tjameswhite.com

I’m referring to grackles and sparrows of course.

A couple of years ago, we put up a thistle feeder to attract finches. We were partly successful in that a couple of House Finches came by, as well as a couple of American Goldfinches. The Goldfinches didn’t stick around much and the feeder has mostly been occupied by the various species of sparrow.

Over the weekend we picked up a second feeder — this one for the classic “generic bird seed mix.” I filled it with a pound or so of seed and within minutes the feeder was covered by sparrows, finches (both House and Goldfinch) and the Common Grackles. Mourning Doves were also in attendance playing their usual ground cleaning role.

Now the idea was for this feeder to attract the Cardinals and Blue Jays that are in the neighborhood. The Jay did, in fact, make a brief appearance, but the sparrows, finches and grackles mobbed the feeder.

Within a few short hours it was empty.

To give you an idea of how voracious these birds were, during the Really Big Storm that blew through in the evening, I looked out back and a couple of sparrows and crackles were still on the feeder. This wasn’t just a rain shower, we are talking driving rain, flooding yard, 40 mph winds, thunder, lightening and the tornado siren.

And still they ate seed.

Sarah and I have decided that we will only fill the feeder twice per week, max. These birds are going break the bank otherwise.

Addendum: I originally identified the male and female House Finch. I now believe that the what I thought was the female may have actually been a Pine Siskin.