It's for the birds.

[LBrandt]

I plant some giant sunflowers in my garden for a little shade over my vine produce so they don't sunburn. In the fall the birds some how like my sunflower better than the 100's of acres around me. It does give me some comic relief with them fighting over the seeds. Blue jays, Robins, Blackbirds and what I call Cowbirds all having a royal rumble over the seeds. Also a coupla sparrow hawks trying to catch a meal in flight. From what I have seen the hawks are still looking for a meal and the fight goes on.

 

[scrotcaster]

I agree its fun watching the birds pecking order.. Its hard to believe that blue jays can fly with the size of nutz they appear to have.. lol

 

[AR-15]

Those sparrow hawks when they want a meal they usually don't lose

 

[Davy Crockett]

Sun flowers are a bird magnet for sure . The blue jays moved in this fall and laid claims to them and I see they almost have them devoured, It's fun watching them hang upside down and reaching for every last seed Once they are picked clean I cut the heads off and use them in the bird feeder. I sprinkle bird seed in the head and the birds peck away all winter, The honeycomb design in the head keeps the blue jays from scattering the feed. I was looking at a 1924 newspaper a while back and saw something interesting , there was a report of a woodpecker that was spending the winter in Bottineau. I'm like :;:huh. Evidently woodpeckers didn't always spend the winters in this neck of the woods.

 

[LBrandt]

Great idea using the heads that way. I will try that this winter. Hope to get a new hip this Dec. so will need all the window entertainment I can get.

 

[Davy Crockett]

Great idea using the heads that way. I will try that this winter. Hope to get a new hip this Dec. so will need all the window entertainment I can get.

The good thing is if there is a heavy snow you can brush the snow off the heads and the bird feed stays. And if your going to be gon for a while you can fill them up and it will last a long time. My winter feeder is a big table with a natural environment , Pine boughs to block the wind A small dead tree with lots of branches for them to land and use to open seeds and sunflower heads for feeders. Good luck with the hip replacement , Not sure how your house is set up or if this would work for you but my feeder is right next to my office window , I have a double sliding window and simply open it and brush off the snow and feed right from inside. When I was laid up from back surgery it was nice to have it set up that way.