Damn they're back

[BrentC]

So I come home today and look out back and the trees and feeders are full of blackbirds and grackles scaring away all the small birds. Here's a couple of them looking mean.

1.
Grackle by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

2.
Grackle by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

They DO look mean!

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice set are you trying to get rid of them?

 

[BrentC]

Nice set are you trying to get rid of them?

Yes. In the spring and summer I change out some sunflower feeders to ones that they can't use and also use nyjer seed feeders as well which they don't eat. If not they are constantly there and go through my feed like it was nothing. It's not uncommon even with my big feeder for to be empty in a day. Unfortunately the one feeder that the Downy Woodpeckers use I have to remove. Need to find something else for them.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice set are you trying to get rid of them?

Yes. In the spring and summer I change out some sunflower feeders to ones that they can't use and also use nyjer seed feeders as well which they don't eat. If not they are constantly there and go through my feed like it was nothing. It's not uncommon even with my big feeder for to be empty in a day. Unfortunately the one feeder that the Downy Woodpeckers use I have to remove. Need to find something else for them.

Ok i am guessing the grackles where you are are not afraid of you where i am i do not need to worry about them scaring the little birds away because if i see them all i need to do is step into our back yard and they will fly away sometimes i have to stand out there for 5 to 15 minutes before they leave the little birds are not super skittish so i can be outside and the little birds will still come to the feeders in our yard but they are just a little more wary of me

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

What feeder does the downy woodpecker use that you have to remove?

 

[BrentC]

What feeder does the downy woodpecker use that you have to remove?

Downy Woodpecker by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Have you tried a suet feeder before?

 

[Gary A.]

That's what I call a stink-eye.

 

[BrentC]

Have you tried a suet feeder before?

Yes, and stupid me put to close to the fence. The raccoons got to it at night. I plan on getting a another hook for the pole to hang a suet feeder.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Ok i dont have to worry about raccoons or at least i dont think i do but then again when you came over to our house this past weekend (I was not there only my dad Zombiesniper and Symplybarb at one point) We had a opossum in our yard a couple weeks ago but of course i was at school for another 4 hours so it was long gone by the time i got home so guess i still do

 

[jcdeboever]

As mentioned.... Safflower seed in hopper or tray feeder, nyjer seed (thistle). Suet is good but may have to experiment on the flavor. Peanut butter seems to do the trick. The woodpeckers love it.

 

[BrentC]

As mentioned.... Safflower seed in hopper or tray feeder, nyjer seed (thistle). Suet is good but may have to experiment on the flavor. Peanut butter seems to do the trick. The woodpeckers love it.

I tried Safflower but it does not grow here in the east and I wasn't getting a lot of birds interested and I had it out for a full summer. Plus it is a lot more expensive than sunflower. In the spring and summer I just use specific feeders like cage feeders or ones with small perches the grackles can't use.

 

[DarkShadow]

The grackle do have some really nice iridescent colors but they sure are invasive birds.When grackles show up, they can take over the entire yard. Nice shots.

 

[DarkShadow]

You want the largest variety of Birds Black Oil sunflower seed and suet it may take several weeks but when I started using that combo. Red-Winged Blackbirds,BlueJays,Red-Headed Woodpeckers,Downy Woodpeckers,Baltimore Orioles,Cardinals male and female and of course a million sparrows. but then the grackles and starling show up and crash the party and all the other species split.