They are back already. Grackles. There are not many, just 4 or 5 in my backyard, but soon they will come in swarms and eat me out of house and home as I attempt to feed my songbirds and toss some critter food to the squirrels. But I am prepared for battle.
Here is my plan to at least discourage the big, black freeloaders.
First, I will switch my primary feeder to Safflower Seeds. Neither Grackles nor squirrels eat Safflower Seeds, so if that is all that is in the feeder, the Grackles will leave it alone. Lots of birds – but not all – enjoy safflower seeds, which are said to be highly nutritious.
Chickadees, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, Evening Grosbeaks, House Finches, Indigo Buntings, Doves, Purple Finches, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Tufted Titmice and Nuthatches all will eat safflower seeds. But not bluebirds – and they are my main reason for feeding birds.
So….
I will have another feeder that the larger birds can’t enter, and I will put sunflower hearts in those. I will also have a special feeder with live meal worms so the bluebirds can feed their babies.
In the back of our yard, I will toss out some corn and an assortment of seeds and I don’t mind if grackles, ground feeders and squirrels eat there – just not at my sunflower heart and principal feeders.
That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it.