happy watching,

L

Say's phoebes are indeed flycatchers, and I have always found the family name "tyrannidae," the "tyrant flycatchers" a little amusing. I have often wondered what it is about these birds that earned them that ominous moniker.

We have three very common "tyrants" around these parts, the aforementioned Say's phoebes, and both western and eastern kingbirds.

The kingbirds are easy enough to tell apart, one being grey with a vibrant yellow belly and the other being a much darker shade of charcoal with a white belly. The phoebe looks more similar to the western kingbird, being mostly grey with what it often described as a "cinnamon" belly, sometimes hard to distinguish from a robin. Phoebes arrive earlier than kingbirds and are found in more "barren" habitat and are much more solitary I have noticed. We get other "despots" here, most notably the willow flycatchers, a listed T&E species.

Sparrows are hard to get solid ID's on, especially at a distance and about as close as possible to impossible of a task while driving down the road at 30 miles per hour. Theres a few tell-tale signs but most of the time I depend on photographs to be positive. After a while though you start to recognize them, so long as they afford you a good look. In the case of some, such as song and grasshopper sparrows, they have pretty distinctive voices so that you can use that as a helpful tool for identifcation.

Steve said "Yes, we know you are very good at ID'ing birds, Zach!" I am a treasure trove of useless knowledge. Even as a US Fish and Wildlife Service employee, this information is about as unnecessary as you can find.

Regarding the socks, I have found it cheapest to buy them at Walmart. However, I usuallly dump the seed that comes in them and fill with fresh. This after seeing the goldfinches strongly prefer my refilled socks over new socks. I think I found bulk thistle cheapest at Home Depot.

Hi Misty, I have that same feeder. Works great. A few times I'd come out first thing in the morning and it was on the ground, nearly empty. I guess the squirrels had figured a way to lift it off of the hook? So I solved that problem with a carabiner clip. I'd get the thistle sock, but I think the squirrels would bite and rip it open.

Happy birding!

Paul

I've seen the squirrels still try to get into it a few different times, but can't! I noticed that the cage got stuck down once, so the birds couldn't get to the seed - just had to touch the cage and it lifted back up. So far, they haven't knocked mine down - I thought about using a carabiner clip as well, but had a sort of S-type plant/feeder wire hanger hook. So I wrapped the feeder's loop around the two hook ends and seems to be sturdy enough. I noticed Walmart had a similar one for about $10 less than I paid at Jax, but no free bird seed - but if I get another one, I'll be sure to check Walmart first!

Paul, squirrels don't eat thistle, so, go for it!

Wow something they dont eat. Thanks Skybird!

They don't eat safflower either, Paul, if you'd be interested in another squirrel-proof seed to feed! And my birds, mostly house finches, seem to prefer safflower to sunflower, especially when it's cold out. It's expensive, like thistle, but worth it if you're having a problem with Feeding The Squirrels!

Skybird

So I was talking with someone the other day about feeding the birds, and she mentioned someone she knew started doing that as well. But while she was watching the birds at the feeder, a hawk swooped in and grabbed one of the little birds and took off with it! She took down all her feeders after that because she felt like she was setting it up to happen!

Tonight I looked at my kitchen window, where I can see the feeder from, and noticed I had a hawk sitting in our big tree by the house! I think it was waiting for the little birds to fly up to the feeder :( There weren't any, but the hawk waited out there about half hour or so. I finally went outside and just waved one arm in the air, and it flew off.

I picked up a finch feeder for the thistle seeds but hadn't put it out yet. Hmmm, now I'm kind of hesitant to do so! Skybird - do you ever get hawks stalking your feeders?! It's the circle of life, I know, and hawks can catch the finches elsewhere, too. But it does kind of feel like I'd be setting up the little birds a bit. Maybe I'll continue with the feeders, unless it becomes a regular habit of the hawks to use our yard as their feeding ground.

I get hawks sometimes, Misty, but not real often. Sometimes I wish I'd see them more often. Yes, a few of the birds are going to be eaten, but, as you said, it's all part of the circle of Nature. Interestingly--I think!--I most often notice there's a hawk out there when there have been a lot of birds at the feeders (this winter I had up to 11 feeders out at the same time) and all of a sudden they ALL disappear! Then, if I can't see anything from where I sit, I'll get up and look around the yard a little more closely to see what's going on and that's when I'll find a hawk! The birds know "who" the predators are, and they're pretty darn good at spotting them when they show up.

When I do get a hawk it'll most often sit and watch for less than 10 minutes, usually less than 5, and then go looking for better hunting grounds! I'm usually just about figuring out "where to look in my books" to try to figure out what it is when it leaves again! And one time (I posted pics at the time) I watched "something" SWOOP thru the backyard and got up to see what was happening and a hawk was sitting on the RR ties across the back of my yard--eating one of my "little" birds! Hawks need to eat too!

Keep feeding! If it turns out that you have a hawk out there every day for a long time you might want to pull the feeders for a week or so--but I really doubt that that will happen. I figure more birds have a Good Life because I'm feeding them--especially in winter--than are eaten by hawks that "use my feeders for lunch!"

Tweet, tweet,

Skybird

Our feeders hang from the deck roof and are easily viewed from our kitchen and main living area. Only once I saw a kestrel fly under the roof and at the feeding birds. He missed. We have more problems with ravens raiding nests.

We usually get sharp-shinned hawks at our feeding station:

As mentioned above, most birds are quite good at evading their attacks; in our area a lot of the hawks are inexperienced hungry youngsters in their first winter. On average it's usually the injured, ill, or slower old birds that get caught. The downy woodpecker in the pic got away because he held still as a statue until the hawk flew away, and then continued to stay in his motionless pose about ten or more minutes after that. It was quite remarkable.

The big hawks, like red tails and Swanson's eat small mammals so are of little concern to the songbirds at your feeder. The smaller hawks, such as Coopers and sharp shinned are the ones who hunt other birds. Kestrels I believe eat as many insects as they do vertebrates although I saw one eating a rabbit or prairie dog the other day. Anyways, the sharp shinned hawks at moms house feasted almost exclusively on Eurasian sqab. The collard doves are an introduced species and so I don't care much if some (or all) of them get turned into mincemeat at the hands of a hawk.

Everyone has their own feelings about it, but I think I find it pretty neat. I have always welcomed birds of prey at my house. And Laura and Skybird are righr, the birds are pretty adept at avoiding danger. Even the chickens stay undercover when they hear or see hawks in the area.

Thanks! Yea, it was very cool seeing the hawk in our tree! I tried to get a pic, but the screen on the window made it too fuzzy to see it clearly. I'm assuming it was a hawk, but can't be 100% sure as I'm not up on all the birds (looked up the three mentioned, and it may have been a sharp-shinned). Doves also come around and eat the seed that spills from the tube feeder, so maybe the hawk was waiting for them - or the squirrels that also eat the droppings since they can't get inside the feeder anymore. We also get plenty of bunnies in the yard, so plenty of snacks to choose from!

I put out the thistle feeder this morning :) I figure you are right - the birds are pretty aware of predators and that's why there weren't any around at the feeder yesterday when one was so close in our tree.

Laura - fabulous story about the woodpecker, and great shot!! Glad he was so smart!

Raccoons! Climbing on our feeder over the weekend, 11pm and 230am. I counted three. Wife is now worried they will take a liking to our koi in pond.

Sitting on the front porch and noticed a couple of visitors. First time I've seen anything other than squirrels eating from this feeder!

I just noticed yesterday ..

. that the goldfinches are changing color!

I don't know enough about them to understand why it's now for the ones in my garden.

Steve

I saw the goldfinch at your house Sunday, Liz. I was very envious! They don't come to my yard anymore and I'm not sure why. I used to have them a lot.

Here's a picture I took from Liz's yard. I typically see hummingbirds fly around and this was the first time I saw them stand still. I was so excited to see them.

I'm slowly adding feeders, popmama! Want to attract a wider variety. Have seen what look like female cardinals on the hummingbird feeders the last 2 days but haven't seen males.

Liz, that's probably a cedar waxwing. You should have those there. You have an ideal setting.

I see goldfinches on my yard in August and September when the sunflowers are in bloom. They LOVE them. The rest of the year they are relatively scarce.

Our regular hummer has been avoiding us this year I think. I can hear her buzzing around, but she hasn't visited either the flowers or the feeder. One the agatastache and the monarda bloom she may stop by for a visit.

Cardinals would be a rare sight indeed! But Popmama has a good guess of cedar waxwings. They are somewhat brownish/tan and yellowish with a prominent crest, and they also have a black "face mask". Very "silky looking" and quite beautiful. They have buzzing voice and are somewhat on the small side of medium size.

Our goldfinches come year round, and nyjer (thistle) is about the only seed we put out in the summer. The lessers are much more common at our feeders than the more brilliantly colored American goldfinches.

In other birding news, the spring migration is over, and now we are into nesting and raising young mode. It's pretty remarkable how just a couple weeks ago birds like bullocks orioles and lazuli buntings were flying all over the place singing their ever loving heads off and now have all but disappeared as they transition into their new roles as parents.

Wablers like the yellow breasted chats and yellow warblers seem undeterred to make themselves known (at least by sound) just because they are busy with young chicks and blue grosbeaks can still be readily found as well.

And if your in any marshy areas you wont have to look too hard for what Audubon once called America's "surpassingly beautiful" species, snowy egrets.

And if you do look a little closer at the egrets, you might find that one of these things is not like the others:

The bird that made me the most famous bird watcher on the Front Range this week, haha. I found him in Arvada on Father's Day and reported him on eBird and the Denver area birding community was all a twitter. Found along the Gulf Coast, this is only the 10th recorded white ibis in Colorado!

Zach, once again, your bird pics are amazing! That lazuli bunting is really something special. My dad got me a new bird book for my birthday, "The Birder's Handbook" which is sort of funny because it's much bigger than my hand. But it is fantastic! It has all kinds of information about all the bird habits and then essays about birds too. If you haven't seen it, check it out!

Quite the BIG deal, Zach!

I can only remember seeing them in Florida. Colorado, you say!?

And, thank you for sharing with us, as well.

Steve

I'll keep an eye out for my mystery birds, don't think what I saw fit the cedar waxwing (waxwing is actually much prettier). Will try for some pics. I finally got a feeder up for the Stellar's Jays that they like, 1st one didn't have a big enough spot for them to land on so just frustrated them. Also put out a thistle feeder but nothing seems to be visiting it yet.

Your pictures are wonderful, Zach! And congratulations on your rare find, really cool!

Thank you all. The first time I ever saw a lazuli bunting was when I worked at Roxborough a few years ago. He sat on a branch and watched me for like 10 minutes and of course I didn't have a camera that day. They are truly I think one of the West's most beautiful birds.

Stellar's Jays are another very cool one. I only see them at higher elevations though. We only get blue Jays and on one occasion a scrub Jay at our feeders.

Yeah, an Ibis is a big deal amongst fellow bird nerds no one else really lol. Well, maybe one day my great grand children will do a Google search and see my name on one of the bird websites. Okay maybe they aren't related to Thomas Jefferson or heirs to a European throne, but close enough right?

That book looks great Popmama! One thing I dislike about many field guides is their lack of information about birds other than descriptors. Such fascinating creatures deserve a little more than that I think.

Keep an eye out Liz! If they do end up being cardinals, you'll be the bird watcher of the week, too!