Backyard bird watching

[PRBuzz]

Wish the sun was shining for these pictures! Yellow shafted flickers. Got 2 pictures in flight trying to show the yellow shafts. Note in the last picture with the telephone pole there are 2 Hairy woodpeckers probing for a meal on the pole, the flicker is lower right quad.

[Raven]

The Red belly Wood peckers already found the suet
i smeared into their drill holes and are now going to be
a regular customers aound here.

Also when i was working upstairs on moving boxes i can see
on the suet below the Larger Downies eating plus goldfinches
have found the small feeder outside the bathroom window.

So Everything! is going according to plan

nic pics Phil just the same

[PRBuzz]

No more suet for me until Winter, the starlings and grackles eat a block a day!

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

No more suet for me until Winter, the starlings and grackles eat a block a day!

nope i run suet until it wants to melt then i throw it into a shopping bag and chill it up for rainy days...

i will be building several more bluebird house style feeders to
insert half blocks into it because it lasts longer.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Wish the sun was shining for these pictures! Yellow shafted flickers. Got 2 in flight trying to show the yellow shafts. Note in the last picture with the telephone pole there are 2 Hairy woodpeckers probing for a meal on the pole, the flicker is lower right quad.

nice, I miss them

[Chris in Mass]

good get

[PRBuzz]

Just had my first ever witnessed red winged blackbird visit the yard...

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Just had my first ever witnessed red winged blackbird visit the yard...

Can never forget their call. When i would go to my uncle's farm
they would sit on the cattails down near the stream at dusk and sing, pumper- neal.
The red on their wings is brillant against the black body.

That song brings back some great memories of much simpler days.

[spence]

We don't get many around here...

But one day.

I was cycling in south Tiverton. And happened upon a field with at least a hundred red wing blackbirds all on the ground in a field.

Very strange sighting. There must have been some odd food source that presented an opportunity.

-spence

[ProfessorM]

Really noticed the birds today. I was working on my boats today and I have a pair of Bluebirds in a box 10 feet away. The male was coming and going from the box all day with insects and my close proximity didn't seem to bother him. The cat siting on top of the box pissed him off but a rock chased my daughters cat off. I also had an Oriole in tree above me all day and also had a Carolina Wren swing by for a while too. I luv those Wrens but they do tend to be pretty loud early in the morning. Oh yeah the mosquitoes were pretty bad as the sun went down.

[FishermanTim]

I was fishing in Canton yesterday in my kayak, and one errant cast of a topwater plastic shad (black & white) landed in a dead tree branch at the waters edge. A pair of chickadees in the adjoining tree must have thought it was another bird, because they kept flying over to it and chirping up a storm, trying to drive it away.
Once I retrieved my lure, they quieted right down.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

I also had an Oriole in tree above me all day and also had a Carolina Wren swing by for a while too.

Oh man P. how i miss the orioles. With all the Elm trees just about gone and
my neighbor taking down her linden tree, I haven't seen one in years.

[Raven]

cow birds are the dumbest or boldest birds i've ever seen
been hanging around lately (i aM NOT a fan of them)

they are black with a brown head

i hung out all the bird houses and a few are getting regular visits
even a double handled basket over a branch and a half coconut got hung...

i inverted the lids on my rubber made trash cans to make improvised bird baths and they are being used allot.

[FishermanTim]

Cowbirds are a destructive bird. They will lay their eggs in other birds nests and their eggs hatch first, which allows the chicks to push out the other chicks and eggs and get the nest to itself.
In some wooded areas they are helping wipe out the native bluebird populations by having the bluebirds raise cowbird chicks, thus reducing the number of bluebirds every time they nest.

I love watching the birds when they are "courting" a potential mate, and also when they are feeding their fledglings.

[likwid]

Turkeys like black oil sunflower.

Just so you all know.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by justplugit

Oh man P. how i miss the orioles. With all the Elm trees just about gone and
my neighbor taking down her linden tree, I haven't seen one in years.

Hey Dave. That sucker is still there. I can here him right now as I type. Also got my usual few catbirds too. One that has taken up residence has got quite a few cool calls. They are right behind the mocking bird in the amount of calls they can do. I some times find myself yelling at the catbird to shut the heck up as they go on forever one call after another and gets on my nerves sometimes

[PRBuzz]

My oriole pair is back, hear them but haven't yet seen them. Want to get a photo. I've had them nesting in the back as long as I can remember. I have not launched a search for their characteristic basket nest.

[PRBuzz]

Good area resource (just type in zip code) and see nice pictures of your local birds:

Bird Identification Tool - Scotts Miracle-Gro

From Scotts lawncare.

[FishermanTim]

...or get a pair of binoculars and spend some time watching your back yard. If you put out different types of birdfood, in different feeding stations, you will attract a vast variety of birds to your yard.
Remember that not all birds eat the same food and eat in the same manner.
While some birds like woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, orioles, and nuthatches eat ONLY in the tree at a hanging food station (seed, suet or fruit) others like jays, cardinals, mourning doves, juncos, grackles and starlings are primarily ground feeders that feed on dropped seed, suet, fruit and also insects.
There are some that feed at both levels, depending on what they are looking for and is available.

Don't forget a birdbath, or some source of water for drinking and bathing. One thing that will constantly draw birds to your yard is a steady supply of water.

Get out there and start watching!

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

...

Don't forget a birdbath, or some source of water for drinking and bathing. One thing that will constantly draw birds to your yard is a steady supply of water.

Get out there and start watching!

They also like the sound of moving or dripping water.
If you put the bath under a tree and rig a small drip irrigation
hose above the bath and let it drip, they will come.

They also like flying thru a spray on hot days, but that uses a lot of water.

[Raven]

because the wind storm here is massive
today....

but it's time to make the Humming bird mix
and set out the 5 feeders on my front porch

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Don't forget a birdbath, or some source of water for drinking and bathing. One thing that will constantly draw birds to your yard is a steady supply of water.

Get out there and start watching!

Absolutely.My fish ponds are my main attractant during the warmer months.We generally don't even fill the feeders after this time of year other than the Hummer and Oriole feeders.

If anyone is considering a birdbath make sure its big and deep enough to put some type of small pump/circulator in.Otherwise its just another source of standing water that you'd have to change every day to avoid 'squitos.

[spence]

I put a small pool just above my waterfall and the birds love it.

-spence

[basswipe]

Just spotted my first Hummer of the year!

What a cool bird.He hung out for awhile too.Jane and I very much enjoyed watching it.

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by basswipe

Just spotted my first Hummer of the year!

What a cool bird.He hung out for awhile too.Jane and I very much enjoyed watching it.

Nice. My nectar/sugar water feeders went up last Friday. Haven't seen one yet. They might freeze tonight!

[Raven]

best humming bird feeders are at walmart because they completely
come apart for washing out the lil black bugs and GUNK
that clog them up and they're inexpensive

tonight it goes down to 32 degrees here
tomorrow i hang five hummer feeders on my front porch

[saltfly]

1st hummer showed up on the 8th.Right on time.I have lobster bait bags that washed up on the beach filled with dog hair.The hummer was interested in the hair and not the feeders.Each morning they take the hair for about 30 mins. then don't them the rest of the day.

[Raven]

Because the CEDAR log bird house i put up
is now claimed by a wren who's singing like crazy

it looked like it was made on a lathe, the
way it was hollowed out inside then it has this
cool rice paddy hat of copper or metal

i'm out in the back yard watching this "to fast to film wren"

this is his new Home



and these little dudes were blue eggs last week or so
they'll be tweetin for worms soon

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Nice. My nectar/sugar water feeders went up last Friday. Haven't seen one yet. They might freeze tonight!

It was just back now.I'm assuming its the same bird.

[Raven]

step1 -> buy a freakin COCO nut LOL

2. puncture coconut on black holes (there's 3 and drain c-nut milk)

3.when empty hold coconut in right hand with the three holes
at a 90 degree angle from palm and SMACK it on concrete
to make the semi- clean spiral crack

or cut it with your freakin ban saw.... i don't have one

power tools ruin the meat... i think

4. carefully run a sharp knife on the inside and make roads
to pry out with a butter knife.... a dangerous JOB
don't try this at home LMAO

5 . drill holes in shell

6. hang in a pine tree....fill with seed...
make sure drain holes are at bottom to prevent it from
holding water or seed will go moldy on ya

7. take picture


and yes ....i do have way to much time on my hands