Dove's at Feeder

Ever watch a dove eat sunflower seeds? Now I know where all my seeds are going.

Straight down the hatch, no cracking the seeds open or playing around. They just pick up and swallow.

I have got to try and get a video of it this weekend. I didn't know they could eat so many seed.

Oh well.

Black oil or striped?

Doves, pigeons and others eat seed whole. They also eat small pieces of gravel to aid in digesting the seed.

Black oil, Hey I replied to this already but it didn't show up.

I heard about the gravel thing years ago, but had totally forgot.

Thanks

You want to see the Stellar Jays eat, whole seeds in their gullet until their crop is swollen and they cannot close their mouth! Expensive beasts, and they are all here now for the winter, and by here, lol..I mean in my backyard!

Came home the other day and I bet there were 30 Doves in the yard and around the feeder.

We have Blue Jays but I'm guessing nothing like Stellar Jays

I am downloading photos now, that I just took on the deck here. All the while all these Stellars are feeding, there is a hawk watching them in the birch tree. They are oblivious! For the last few years I have had about 30 Band Tailed Pigeons in the yard, now those birds are huge and amazingly fast eaters. They can clean out a screen feeder in about 15 minutes!( that screen feeder is an old screen door screen, lol)

Send me a link if you put the photos online.

Those are eating machines, I could not afford to feed them. If you could get a shot of the Hawk coming in for a try at one of them, that would be awesome.

There is some type of bird here that I have seen go after Doves, but he is so fast I haven't figured out what it is. I know Hawks will go after them be he seems smaller. He is a blur on the security camera.

Thats my next dream shot but I'll never catch him in the act.

I think the jays are just too annoying to eat for the hawk, lol. He does go after the little birds at the feeder though, feathers are seen every week. I am not very patient at sitting and awaiting a dive, but if it happens, you will be the first,

You could have a falcon, I have had them here as well. They are fast and smaller, and can get into places the hawks cannot.They tend to hop along the ground.

That's a funny pic of the steller's Flo. We have 2 here but they don't go to my feeder, but its ok with me because at the rate that the red-breasted nuthatches are getting my seeds and putting it somewhere, I will buy a new bag of sunflower seeds again this weekend (just bought it last Sunday).

jodelak wrote in post #15114731
That's a funny pic of the steller's Flo. We have 2 here but they don't go to my feeder, but its ok with me because at the rate that the red-breasted nuthatches are getting my seeds and putting it somewhere, I will buy a new bag of sunflower seeds again this weekend (just bought it last Sunday).

I have them all Jo! Nuthatches, Stellars,Chestnut backed chickadees,juncos galore.these are my winter time feeders. Luckily the feed has gone down a tad in price, but I also feed suet for the little ones. Still have one Hummer.

Flo wrote in post #15114743
I have them all Jo! Nuthatches, Stellars,Chestnut backed chickadees,juncos galore.these are my winter time feeders. Luckily the feed has gone down a tad in price, but I also feed suet for the little ones. Still have one Hummer.

I would love to have some of your chestnut backed chicks. I wonder why we don't have them here in Vancouver

Nice shots Flo.
I hope to see some different birds when things get cold. Loooks like I'm going to have to get out of the yard. We have a lot of birds around the state but you have to go find them.