[nickcarraway]

[KarlInOhio]

My money is on the gray, furry "bird".

[doorgunner69]

Our feeder is a circus. Mornings, the Saffron finch and House finch get along, somewhat. Later, the Java sparrows show up and may dominate the feeder.

But, the doves often show up like ferals invading a shopping mall, and mob the feeder. Luckily, I am often outside having morning coffee. I have a pumper squirt gun that the doves hate. For a short time, the finches and sparrows eat in peace.

[Doogle]

I’ve seen plenty of Blue Jays backdown
from cardinals....as far as fights.. seems the Jays fight more amongst themselves....chickadees don’t stick around long enough,although they usually arrive in a group....

[meyer]

My woodpeckers, all of them, don’t seem to mind other birds including the occasional blue jay. Even the Downey’s don’t flinch when the jays are present.

My cardinals tend to give the blue jays space, as do the smaller birds like chickadees and titmice. But the blue jays tend to stop in, eat quickly, and be on their way.

[trebb]

We strew seed on the ground between a couple “bird baths” (easy water sources) and many birds/squirrels, and even the occasional deer come to dine - often little squabbles but the most impressive is when the occasional hawk swoops in and picks off a Blue Jay....for real battles, the Hummingbird feeders have the most action during their season....

[Original Lurker]

I’d have a bird feeder but it would just draw rats.
If you’ve never had a veggie garden rats will eat most *anything* you grow.

[Songcraft]

(bump for later)

[PA Engineer]

Thanks for the post:

I actually stopped working one day because of all the commotion I was hearing in a tree. A pileated woodpecker was very irate with a couple of red squirrels that took residence in one of it's abandoned nests.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and was rooting on the woodpecker. Red squirrels are nasty and there were two. I could not believe how badly that bird brutalized them. This went on for about 20 minutes and both ultimately jumped from the tree (high up) and scurried off.

I honestly think the bird was celebrating afterwards. Making the sounds that they do (think woody the woodpecker), running up and down the tree, and bobbing his head at me. Of course only then did I think to get my camera. Funny bird, I stepped back out and off he flew.

We have multiple mating pairs on our land and they seem to get along with each other and other birds. They just don't like red squirrels for some reason. Others have said they are shy, however we have a couple that show themselves regularly near our home.