Monaco
Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Hi guys. I know some of you will have suggestions for me. I so appreciate all of you and your ideas!
So, we've had a year of predation. It started with a juvenile red tail who hadn't left mom's territory yet. My neighbor to the north is a wild bird feeder extraordinaire. I get the benefits of watching the birds because I have a grove of Hackberry trees and her yard for the feeders. (I have goats and chickens, so I have to be very creative or stick to putting feeders outside the goat fencing.)
Anyway, between the buffet at my neighbors' and my chickens we fed that red tail very well. Almost as soon as he moved on to other big hawk things a kite moved into the pines in our front yard. I didn't lose anymore chickens, but our feeders in the front and the birdhouses (usually full) were deserted.
I love watching them all, I really do. But...there's no shortage of wild space all around us for the raptors. Someone local suggested that I put up feeders for crows, and they would pester the raptors away. Is that true? I love the crows too, and grackles have a special place in my heart. A murder of black cackling would be preferable to the murder of the harmless chickens and cardinals. Maybe even the roadrunners will come back if the raptors go elsewhere.
Any thoughts?
So, we've had a year of predation. It started with a juvenile red tail who hadn't left mom's territory yet. My neighbor to the north is a wild bird feeder extraordinaire. I get the benefits of watching the birds because I have a grove of Hackberry trees and her yard for the feeders. (I have goats and chickens, so I have to be very creative or stick to putting feeders outside the goat fencing.)
Anyway, between the buffet at my neighbors' and my chickens we fed that red tail very well. Almost as soon as he moved on to other big hawk things a kite moved into the pines in our front yard. I didn't lose anymore chickens, but our feeders in the front and the birdhouses (usually full) were deserted.
I love watching them all, I really do. But...there's no shortage of wild space all around us for the raptors. Someone local suggested that I put up feeders for crows, and they would pester the raptors away. Is that true? I love the crows too, and grackles have a special place in my heart. A murder of black cackling would be preferable to the murder of the harmless chickens and cardinals. Maybe even the roadrunners will come back if the raptors go elsewhere.
Any thoughts?