# Feeding the birds and squirrels



## DIY Lawn Guy (Jun 19, 2019)

As you can see from my photo, I have a feeder in my yard and it is just outside our kitchen window. I put it up a few years ago and installed a very well-made bird feeder that I bought from a Canadian company and I also mounted a homemade squirrel feeder that my son-in-law made for me.

One of the interesting aspects of the feeders to me, is the different approaches the various squirrels take to feeding on the feeder and the raw (unsalted) peanuts I use. Some squirrels eat inside the little box-like house part, others sit on top and eat, others get a peanut and then run away, real squirrelly behavior................... 

The bird feeder itself mostly attracts sparrows and finches. However, beautiful bluejays and cardinals feed on the ground beneath the feeder on the seeds that the other birds knock out and spill as they feed.

Watching these wild creatures makes me marvel about the birds in particular and nature in general.


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## SWB (Sep 22, 2018)

We have that same feeder and they are excellent. No need for a squirrel feeder here as they feast on the dropped sunflower seeds below. We have a ton of wildlife here and try to enjoy it as much as we can.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

Just remember not to leave your windows open! :lol:


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

FlowRider said:


> Just remember not to leave your windows open! :lol:


That's pure gold!


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

Thanks, @dfw_pilot! I thought the look on that little girl's face was priceless!

I used to spread seed out for the birds, and the squirrels too (the squirrels show up anyway, so I fed them, too).

I had to stop for the reason you see in the pictures above. I ended up with flocks of birds camping out in my trees.

They started eating the food as soon as I set it out. Eating me out of house and home. And the droppings...wow.

So I weaned them off free food as Spring took off - got them through winter, and ended the "free for all" parties.

Cool while it lasted, but it really got out of hand - I lived on a lake on a migratory flyway - birds took it all over...!


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I've seen some cardinals and blue jays around my back yard but I'm trying to attract goldfinches. I've put some feeders out in the past but not consistently.

This year I've had a finch feeder out all year. I had a plastic feeder but it was susceptible to mold so at my sister's recommendation I bought a finch sock and mold is no longer a problem. She also suggested leaving it out all winter because some goldfinches get "desperate" for food - knowing that goldfinches will eat my food only when they're desperate and starving kind of hurt! But hopefully I can get them to stick around.

I also have had a hawk hanging out in an area where 4 of our backyards meet. Not sure if that's keeping a lot of the wildlife away but the hawk is suspect number one in a lot of bunny beheadings found throughout my yard this year.

I don't do anything for the squirrels, they don't deserve it because they keep digging holes in my new grass. But someone is handing out whole corn cobs to them because they leave their scraps in my yard.


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