my hospitalization, part 2

[U2Kitten]

Have fun with those birds! I have a feeder too, and watching them is a pleasure. I want to see you paint some pictures of them.

 

[yolland]

So glad to hear things are looking up a little, verte, and I would love to see some of those bird paintings too. I also find it therapeutic to pay a visit to Wildbirds Unlimited when things are looking pallid.

 

[verte76]

Now I have to figure out a way to keep those damn squirrels out of my feeders. They're annoying creatures.

 

[tiny dancer]

Verte, That's why I can't feed the birds anymore.

 

[U2Kitten]

I found a squirrel hanging upside down so he could eat out of my bird feeder. It was funny.

I feed the squirrels, too. They don't really want the bird seed, they only eat it because they can't find anything else. If you leave them some stray nuts on the ground, or a dried corncob, or a 'big ol' kob' from Walmart (corn mixed with sunflower seeds and other stuff) they will eat that instead and leave the bird feeder alone. (You can also buy "squirrel proof" bird feeders at Walmart)

There was an old lady in my old neighborhood who would always trap the squirrels and take them down to the graveyard and let them go. They usually got run over trying to find their way home I feel sorry for squirrels, they need food, too.

BTW, if you're wondering how I have cats and still feed birds, well, my 2 outside cats will just sit on a branch and watch, but they don't mess with them. It's a peaceful coexistence, and some cute pics if I had taken any, and I'm sorry I didn't.

 

[yolland]

Another thing you might try is offering only safflower seeds and thistle seeds (not mixed together, of course; I'm talking one kind per feeder), neither of which squirrels are much interested in, at least in my experience. Generally speaking *most* birds that like the usual sunflower/millet/etc. mix will also eat safflower-only, though apparently it is a bit of an "acquired" taste (they're quite bitter) and you may see visiting levels drop for a few days, after which they decide "Oh well, this'll do I guess" and come back in force. I've yet to find a "squirrel-proof" feeder that actually delivers on its promise; we just use ordinary tube feeders, although squirrels will chew right through the plastic on those if there's a kind of seed they like inside. I've never found a really good squirrel solution for suet cake, either--generally what we do is suspend it from a pole which we then grease with vegetable oil every few days, so that the squirrel slips if he tries to climb up. That's not a perfect strategy though because a few of them somehow manage to climb up anyway, plus also some squirrels are great jumpers and can rocket right up to the feeder from the ground.

Try asking the people at your Wildbirds, though--sometimes strategies that work well in one part of the country aren't the greatest in others, and chances are they're used to fielding that question from locals.

 

[verte76]

I got some seeds that have red pepper in them that squirirels don't like, but the birds do. I put that in my finch feeder.

 

[No spoken words]

Wait a minute, that's not a final decision. I can still nuke my online registration, and may do it.

Oops. Sorry. Must have misread what you wrote as being concrete as opposed to being fluid.

Either way, hope you continue to feel better.

 

[verte76]

Oops. Sorry. Must have misread what you wrote as being concrete as opposed to being fluid.

Either way, hope you continue to feel better.

I'm in school, but not the kind I originally planned. I decided to go to medical record transcription school so I can get a good job and have a bettter life. No matchbox apartment for me! I haven't actually started yet, but I've done my registration. Now I have to wait to get hold of the equipment so I can start acing medical terminology.

 

[redhotswami]

I'm in school, but not the kind I originally planned. I decided to go to medical record transcription school so I can get a good job and have a bettter life. No matchbox apartment for me! I haven't actually started yet, but I've done my registration. Now I have to wait to get hold of the equipment so I can start acing medical terminology.

EFF YEAH! That's the spirit!!!!