Posted on 02/21/2007 6:56:40 PM PST by blam
LOL. One of the funniest things I ever saw was our mutt from the shelter (The best dog I ever had, BTW) going after birds. She had a lot of hound in her and went after any critter that wondered into our yard.
We only had her for a few weeks when one day she went after a Blue Jay feeding in the yard. As she chased that Jay one way, the 'significant other' Jay swooped down and rammed her in the back of her head. She turned and went after that one, and Jay # 1 returned and hit her from behind. On and on it went and the poor dog got madder and madder each time she got smacked in the back of her head by these tag-team birds. The birds could have left anytime they chose. They were just having fun driving the dog nuts.
This went on for about 20 minutes and I was sitting on the porch in stitches watching. No kidding, I had tears running down my face I was laughing so hard. I wish I had had a video camera to record it. The dog finally gave up and returned in total defeat, (and she knew it) and that was the last she ever chased birds.
Rabbits, moles and chipmunks, on the other hand, were never safe when she was out, but birds were off her list.
Smart Dog --- even Smarter Birds. ;~))
I'm gonna post a thread soon in which folks can relate anecdotal stories that perhaps reflect the 'einstein' of a species phenomenon. I want every single example folks can remember. I'm going to compile all I can find, starting with that thread. I love this stuff!
We bring in all the feeders at night, put antibacterial soap in them, fill them with boiling water, shake them up and let them sit.
Then we rinse them totally, until the well water runs clear in them. We fill them with a mix of 1 quart water 1 cup sugar (1:4 ratio of sugar to water). Each feeder holds about 2 cups, so we make two quarts.
It's a lot of sugar, and a fair amount of work till you get a routine, but they do very well on this. We've done a fair amount of reading on hummingbirds, and they do eat protein (the little bugs in and around the feeder and in the trees), and they drink dew and rainwater. We do leave a water dish out for them, but I have read that it isn't necessary, they don't get dehydrated with the nectar like humans or other mammals would. I don't know if that's true, so I just stick to the 1 to 4 ratio.
We also do not color the nectar. Not necessary. Toward the later, hotter part of the summer, they finish off the nectar in the afternoon, so we sometimes fill them twice a day. The feeders always need to be thoroughly cleaned each day, though.
We had free-range yard chickens, and they trained the yard dog (which we got as a puppy) not to chase them, and to let them eat out of his dish. Actually, the rooster did most of the training. Solid, well-aimed peck on the top of the head to the little guy, and even though he grew up huge, he left them alone.
Animals are totally amazing. Really bright, for "dumb" animals.
My wife will be glad to know about this. Thank you
The last time I tried a hummingbird feeder, all I got was insects --- swarm type visits. But I hung some flowers pots after that and would have hummingbirds visit along with the occasional bee.
Now is was spring and I would prop the doors open to let the breeze blow through the house. The cats had gotten impatient and torn a hole in the screen door so they could come in and eat. Soon, the hen decided she wanted to come in and have some of the cat's food, too. She would poke her head in to see if the coast was clear. Then you would hear the tap-tap-tap of her claws on the bare floor. She would be pecking at the kitty bowl as fast as she could. She loved cat food!
Chickens LOVE meat, cat and dog food of any kind. Ours ate small frogs, lizards, little garter snakes, anything they could catch. I've always thought that if they were as big as swans, we'd be lunch. Chickens really enjoy raw meat, cooked meat, whatever.
No, we have a few of them, but not too many hornets or bees. There are a LOT of flowers, so maybe that's the reason.
You're welcome. ;-D
"Well, except the ones in California that tend to play with their nuts rather than store them."
Guys are the same everywhere.
My hens know when I come out to the pen, they are in for a treat. My husband feeds them the daily scratch - but I have leftovers, Frito crumbs, something special. They catch sight of me and start dancing!
I have recently got into birdfeeders and finding what food each bird prefers. (I had no idea the Mockingbird likes peanut butter, as you say.) The one/ones I feed love apples.
A few weeks ago I purchased a device that hooks onto a branch and has three spikes extending from it. I cut an apple in half and thread it on a spike. Between 12 noon and 2 pm every day my visitor comes to eat...I'm surprised at the voracious appetite that bird has!
Thanks for the url. It's a little scary!
What nice stories!
LOL!
Does anybody have an idea for a non-lethal solution for this or am I going to have to spend $160,000 to send this bird to MIT for an undergrad engineering education so he can figure this out for himself?
Do you have a frame house? Are you sure there are no bugs of any kind in the wood? That's the first thing I would check. We got some kind of carpenter bee (not sure if that's what it was--looked like a huge honeybee) that bored holes in the wood of our deck roof. I can see a woodpecker going after that...
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