Discussion Topic: What birds do you get at your feeders?

[Connor Cochrane 841]

I'm wondering what types of birds show up on your feeders? Reply with the birds and your location.

 

I live just north of San Fransisco, in San Anselmo, I get Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and Lesser Goldfinch Regularly. Sometimes we get Black-headed Grosbeak, Band-tailed Pigeon, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Steller's Jay. On the Hummingbird feeder we get Anna's, Allen's, and rarely during migration, Rufous. I'm probably missing something, but I cannot remember it right now

[BirdNrd 67]

I am located in Slo County, CA. I regularly get Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owls, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Cliff Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, uncommon Black-headed Grosbeak, and Hooded Oriole at my feeders. In the winter I get all sorts of warblers and sparrows. Flying over our house I get Blackbirds, Red-tails, Cormorants and quite a few other birds.

[Charlie Spencer 2,394]

Lexington County, central SC.  Of the 67 species eBird shows I've listed for the yard, roughly 35 utilize my feeders at least weekly at some time during the year.    The number of those here year-round is in the low 20s.

[Kevin 2,361]

North central Texas.

Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-winged Dove, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Black-crested Titmouse, Tufted x Black-crested Titmouse (hybrid), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

[Aaron 35]

I have two locations where I put up feeders. My yard in Calgary, Alberta has the feeder up for the whole winter into Spring. Then the one at my Cabin along Shuswap Lake BC is usually up from Spring until end of August. Haven’t been there to have it up yet for fall and winter but hopefully I can change that this year. I feed Black-oil sunflower and suet 

For Calgary there is: 

House Sparrow, Clay-coloured Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Common Redpoll,  Black-capped Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Black-billed Magpie, Starlings, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, and Northern Flickers.

Shuswap Lake there is:

Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, House Finch, Purple Finch, Cassin’s Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Mountain Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Brewers Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Eurasian-collared Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon (once, rare bird for area), Northern Flicker, Starlings, Stellers Jay, a California quail once. Then for hummingbird feeders: Bullocks Oriole (once), Rufous Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Calliope Hummingbird. 

Hoping to add the crossbills, Pine grosbeaks, and some redpolls later this year and praying an Anna’s hummingbird shows up 

Edited Tuesday at 11:17 PM by Aaron
Spelling...

[The Bird Nuts 2,866]

We're in western Vermont.  We usually have our feeders out all year and we mainly feed black oil sunflower seed, several varieties of suet cake, and hummingbird nectar.  We get:

Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed junco, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Crow, Blue Jay, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, Pileated Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Redpoll, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Carolina Wren, American Tree Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow.

 

[Colton V 26]

Portland, OR

I live on a busy street in a neighborhood with few trees, so I get less birds at my feeder than I would like. I also have a limited variety of bird seed, so there's that. The only birds I get regularly are Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Bushtit, and House Finch. I also get Steller's Jays, California Scrub Jays, and the occasional Northern Flicker pecking at my suet feeder. I have resident Anna's Hummingbirds and sometimes Rufous Hummingbirds that drink from my hummingbird feeder. Every once in a while I get a Red Breasted Nuthatch, American/Lesser Goldfinch, and I saw a Bewick's wren once. I always have Niger thistle out in a finch feeder, but the goldfinches hardly ever come. I see and hear them flying around my neighborhood all the time, so it's disappointing that they rarely show up. I also hear a Downy Woodpecker in my yard frequently, but it hasn't come to my feeders yet (that I know of).

[Kevin 2,361]

20 hours ago, Colton V said:

but the goldfinches hardly ever come.

Lucky! I wish I could donate you mine.

[Colton V 26]

3 hours ago, Kevin said:

Lucky! I wish I could donate you mine.

Do you have too many? 😂 You can send some my way!

[jcarscadden 31]

Baltimore County Maryland - several feeders...mostly BOSS, suet and suet dough: and one humming bird feeder, occasionally niger..till i run out

Regularly - house finch, cardinals, downy, hairy and red bellied woodpeckers, american goldfinch, mourning dove, white-breasted nuthatch, chipping sparrow, carolina wren, carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, blue jay, ruby throated hummingbird, junco, white-throated sparrow

bluebirds nesting usually do not feed unless i put out mealworm

we have hawks in the area but they only occassionaly visit..usually to get a dove -red tailed, red shouldered, coopers and broad-winged

occassionaly usually migrating rose breasted grosbeak, purple finch and starlings (YUCK and luckily only one or two).

[The Bird Nuts 2,866]

On 7/30/2020 at 1:59 PM, Colton V said:

I always have Niger thistle out in a finch feeder, but the goldfinches hardly ever come.

Maybe the goldfinches aren't coming because the Nyjer has dried out?  Nyjer (which, by the way, is not thistle seed) dries out and goes bad very quickly, so you can't buy it in large quantities and it can't stay out in the feeder long.  I have heard some brands are better and fresher than others.  I read good reviews of Lyric Nyjer, so I tried it and actually had some success, but the goldfinches seemed to like the BOSS just as much.

[Colton V 26]

14 minutes ago, The Bird Nuts said:

 Nyjer dries out and goes bad very quickly, so you can't buy it in large quantities and it can't stay out in the feeder long. 

I'll try switching out the seeds in my feeders, but if it goes bad that quickly, odds are my entire bag has gone bad.

[jcarscadden 31]

I agree...lately it seems that the American goldfinch eat as much BOSS as niger so why pay all that extra - besides not eating enough of it so that it probably gets stale

[jcarscadden 31]

a question....I have purchased thistle seed before and the goldfinch seemingly  liked it as much as the Nyger ( spelling it right finally).  But am giving up both thistle seed and Nyger anyway - at least for this year.  Oh yes the question...is there a benefit to Nyger over thistle seed