You also don't have that ring of rejected seeds that get tossed out of a hanging feeder. Do you have birds that will eat all the millet? That seems to be the least favorite for my birds, although the ground birds eventually do eat it up. I will start tossing a handful of mixed seed onto the sidewalk close to my hanging feeder to better attract the ground birds. Good tip.

Everything gets eaten, everything. Different birds seems to have different favorites on the seeds but it all gets eaten.

Great tip, Rita.

Great tip!

Caution: Voles, chipmunks and mice would be very happy to have a smorgasbord of seed right at ground level with no obstacles like grass in the way.
Family members will track the seed residue inside the house on their shoes. Speaking from experience...

I have a large Burr oak which has branches over my drive way. It drops copious amounts of acorns which I clean up several times. Between clean-ups I drive over the acorns. Quite often a flock of about 30 Quail come and feast on the nut meats. I will try to get a picture. The Jays love them also.

Warm welcome, Wakingdream. Good point on the shoe tracking - perhaps tossing somewhere not in the main traffic pattern would solve that. I sadly have no squirrels or chipmunks, they all stay in our back woods. I know they can become pests but I do love to watch their antics.

My problem with putting it on the driveway or the sidewalk, is the hawks and the squirrels. Its a great idea tho if you dont want any sprouting in your beds.

My problem with putting the seeds on the concrete is that it makes the birds more available to cats.

me too, and my cat is a hunter. I keep meaning to put bells on him and forget.

We always have a barn cat or two and although I do feed them a small amount of 'Alley Cat' kibble, they basically survive on their own. I think they have better luck with the field mice than the birds, I've never really noticed them stalking the feeders. Someone else coined these as 'hobo cats' which I rather like - both that I have now just showed up looking for a handout. I also have one in/out house cat and she is also a good hunter. Due to her advanced age, I now feed my 'real' cat inside a covered porch so the hobos can't bully her so much. She gets kitty chow for the added protein.

Cats around here would have much better luck skulking around in the bushes for birds. Too open on the driveway. Those birds can see them coming and the cats don't get them.

Mockingbirds go after Rusty in the spring. He knows to stay away from certain areas. We were hoping to get him to help with the field mice problem at the farm but the guineas didn't like him so they chased him under the shrubs for the entire day.

I would say hen pecked cat but in this case guinea hen pecked.

And don't forget, scaredy cat!

Poor Rusty, done in by birds!

It's kind of hard to believe he's a good hunter because he is afraid of so many things!

This tip doesn't work on rural gravel driveways. I put seed there anyway, because the mourning doves prefer to eat from the ground. Occasionally, I have to trim back the lemon balm that the cats hide in to ambush the birds--li'l boogers! I can't believe that strong lemon scent doesn't discourage the cats from lurking amongst them.

Yes, i would think they wouldn't like the lemon basil at all, unless they like the idea of catching a bird so much they are tolerating it?