Types of birds in Tennessee (Oak Ridge: area, roach, county)

[mbmouse]

I have noticed in the last several days all my little birdies (tuffed tit mice, chic-a-dees, house finches and such) look so skinny. I am assuming this is due to not needing as many feathers and body fat as in the winter, but is there a possibility I am spoiling them to much and not giving them enough nutrients? I put out some raisins the other day but no one touched them, gona try some other fruits and see what happens.
Still waiting for that elusive grosbeak to show up too...none yet.

[alleycat]

Nah, it's not what you're doing. They're out raising their young, looking for food for them, defending their nests, avoiding the neighborhood hawks, and whatnot.

[hiknapster]

My mourning doves are eating all my seeds, knocking all of the water out of the bird bath, and sitting in my vegetables. Still, they are so non-aggressive and sweet. Just kind of BIG.

[mbmouse]

That's what I figured but just wanted to hear it from someone else. You know us silly humans, trying to help out the wild life sometimes does more harm than good, I would hate to make that mistake. I just love my little critter friends!

[alleycat]

About the only thing you can do by feeding them is to get them used to having food there and then stop feeding them come winter. They'll waste their time looking for food where they've always found it.

If someone wants to feed the birds only part of the year, feed them in winter and then wean them off when it gets warmer and more food is available naturally.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

My mourning doves are eating all my seeds, knocking all of the water out of the bird bath, and sitting in my vegetables. Still, they are so non-aggressive and sweet. Just kind of BIG.

Throw some seeds out on the ground, scatter it all around, the birds will find it. The doves would probably prefer that to the feeder since they're ground feeders. And they'd be less likely to use your veggies as a perch.

[hiknapster]

Actually, they walk around my deck and eat those seeds, too. They are quite nice. They are not mean to the other birds. The finches just sitting there making funny faces at them.

Okay, Alleycat, I'll wean them next year, but this summer is too much darn fun!

[alleycat]

Oh, I feed mine year-round. If I didn't I'd have squirrels banging on the patio door wanting dinner.

Some people think doves will not attack any other bird. That's not quite true, but they are fairly well-behaved. I used to have dozens of them every year. I live on the higher side of the Harpeth River, the lower side was a flood plain and undeveloped. The doves by the droves lived there. Now they've put in a greenbelt, a new road, and developed some of the property so I don't get quite as many doves.

[hiknapster]

Ah, progress.

The doves seem like dumb lugs. Maybe they are faking me out. Perhaps waiting for that first tomato.

I'm getting the first tomato, no matter what any of them think.

I have NO squirrels. I wonder why?

[mbmouse]

This morning must be baby birdy day out. I was sitting out back with my coffee this morning and saw the Downy wood pecker with her baby feeding it from our corn block. The nuthatches and tufted titmouse's that I thought flew off were evidently sitting on their eggs because they had their babies at the feeders too. The purple house finches had a very bountiful spring as the one pair now have 3 babies with them. The baby blue jays are trying to fly about. They are all so cute and sweet, watching the moms and dads teaching the baby's to eat at the feeders and fly off when another bird sounds the warning call.
I love my little back yard friends.