Things have gotten really quiet here. A couple cardinals, a few house finch and a small handful of woodpeckers are all I am seeing.

Yup. The birds are most likely nesting now.

Same thing has happened by me in NW Indiana.

Mine are still pretty busy. 4or 5 regular orioles, house finch and even at catbird hitting my jelly. Chipping sparrows and Goldfinch on the finch feeder. Getting a few hummingbirds here and there. Most interesting bird this week was a magnolia warbler at my bird bath.

I have to refill the feeder (mixed seed from Costco) once every 24 hours.


Those are band-tailed pigeons under the feeder. Each one is about the size of a squirrel. They take turns hanging on the feeder and knocking food down for the rest. They out-do the squirrels in making sure they get their share. The pigeons are around several months of the year but they seem to stay longer as they become more accustomed to my feeder.

I just lost a suet feeder last night. It's either bears or raccoons. Fortunately, I bought a backup last trip to Walmart.

Other birds still at the mixed-seed feeder:
blackbirds usually in a flock
black-headed grosbeaks (very common)
house finches
down to the last few juncos
stellar's jays
scrub jays
valley quail
morning doves
Things should quiet down soon as it becomes harder to use up the seed before it becomes moth infested.

The woodpeckers spend their time at the suet cake.
the black-headed grosbeaks spend their time evenly between the mixed-seed and the suet.
Of course the jays spend a lot of time at the suet.
The suet had to spend the night in the house as we have a nocturnal furry raider outside.

There are still birds on the thistle-seed bag but the but the lesser goldfinch have just left and the pine siskins left earlier. This year was the first visit for the siskins since the salmonella incident.
The turkeys are gone for a while, though.

I spoke too soon. Yesterday was 91 degrees and I saw not a single pigeon and only small numbers of blackbirds. Procreation must be on their minds.

Haven't noticed a significant drop-off, but I know they are nesting, since my neighbor has a hole in his siding that a family of sparrows is using. Since my feeder is in my backyard, I watch them come and go to the feeder and then their nest. If blackbirds are a problem, load up about 3 or 4 inches of Safflower seed in the feeder. They hate it, but the other birds don't seem to mind.

Now my feeders are quiet. Hardly any birds at all, except for the cardinals who live nearby, and an occasional jay. However, I have acquired a mallard and hen who have taken to grazing on the ground under the feeder.

Getting quiet here to. Sparrows and chipping sparrows mostly. House finch everyday eating my grape jelly. A few goldfinch at the finch feeder. Also have a regular pair of catbirds, but they're hiding out right now.

mr.barley: "Getting quiet here to. Sparrows and chipping sparrows mostly. House finch everyday eating my grape jelly. A few goldfinch at the finch feeder. Also have a regular pair of catbirds, but they're hiding out right now."

Until this spring I have never seen the house finches eating the grape jelly that I put out. I was home all this spring and spent more time watching the birds.

I'm guessing they will eat the jelly all year not just during the spring.