As I've mentioned, I live on the west coast of Florida. More precisely, I live in a typical residential suburban
area with a fairly large backyard where I grow flowers and vegetables. I have one oak tree next to the house and a (dying) bottlebrush tree in front of the dining room window.
My neighbors' yards are also fairly heavily treed. Therefore, the birds have ample opportunity to nest in this
area.
What I Feed the Birds
I started with a commercial wild bird mixture with some sunflower.
However, I soon found out that the birds I encounter particularly like
sunflower seeds. So I started to supplement that commercial mix with
sunflower seed. Nowadays, I always buy my seed from Wild Birds Unlimited.
I started out with sunflower, Select blend (50% millet), and Supreme blend (sunflower,
striped, oil, and chips, and safflower). Then, when my WBU store
stopped carrying the Select blend, I switched to millet, special-ordered in 50-lb. bags from the manufacturer through WBU.
Nowadays, I only buy the Deluxe blend, which is very close to what I was looking for. It has sunflower, safflower, millet, corn, and a few other seeds that the birds seem to really like. I also occasionally buy cracked corn in small bags. In addition to seed, I buy quite a lot of "Naturally Nuts" suet, usually in 12-cake cases. Birds go through this very quickly. They're very fond of it.
My Feeders
My main feeder is a hopper feeder (below, center) by Rubbermaid, which is located under the oak tree. Unfortunately, you can't find this feeder in stores anymore. In recent years, I've been able to make it virtually squirrel-proof. I installed a baffle just above the feeder and it's working pretty well (certainly better
than without it!). The clear baffle extends 20 inches and is so close to
the roof of the feeder that it makes it [nearly] impossible for squirrels
to jump on the roof. The only thing they can jump on is the baffle itself.
And that is never-ending fun. Staying on the baffle is in itself a great accomplishment for any squirrel, but actually getting to the seed is another matter. As soon as the squirrel moves to the edges of the baffle, the baffle tilts and down goes the squirrel! Many have already stopped trying and are now eating what's thrown on the ground by the birds. Just as it should be. If you're interested in buying this baffle, you can find it at your local Wild Birds Unlimited store.
At that time, I also purchased and installed a suet feeder (below, left). I fill it with "Naturally Nuts" suet (smells like peanut butter). At the beginning, I used to have a problem with animals opening the top door to get bigger chunks. I've seen mice, squirrels, and even a possum do this, so I closed it with a twist tie. No more problems there. The cakes are very popular, so popular in fact, that once squirrels had discovered it, they disappeared into thin air! I finally bought a baffle (same as above), and I must say that it's quite effective. Many birds are crazy about suet. We often see mockingbirds, blue jays, grackles, red-bellied woodpeckers, and titmice on this feeder. I've even seen cardinals there! You would think they would eat the suet after the feeder ran out of seeds, but they actually eat from the suet feeder even with seeds available nearby. Just a matter of taste, I guess! Many birds also feed it to their young.
At the front, where there used to be a feeder, there's now a small fountain where birds can get a drink. We can't really empty it when the water's dirty because it's also populated with young frogs. I'm always afraid of throwing the baby frogs with the bath water!! It's too small for the birds to bathe in, though. When I get rich, I'll get them a nice, big fountain with rocks and all...
As for the back feeder, well it's a difficult situation. It's so close to the fence, and so close to the ground, that it's hard to find a feeder that won't get vandalized by squirrels. I've had a hurricane lamp-style feeder there, a square Rubbermaid lantern feeder, and a few other feeders, but with no luck squirrel-wise. This all changed when a coworker of mine gave me a squirrel-proof feeder (below, right) for Christmas. It's one of those feeders that are weight-activated. It's a tall, square feeder, with 2-3 feeding ports on each side, and an exterior case that slides down with springs, depending on weight (which is adjustable). Squirrels are too heavy. Therefore when they climb onto the feeder, the metal case slides down and closes the feeding ports. I have seen a squirrel or two on it so far, but it's been doing pretty well, overall. Even more noteworthy, I've seen a goldfinch (with its winter plumage) on it, which is the first time I ever saw one since I started birdwatching. Talk about exciting.
The Birds I See
Feeder Birds:
Non-feeder Birds:
Cardinal
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Blue Jay
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Yellow-Rumped Warbler (winter)
Great-crested Flycatcher
Common Grackle
Shrike
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Robin
Hairy Woodpecker
Turkey Vulture
Downy Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Tufted Titmouse
Mourning Dove
Carolina Wren
Brown Thrasher
Goldfinch (once)
House Finch (once)
Carolina Chickadee
Mockingbird *
* This is the most common
bird in our area (also our state bird). Mockingbirds are very conspicuous and are known for their amazing singing
ability. They sing all day and all night during mating season, and can reproduce just about any jingle they hear,
whether it's a car alarm, a cat's meow, or a rusty wrought iron gate! They're also very territorial, and therefore quite
aggressive. They'll dive on cats and humans alike to protect their territory. You've been warned.
What's New
January 2008.
The other day I saw a house finch for the first time! It was eating seeds from the hopper feeder. I took a couple of pics which I will post when I get chance. We also have quite a few wrens, titmice and woodpeckers at the suet feeder these days. I have quite a few photos of those as well (thanks to a new high zoom camera). Stay tuned.
Please note: Archived bird news are on the archive page.
Don't forget to read my 
I started with a commercial wild bird mixture with some sunflower.
However, I soon found out that the birds I encounter particularly like
sunflower seeds. So I started to supplement that commercial mix with
sunflower seed. Nowadays, I always buy my seed from 
My main feeder is a hopper feeder (below, center) by Rubbermaid, which is located under the oak tree. Unfortunately, you can't find this feeder in stores anymore. In recent years, I've been able to make it virtually squirrel-proof. I installed a baffle just above the feeder and it's working pretty well (certainly better
than without it!). The clear baffle extends 20 inches and is so close to
the roof of the feeder that it makes it [nearly] impossible for squirrels
to jump on the roof. The only thing they can jump on is the baffle itself.
And that is never-ending fun. Staying on the baffle is in itself a great accomplishment for any squirrel, but actually getting to the seed is another matter. As soon as the squirrel moves to the edges of the baffle, the baffle tilts and down goes the squirrel! Many have already stopped trying and are now eating what's thrown on the ground by the birds. Just as it should be. If you're interested in buying this baffle, you can find it at your local 
At that time, I also purchased and installed a suet feeder (below, left). I fill it with "Naturally Nuts" suet (smells like peanut butter). At the beginning, I used to have a problem with animals opening the top door to get bigger chunks. I've seen mice, squirrels, and even a possum do this, so I closed it with a twist tie. No more problems there. The cakes are very popular, so popular in fact, that once squirrels had discovered it, they disappeared into thin air! I finally bought a baffle (same as above), and I must say that it's quite effective. Many birds are crazy about suet. We often see mockingbirds, blue jays, grackles, red-bellied woodpeckers, and titmice on this feeder. I've even seen cardinals there! You would think they would eat the suet after the feeder ran out of seeds, but they actually eat from the suet feeder even with seeds available nearby. Just a matter of taste, I guess! Many birds also feed it to their young. 
It's too small for the birds to bathe in, though. When I get rich, I'll get them a nice, big fountain with rocks and all...
Pictures
