Linda,
Here in Central Texas we had several days of unusually cold weather. Our feeders were centers of activity, and I went out several times a day to put water in the watering stations. On Saturday the 9th, we had 19 species flitting about.
Our pond froze over, so no ducks, but we did see two Eurasian Collared Doves walking on the pond. Suppose if we had provided music they would have skated?

I keep my feeders filled year 'round, so my birds are never in need of food. They do eat as much when they have a natural supply of food as they do now when nothing is available to them. Please, don't forget the suet.

The store was out of the suet the other day (thank goodness; that means someone else is feeding the birds!), so I got the mixed seed & smooshed it into a glob of peanut butter.

They ate it!

wow its been freezing in north texas *its getting warmer though* but its weird because i have had the opposite. i have not seen a bird in a while! i always have food,water and suet but i havent seen that many in a few days. usually i get a bunch of birds, mostly sparrows but i havent even seen them!!!! its crazy! i have only seen a cardinal pair a few days ago but thats it.

Well, I only have one feeder, but I have to fill it every day! There's plenty birds and they are really hungry. I miss the hummingbirds...those won't be back here until spring. Did anyone see the program about hummingbirds...Nature, on PBS channels? It was amazing!

OK I heard a lot of little birds chirping today in Denton that are usually only around in the spring. I'm wondering if thats a sign that winter is over, or at least the rough stuff.

Toby, those are birds that were driven south by the Arctic blast. I saw thousands come through, heading south, right before the cold hit us.

Guess they weren't as far south as they thought they were. (smile)

I have lots of little birds here that I normally don't see! It's very unusual to see hummers in the winter, although not unheard of down here in Rockport.

I go through about 7 pounds of seed a day. Sam's can't get it in now...yikes! What's a good source for quantity? I haven't even looked at Lowes or HD. Where do y'all shop? I need to get some this weekend.

Thank you for reminding me about suet. I acutally have some homemade cakes from last winter in the bottom of the garage fridge.

I buy lard then put in whatever cereal and nuts are going stale. I mix in sugar the cheapest peanut butter, oatmeal, cornmeal and even raisins. Spread it out on wax paper lined cookie sheets and chill. It makes a lot of cakes. I also have a thistle sock in the freezer from last year.

I'm seeing some little gray birds flitting around in the afternoons. Loads of the usual guys: doves, grackles, pigeons.

Anyone else buy Sam's Morningsong birdseed? I emailed Scott's...the company who owns or bought it. Got the runaround with no information so I'm not hopeful of a supply anytime soon.

Cynthia, most of the feed stores such as Russell Feeds carry bird seed in 40 lb. bags year 'round. Billy

Cynthia,
I get 20 lb. bags at HEB. It's called Wild Bird Seed or something similar. Our local feed store also carries bird seed, but it is more expensive. If there is a Tractor Supply near you, they have it, also.

I get my bird seed at HEB. The birds are really going through it right now, and I just refilled all of the feeders and the hummingbird feeders.

I found these bird recipes somewhere.

The bricks are easier and smell much better than the kidney suet when melting it down. Bacon grease may be added as well if you have it.

2 1 pound bricks of lard
2 cups of crunchy peanut butter
Melt down lard and peanut butter, remove from heat and add:
3 cups of quick cooking oats
3 cups of cornmeal
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 to 2 cups of mixed birdseed
I also chop up and add whatever dried fruits I may have available at the time. Raisins, Currants, Dates, Cherries, Cranberries.

You can pour the mix into containers or let it cool a bit then add portions into those zip top sandwich bags and place them into the freezer.

Have had a good assortment of birds enjoying this mix, including Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Titmice, Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees and Starlings ... They will not eat the store bought suet anymore.

=====================================================================
This is a recipe use and it's not hard and MUCH cheaper than the store bought.

1 Cup lard
1 Cup peanut butter
1 Cup flour
3 cups cornmeal

Melt lard and Peanut Butter, add flour and cornmeal. Spread into an 8" x 8" pan and cool. It cuts into 4 4" squares. We triple it and us a 10" x 14" pan, this makes thicker cakes which last a little longer.
=====================================================================
Peanut butter Suet Cakes

Cups lard
2½ Cups crunchy peanut butter
½ Cups dried crushed egg shells
½ Cups cracked corn
½ Cups sunflower seeds
½ Cups crushed nuts
(The above 4 items can vary as to your desire. Can even use raisins and/or bird seed to make up the 2 Cups requirement)
6 Cups plain cornmeal
5 Cups all purpose flour

Melt lard & peanut butter over medium heat, or in micro for 3 minutes on high. Stir in egg shells, corn, sunflower seeds & nuts. In a separate bowl mix together flour and corn meal. Add to the lard and peanut butter by cupfuls until well blended. Mixture will be stiff. You can put into old store-bought suet containers, old milk cartons, or anything square. Freeze until needed.

This recipe makes approximately 8-10 store-bought filled containers. (Depending on how full you fill them)

Cynthia, I use the Morningsong from Sam's, and have been in email contact with Scott's about the tiny holes in the plastic bags since they went to the plain ones. Have not heard back since I sent in the numbers she asked for from that batch. I have fed it for years and years (ever since it became too expensive to purchase from Wildbirds Unlimited). The Morningsong at Walmart is NOT the same quality as that from Sam's. I must go to my Sam's tomorrow to see if they still have some in stock because I am down to my last 35 pound box. I will let you know if I hear back from Scott's.

Carrie
I agree it is not the same quality it used to be. Some of the bags are not as full, no little fruity bits more millet, etc etc

Still, it is soooo convenient in those individual bags and the less likely to mold for me.

Sam's has a great website. You type in your zipcode and it gives you all the stores in you area. The product code # is 674208.

I literally looked all around the area and found it in stock in Grapevine and Addison. Maybe other Dallas area stores too.

I just got back from Grapevine and they still had some in stock. This morning I called and was told they had 58 boxes. I loaded up and it's Saturday so hurry!

Scott's customer service was not interested at all. You can give your opinion of the product on the Sam's site and others have also noted the decline in quality. Still....it did also go down in price a little, but I wonder if Sam's and Scotts are trying to make it better.

(shhh, don't tell anyone, I keep a bag of seed in my car and literally feed the birds in parking lots. I think they know my car in a few places....don't tell the people...)

here's the Sam's link

Here is a link that might be useful: morningsong at sam's

Thanks, Cynthia !!!!

We have no birds either. Feeder is still full and hasn't been touched in over a month. May need to empty and clean it by now.

Sorry about that, Lynnemarie, I have many, many birds and I enjoy them so much.
Cynthia, in doing research, I learned that Sam's will be carrying a new brand of bird seed, supposedly better than Morning Song, soon. I may have enough to last until they get stocked with it. It will be packaged the same way ... five sacks of seven pound seeds per box.

Thanks carrie!
I got a little carried away and stocked up. I'll look forward to the new stuff though. I feed year round. The Cooper's hawk feeds too, that slows things down a bit.

Sam's is pretty good about demanding quality for the priviledge to be there. Sounds like Morningsong aka giant Scott's garden stuff has dropped the ball. Sure do miss the big striped sunflower seeds and fruity bits in the old mix.

Today I found a big bag of roasted unsalted peanuts at Tom Thumb on sale. squirrels will really love this development.

c

I don't allow the hawks to feed at my bird smorgasbord, Cynthia. A tin pan with a metal spoon or a broom is a very good deterrant ......

I think the owl is why I haven't seen any birds around my place. Heard one late one night back in December. Boy was he loud!
I did see some about 2 weeks ago.. for about an afternoon... but haven't seen any since. :(

carrie
I'm known to listen for the Bluejays alarm caws. I run outside if I'm not working with a client. I clap and shout until the cooper's hawk leaves. Still, she knows that there are often 50 or more ground feeders in the yard. The hawk flies over, the doves and pigeons take flight and occasionally the hawk gets lucky. There aren't feathers every day or even every week, but I can't stop the hawk unless I stop feeding the others.

I have tried aluminum foil and those reflective aluminum oven liners. Eventually the hawk figures it out. Foil did work under a hedge. The hawk would go under a sparrow filled hedge and just sit there. Once I laid down foil she stopped.

There is also a really big chicken hawk around. The crows and mockingbirds and jays gang up on it and I've literally seen it pinned against the top of a tree several times. Birds seem to work together to warn others of the hawk and to make the hawk's hunt as miserable as possible.

That is another thing I do, Cynthia, I feed the crows old bread and they do like to chase hawks.