I bought my mom some new bird feeders so she can feed and watch the red birds from inside the house. I put the feeders out several days ago and no birds are using them. Anyone have any suggestions? Or just wait till they find the new feeders. I even baited the ground with some bird seed.

They make a wicked red-bird call at Scheels. I'd pick one up.....

CS78 said:

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Are there trees around? I suspect they probably aren't moving further than necessary with the weather.

Might start off with sunflower seed if specifically targeting cardinals.

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Yes trees around the yard and then a creek full of big trees and brush a few hundred yards away.. I was wondering if the weather may have them hiding out down by the creek. She see red birds but hasn't fed them in a few years. I'll go buy some sun flower seeds and put them on the ground around the 2 feeders

Great idea!

Once they find the feeder they will always return I have 2-3 m/f pair that come back every year....they maybe never leave...i don't know.

But just keep the feeder full and they'll find it. A little scattered on the ground may help too!

Its funny you asked this today. My daughter asked me to add a feeder outside her bedroom window this morning. Just checked and she hasnt seen a bird yet. Business as usual on the other side of the house.

Also, I highly recommend these flat feeders if anyone is looking. The birds dont empty it trying to get at their preferred seeds so it last longer.

Amazon.com : Kingsyard Platform Bird Feeder for Outside, Recycled Plastic Hanging Tray Bird Feeders with Large Capacity 3.5 lbs, Premium Quality & Durable, Great for Attracting Wild Birds, Green : Patio, Lawn & Garden

We are covered up with cardinals. They dive bomb our barn cat and he ignores them until one gets a bit too close and it is red bird for lunch.

CS78 said:

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Its funny you asked this today. My daughter asked me to add a feeder outside her bedroom window this morning. Just checked and she hasnt seen a bird yet. Business as usual on the other side of the house.

Also, I highly recommend these flat feeders if anyone is looking. The birds dont empty it trying to get at their preferred seeds so it last longer.

Amazon.com : Kingsyard Platform Bird Feeder for Outside, Recycled Plastic Hanging Tray Bird Feeders with Large Capacity 3.5 lbs, Premium Quality & Durable, Great for Attracting Wild Birds, Green : Patio, Lawn & Garden

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I'll tell my mom she will just have to wait…they will come. I did a walk around her house this evening and saw the red birds hanging out in the back yard down by the trees and inside the covered part of the metal building… may have to get a feeder like that

Cool picture

all i get are squirrels and rats

Your in College station I believe

I have tons of red birds and about 20 dove and lots of wren and sparrows

South college station. Inwill see if I can get a pick tomorrow

I'd like a feeder like that, but the squirrels at my place would empty it in a hour.

Apache said:

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I'd like a feeder like that, but the squirrels at my place would empty it in a hour.

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My blood trailing dog identifies as a treeing Feist. No squerril would dare run the gauntlet across my open yard.

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I'd like a feeder like that, but the squirrels at my place would empty it in a hour.

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Ours works as a good squirrel shooting platform. Nice & flat.

Apache said:

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I'd like a feeder like that, but the squirrels at my place would empty it in a hour.

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I purchased the squirrel proof feeders.. it won't let the squirrels eat

Buy sunflower seeds and HD or Lowes. None of the other stuff...just straight sunflower seeds. T The birds will find the sunflower seeds. I can't keep mine full they go through it so fast.

This is the way. None of that stuff mixed with millet. The only birds that like millet are the house sparrows( English sparrows). All sunflower, all the time. They will find it.

Jason_Roofer said:

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Buy sunflower seeds and HD or Lowes. None of the other stuff...just straight sunflower seeds. T The birds will find the sunflower seeds. I can't keep mine full they go through it so fast.

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So will the deer they love sunflowers also

If a deer walks up to the porch and climbs up that tree to the feeder, I am going to be a viral youtube star.

But yeah, you are right, they do like some sunflowers.

Apache said:

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I'd like a feeder like that, but the squirrels at my place would empty it in a hour.

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At our old house in Houston, we had one like that and when I got done filling it, the WW doves would drop in and sometimes pack as many as 9-10 at a time into the feeder fighting over the food. But it kept them off of the other feeders, so I would put some in it for them. Also made it easier to trap and band them for TPWD when they were used to dropping in to any open feeder tray like that.

KRamp90 said:

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This is the way. None of that stuff mixed with millet. The only birds that like millet are the house sparrows( English sparrows). All sunflower, all the time. They will find it.

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Depends on where you are. Buntings, finches, and all manner of other sparrow like the millet. We have a bunch of lesser goldfinches that come to get safflower and millet but don't have much to do with any of the sunflower seeds.

I am in Northwest Austin. I'll sometimes put out a seed disk, or suet, but all the sparrows, wrens, chickadee's ect. will eat the sunflower seeds.

Painted and Indigo Buntings will feast on white millet. So will other songbirds. The state park here in Junction ceased using white millet because they said it would "attract cowbirds". This is total bs and the ebird data for sightings at the blinds proves it--very few cowbirds. But, much fewer Painted Buntings which many people visited the park bird blinds to see and photograph. I contacted Non-game Division at Austin HQ and was basically stonewalled. A friend sent me a photograph of the feeders at Guadalupe River State Park showing white millet in the feeders, so not even a consistent policy.

We have two painted bunings in south college station They sit on my cages in the garden in the summer

During the big drought of '11 (I think) a had a covey of Bobwhite quail come into my backyard to my little bucket of water & they hung out for 20 minutes drinking & feasting on millet.
First & last time I ever saw them.

Junction71 said:

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Painted and Indigo Buntings will feast on white millet. So will other songbirds. The state park here in Junction ceased using white millet because they said it would "attract cowbirds". This is total bs and the ebird data for sightings at the blinds proves it--very few cowbirds. But, much fewer Painted Buntings which many people visited the park bird blinds to see and photograph. I contacted Non-game Division at Austin HQ and was basically stonewalled. A friend sent me a photograph of the feeders at Guadalupe River State Park showing white millet in the feeders, so not even a consistent policy.

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I assume you were talking about South Llano State Park? Were you involved in setting up their bird blinds and water features there, or do you know who was? I was wanting to talk to somebody about the water feature setups they had because I would like to do something similar on our property to attract birds.

Send us a picture. If he responds. I would like to see it also

txags92 said:

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Junction71 said:

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Painted and Indigo Buntings will feast on white millet. So will other songbirds. The state park here in Junction ceased using white millet because they said it would "attract cowbirds". This is total bs and the ebird data for sightings at the blinds proves it--very few cowbirds. But, much fewer Painted Buntings which many people visited the park bird blinds to see and photograph. I contacted Non-game Division at Austin HQ and was basically stonewalled. A friend sent me a photograph of the feeders at Guadalupe River State Park showing white millet in the feeders, so not even a consistent policy.

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I assume you were talking about South Llano State Park? Were you involved in setting up their bird blinds and water features there, or do you know who was? I was wanting to talk to somebody about the water feature setups they had because I would like to do something similar on our property to attract birds.

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Yes, South Llano SP. When I moved here in 2002 three of the bird blinds were already built. I did help build the 4th one, at least the viewing house. The park at that time had a Park Ranger (Monte Terrell) who was an excellent rock mason. He built all of the water features. About 15 years ago he transferred to Mineral Wells SP and do not know if he is still there, retired or what. Those water features are what makes those blinds so attractive. They mostly use re-circulating pumps and are electrically powered with the exception of the one I worked on (Lora's Blind), which is solar powered. Having any kind of water feature, and it does not need to be elaborate, but one that drips or runs down rocks greatly enhances bird attraction. Wild birds just like the sound of moving, splashing water. I have a water feature on my property that uses a 200 gal/hour re-circulating pump (Home Depot) and I get buntings, orioles, goldfinches, warblers or whatever else is around, sometimes a Cooper's or Sharp-shin Hawk cruising or looking around. The water features at the state park are much bigger than mine. On those, as the water cascades downward it falls on a larger flat rock where it pools about .25 inch deep. The birds love it. I have seen as many as 7 male Painted Buntings at one time at the Lora's or Agarita Blinds. Of course Kimble County has a very high density of that species but the bird is found mostly throughout the state.

Several other state parks have blinds including Lost Maples, Pedernales Falls, Guadalupe River and probably others. I imagine Monte T. built one at Mineral Wells also. Those parks sent personnel to look at the ones at South Llano before they built.

Junction71 said:

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txags92 said:

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Junction71 said:

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Painted and Indigo Buntings will feast on white millet. So will other songbirds. The state park here in Junction ceased using white millet because they said it would "attract cowbirds". This is total bs and the ebird data for sightings at the blinds proves it--very few cowbirds. But, much fewer Painted Buntings which many people visited the park bird blinds to see and photograph. I contacted Non-game Division at Austin HQ and was basically stonewalled. A friend sent me a photograph of the feeders at Guadalupe River State Park showing white millet in the feeders, so not even a consistent policy.

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I assume you were talking about South Llano State Park? Were you involved in setting up their bird blinds and water features there, or do you know who was? I was wanting to talk to somebody about the water feature setups they had because I would like to do something similar on our property to attract birds.

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Yes, South Llano SP. When I moved here in 2002 three of the bird blinds were already built. I did help build the 4th one, at least the viewing house. The park at that time had a Park Ranger (Monte Terrell) who was an excellent rock mason. He built all of the water features. About 15 years ago he transferred to Mineral Wells SP and do not know if he is still there, retired or what. Those water features are what makes those blinds so attractive. They mostly use re-circulating pumps and are electrically powered with the exception of the one I worked on (Lora's Blind), which is solar powered. Having any kind of water feature, and it does not need to be elaborate, but one that drips or runs down rocks greatly enhances bird attraction. Wild birds just like the sound of moving, splashing water. I have a water feature on my property that uses a 200 gal/hour re-circulating pump (Home Depot) and I get buntings, orioles, goldfinches, warblers or whatever else is around, sometimes a Cooper's or Sharp-shin Hawk cruising or looking around. The water features at the state park are much bigger than mine. On those, as the water cascades downward it falls on a larger flat rock where it pools about .25 inch deep. The birds love it. I have seen as many as 7 male Painted Buntings at one time at the Lora's or Agarita Blinds. Of course Kimble County has a very high density of that species but the bird is found mostly throughout the state.

Several other state parks have blinds including Lost Maples, Pedernales Falls, Guadalupe River and probably others. I imagine Monte T. built one at Mineral Wells also. Those parks sent personnel to look at the ones at South Llano before they built.

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Yeah, I noticed how active the birds were around the moving water at the blinds there when we visited in November 2024. We are currently managing some family property for a wildlife tax valuation with songbirds as one of our target species. We would not have easy access to power or water supplies so I was wanting more information about their use of solar powered pumps and what to expect water usage wise. The property is between Boerne and Bulverde, and I was planning to build a guzzler type shelter to capture rainfall to a tank to feed the water feature. The main thing I was wondering about was what is their rate of water loss out there and do they have any run dry protection on their pumps. We are not at the property that often and would like to make it as low maintenance as possible, but don't want to be fouling pumps or running dry all the time.

txags92 said:

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Junction71 said:

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txags92 said:

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Junction71 said:

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Painted and Indigo Buntings will feast on white millet. So will other songbirds. The state park here in Junction ceased using white millet because they said it would "attract cowbirds". This is total bs and the ebird data for sightings at the blinds proves it--very few cowbirds. But, much fewer Painted Buntings which many people visited the park bird blinds to see and photograph. I contacted Non-game Division at Austin HQ and was basically stonewalled. A friend sent me a photograph of the feeders at Guadalupe River State Park showing white millet in the feeders, so not even a consistent policy.

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I assume you were talking about South Llano State Park? Were you involved in setting up their bird blinds and water features there, or do you know who was? I was wanting to talk to somebody about the water feature setups they had because I would like to do something similar on our property to attract birds.

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Yes, South Llano SP. When I moved here in 2002 three of the bird blinds were already built. I did help build the 4th one, at least the viewing house. The park at that time had a Park Ranger (Monte Terrell) who was an excellent rock mason. He built all of the water features. About 15 years ago he transferred to Mineral Wells SP and do not know if he is still there, retired or what. Those water features are what makes those blinds so attractive. They mostly use re-circulating pumps and are electrically powered with the exception of the one I worked on (Lora's Blind), which is solar powered. Having any kind of water feature, and it does not need to be elaborate, but one that drips or runs down rocks greatly enhances bird attraction. Wild birds just like the sound of moving, splashing water. I have a water feature on my property that uses a 200 gal/hour re-circulating pump (Home Depot) and I get buntings, orioles, goldfinches, warblers or whatever else is around, sometimes a Cooper's or Sharp-shin Hawk cruising or looking around. The water features at the state park are much bigger than mine. On those, as the water cascades downward it falls on a larger flat rock where it pools about .25 inch deep. The birds love it. I have seen as many as 7 male Painted Buntings at one time at the Lora's or Agarita Blinds. Of course Kimble County has a very high density of that species but the bird is found mostly throughout the state.

Several other state parks have blinds including Lost Maples, Pedernales Falls, Guadalupe River and probably others. I imagine Monte T. built one at Mineral Wells also. Those parks sent personnel to look at the ones at South Llano before they built.

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Yeah, I noticed how active the birds were around the moving water at the blinds there when we visited in November 2024. We are currently managing some family property for a wildlife tax valuation with songbirds as one of our target species. We would not have easy access to power or water supplies so I was wanting more information about their use of solar powered pumps and what to expect water usage wise. The property is between Boerne and Bulverde, and I was planning to build a guzzler type shelter to capture rainfall to a tank to feed the water feature. The main thing I was wondering about was what is their rate of water loss out there and do they have any run dry protection on their pumps. We are not at the property that often and would like to make it as low maintenance as possible, but don't want to be fouling pumps or running dry all the time.

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Most of the tanks are concrete like cattle troughs (50-100 gal. estimate) sitting close to or designed into the whole water feature. I know during summer they are cleaned twice a month for algae, detritus. Also during summer and due to evaporation the tanks are checked almost daily. I have to run water in my own at least every 2-3 days.

Years ago I was down at Neal's Lodge at Concan and they had some water hoses (on the ground) reduced down to tubing with misters on the end just spraying up in the air creating a mud hole. I was leading tours and we just sat on a bench and every bird in the area came to us. We saw birds that most Texans don't even know exist.

I will see if I can find photo's of state park water features to post.

Junction71 said:

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Most of the tanks are concrete like cattle troughs (50-100 gal. estimate) sitting close to or designed into the whole water feature. I know during summer they are cleaned twice a month for algae, detritus. Also during summer and due to evaporation the tanks are checked almost daily. I have to run water in my own at least every 2-3 days.

Years ago I was down at Neal's Lodge at Concan and they had some water hoses (on the ground) reduced down to tubing with misters on the end just spraying up in the air creating a mud hole. I was leading tours and we just sat on a bench and every bird in the area came to us. We saw birds that most Texans don't even know exist.

I will see if I can find photo's of state park water features to post.

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I was thinking of using a 275 gallon tote some distance away from the actual water feature tied to a small tub at the actual water feature, with a float valve in the tub to maintain the water level at the pump. However, I might have access to some 1000 or 1200 gallon poly tanks to use instead of the tote. Put a couple of sheets of tin flowing to a gutter feeding those and we might be able to keep the thing flowing a for a few months at a time just from rainfall before needing to top off the tanks with supplemental water. I am thinking a similar feature to what SLSP has, with water bubbling up onto a small pool, then trickling down a rock face onto a flat rock, then back into gravel over the top of a tub. My past experience is that the more you can minimize air contact with the water the less it wants to evaporate. Misters and drippers are great and birds love them, but the small drops evaporate really quickly.

You get rain in Kendall County?

Junction71 said:

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You get rain in Kendall County?

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Far western Comal, but the answer is no. We still hope for it now and then, but probably under 10-12"/year in 2022-2024.