[Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow

[Pamela Brustman]

The turkeys at my place hop onto the shepherd hooks and help themselves to
my feeders. I don't love this behavior.  It's only the females who do this.
The males just scratch beneath the feeders.
(St. Michael,  Wright County)

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024, 9:37 AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird <
mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote:

> After decades of seeing juncos eating only off the ground in spite of
> plenty of foodstuffs in the feeders above them, some of the smarter ones
> learned to utilize bird feeders. Mensa is an organization some humans
> formed to honor high intelligence. Hence, I coined the phrase Mensa Juncos.
> I am grateful that a few have learned to exploit bird feeders.  Especially
> since I am now 85, have vertigo caused by a brain injury in the balance
> portion of my brain. When it snowed I used to always clear the ground away
> below feeders for juncos to survive no matter how deep the snow..  Now the
> smart ones can get food directly from the feeders.  And they sleep under my
> deck.  And I don't have to worry about falling
>
>
> As a footnote, three Mensa Female Turkeys (of the 30 in the neighborhood)
> are smart enough to go to the ground beneath two of my feeders after a
> snowfall and scratch away the snow exposing spilled grains for themselves,
> the squirrels and the few ground feeding juncos still hanging around.
>
>
> Don Grussing
>
> Minnetonka
>
>
> On Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 12:24 PM, mary norman <marylouisenorman at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> To: miller johnson
> Cc: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; cdrussin at centurylink.net
> What does “mensa juncos” mean?   I just call them juncos.   Lots of them
> at our house near the Zoo!   And, while I have your attention:   I want to
> put out some raisins for the birds.   Do they need to be soaked in water to
> plump them first?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Mary Norman
>
> > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41 AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird <
> mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote:
> >
> > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold
> this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it
> could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to
> the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with
> Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes
> a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out
> from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos.
> >
> > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our
> winters!
> >
> > Molly Jo Miller
> > Inver Grove Hts
> > Dakota Co
> >
> > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-)
> > ________________________________________
> > From: Mnbird <mnbird-bounces at lists.mnbird.net> on behalf of DONALD
> GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM
> > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net
> > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect
> >
> > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House
> Finches are gone,
> > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers  in a crazy
> mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also
> in an energy burning war.  Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging
> to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover.
> >
> > Don Grussing
> > Minnetonka
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net
> > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net
>
> .
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