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#81 |
Alternate POM Judge
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Maryland
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I called animal rehab places in my area to see if they wanted the house sparrows that I trapped. None of them wanted them.
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In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle |
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#82 |
Salamander
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Maybe my pet shop idea would work. They feed snakes dead rodents and birds would be a natural addition to their diet. You could even put up a poster at the pet shop if they let you. People could drop by and pick up their pet treats from you!
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www.michiganmartins.com |
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#83 |
Salamander
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Iowa, USA
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Ellen, that is quite disappointing. We're they raptor rehabs? When we dropped off our HOSP and Starlings, she was ever so grateful because they feed their raptors day old chicks, but they want the young to recognize what they will be eating in the wild. They really rely on donations of this sort.
Besides those, we give them mice caught in indoor traps and she said she'd be glad to take any rabbits, if we got those. We just have a bit of a freezer constraint with the super-sized rabbits we are now seeing. The DNR gives them road kill deer and people fish for carp. |
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#84 |
Salamander
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Iowa, USA
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My husband actually picked up a small chest freezer. I need all available freezer space for the upcoming harvest. I kind of cheat on tomatoes. When they are ready for picking, I put them in freezer bags after coring. When it cools outside, that's when I juice my tomatoes and the skins come right off as they thaw.
We hope to take another batch to the rehab place tomorrow. I jokingly said we may just run out of HOSP here. I am tempted to ask a neighbor or two if they would like to get rid of any. |
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#85 |
Carbon
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Iowa, USA
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Birding Bunch,
Where in Iowa are you located? I'm in Cedar Rapids, so of course house sparrows are everywhere. I'm glad you have had some luck catching and disposing of them. I would love to snap my finger and have the flock that hangs out in/near my yard disappear permanently(along with every other HOSP in North America), but I am just using monofilaments to keep as many as possible away from my sunflower, nyjer, and suet feeders. It works fairly well. I would love to attract bluebirds, but it's just not a favorable environment. Even if I trapped HOSPs, I'm sure there are thousands of others waiting in line to take their place. I've actually only seen bluebirds once in my life... a few years ago during south migration three of them briefly stopped in my yard. |
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#86 |
Salamander
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Iowa, USA
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We are in Central Iowa, out in the country. I have a friend in town who has a problem, but there's not a lot she can do about it being surrounded by neighbors.
We enjoy all the native sparrows, so there is plenty of food on the ground for the HOSP to get. They do not often try the suet or other feeders. The occasional Starling tries. They do not have much success with their fear of Kestrels (We have had a female Kestrel here for months now) and the Blue Jays chase them away.
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Perfection does not always equal neatness. |
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#87 | ||
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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I hear you regarding the house sparrows (and European starlings)--luckily, for my first 6 years here (in the country in NE PA), I've only seen these birds a couple of times in all of those years. I thought by just offering the black oil sunflower seeds, I was keeping them away...however, over the past few days, they seem to be showing up here. ![]() Quote:
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"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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#88 |
Alternate POM Judge
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Maryland
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HOSP's love black oil sunflower seeds. I have had a terrible time with them here. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I now put out safflower seed and grey striped sunflower seed and so far no HOSP's.
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In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle |
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#89 |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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Strange, because for years I never saw them coming for it...and the couple I saw always seemed to move on quickly, so I assumed black oil seeds were not to their liking. Now, I have to wonder if we just never had many HOSP around here--I hope that that is the case...although I hope it hadn't changed now that I seem to be seeing more.
__________________
"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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#90 |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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Other than cardinals, what eats the safflower seeds?
__________________
"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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