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From: schultz@inuxg.UUCP (Paula Schultz)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Watching Feeders
Message-ID: <359@inuxg.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 27-Jan-85 18:45:44 EST
Article-I.D.: inuxg.359
Posted: Sun Jan 27 18:45:44 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Jan-85 05:32:41 EST
Organization: AT&T Consumer Products Div., Indianapolis
Lines: 33

Due to bad weather last weekend and being sick this weekend,
I have had to stay home a lot lately and have really been
enjoying my feeders.  I have three feeders behind my apartment
(a suet feeder, a thistle feeder, and a large one for sunflower seed)
and I have three feeders in my patio.  Last Sunday and again today,
I have had an American Kestrel checking out my feeder (probably
for weakened birds).  This is a first experience for me.  Later
this morning, a redtail hawk flew over my feeders also.  Even though
I know there is a survival of the fittest rule in nature, I'm not
sure how I will feel if I should see one of these hawks catching
one of my little chickadees that I love so much.

Since I have not been going out with my Audubon group very much,
I will tell you the few birds I have had at my feeders to let
you know about the common birds in Indianapolis!!

Each morning the first birds at my feeders are the beautiful
Cardinals, then the Chickadees come in, and then the Titmice.
Then come the Sparrows and the Mourning Doves.  Then come the
biggest eaters of them all--the squirrels.  I have three very smart
squirrels.  I used to have a large plastic trash can on my patio
with 50 pounds of bird food, until the squirrels ate through the
can--now I have to store the food inside!!  They have destroyed
three of my feeders so I was very interested in the squirrel-proof
feeders mentioned in another article.  I will look into them for sure.

During the summer and fall I had quite a few finches at my feeders,
but it has been quite a while since I have seen them.

If there are any birders in the Indianapolis area, please get in
touch with me and I will let you know when the Audubon trips are.
They have one trip per month that they visit different spots
around Indiana.