Things that Austin Doesn't Have (so don't ask) (San Antonio, Waco: Home Depot, cabinet)

[thedude72]

Austin..Texas living at California's prices

[calel]

More ethnic restaurants (better Thai food, more Vietnamese--Houston kills in this department--, some Asian fusion maybe? some Persian food, more than one Ethiopian restaurant, more sushi than Uchi, GOOD Italian food, yes to delis!--I saw Anthony Bourdain eat a pastrami sandwich in a restaurant in NYC and felt my mouth water)

Not to say that we have more than enough or can even remotely match Houston, but we do have a good selection of Vietnamese restaurants (Sea Dragon, Tam Deli, all the various pho and banh mi joints). Shandeez Grill and Alborz serve Persian food. And we have three Ethiopian joints (Taste of Ethiopia, Aster's, and Karibu). We're crawling with sushi places, but the good ones are Tomo and Musashino.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by thedude72

Austin..Texas living at California's prices

I am guessing it's been a while since you've tried leasing an apartment in CA...unless you are talking about Modesto or some place like that.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

We've been here two years and are FINALLY getting some attractive birds around our feeder. I'll agree, most of them are not pretty to watch. The hawks are pretty cool, though . I do miss the cardinals and woodpeckers.

I saw a cardinal just this morning, in my backyard in the city, and I've seen them fairly often. I see woodpeckers in our trees frequently, along with finches and other birds besides grackles. We have a pretty decent variety. I don't have a feeder out, they just came on their own. Maybe my neighbors do.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

We've been here two years and are FINALLY getting some attractive birds around our feeder. I do miss the cardinals and woodpeckers.

Really? I saw a cardinal just this morning, in my backyard in the city, and I've seen them fairly often. I also see woodpeckers in our trees frequently.

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

We've been here two years and are FINALLY getting some attractive birds around our feeder. I'll agree, most of them are not pretty to watch. The hawks are pretty cool, though . I do miss the cardinals and woodpeckers.

You may be feeding the wrong food for what you want to see. Cardinals like sunflower seeds best. And they prefer a yard with shelter. If your feeder is in the middle of a wide-open yard, many birds may stay away from a location that is seed to make them vulnerable. Also, woodpeckers are not really bird feeder birds. You may get them with the right set up, feeding suet, but they are not seed eaters. Texas in general is good birding territory, although you see more diversity along the coast.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

You may be feeding the wrong food for what you want to see. Cardinals like sunflower seeds best. And they prefer a yard with shelter. If your feeder is in the middle of a wide-open yard, many birds may stay away from a location that is seed to make them vulnerable. Also, woodpeckers are not really bird feeder birds. You may get them with the right set up, feeding suet, but they are not seed eaters. Texas in general is good birding territory, although you see more diversity along the coast.

Or on our place, a bit north of Georgetown, which is in a major migration pattern and where we see everything from cardinals to red-wing blackbirds to Whooping Cranes to pelicans to Harris Hawks and Red Tail Hawks to yellow-bellied sapsuckers to Mockingbirds to cliff swallows to birds I can't even identify.

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Or on our place, a bit north of Georgetown, which is in a major migration pattern and where we see everything from cardinals to red-wing blackbirds to Whooping Cranes to pelicans to Harris Hawks and Red Tail Hawks to yellow-bellied sapsuckers to Mockingbirds to cliff swallows to birds I can't even identify.

Yes, also along the flyway.

[jenamanie]

Originally Posted by calel

Not to say that we have more than enough or can even remotely match Houston, but we do have a good selection of Vietnamese restaurants (Sea Dragon, Tam Deli, all the various pho and banh mi joints). Shandeez Grill and Alborz serve Persian food. And we have three Ethiopian joints (Taste of Ethiopia, Aster's, and Karibu). We're crawling with sushi places, but the good ones are Tomo and Musashino.

I have to agree on Musashino. It's more affordable than Uchi and almost as good in my opinion. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. It's a little hard to find if you don't know where you are going since it is housed beneath a so-so Chinese restaurant.

Also, as far as Delis how about Fricano's in Hyde Park. Yum!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

You may be feeding the wrong food for what you want to see. Cardinals like sunflower seeds best. And they prefer a yard with shelter. If your feeder is in the middle of a wide-open yard, many birds may stay away from a location that is seed to make them vulnerable. Also, woodpeckers are not really bird feeder birds. You may get them with the right set up, feeding suet, but they are not seed eaters. Texas in general is good birding territory, although you see more diversity along the coast.

Our feeder is 'fairly' out in the open(needs to be away from launching pads for squirrels), so perhaps I can reposition it. We're using a 'Birder's Blend' feed that is primarily black sunflower seeds. In Atlanta, I used a 'Songbird Blend' that smelled GREAT because it contained black cherries...yum-o!