Feeding island birds at our villa...

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:02 pm

I've read about putting sugar cubes out for the bananaquits. I would enjoy doing something like that...are there other birds or lizards that you can set food out for and enjoy seeing them come around?...and where do you place the sugar cubes?

Thanks!

PaminMaine · Post by **PaminMaine** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:20 pm

We just place them in a small plate on the railing of the deck!

Also used plain sugar in a plate.. They love it all.
Check out this video of them going crazy at the bird feeder at The Tourist Trap!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD9qEt-ME_Y

P-600 · Post by **P-600** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:56 pm

We put our compost stuff in a pile outside in our yard and it attracts the hermit crabs. Some of them are pretty big and are sporting some amazing shells.

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:24 pm

Hi Pam, that video was crazy! I guess that's how sugar eating birds behave

Ok, if I can't find sugar cubes I'll just put some granulated sugar out.
..and P-600 I love hermit crabs, use to have one as a pet. I'll try putting out some compost too and I'll report back..fun.

PaminMaine wrote:We just place them in a small plate on the railing of the deck! Also used plain sugar in a plate.. They love it all.
Check out this video of them going crazy at the bird feeder at The Tourist Trap!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD9qEt-ME_Y

luvinsun · Post by **luvinsun** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:37 pm

we never use cubes, the first thing that I always do as soon as I get to the villa, is get a bowl and put sugar that I have brought with me (until we can get to the store to buy some), out for the birds. I enjoy watching them so much. I always come home with more photos of the banaquits than anything else!

Have fun watching them, they are a hoot!

EagleRayLover · Post by **EagleRayLover** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:17 am

I love love love the bananaquits! They got so use to the two time a day feedings that they actually came up on the table and onto my cocktail glass to get the sugar off the rim!! The hummingbirds love a bowl of sugar water too!! I have a coup,e great photos and a coup,e videos too , but have to ask the hubby to get them on here as I am a techno doofus- can barely type as most folks know!!

luvinsun · Post by **luvinsun** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 5:16 am

here are a few that I've takenthroughout the years...

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:31 am

Those pictures are great luvinsun, I can really see the bananaquits beautiful colors.

Eagleraylover, I'll look fwd to your pics when your hubby has a free minute to load them

....but I will set some sugar water out too and we'll have fun watching to see if the hummers buzz by and stop to have a drink. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures....

Pia · Post by **Pia** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:54 am

Granulated sugar is far better than cubes - actually I've never heard of using cubes. I STRONGLY do not recommend you put any food/ compost out - between the fruit rats, ants, donkeys and others (that I won't describe) you will have a huge mess and I actually think the villa owners would not be happy that you have encouraged that as (sometimes) the critters, once they have found the source of food, will keep returning.

Pia

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:42 pm

Pia wrote:Granulated sugar is far better than cubes - actually I've never heard of using cubes. I STRONGLY do not recommend you put any food/ compost out - between the fruit rats, ants, donkeys and others (that I won't describe) you will have a huge mess and I actually think the villa owners would not be happy that you have encouraged that as (sometimes) the critters, once they have found the source of food, will keep returning.

Pia

Hi Pia, Point well taken...I wouldn't of put out much anyway just for the reasons you described...but I will put out sugar water and granulated sugar...and maybe I'll even bring some sunflower seeds and we'll see if I get any takers.
Thanks!

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:15 pm

If the seeds attract good birds, that'll be cool. There's a bigger black bird (robin sized) who's a pain in the neck and will steal any real food around. If they start coming around, you can just remove the seeds and they'll eventually go away. These are thrushies (thrashers?) and are very nasty, persistent birds.

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 5:52 pm

Uh oh mindehankins, those big black thrashers sound like bad news

...I'd better stick to sugar eating birds. Thank you for the warning!

P-600 · Post by **P-600** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:29 pm

The family that lives next to me has lived here for over 40 years and they were the ones that told us how to attract the hermit crabs and it works. We don't have donkeys or goats in Fish Bay and I definitely wouldn't want to attract those to my house and yard so I guess depending on where your staying makes all the difference, all I can say is we have lots of hermit crabs around, no rodents. Thank God!!

seagrape · Post by **seagrape** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:48 am

Dang thrushies make a mess of our porch. They are even on the sugar feeder (but I think they're eating the actual coconut husk). Probably time to get a new feeder...

Caw954s · Post by **Caw954s** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 am

Hello seagrape, I see you are from Alaska, another destination on my bucket list. What a long flight that must be for you to travel to St. John...but well worth it i'm sure! The thrushies sound like the starlings and grackles that descend upon my feeders in the spring and fall, they chase all the sweet little birds away, mow thru the birdseed in short order, and leave a mess..the Buggers...
Thanks for your reply!

usvi-on-line