Muddy--
I brought the upside down woodpecker feeder for the gift table
I have had it for a few years. tried once to hang it up--but no one was interested.
I guess the square was too slick to hang from???

It was made by a DG person--forgot the name--we communicated for a bit and he kept telling me about this type of feeder...then he said--"I will send you one".
I was impressed that he actually put it in a box and sent it to me.

I tried hanging it from a very high hook from my big maple trunk --but no one even visited it.SO--I brought it to the swap. Hope you like using it.

I am happy to have found a way back to NGO--as I have been w/o any access to it nor have I been able to communicate with any of you.
All it took was to click on the little "home" icon--and there it was!
Mark (my SIL) has been here for two days trying to fix things up.
I HAD Windows -XP. which got pretty bad revues.
Finally, Mark installed Windows 7 yesterday.
I still don't know my way around--but I like the graphics. very pretty!
Bear with me--as I muddle along. Gita

Holly, there is a fun article on raising chickens in Sunday WashPost magazine. Not sure link is gonna work but you can call up article other ways.
https://www.washingtonpost.com...

Good thread on discouraging English House Sparrows from feeders:
The thread "Magic Halo to Thwart House Sparrows" in Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum

and Magic Halo link:
http://www.sialis.org/halo.htm

Blue Birds are greatly bothered by House Sparrows attacking nests and fledglings. Other native birds, too.

The library continues to use Windows 7, very reliable.

Thanks for the suet feeder, Gita. I have not seen any birds on it, but I know it can take them awhile to find new feeders.

Mariposa, thanks for the links about the "halo". I don't have many English Sparrows hanging around (yet), and so far they only seem to annoy each other, but I'll keep the idea in mind.
I happen to have some of those circular, grow-through plant supports that I don't use.

The upside down feeder is supposed to exclude starlings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

The halo sounds worth a try, who would have thought..

The upside down feeder is supposed to exclude starlings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

The halo sounds worth a try, who would have thought..

Had several waxwings join that party today!! First I have seen them in my yard. They used the birdbath along with the robins and juncos. Here's someone else's video of waxwings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

It sounds like your birdbath is a big hit!!

It sure was yesterday. I was inspired to get a heater after your picture of your heated bath with a ring of robins on it. We've barely needed the heater. Maybe the robins inspired the other birds to use it.

Sally, that's so cool that you are seeing Cedar Waxwings! I recollect that at certain times
Waxwings travel in flocks and that they are drawn to a possible food source (berries) by other birds feeding there. This link gives extensive accounts of Cedar Waxwing behavior.
http://birdsbybent.com/ch31-40...

Robins must be happy with earthworms so close to the surface with all our on again off again weather. I don't have a formal bird bath but when my Recycle bins are upside down rain water collects in the base and birds have started using that to bathe.

I feel the halo info on excluding english house sparrows from feeders and nest boxes is invaluable for any of us who are so lucky to have blue birds around.

Are English House Sparrows the only little brown birds that have that black bib?

Am starting to recognize the Redbellied Woodpecker arrival announcement from that of the Blue Jays. Northern Flicker seems to fill its bill with many seeds, cracked corn or peanut pieces and then fly off to eat them elsewhere.

Here's the photo of the ring of robins on my birdbath. I haven't seen any where close to that number of robins (or any birds for that matter) using it this winter, though. I seem to have far less birds around this year,,,,maybe because the winter is so mild?

Mariposa, I think the male English House Sparrows might be the only brown birds with that black patch below the beak, at least the only common ones in our area. The House Sparrows seem to nest in the Azaleas in front of my house, rather than in the boxes in the back, but I'll try to keep a watchful eye in the hope that my nesting Bluebird will return this spring.

Muddy1 said:Yardenman, that looks like a great solution! I rely heavily on barrel (or "bullet") baffles in my yard, too. In order to defeat raccoons, I had to use extra long barrel baffles.
Does the black pipe you buried 2 feet deep serve as the pole on which you mounted everything else, or does it have another function (e.g. to deter other critters)?

The pole supports the baffles and the feeder. The pole is threaded on top to hold a flange that the feeder is attached to). And it seems to be the combination of the barrel baffle with the flat metal baffle on top, 5' up that works.

Donnerville said:@Yardenman we had a similar idea, but we used plastics instead. Squirrels simply bit them off.

It has to be metal. Determined as they are, they can't chew through that. At least, mine can't.

And I will add a slightly funny story. My Dad obtained a polished artillery casing that he reused as a barrel squirrel baffle. It worked great until Mom complained about the reflection and he painted it. That little change gave the tree rats just enough grip to climb up it.

Never change anything that works...

We again hear hordes of robins in the big trees today. They are really the big fans of the bird bath. Until this bunch, I rarely saw a bird at the bath, I also assumed that without ice everywhere they used their own water sources.

Little birds have been chowing down on a millet mix I got from GIta. She had found it at Big Lots, 4 pounds for 6$. it is packaged for cage birds (parakeet on the front lol) but is mostly mixed red and white millet. Maybe it is gourmet chow for these wrens, juncoes and doves. Has some little colored bits too, maybe vitamins and minerals. Fancy!

Sally--
I overcharged you for the 4lbs. bag of the mixed Millet. I was guessing....sorry...
This 4 lb. bag is only $3.97.
They also have a much bigger bag (8lbs.9lbs. ??) of the same Millet mix for only $6.
9lbs. of cracked corn---$5.
Superior Wild Bird mix--9lbs. $7
"Clean and Free"---not sure on $$ Maybe $6?
Suet cakes--$1.29.

Overall--Big Lots is worth a trip. Can't beat their bird-seed prices.

Oh, that's such fun party for robins, Muddy!!!

Good price, GIta. I'm sure you given me an extra 2$ worth of plant stuff over the years...more like $50...
I don't think the millet at the Southern States would be under a dollar a pound like that Big Lots bag.

Starlings arrived this afternoon.
I took my feeders down.
Starlings moved on.

That's funny, Yardenman; did your Dad remove the paint from the shell after that?

Mariposa, that was smart. I let my suet feeders run out when there were hordes of Starlings around, and now I seem to have less. The birds aren't going through 3 cakes a day anymore, knock on wood.