I know this is off topic but I know that Steve has just started hanging feeders for the goldfinches and I thought I would let him know that the mourning dove he has hanging arround is probably eyeing the thistle seed on the ground. I watched a mourning dove the other on Sturday spend almost an hour under my thistle feeder cleaning up all the fallen seed. When I went back there after the bird left just before sunset nearly al the dropped seed was gone.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Penny,

I forgot which of Steve's threads it was, but I think he mentioned that he noticed that his were already eating the thistle seeds from under the feeders. We have the Morning Doves, HOSP, House Finches and Mourning Doves doing that as I type this...
I think they all realize that if they want a free meal til fall, thistle is the only seed they will find here.
The Oriole and Hummer feeders are the only other feeders we have up right now. I just checked the Oriole map at Journey North and we hope to see the ones from our neighborhood return by the end of the week...can't wait!

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

thanks Susan Louise!
I had never noticed my doves eating the thistle before probably b/c I used to feed them safflower seeds until they got too expensive.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Penny, Yes I mentioned it before and with the feeders Im using the thistle was really piling up on the ground and that is when I attached the saucers to my feeders, but yes I have a lot of mourning doves here that have cleaned up 90% of what was on the ground and even cleaning up what had dropped into the homemade saucer attachments. Those guys can really eat a lot especially when you have a dozen or so of them hanging around.

As an update to another post I have been having modem problems the last few weeks and I had technician out here today to verify what I already knew, he checked my outside lines and my current modem, and yes he said that my modem was shot. He said he could replace it for $80. My modem being out of warranty. I figured as much I had already put my bid on a new one on ebay for $9.99. So I feel I can get it for between $10 and $20. The only way I can make my modem work is to leave power off for a few minutes then power up like it gets hot or something.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Good luck with your modem Steve. Sometimes even new ones can go bad.

Also glad the other birds are cleaning up the spilled seed.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39