Strange Bird at my Feeder

[Bearcarver]

Yes, nine Turkeys, all of them Toms as far as I can tell, too. You are right Bear, the only question is if any of the smaller ones are actually "Jakes". You can tell by looking closely at their tail feathers- not just by looking at the length of the beard. Adult male "Toms" will have tail feathers that are all the same length, while the younger "Jake" males will have noticeably longer feathers in the middle.

My favorite and easiest way for wild turkey is to JERKY them! I don't pluck or gut my birds, but rather just skin them, snip the wings, then just chisel and carve as much meat off the carcass as you can in the whole. Then slice the breast just like you would carve a turkey. The slivers in the legs are easier to work with and fillet them out when they are raw. I do a simple 4:1 dry brine (don't rinse) rest for pellicle, then smoke .

Yup---That's why I was guessing on the Jakes & Gobblers. Hard to see the tail feathers in the video.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

It makes you wonder what thoughts are going through Smokies brain...
Is he thinking dinner thoughts?
Is he plotting how he would manage the confrontation?
Or is Smokey glad to have the window pane as a protection?

I use to feed the birds here. Pretty soon they were leaving poop streaks on the pool fence, and I was hosing off the hard scape daily.
Not to mention them scattering seed and all manner of funny plants coming up.
Then a Humming Bird crashed on the driveway with a broken wing... couldn't save her. But she planted the seed.
I bought 5 small feeders, and put up 3 of them. The afternoon she died, a female hummer showed up and sat at the larger feeder. She fed, looked around, fed more, and looked around. Did this for around 20 minutes, like she was thinking of buying the back yard.
The next day, she showed up, about 5 others did as well. She sat at "her" feeder, while they fed off the other smaller feeders. And it began to grow...
Instead of filling the smaller feeders 3 times a day, every day... I began buying larger feeders. 28 ounce feeders.
As the herd grew, I added more large feeders. I got up to 4 of them, and sometimes filled all of them each day. (That was almost a gallon a day of sugar water. We were nearing a 25 pound sack of sugar a week.

I like feeding these tiny flying jewels (The males are colorful) because they do such tiny poops, and they can be hosed away when needed easily.
One day I decided to try doing a time lapse video of two of the feeders. The light wasn't good enough to catch the color flashes of the males, but it caught the nearly non-stop action.
At the time, during peak feeding, there would be around 60-100 or more birds feeding. Sometimes stacked 3 deep waiting for a certain "flower" to feed from. Like airplanes waiting to land.
They use nectar (sugar water) as energy, and eat tiny bugs like mosquitoes and gnats. One day I was sitting and watching them, one was buzzing in and out near a timber on the patio cover. Such curious behavior got me to slowly advance to see what was going on. The hummer was feasting on a hatching of baby spiders. Good Riddance!

We had some that wintered over in our mild climate. They actually will put on weight to have energy to burn to stay warm. Come Spring (the day after our one day winter) they court and mate. Then the female is entirely on her own to build a nest, lay her eggs, brood them, and the babies take flight in 2 weeks.
When they show up at the feeders, they will fly close to your face to look into your eyes. :)

No pictures, didn't happen. Feeders Abuzz

I like giving nature a place to happen, a sanctuary for them, and balance. Like when I trapped a feral cat eating baby rabbits in our old back yard. I released him behind where I worked, 12 miles from our house.
Sink or swim, deal with the Geese, ducks, and coyotes. But better watch out for the Red Tail Hawks... :eek:

Our biggest problem with feeding birds here is Squirrels & Raccoons.
I had a big feeder that would shock squirrels & Coons & make them jump to the ground, but the battery would died too quick.
Now I have two feeders that close the feed holes when more than a bird's weight gets on the feeder. They're working Great.

The most Hummers we ever had at once was 4, but we only have on small "4 hole" Hummer feeder out, and a Coon was emptying it every night, so Mrs Bear was bringing it in every night, just before dark.

Now since I had my Deck redone, I moved the Hummer feeder to the house wall above the patio doors, so the coons can't get to it, and we can watch the little guys real good & close.
And I'm working on two new mounts for my "Squirrel Proof" feeders. I got everything but the two 40" pieces of 3/4" Steel pipe.

I aim to be completely set-up before snow falls.

Bear

 

[HalfSmoked]

Our biggest problem with feeding birds here is Squirrels & Raccoons.
I had a big feeder that would shock squirrels & Coons & make them jump to the ground, but the battery would died too quick.
Now I have two feeders that close the feed holes when more than a bird's weight gets on the feeder. They're working Great.

The most Hummers we ever had at once was 4, but we only have on small "4 hole" Hummer feeder out, and a Coon was emptying it every night, so Mrs Bear was bringing it in every night, just before dark.

Now since I had my Deck redone, I moved the Hummer feeder to the house wall above the patio doors, so the coons can't get to it, and we can watch the little guys real good & close.
And I'm working on two new mounts for my "Squirrel Proof" feeders. I got everything but the two 40" pieces of 3/4" Steel pipe.

I aim to be completely set-up before snow falls.

Bear

Put a piece of 4" pvc pipe a round the post of your feeder and a squirrel can't climb it. Has to be long enough he can't jump to the top of it or against the bottom of the feeder so he can't get on top of the pipe.

Warren

 

[SonnyE]

I aim to be completely set-up before snow falls.

What's "Snow"? :confused:


J/K ;)

Up in Washington, My daughter and SIL seem to constantly battle squirrels out smarting their efforts.
Latest thing was one of those plastic collars they put on a dog to keep them from disturbing a surgery site. They hung it below the bird feeder and it seemed to stop the squirrels.

When I was feeding the other birds, there was the occasional bushy tailed raid. But not too much.
In the spring, I scatter Black Oil Sunflower seeds, mostly for the Doves returning. But that attracts the English Sparrows, who are veritable poop machines. :(
So over our back fence is an access road to the wash. If I simply scatter seed behind the wall, then everybody feeds over there. Doves, Chi-Chi birds, and the rats. And most of the inevitable pooping stays over there, too.

When I relocated our Hummingbird feeders, due to a particularly obnoxious dominating male, I hung one outside a living room window. That way Grandma and the kids can cuddle in her big chair and watch the hummers come and go to that feeder.
I have two more outside the office window, and one still on the patio for Mr. Ahole. :rolleyes:

Oh, and there is some weird looking bird that occasionally raids the hummer feeders. But I don't care. If it can get something, fine, have at it. It isn't much.
(Looks like a small peckerwood...)

 

[Bearcarver]

Warren & Sonny,
I solved the Squirrel problem with the feeder below, but I'm still working on the Raccoon problem.
Once I get the Iron Water pipes I should be good to go on Coons too.

It doesn't take squirrels long to realize they're wasting their time trying to get into these feeders.
Once they get their weight on the bottom of the feeder, the seed holes close up:

Bear

 

[SonnyE]

Looks great for the four legged problem, Bear.

 

[Bearcarver]

Oh woah! Rare pictures there Bear! I never seen any turkey come in that close to a house before! Neat to see!

Thank You Tom!!
Here at the Den, it's more like we are in their area, than them coming to us.

Bear

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Thank You Tom!!
Here at the Den, it's more like we are in their area, than them coming to us.

Bear

You need to set up those 24/7 game cams on your property so we can just watch them here at SMF .. lol.

 

[Bearcarver]

Those darn things are a somewhat of pest around my place. And a LOT of them. They roost in the tall trees behind my house at night. Then they come down and forage bugs around my house early in the morning. They make a lot of racket (especially the toms) and get my boxer dogs all stirred up. They peck loudly at the siding on the house getting the spiders and especially any slugs they can find. Soooo... I resist my urge to harvest any of them. I've never fed them, but we also have a couple of bird feeders they clean around so they return often. I think they are a benefit to have around.

Yeah They're fun to watch!!
However I always watch when the Wineberries are ripening, and pick them right when they are at their peak.
Well, one year I was watching close & I told Mrs Bear, "The Wineberries are just about right---Tomorrow I'm gonna start picking them". Then early the next morning 32 Turkeys came through & ate every berry below about 3 1/2 feet.
At least I didn't have to bend over much to pick, but I didn't get as many berries either.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Yeah, I live in the city (Oakland, CA) and they are a big nuisance. If they were good eating, there wouldn't be nearly as many. They roost in the trees behind our house and wake us up in the morning.

Great Pics, Bregent !!

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Turkeys in my area know no fear. When they flock in the fall they invade our garden and devastate everything. We put up an 8-foot deer fence keeping out that pest, but the turkeys simply flew over the roof to come in to ruin our tomatoes (they peck holes into each tomato). They poop on everything (sometimes there is a poop on every square foot of our yard), and even walk right next to our living room windows to look in to see what we are doing. Would be funny if they did not ruin our garden.

I'd harvest them, but they are so stringy and tough they are awful for a meal.

I agree---Not much good eating in my book. If you brine the Breast long enough it can be eaten, but that's about it.
As for the damage, the deer around here are worse.
I just replaced another 12 "Leyland Cypress" trees at $80 each. 7 of them froze 3 years ago, and the other 5 were Buck Rubbed to ruin. I got Chunks of Irish Spring Soap bars hanging on 6 of them now---I'll try anything once.
Some of those trees were replaced twice already.
Once they get about 12' to 15' high (4 to 5 years) they should be OK, but it's hard to get them there with the Buck around here!!

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

I got Chunks of Irish Spring Soap bars hanging on 6 of them now---I'll try anything once.

I've done this to keep rabbits away .

 

[Bearcarver]

You need to set up those 24/7 game cams on your property so we can just watch them here at SMF .. lol.

Yeah, My Son used to have one set-up in my back yard, but none lately.
Meanwhile I took some pics yesterday of the first "Smoke" colored Turkey I ever saw.
They're probably more common out your way than around here.

I'll post it, if I ever get it downloaded.

Bear

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Yeah, My Son used to have one set-up in my back yard, but none lately.
Meanwhile I took some pics yesterday of the first "Smoke" colored Turkey I ever saw.
They're probably more common out your way than around here.

I'll post it, if I ever get it downloaded.

Bear

Neat! All I can do is take pictures of the occasional deer ...nothing fun here!

 

[Bearcarver]

I've done this to keep rabbits away .

Does that work with Rabbits?
The Jury is still out whether it will work on my Deer.
I should know soon.

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

Does that work with Rabbits?
The Jury is still out whether it will work on my Deer.
I should know soon.

Bear

Yes and no . It helps . They were eating my stuff . I started putting lemon dish soap in a clean hose end sprayer , and spraying the foliage . I bought one of those trigger sprinkler traps , because someone was letting there dog " use " my front yard . Soaked the gal next door . LOL , she was all dressed up to go out . Walked the dog into my yard and she got blasted .

 

[johnmeyer]

Around here (Central CA) deer and ground squirrels are the most destructive, but the flock of wild turkeys that has settled in produce the largest amount of "effluent" of any winged creature I've ever encountered. The scat from Canadian Geese is nothing by comparison.

I am sorry to hear that they're not good eating, because that seemed like a good solution to the problem.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hi John,
We don't see much of that because the Turkeys occupy most of the forest around my house, and only stroll through my yards a few times a week. They don't hang around long, leaving piles.

Some people say they love to eat Wild Turkey---I just don't happen to be one of them.

Bear

 

[uncle eddie]

Warren & Sonny,
I solved the Squirrel problem with the feeder below. It doesn't take squirrels long to realize they're wasting their time trying to get into these feeders.Once they get their weight on the bottom of the feeder, the seed holes close up:
View attachment 377997

Bear

I have the same feeder. Works awesome! I once recorded a squirrel trying to slide down from the top and it fell to my concrete patio 12 feet below. I laughed my but off. I watch the video whenever I need a laugh. I hate squirrels.

Red Headed Woodpeckers weigh enough that they also cause the perch to drop - but they actually figured out how to get the seeds. They hang upside down, flap their wings to climb up to the seed port, weight comes off the spring, they quickly grab the seeds...repeat. They can stay :-)

Ed

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear

I have the same feeder. Works awesome! I once recorded a squirrel trying to slide down from the top and it fell to my concrete patio 12 feet below. I laughed my but off. I watch the video whenever I need a laugh. I hate squirrels.

Red Headed Woodpeckers weigh enough that they also cause the perch to drop - but they actually figured out how to get the seeds. They hang upside down, flap their wings to climb up to the seed port, weight comes off the spring, they quickly grab the seeds...repeat. They can stay :)

Ed

The feeder I had before these was even funnier to watch:
It took a 9V battery, and when a squirrel would stand on the bottom plate & touch one of the metal perches, he'd get a strong electric shock! They used to jump up, and do about a "1 1/2 in Pike position!", before falling to the ground, Then take off running. A shock like that was enough to keep them away for a couple weeks, but when the battery was weak or dead. they'd abuse the feeder, especially the plastic around the feeder holes.

Bear