Bird Feeders in The Villages

[marywil]

Some of my neighbors have bird feeders in their yards. Doves and cranes are the major visitors to the feeders. I wonder, however, if these are allowed here. It seems that the cranes could rely to much on the seeds and not eat their natural diet. Anyone know if these re OK or not?

[Ooper]

Nothing in my covenants prohibiting them.

[graciegirl]

I love the birds here. I would have loved to feed them so I could see them close at hand. It is allowed. Most places it has to be under your eaves.


HOWEVER, I have learned not only from reading this forum but from people who are veteran Florida residents that feeding birds attracts other not lovely critters like snakes and palm rats. Also a goodly share of the same people do not have palm trees planted because of the Palmetto bugs and other crawleys.


The folks who also have lived here for a good while say that the birds have enough natural food to sustain them.


But you certainly may.

[Cisco Kid]

Just do not put it on a fence.

[aln]

I agree with Gracie.
A neighbor of mine has a feeder out back and when there's food in it the most frequent visitor is squirrels; 2nd- snakes; 3rd birds!

[graciegirl]

WESH2 showed a home in the Orlando area that was virtually destroyed by rodents and other critters getting in the attic and even biting wires and small water pipes, damaging the interior ceilings badly and this was directly linked to the next door neighbor habitually leaving out food for wildlife and birds.


The news also had someone from an agency that showed that the next door neighbors had been feeding wildlife for years and in so doing were causing a major nuisance in the neighborhood and those creatures (rats, raccoons, squirrels)invaded the next door persons home. The damage was shown on the news, it was awful.


They showed paper plates left on the ground and debris from peanut shells and even knocked on the door of the neighbor that said they had stopped, but the agency said she hadn't stopped, they just couldn't catch her in the act.


Now that was an extreme situation, but it sure made me think. I know bird feeders do attract snakes.


I just watch the birdies on the golf courses and flying over and don't think about feeding them.

[cquick]

WESH2 showed a home in the Orlando area that was virtually destroyed by rodents and other critters getting in the attic and even biting wires and small water pipes, damaging the interior ceilings badly and this was directly linked to the next door neighbor habitually leaving out food for wildlife and birds..

I used my birdfeeders last year, but all I attracted were blackbirds and doves.

Not worth it, I think. I did grow some beautiful sunflowers.

connie

[nightstalkerths]

I have 3 feeders up I have had NO problems and have so many birds some time I fill them twice a day we love the birds.

[blueash]

Did a little online reading. Birdfeeders do not directly attract snakes. The fallen seeds and husks however are yummy to rodents. And the presence of rodents attract snakes. Thus if you want to not have rodents then snakes, don't let seed residue collect at your feeder.

[graciegirl]

On the note of birds, last Tuesday evening, a week ago, heading north on Morse, many carts had pulled over into the grass on the EAST side of the street and were viewing what looked to be thousands of white birds in the trees at some area of preserve of some kind. It was just north of 466.


Anyone else see this? It was about five in the evening.


Wowser moment for us, even from the car.

[villages07]

Gracie...they are there every evening. That is where they return to roost/nest after a day of exploring the Villages. It is quite a sight.

Bird feeders.... Neighbor had one, never seemed to attract any pretty birds, and I did see a small critter scurrying around It on the ground one day.

[Golfingnut]

On the note of birds, last Tuesday evening, a week ago, heading north on Morse, many carts had pulled over into the grass on the west side of the street and were viewing what looked to be thousands of white birds in the trees at some area of preserve of some kind. It was just north of 466.


Anyone else see this? It was about five in the evening.


Wowser moment for us, even from the car.

Every day for years.

[PaPaLarry]

They do sell a tray, that you hang from the bottom of the bird feeder, that catches all the seeds that go flying, as the birds feed. Also catches the seeds that are broken open by the cardinals etc. Easy to install to bottom of feeder. The tray is almost twice the size of feeder in circumference. Only a suggestion!

[DonH57]

I brought our bird feeders down with us but I used to use one to hang plants that attracted humming birds. Nothing in our restrictions. I just haven't hung them up yet because I'm not sure I'll actually use them untill we use the patio more.

[BarryRX]

On the note of birds, last Tuesday evening, a week ago, heading north on Morse, many carts had pulled over into the grass on the EAST side of the street and were viewing what looked to be thousands of white birds in the trees at some area of preserve of some kind. It was just north of 466.


Anyone else see this? It was about five in the evening.


Wowser moment for us, even from the car.

I saw them also and did a double take. I thought they were white egrets, but we went by so quickly I didn't get that good a look at them.

[gomoho]

[QUOTE=villages07;801213]Gracie...they are there every evening. That is where they return to roost/nest after a day of exploring the Villages. It is quite a sight.

I have seen them many times - and am continuously fascinated by this. Are they Ibis?

[ilovetv]

Leave the wildlife alone!! Why do people want to attract them into dependency on human feedings? And here is just one example from Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, about cranes, which is ILLEGAL to attract/feed them at homes:

Sandhill cranes are cherished members of the Florida ecosystem. They stand almost 4 feet tall and their bugling or rattling calls are haunting and beautiful. Sandhill cranes occur in pastures, open prairies and freshwater wetlands in peninsular Florida from the Everglades to the Okefenokee Swamp.

Florida sandhill cranes are present in many urban areas and some unlikely places such as golf courses, airports and suburban subdivisions. This is probably due in part to the rapid development of their native habitat by humans. Cranes are probably attracted by the open setting (mowed grass) and availability of some foods (acorns, earthworms, mole crickets, turf grubs).
People inadvertently put them in harms way when they attract these birds to their yards with feed. Some "feeding" is accidental such as when bird seed is spilled from feeders by other animals onto the ground below making a nice feeding station for cranes. But, some people deliberately feed sandhill cranes. In 2002, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made it illegal to feed sandhill cranes (Florida Fish and Wildlife Code 68A-4.00(3)).

Why is feeding cranes prohibited?

Cranes fed by humans can become aggressive toward people. In several instances, children have been attacked by cranes. Cranes fed by humans also have been known to damage window screens and do other property damage.

Living with Sandhill Cranes (http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/sandhill-cranes/)

[My Daily Run]

I have 2 bird feeders but I do not put mixed feed in my feeders as that is the feed that attracts black birds and all types of birds. I only use safflower seed and it is expensive and difficult to find but the only birds that will eat it are cardinals and morning doves but since morning doves are ground eaters they clean up anything that has dropped. All other species find the seed bitter so once in awhile you may see another specie but they will not stay around. I would love all types of birds but I don't want the black birds so I have many, many cardinals daily...babies and all...I love them.

[Happinow]

While it's great to feed the birds, please be mindful that you may attract a lot of them. A lot of birds equals a lot of chirping, squawking, fighting and poop! Our neighbors put in two feeders which were kinda like in our back yard year our bedroom window. The birds frequented the feeder at all hours of the night. They would fight and squawk so loudly it kept us up much of the night. It usually started about 12:30 AM and continued for much of the day. We had to ask our neighbors to take down their feeders so we could sleep. They weren't so receptive and ended our friendship. That's another story!

[Kimandhim19981@gmail.com]

It is a bird sanctuary, last year the water table was so low the birds did not use it because of the predators, this year plenty of water and once again plenty of birds, lovely.

[duffysmom]

I stopped feeding birds when a huge hawk came and ate the birds, particularly the mourning doves who are slow and ground feeders.

We have a neighbor who feeds ducks. Driving past their house you will see dozens of ducks sitting on the roof tops of their neighbors homes. I believe the reason for the feeder is entertainment for their cat who sits inside the house watching the birds and ducks. The hawk loves the buffet.

Never, ever feed the cranes of gators.

[Rango]

On the note of birds, last Tuesday evening, a week ago, heading north on Morse, many carts had pulled over into the grass on the EAST side of the street and were viewing what looked to be thousands of white birds in the trees at some area of preserve of some kind. It was just north of 466.


Anyone else see this? It was about five in the evening.


Wowser moment for us, even from the car.

Yep, say it also!

[Rango]

Yep, saw it also!

[Ohiogirl]

also a bird bath and a suet feeder (which the mockingbirds like). Just got back last night, refilled the feeders (which hang from branches of our oak tree, so there is cover from the hawks, along with several nearby vines and shrubs.

Filled them this morning and have been sitting out on the lanai looking at cardinals, a blue jay, pine warblers, mockingbirds and mourning doves (which clean up underneath). We don't have any squirrels (yet) in our 7 yr old villa neighborhood, and it took a few years for the birds to come after construction, but we just enjoy looking at them. I think because it's a small walled yard, maybe we don't get the cranes - they fly overhead, but never stop.

They are never here at night, start just before dawn, but there are not hoards of them. Seems every year we see a new species - last year it was brown thrashers, this year the blue jays. Once we saw a bluebird on the wall, and we will see a hawk occasionally. We have all kinds of natural feeders too - coral honeysuckle for one, but have only seen a hummingbird once - on our purple castor bean vine.

[graciegirl]

also a bird bath and a suet feeder (which the mockingbirds like). Just got back last night, refilled the feeders (which hang from branches of our oak tree, so there is cover from the hawks, along with several nearby vines and shrubs.

Filled them this morning and have been sitting out on the lanai looking at cardinals, a blue jay, pine warblers, mockingbirds and mourning doves (which clean up underneath). We don't have any squirrels (yet) in our 7 yr old villa neighborhood, and it took a few years for the birds to come after construction, but we just enjoy looking at them. I think because it's a small walled yard, maybe we don't get the cranes - they fly overhead, but never stop.

They are never here at night, start just before dawn, but there are not hoards of them. Seems every year we see a new species - last year it was brown thrashers, this year the blue jays. Once we saw a bluebird on the wall, and we will see a hawk occasionally. We have all kinds of natural feeders too - coral honeysuckle for one, but have only seen a hummingbird once - on our purple castor bean vine.



Ohiogirl, the doves come at sunset to take a bath in our fountain and our cats love to watch them from inside the screened porch.