Seed

I bought a new bird feeder a few weeks ago, one specifically designed to ward off the squirrels — it has a motorized perch that spins when activated by weight. (The birds are light enough not to trip the mechanism.) One of the more clever of the squirrels learned to hang upside-down from the corner of the house to access the feeder without causing the perch to spin, so I had to hang it further out. (This has not, however, deterred one of the deer, who uses her tongue. But I don't think she visits all that often, certainly not enough to make a substantial difference.)

I am startled to discover how much seed the birds go through in just a few days! I always thought it was the squirrels that were eating most of the seed — now I think it's the finches. I have a feeder just for them, full of thistle seed, but they seem to prefer the mix that I buy for the chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. (I suspect they're picking out everything to find seed they prefer, and dropping the rest to the ground.)