Every morning I put out several handfulls of peanuts. I put 2 handfulls in the feeder and string one handfull along the deck rail. Then I can set in my recliner and watch them eat and they don't even know I'm there. This morning a male Cardinal came up on the rail and selected the biggest peanut of the bunch. But it was so large he couldn't get his beak around it to fly off with it. Then he put a foot on the nut to hold it and chipped a hole in the end of the shell. Then he stuck his beak in the hole, grabbed up the peanut and off he went. A Bluejay got into the feeder and picked up a nut then put it back down, then did the same with every nut in there. He finally selected one and took off. It then dawned on me that he was weighing the nuts and took the heaviest one! Now that's a smart bird!
Cardinals are so pretty, we have them come sometimes to our place. So, are you going to do the peanut thing every morning? I would think they would catch on pretty quick and keep coming by to visit you!
Have been giving them peanuts every morning for about 2 years. If you aren't out there by a certain time, they let you know! Sam's Club sells 4 lb. bags of peanuts for about $5. We go through about 8 lbs. a month.
The squirrels don't even come up to where the nuts are. The birds don't leave them out there long enough. They go through 3 handfuls in about 15 to 20 minutes.
The bluejays sit in the trees waiting for their morning slice of bread. The squirrels after the the chipmunks are usually the last to realize the bread is out. Jerry
We have a few squirrels that love to run along the fence top chattering at our dog. This drives the dog nuts and they seem to love doing it to him. If we leave the dog's food dish outside by accident, we have a few whiskeyjacks that fly in and take his food away, one crunchie at a time.
That is one very bright bird! I know that some consider them to be the 'bad birds' of the feeder but I love them. We give them peanuts too, and you are right, they will certainly let you know if you are late! I watched one Jay take the peanuts, one by one, and hide them in the grass. What he did not realize was that a squirrel was watching where he hid them and stole them all. The poor Blue Jay went from the feeder to each hiding place looking for them!
I have seen the same thing with the Blue Jays....they want the biggest that weighs more. But they do take the small ones if nothing bigger is around...I am finding peanut shells all over the yard and once in a while a dropped one or one with part of a nut in that the dogs go for....I do not like the results of dogs eating peanuts...(snicker)
We don't have any feeders but plenty of birds spend a lot of time in our yard. I love watching them too, especially when they are grooming the flower/veggie beds! Bluejays, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, doves, mockingbirds, wrens, occasional crows, robins, cardinals, occasional bluebird, oriole, and others I don't know.
Yup birds and peanuts are fun to watch. I have been putting peanuts out for the family of crows in our area. That way they leave my suet feeder alone and still get a free snack. Usually around 6:30 am I put them out in our front drive by the road. It's not to far from the house so I have a good view of the crows when they show up. They are so funny to watch as one adult will take a peanut and the youngsters will run over there and beg. The kids are as big as the parents but they still try and get a free meal. It's fun to watch them. One adult stuffed 3 peanuts in the shell in it's mouth one day. It had to try several different sizes before it got them all to stay. Then off it flew. They also take the peanuts and hide them about the yard and the in the front ditch. They stick them down into the grass and then pick some other grass and cover it up. Then the squirrels come along and find their buried treasures. I think the squirrels sit in the tree and watch where they hide them as they have no problem finding them. I am sure the squirrels are the whole time. Crows eating peanuts. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden ) Peanut hunting crew. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden ) There are six in the family of crows that come everyday.
