Will do. I clean up the “eating area” every second day, or so.

Watch out for Salmonellosis outbreaks… Washington and Oregon are already reporting outbreaks to winter on large scales.

Thank you,
Tempe
________________________________
From: Andrea King <aking0601@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 12:53 PM
To: IBLE@groups.io
Subject: Re: [IBLE] pine siskin, anyone?

I’m kind of late to the conversation here, so I hope this helps. I’m in college earning a degree for fisheries and wildlife management, and I actually wrote a research paper on bird feeders and whether or not to use them during the Winter – the general findings in this area are that it is supplemental, helpful, and doesn’t cause any real harm to the birds! 🙂 So long as the feeders/hulls are regularly cleaned up! Anyway, I saw there were some questions about that, and though I’m far from an expert (truly, I’m a student so I’m learning), I thought I’d share what I know 😀

Have a great day everyone!

On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 6:12 PM Rob Danielson via groups.io<http://groups.io> <robdanielson=ymail.com@groups.io<mailto:ymail.com@groups.io>> wrote:
Cool.

<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS>

On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 4:35 PM, bike4birds <tmccabe9@outlook.com<mailto:tmccabe9@outlook.com>> wrote:

I think they must be rotating between your yard and mine! There were about 40 in my 2 tray feeders and on my sock feeder and tube feeder this morning. That’s when I looked down and saw a crowd like yours under the feeders. Then I noticed small flocks coming and going to the maple tree above the feeders. I gave up trying to count them.

BTW, great picture.

Tom McCabe, Boise (North End)

From: IBLE@groups.io<mailto:IBLE@groups.io> <IBLE@groups.io<mailto:IBLE@groups.io>> On Behalf Of Kerry Fitzharris
Sent: Tuesday, January 4, 2022 3:27 PM
To: IBLE@groups.io<mailto:IBLE@groups.io>
Subject: [IBLE] pine siskin, anyone?

This is about a fourth of the pine siskins that are feeding in my backyard right now.

Happy New Year!

Kerry Fitzharris

North End, Boise

[cid:17e2bcb449f4ce8e91]

Thanks, RL. I wasn’t going to take the heated feeder down this year. My goodness, no. I was Just wondering about having one long-term, year-after-year. Wondering about the science behind it and whether or not I am doing more harm than good by having one up in the winter. 

Good one.

Don’t run out of seed or you may have to call Tippi Hedren for an emergency consult. 

Tom M., I’m happy to share the siskins. When I lived in Sandpoint, I got to name my road. I had heaps of Siskins, there, too, so I named it Siskin Lane. That was fun. 

Ha! D and B Supply love me, usually on Boise Ave., but they were out yesterday so I braved the roads and hit the Overland store. I use sunflower hearts in the 18 lb. bags despite the expense of it all because there’s not as much mess. Usually I apply the seed sparingly on the ground and reserve the rest for the squirrel-proof feeders, except over the past few days with all the snow, I threw down an abundance to help them out. I also put out dove and quail food for the two dove species. Saw only one American Goldfinch in the gathering this a.m., but no lessers. Lots of juncos, chickadees, and house finches, of course. Downy’s on the suet. One Anna’s Hummingbird at my heated feeder. I got up in the middle of the night to replace the frozen (heated) feeder. My reward for this, a screech owl calling, and Ursa Major overhead. The immature male made it through those cold nights. Amazing.