----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Sullivan
To: Dennis Paulson
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] unshelled sunflower seeds


Hello Dennis and tweeters,
I been mixing the sunflower seeds,halve and halve.I have also all feeders in one small area where there can go in to the thick brushes.This area attracts so many birds.But the most birds using the two suet feeders amongst them are the pair of Yellow rumped Warblers Townsend's and lately a Winter Wren.The Warblers been here now since end of November and coming all day .Occasionally there going to the seeds when all the many Bushtit's claming the suet feeders.If there is no room at all than there coming to the suet feeders on my patio right of the dining area.I would mention I use all suet feeders what are a block with holes and got perches,so there are 12 holes in one feeder.I also have my birdbath close by surrounded by bushes and I put up a guard so the cats can not enter.I been finding when I birded some time with good habitat that there are few small birds,so maybe this birds now using feeders in yards.

Cheers Ruth Sullivan
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Paulson
To: Tweeters
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 9:12 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] unshelled sunflower seeds


In discussion with my wife, I recalled why we tried unshelled (I'm defining "shelled" as with shells) sunflower seeds and then stopped using them. All through the winter chickadees and nuthatches gather sunflower seeds (with shells) to cache them, but they apparently won't do that with the unshelled ones, at least that was the behavior of our birds, and their visits to the feeders diminished perceptibly when we started using them in the feeders. So we went back to shelled seeds, even though it was great for a while not having the ground littered with sunflower-seed shells.


The only way I would use them now is for House Finches and the other birds that would eat them on the spot, but I'd have to find a feeder that the House Finches can't get into for the seeds with shells on them for the cacheing birds.


-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net








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