The Birds of Winter in the mid-Atlantic

We only seem to get mockingbirds in ones, also. Cardinals can be up to five and six and more, males even. I'm looking forward to my late shift tomorrow so I can see some of the breakfast birds.

I haven't seen a mockingbird in my yard. Based on what I just read, I probably would spot it because Cornell says they enjoy making their presence known!

I hope you see your mockingbird again, Greenthumb. They look like fun little birds.

Your mockingbird was visiting me yesterday! I spotted it as it took flight from one of the apple trees... they have very distinctive wide white bars on their outstretched wings. They are not so "little," either, closer to a jay in size I think, with long tails

I never see mockingbirds here in the winter, but we definitely have a couple in the warmer weather. I figured they all went to the Bahamas for the winter. I usually see quite a few there when we visit.
There is very little activity at the feeders this AM. The birds seem as put off by the weather as I feel.

There have been days when there's very little activity in my back yard as well. When I don't see any birds at the feeders, I go outside to see if there's a hawk. Often, there is, but the last few times I couldn't spot one.

There are 6 Bluebirds (4 male, 2 female), a Carolina Wren, and a Hairy or Downy Woodpecker going after the suet right now. The female Bluebirds figured out that they can fit in the suet feeder with the cage around it, but the rest are taking turns with the other feeders.

I had to make another Home Depot trip this morning so I can deal with the dirty downside of ground and tray feeding: rats. I had been taking in all of the trays and emptying the peanut feeder at night, and when I stopped I started seeing rat holes. I've tried a humane trap, critter repellents and ultrasonic devices that are supposed to drive them away, but I'm not sure they're working. I don't want to use poison because there might be collateral damage to cats and birds, so I bought an electronic trap that is supposed to kill them with a high-voltage shock.

Edited to add: fingers crossed that maybe the ultrasonic things will work. My traps are empty so far.

This message was edited Jan 22, 2015 6:14 PM

rats are smart. We got them under our patio one spring, but when I pulled the bird feeders in for the summer they moved on. Try flooding their burrow with water... you won't fill the warren, but you might make things uncomfortable for them.

Good idea; I like that! I'm going to fill in the holes with dirt first and see if they're re-dug tomorrow. I'm tentatively hoping that the ultrasonic devices are working.

One of the men who came to install a hard wood floor today spotted a pileated woodpecker way up high in a neighbor's tree. For all I know, it might have been up there before; it didn't make any noise as it pecked away so I wouldn't have heard it. Now if it'll only find the suet feeder I bought just for it....

Fingers crossed here!

Don't rats live in sewers? All full of water....

Rats like to live near water but we know they do very well in urban environments- food is a huge factor. Average wooded areas seem fine in their view if they have food, like dumpsters. We had them under a shed smack in the middle of 1950s era suburbia.

Not all of them Gita, Eastern Wood Rats are actually rather cute.
One of our neighbors had a fire in his sheds, he had a bunch of outside pens from when he use to raise birds. After the fire we all of a sudden had rats in our barn. This was back when we had horses. Ric put on a major campaign to rid the barn of them. Finally he did kill off or drive them out. A month or so after we no longer saw any sign of them another neighbor down the road told us he had rats living under his shed.

I'm pretty sure these are Norway rats, because Eastern Wood Rats don't burrow underground and there are 2-3" diameter holes right up against the foundation. They have also burrowed under shrubs, also unacceptable.

I had them before but had no idea what was digging the holes; I thought it could be squirrels burying peanuts or maybe mice....then my B-I-L spotted them one evening. That time I tried a humane trap, then chucked poison deep into their holes so other critters couldn't get it. I told my neighbors so they could keep their cats inside. I worry about birds, foxes, etc. eating poisoned rats; also, my youngest daughter might never speak to me again!

Ric's, Eradication program included, flooding their holes, poison, and the "Rat" gun.

You could try putting poison inside your "humane" trap as bait... larger animals couldn't get at it, and if you caught the rat as it ate the poison, the dead rat wouldn't poison anything else... ? My dad uses a PVC pipe and puts the pellets in the center. I worry about second-hand poisoning also, so on the few occasions I've had to resort to it with a stubborn vole I've used only 2-3 pellets. You might need more like 5 for a rat, and you'd have to replace the pellets as they were consumed, but that would limit the potential dose for a bigger non-target critter.

While I don't know the ingredients in rat poison, the mole/vole product I occasionally use reacts with the animal's stomach acid to generate poisonous phosgene gas. Once the animal is dead the bait is reacted, gas dissipated, and the critter poses little risk to other animals.

I don't think they die right away with most poisons; I think it can take days. If I get poison, I'll push it deep into their burrows, fill them in and cover them with flagstones.

I thought about a plain old-fashioned snap trap, but I don't want a raccoon or fox to get a foot crushed. What a nightmare that would be...an injured animal I couldn't help; I'd have to call animal control. I really like the electrocution box I found. I've been putting it out as soon as the cardinals, doves and sparrows are done eating and taking it in before I go to bed so I don't electrocute a squirrel. Only once have I seen a squirrel out after dark.

Our posts crossed, Greenthumb. That's good to hear; I'll do some research if I go that route.

please greenthumb, what brand?

Good question! I'm all ears.

On the bird front: my doves, cardinals and sparrows love safflower. A few weeks ago, the bird supply store gave me a 50 lb. bag for free because a customer had torn it by accident, and it's half gone already! I gave a few pounds to my daughter, but my birds ate the rest.

Without going out in the dark and snow/sleet to find it, I believe the product is Bonide MoletoxII Mole & Gopher Killer. I purchase it at Southern States.

You won't believe how much of all this mouse and rat products we sell at HD.
Everyone has some kind of a problem--and they buy and buy all these
sticky boards and traps and poisons.

Can hardly keep the shelves filled.... G.

I only work one day a week right now. on Sundays. Hours are seriously cut..
I hope it bounces back soon....too much free time is also hard---I don't know
what day of the week it is....there is no reference point...One day is like all the others.

I got up at 5:30AM last Saturday--got ready and went to work--only to find out
It was NOT Sunday. Oh, well...have to laugh at it.....not really funny....

G.

thanks Greenthumb, that says it has zinc phosphide, not strychnine so its probably the thing.

That's it.

Good choice. The strychnine or whatever is in that green rat/mouse poison is horrible stuff. I'm relieved to know that the kind I use really should not cause secondary poisoning... I wasn't sure about just taking the label at face value when it said so. Thanks, GT.

After reading this, I'm ready to swear off the super poisonous stuff for good: http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/conservation/poisons-used-kill-rodents-have-safer-alternatives

This has a recipe using flour, sugar and baking soda: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rat-Poison

This message was edited Jan 23, 2015 11:50 PM

interesting link. I guess the Plaster slowly hardens in the rat's stomach or gut.

I'm favoring the flour, sugar and baking soda combo, with a crunchy peanut butter topping!

Time for a new thread; this one's getting long. We're moving to http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1385319/

THE SAGA OF MY BROKEN TUBE FEEDER--continued....

1--here is the all in pieces feeder--after IT and me fell crashing to the ground.
Just re-posting it so all can see what i am talking about...only the Feeder.
Nothing broken or damaged on me! PHEW! Good!

2--Been working all morning to glue it back together. Using "Loctite" Super Glue.
Before--I was trying to use the Epoxy (2 tubes to mix) but it never worked
and did not hold the glued parts together even after a whole night. Gave up on it.
Decided to use the "Loctite" Super glue. It is supposed to hold everything!
Got out my rusty razor blade knife and spent an hour scraping all the old glue
off of everything--as it had been glued together twice before.

Using the "Loctite" seemed to work OK. Just had a hard time aligning all the
broken edges together in so many places and holding them tight.Let it go after about 10 minutes.
Did other stuff for another half hour or so. Came back--glued some other part....etc...etc...

FINALLY! Showing you this picture to brag that I fixed it all. Even filled it with seed....
just for looks..(HA!!)
Something is missing!!! AHH! The baffle part....It is outside in my garden cart covered in snow. Went to get it..cleaned it off and all....came in to.....put it on...????

3--Then came the "downer"! I realized that the gizmo that fits into the hole on top of the 3 tubes,
and extends out so the baffle can be screwed on and off was all broken apart.
Besides being used every winter since 2001, it was brittle to start with.
Nothing aligned there. It was totally broke! What a downer...after all that work!
Here is the hole between the assembled tubes and the useless screw-in hook..

4--SO--now I have a filled feeder (it can be emptied, of course) and no way to make the
baffle stay on and hang at it the same time. Besides--the big eye-screw that is part of this
assembly no longer screws into the opening, sticking up, between the tubes, upon
which the baffle is attached. It is all broken!


5--Here is the now broken threaded tube that is inserted into the hole, into which
the screw.eye-hook assembly goes into. You put the baffle on--you spin it around,
and it screws on to this assembly.
It CANNOT be fixed! NOW--how do I hang my feeder?????????

Ric--you are always full of ideas---GIVE! ....I may come up with something..
we will see..... Thanks! G.

Think....Think....Think......

Idea--#1--
Insert something round, that fits tightly into the hole between the tubes-.7/8". Glue it in!
It has to stick up and have a hook on the end...a wood dowel would work here.
A PVC tube would be good--but nowhere to screw the hook in at the top!

ALL this has to fit into the hole between the tubes--as well as through the hole in the baffle (.7/8")
The baffle has to be removable--so I can fill the tubes with seed--then put it back on.
Top of baffle hole--1 and 1/16". Slip it off--and back on and hang it.

Idea #2---
Tie a nylon string around the top of the 3 tubes below the flange. See Pic. #2 above.
Each srting tied individually so it will hang evenly. Think a HB here....
Run the 3 strings up and through the hole in the baffle, tie them together with a knot
or on aa metaal ring, and hang it from chain that hangs down from under the patio roof.

Don't have an idea #3 yet.....

Any thoughts on this??? Thanks, gita

SOOO sorrry!!!

I did not realize this Thread was continued on a new Thread. ..

Bear with me--post your replies HERE, PLEASE!...

G.

Gita, in Idea #1 you said that a PVC pipe would work except that there was no way to screw a hook at the top. There are end caps for all sizes of PVC available in the HD plumbing department for less than a dollar. One can be glued on the end of the pipe and a hook screwed into the center of the cap.

Or, if you have trouble finding a PVC piece the right size...

Looks like a string or chain could work, also, if that hole goes all the way through the center of the feeder, between the 3 tubes... tie a loop for hanging, then just run it through and put something larger than the diameter of the hole on either end to work like a washer...

Thank you both--
Your suggestions are very close to what i had an idea to do. Obviously!

I would prefer the PVC--as it is weather proof.
Squirrels could chew through the strings. BUT--I always make sure that the feeder
hangs more than 4' above any access they would have to it. Like tables and
chairs. Any closer--and they could jump to it. 4' seems to be their limit.

David--I will look for the PVC caps at my HD. They are in aisle #5 :o)
I just hope we have a PVC tube in such a small diameter.

I SO want to make this feeder last as long as i can manage....
I WILL NOT glue it together for the 5th time! It has served me long enough.

Just today--rummaging through my shop junk--I found a squirrel-proof feeder
I had bought for 50% off last summer as it was slightly damaged. Easy fix!

If all else fails--I will use that one. Smaller...more re-fills--but all metal.

Besides--my feeders all hang below my patio roof--totally safe--out of sight
of any predators.Also--never get rained on.

My birdies are spoiled!!! Here is the feeder I bought. Cute--and functional!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Perky-Pet-Squirrel-Be-Gone-Wild-Bird-Feeder-336/100615722?quantity=1

On this one--there is a spring system that closes off all feeding ports whenever a
squirrel lands on them. Anything the weight of a squirrel, or a really heavy bird--
and the spring-loaded feeder port covers just all slide down.
Does not happen with regular birds...