Project Feeder Watch

[Blaithin]

The last few winters I’ve enjoyed seeing what birds I can get at my feeders. Some years Im better than others at consistently filling them which can make a big difference. Also some birds stay out by the barn and never venture up to the house feeders so I’m thinking of setting up a station out there as well.

This year I discovered Project Feeder Watch. Join up, download the app, every now and then count what birds you see and record them. Simple and a good stay at home and drink coffee winter event.

The first birds I got were the Geese...


Then I got some chickens...


Also had the horse escape and empty out the feeders one night. No photographic evidence but I know....

Chickadees are staple feeder birds that are always around so I have them to at least boost my wild bird numbers. I’ve also been hearing some Jays. I have trouble getting them because the Magpies always beat them to the peanuts! But this morning I finally captured the attention of one Blue Jay!


The Magpies showed up too, of course. But the Blue Jay just moved to the step and is now busy caching a bunch of seeds, so hopefully it sticks around!


Anybody else have feeders to see what they can see? My regulars are usually House Sparrows, Chickadees and Nuthatches. Last year I had a few Woodpeckers. Also get Juncos and Red Polls some years.

No need to join the Feeder Watch thing, but feel free to share who you see around! Last year I had Partridge in the yard, maybe I’ll try and get them at the barn station if they come back.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Fellow Agriviller's, I see it is time for an intervention. Blaithin Is much too young to be turning into a bird watching old spinster. We need to put aside our political differences, stop bickering about elections, Add concentrates all of our efforts on finding this young lady a husband, Before it is too late.

[Guest]

we have a young fox moved into our pole shed , hope he stays around
they are quite the inquisitive animal!

[Blaithin]

Fellow Agriviller's, I see it is time for an intervention. Blaithin Is much too young to be turning into a bird watching old spinster. We need to put aside our political differences, stop bickering about elections, Add concentrates all of our efforts on finding this young lady a husband, Before it is too late.

You’ll quake in terror if I ever get started on my cats then.

And everyone liked my old lady crochet skills in that one thread!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

You’ll quake in terror if I ever get started on my cats then.

And everyone liked my old lady crochet skills in that one thread!

How are your baking skills? Have you moved on to mincemeat tarts yet? Do most recipes involve prunes and bran flakes? Do you record every episode of wheel of fortune?

Just checking to see how serious this issue might be.

[Blaithin]

How are your baking skills? Have you moved on to mincemeat tarts yet? Do most recipes involve prunes and bran flakes? Do you record every episode of wheel of fortune?

Just checking to see how serious this issue might be.

I’m an adequate baker but nothing else you mentioned is applicable.

[seldomseen]

I keep bird feed out all winter also but they are a hungry lot and the costs do add up.

Peanuts and sunflowers for the Blue Jays. Canola and assorted mixed seeds for the Chickadees and the Red Poles. Always lots of Chickadees and some years lots of Red Poles and other years not so many

I do it just to have just a bit of colorful life around here during the cold dark bleak winter.

[malleefarmer]

Like this

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Thanks for starting a thread that doesn't involve foreign elections, or Chinese viruses.
But be prepared for posters who never post about commodity marketing to chastise you for the off topic post.

Had a couple of owls helping combine the last few days. A really big one, and a smaller one. Does that count?

[Guest]

is that your cat mallee?

[Blaithin]

I keep bird feed out all winter also but they are a hungry lot and the costs do add up.

Peanuts and sunflowers for the Blue Jays. Canola and assorted mixed seeds for the Chickadees and the Red Poles. Always lots of Chickadees and some years lots of Red Poles and other years not so many

I do it just to have just a bit of colorful life around here during the cold dark bleak winter.

It is ridiculous the price of some seeds! If only wheat brought those prices 😂

Usually in the summer I stick with canola for the Gold Finches. I did splurge on some Nyjer seed this time around to see what I can catch though. I do mix lots of stuff up with random grains. The Blue Jay looks like it might be taking some peas and some days wheat seems a popular choice.

Instead of splurging on suet cakes I’m planning a trip to Olds College to pick some chunks up there to put out. That way I can steal some out of the freezer for myself!

[Blaithin]

Thanks for starting a thread that doesn't involve foreign elections, or Chinese viruses.
But be prepared for posters who never post about commodity marketing to chastise you for the off topic post.

Had a couple of owls helping combine the last few days. A really big one, and a smaller one. Does that count?

Yes owls count. Lots of people in the watch thing have a variety of hawks as well because the hawks are cherry picking the birds at the feeders.

A few years ago I had an owl that was eating a pheasant in the front yard.

[Blaithin]

Like this
[ATTACH]6947[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]6948[/ATTACH]

Second photo looks about right.

[sumdumguy]

[QUOTE=Blaithin;473315]It is ridiculous the price of some seeds! If only wheat brought those prices 😂

Usually in the summer I stick with canola for the Gold Finches. I did splurge on some Nyjer seed this time around to see what I can catch though. I do mix lots of stuff up with random grains. The Blue Jay looks like it might be taking some peas and some days wheat seems a popular choice.

Instead of splurging on suet cakes I’m planning a trip to Olds College to pick some chunks up there to put out. That way I can steal some out of the freezer for myself![/QUO


You can have 4 leghorn roosters and one lonely guinea hen if you can catch them. Its not easy because they roost in the rafters of the horse shed.

In May every year Johnstone’s Auction in Moose Jaw has an exotic animal sale (around May 5). Its a fun day to take kids to see all the crated animals, not really exotic, but pretty interesting. If you take kids, be prepared for lots of begging. 😁 We’ve bought coloured chicken eggs to stock the incubator. Hatching and brooding in the house have become popular at our place while we wait for real spring to arrive. Problem is they tend to stay around the farm until they let their guard down and the foxes get them.

[seldomseen]

This bad boy would be on the deck every morning for a week a couple falls ago. I like having owls around.