[obol] odd birds

[Bobbett Pierce]

This is my observation on one of the species Dan talked about: Flickers have 
dumped sunflower seed out of my feeders for years and would gulp down 
something every few minutes.  I had assumed they were looking for insects of 
some sort, but studied the activity closely to see if I could tell what it 
was they were actually finding.  Thru binocs, I could see they were picking 
out sunflower seeds with no hulls, a few of which are always in a batch of 
regular seed.  I started buying hullless seed and adding some to the whole 
seed.  The dumping slowed considerably because they were finding more to 
eat.  Previously they would throw a half-gallon of seed on the ground in a 
short time in their quest for hullless seeds (I have a big tube feeder).  
Flickers still dump seed, but the amount tossed aside now is tolerable.  I 
do it year around -- a pair comes daily right now.  I don't put out a feeder 
with only hulless seed for the flickers because it costs too much and it 
would disappear in minutes -- it's popular with so many species.  Little 
birds get it in winter only, in one small feeder.   Lona Pierce, Warren

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