For The Birds

[Doc Tinker]

Anybody have pet birds?



Anybody feed wild birds?



Anybody feed wild birds while RVing?



Anybody able to get wild birds to eat from your hands?





We're big time backyard bird feeders. I'll bet we go through 500 pounds of oilers and 100 pounds of thistle each year. We usually back off the feeding during the late summer months. Don't want the little buggers to forget how to find food in the wild!



I've thought about having some pigeons to train and race. How much work is that? Where do you get good pigeons? I suppose the ones in the park wouldn't work?



Just so you know... even though I have six cats, I rarely find any evidence that they harm the wild birds. I guess I feed them too well. I also keep the feeders high enough that the cats can't get to them and I build baffles to help keep the cats away as well as the squirrels.





Doc

 

[Murle]

So that is why I have so many thistles in my pasture. Doc, your birds that you are feeding thistle seeds to are coming to Texas and taking a poop here. Stop feeding them thistle seeds!!!!!!

 

[Papa Joe]

Had a pet bird for a couple years. Mrs. Papa Joe was driving downtown with the window down and a cockatiel flew in the driver's side window and perched on the steering wheel !!!! Mary Beth clutched the bird to her lap ( the bird had obviously been hand held a lot) and drove about her business and brought the bird home. We ran an ad in the paper for a week - no response. So we named the bird Destiny and enjoyed the little guy for two years until he croaked.

We feed 100 pounds of sunflower seed a year on the rear deck. Pretty entertaining.

Had a neighbor once who was into pigeons big time. Pretty cool. Only suggestion - you gotta have the extra room for coop, outdoor exercise area, and various caging requirements. If so, it's painless, if you aren't set up right it's a pain in the keester.



Had a friend of a friend who was a falconer. He had one of his feathered critters snatch a mouse from a glove on my hand. Scared the dickens out of me.



Gosh Doc, was going to accuse you of having too much time on your hands... ... ... but look at this post

Joe

 

[Adam_Dodgezilla]

I have a Macaw!

Doc i have a Baby Blue and Gold Macaw, She is a lot of work, But she's A lot of fun to, They are Very Very smart almost to smart for there own good!

 

[SlyBones]

PNW has birds most hikers and backpackers refer to as Camp Robers. I think they are Gray Jay's or something like that.



My first experience was actually having to take my bag of trail mix from the birds mouth. Left is sitting by the sit pad at the edge of the lake. Walk over to the tent, turned to see my food getting eaten. Thowing a rock at it didnt help, neither did all the sounds and fake charges. Had to walk over there and take it away from the little bast*rd.



My favorite was cross country ski trip out in the far backcountry. Did not realize it landed on the front of my large pack, by the shoulder strap. Was eating a snickers bar. When I put the bar up to my face to take a bite, this beek comes out of seemingly nowhere, right beside my face and tries to get a bite at the same time.

 

[Sky]

I have this bird feeder that you stick to your window, its a clear plastic one so you can see in it. Well 3 years ago I didnt fill it fast enough and the wasps came in and built a hive, almost went and sprayed it with raid but though I would watch them for awhile. Well after 3 years I still let the wasps built there nest. Its very interesting to watch every spring they come in and knock down the old hive (inside the bird feeder) and take it out in pieces and build a new one. The work ethic they have is amazing, I wish I had 1/10th the work ethic of these wasps. Anyway Its cool to watch every summer.