tessagin

Saw couple snakes in my yard over the weekend (non-venomous (rat and garter). They had eaten and yes I could tell. I leave them alone because when the neighbor gets his arse around to mowing his yard, we end up with rodents. My current yard guy is snake friendly and instructs his guys to move them and not mow them. He feels the same way. As far as anything getting to the couple humming bird feeders we have, DH just paints mixture of Vaseline, oil and iodine on the post so critters can't crawl up. It is also a deterrent to those 2 legged critters who feel it's ok to confiscate what doesn't belong to them and they can't climb the pole or just don't like the feel of the Vaseline mixture. When they leave, they often have this greasy, oily red mess between their legs. The smaller critters don't like the smell so they stay away.

SewingSew

Caroline in ND, I am a bird lover as well. I live in NH. We are 6 miles from the base of Monadnock Mountain. I live in the woods basically, and wildlife is plentiful. We moved here about 7 years ago, and the first year that I was here I saw a pack of coyotes walk across my backyard. My daughter saw a baby fox the other night and a raccoon last week. There are white tailed deer, moose, bear, turkeys, etc. in these woods. I am fortunate to have an abundance of birds visit my feeders. I have had Chickadees eat out of my hands on several occasions. That is quite thrilling. Right now there is a nest of FlyCatcher babies near the back porch, and I have seen a Chickadee feeding her babies through a hole in a nearby tree. I see many different kinds of Woodpeckers during the summer. The birds that I have seen here are: Red Robin, Black Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch, White Breasted Nuthatch, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Dark-Eyed Juncos (or snowbirds), Catbirds, Eastern Towhees, Cardinals, Grossbeaks, Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Yellow Breasted Northern Ficker (which is part of the woodpecker family), Sparrows, Blue Jays. I know I am leaving some out. I have seen a kingfisher as well, and once a Blue Herring landed in my backyard. I also am the unhappy neighbor of Whiporwills… they keep me awake at night. They are nocturnal. You have never lived until you’ve heard them sing. It’s like the song that never ends!

I also have trouble keeping squirrels and chipmunks away from my feeders. I like to keep a super-soaker near the door, and a whistle, but of course, it is futile, because they come back within 5 minutes.

carolynjo

After 14 years, we have had racoons invade and trash our feeders. Now, we are bringing the feeders in at night until we figure out a way to keep them from raiding our feeders.

red-warrior

Jingle I gave the birds thistles one year and the next I had them in my flowers, garden, and yard!! I still am trying to get rid of them.

ljptexas

Wow, that does sound like a relaxing place to see...

MargeD

WOW, what a great variety of birds. especially in that short time span. Love what you said about your stack of rocks for unwanted visitors.

Janice Thompson

materialgrl: We've found that putting out finch food or thistle seed you may get the house finch and the yellow canary finch, premium wild bird seed and mixed with saffron seed will bring in cardinals, grape jelly will bring in orioles, suet cakes will bring in woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, yellow belly flickers and the pesky black birds and cow birds. In shell peanuts you will get bluejays. Bushes and trees are a must for cover. We are in northern Michigan, near Traverse City.

The indigo bunting and rose breasted grosbeak on their way north. A sprinkler will draw in all kinds of birds

materialgrl

I have tried the suet cakes the birds I have love it, I will look for food with saffron, I guess I dont mind so much as God made them all, And I do enjoy the ones I get,when I switch brands they seem to get upset,lol

Crqltr

I love my bird feeders! We get all diff kinds also. My hubby grumbles about the critters but he secretly watches the birds as much as I do! We found that putting ceyane pepper in the feeders won't bother the birds but the squirts hate it! We still get the chipmunks around tho. When we first started using the pepper we spread it on the ground around the feeders also.

Mariposa

You get quite the variety of birds! What fun! Around here, I get lots of chickadees, and sparrows. Had a goldfinch the other day! Such a treat. Perhaps I also need to get out my bird book and brush up a little....