I love watching birds. It is a wonderful time of year for birdwatchers. Birds become even more beautiful as they shed their winter plumage in favor of brighter colors. I experiment with different seed mixtures to attract the widest variety of songbirds. My year-round favorites are cardinals, titmice, chickadees, and house finches. I have had the most success with simple black oil sunflower seeds
However, in springtime, my personal favorites migrate back north from their winter homes. The beautiful lesser goldfinch begins to visit my feeders. In contrast with my annual birds, they prefer Nyjer thistle. Consequently. I have to use a feeder specifically designed for this type of food.
Feeding the Squirrels
Alas, birds are not the only ones who enjoy sunflower seed. Squirrels are wily pests who also enjoy these tasty treats. I have spent a lot of time and money trying to outwit these pesky rodents. The feeder shown in this picture is called a “squirrel buster plus“. Amazon sells this for $94.99. The squirrel is standing on a “squirrel baffle”, part of an advanced poll system sold by Wild Birds Unlimited. He outsmarted me by jumping on top of the pole from an adjacent tree. I haven’t seen him since moving the baffle down and spraying the pole with a generous amount of WD-40.
Nevertheless, this entertaining experience reminded me of this song from Mary Poppins. Enjoy.
Brad, I love those Yellow Finches too, and they keep me busy!
I use the white socks which they love. You can buy large bags so I refill them, and these little guys go through 2 socks in 2-3 days!
Another thing that draws these little birds is a running water fountain. Enjoy your feathered friends!
Saw a red cardinal taking a bath in a pot saucer on my patio this morning! Love watching the birds, especially those little acrobatic finches!
Enjoyed the song I had not heard in a long time AND the squirrel tip which I greatly needed.