My blue jay friends love peanuts in a shell. Sparrows shelled walnuts. Cardinals love sunflower and pumpkin seeds. The squirrels eat all of the above. I find there are no quarrels if there is sufficient food for all. This is what I try to do. Also feed Henry Newton the feline. Daily. There is such joy in doing so. Giving.
From long experience ... black sunflower seed is universally popular and even small finch beaks can use and like it. A mixed small seed selection is good so long as it doesn't contain cracked corn which pretty well only pigeons will eat and gets wasted. Peanuts are good on a platform feeder or a "squirrel buster' peanut feeder. Finally suet blocks.
Thank you for doing what it takes to feed birds in the winter! It is one of those things that is so important to the birds, but does require a continuous attention and care. I know a retired couple who divide the tasks between them taking turns at being feeder cleaner and feeder filler. And this is to say little of the budgeting for bird seed and suet. As you have suggested there are ways to make one's own bird snacks and this can be a good project to do with grandkids. (For someone not sure what is good to feed birds both Audubon and Cornell Labs' All About Birds have good information and ideas.) Thanks for the many other stories today, too!
That experience seeing all of those Great Grey Owls must have been incredible. The seem so elusive. I have yet to see one and am hoping to see one for 2025.
Good luck ... I have been reminded that it wasn't only in Montreal - there were as many in Ottawa too. Every birder in this part of the world took a day off work.
My blue jay friends love peanuts in a shell. Sparrows shelled walnuts. Cardinals love sunflower and pumpkin seeds. The squirrels eat all of the above. I find there are no quarrels if there is sufficient food for all. This is what I try to do. Also feed Henry Newton the feline. Daily. There is such joy in doing so. Giving.
That article about the plant AI was especially interesting to me. The risks inherent in using LLMs are shown in sharp relief.
I love looking for tracks after a snow fall.
"What's good to feed birds"?
From long experience ... black sunflower seed is universally popular and even small finch beaks can use and like it. A mixed small seed selection is good so long as it doesn't contain cracked corn which pretty well only pigeons will eat and gets wasted. Peanuts are good on a platform feeder or a "squirrel buster' peanut feeder. Finally suet blocks.
Thank you for doing what it takes to feed birds in the winter! It is one of those things that is so important to the birds, but does require a continuous attention and care. I know a retired couple who divide the tasks between them taking turns at being feeder cleaner and feeder filler. And this is to say little of the budgeting for bird seed and suet. As you have suggested there are ways to make one's own bird snacks and this can be a good project to do with grandkids. (For someone not sure what is good to feed birds both Audubon and Cornell Labs' All About Birds have good information and ideas.) Thanks for the many other stories today, too!
That experience seeing all of those Great Grey Owls must have been incredible. The seem so elusive. I have yet to see one and am hoping to see one for 2025.
Good luck ... I have been reminded that it wasn't only in Montreal - there were as many in Ottawa too. Every birder in this part of the world took a day off work.