Middle Tennessee BIRDS! (Sharon: home, buy, roofing)

[CountryGirl2b=]

I have a bird feeder out back and a book. The only birds I have been able to recognize are crows, robins, cardinals, doves and CROWS (Anyone seen "Big Year" about birding?)

Anyway, recently, a flock of crows has been hanging around and monopolizing the bird feeder. Anyway to tell them to move on? Or will they hang around all summer? Maybe they are nice birds but they look mean compared to the doves who are bigger but seem gentler.

So, any way to get rid of the crows????

And when do the hummingbirds show up????

[46Barb]

This is what I've found so far by googling:


Hang aluminum pans in the branches. If you can tie them so the pans will hit against each other, they will be more effective. Old CDs also work, but don't make as much noise.

Set up a scarecrow that looks like a natural predator like an owl, hawk, coyote or snake. Scarecrows are more effective if they move and are moved to different locations every day or two.

[BirdieBelle]

Hummingbirds will come if you have a hummingbird feeder or a flowering plant they like. We have some old tall rose of Sharon bushes that always draw hummingbirds. Every time I see one, I think the same thing: "Wow, that bug is HUGE; oh, wait, that's a hummingbird!" By the time I call the kids, they've buzzed off somewhere else.

If you get finch feeders, you will attract a lot of finches and goldfinches. On advantage to finch feeders is that squirrels can't get into them. We also have a lot of wrens in our yard. They like to sneak onto my screen porch and build nests in various items.

[nashvols]

What type of feed are you using? You might try something more intended for songbirds and smaller birds that the crows won't mess with.

Or you can just buy a pellet rifle and start shooting the crows. A pile of dead crows in your back yard will send a message to the others.

Ok, so that last part was a bit over the top...but seriously...check out some different types of feed.

Birds I've seen in my yard (off the top of my head):
-cardinals
-blue jays
-mockingbirds
-robins
-wrens
-thrushes
-chickadees
-downy and pileated woodpeckers
-warblers
-doves
-flycatchers
-swallows
-tufted titmouses
-bluebirds
-tanagers
-sparrows
-finches
-blackbirds

also, some larger birds such as:
-crows
-vultures
-red tail hawks
-screech owls
-Canadian geese
-wild turkeys

[sfitz]

We use the black oil sunflower seed exclusively and it seems to attract more songbirds.

[Rids78]

Thoughts on squirrel proofing the bird feeder?

I have added some eye hooks to make it so he can't pop the top off and just eat everything but need to scare this bugger away. I'm actually surprised at how passive the blue jays have been here. Back home the areas that had jays, they wouldn't have let some furry intruder get their bird seed.