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Just now, Nighthawk01 said:

Well, what about grosbeaks and finches? I have a few of those I need to knock off my most wanted list.

Finches and buntings love Nyjer (but it has to be fresh!) and both grosbeaks and finches like black oil sunflower seed.  BOSS is the way to go if you want to attract the widest variety of birds using one type of birdseed.

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I get YRWA and PIWA with suet and peanuts.  They're here mostly in the cool months, but they show up readily when they're in the area.

Finches will come readily to black oil sunflower seed, and it's much less expensive than nyger or 'finch blends'.  I'd try it first, then spring for nyger if it doesn't pull them in several weeks.  I couldn't give nyger away to my finches until this past winter; don't ask me why.

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I have many different types of insect and worm eating birds that eat my suet.  I'm currently using a hot pepper suet to prevent squirrels from taking it but I have noticed that the birds do not like the hot pepper suet as much as the regular high protein suet. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

the tanagers are the western ones here and they eat mostly fruits and berrys and I put out jams and jelly  and fruit cocktail and the bullocjk's orioles  james and jellys and the hummingbird necters and both eat suets.  and they eat worms and  flys and insects

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Edited by dklucius
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Mealworms are always a hit with warblers, etc. I always put out suet with mealworms in it. That attracts all the typical suet species plus Yellow-rumped Warbler in season. I live in the midst of the city, so I don't get too many neotropicals at my feeders, but I know folks who get a variety of warblers at suet with mealworms. 

In addition, consider setting out orange halves. You'll want to place them well away from your house in order to avoid insect problems. Orange halves (and/or the insects that swarm to them) will attract tanagers, warblers, orioles, catbirds, etc. 

Unless you're breeding mosquitoes in your house, you won't have much luck attracting flycatchers to your feeders. Of course, you can attract flycatchers, plus a variety of other songbirds, by using native plants in your yard. That's probably the best way to attract all the birds you mentioned originally, but it requires more effort than maintaining feeders.

 

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Planting indigenous native plants that attract insects has worked well for me. One of the best is Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia.)

A big favorite with the warblers is mealworms. In the winter I used dried mealworms in an open dish. Live mealworms will cost a lot more, but they really like them. I order from Rainbow Mealworms in Los Angeles. The Black Phoebes will catch them if you toss them.  

I've also put out blueberries and the warblers like them.

Another food that works is grape jelly. Be sure it is made with sugar, not corn syrup. The warblers and others love it. 

These photos are screen captures from my Instagram feed. (TheBirdSpa)

Terry

OCWAjellyWB.jpg

YRWAjellyWB.jpg

BLPHworms.jpg

YRWAworms.jpg

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The feeder is made by the Couronne Co., and I have several. They stack and you can buy replacement dishes--which is great--and it is perfect for live mealworms. They are sold by the recycled glass company (couronneco.com) and their bird feeder wing: mosaic birds.com. I've seen them at Wild Birds Unlimited stores and Amazon. 

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