Backyard bird watching

[2na]

here's my hawk from last weekend, Small, a little smaller than a crow. ID appreciated~

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by 2na

here's my hawk from last weekend, Small, a little smaller than a crow. ID appreciated~

Mike, I think that's a Cooper's Hawk. I've seen a couple around my house.

[2na]

yeah. a Cooper's it is. A 1st.

I've noticed a lot of stuff around I haven't seen before. You have birdfeeders out Paul?

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by 2na

yeah. a Cooper's it is. A 1st.

I've noticed a lot of stuff around I haven't seen before. You have birdfeeders out Paul?

Yeah, I have bird feeders out. I "used" have suet out but there's a raccoon that keeps getting into it. He climbs out on the limb, and reels the chain up to the limb and perches the suet cage on the limb and eats the whole thing.

I've got to change my feed though. I'm getting a lot of the same birds. Tons of chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, and goldfinches.

[Sundowner]

Not much like sitting in the woods and having them come alive around you. I have been trying to id an accipiter hawk around my house and the other day saw it take a sharp turn up into a canopy not too far away so I will have to take a walk and look for a nest then set up shop. I have seen a few orioles around, is it true putting up oranges are an attractant for them? I also saw a bird the other day I have never seen, thought it might be a grosbeak, that I never id'd but couldn't match in my books. Gotta get a better look, its right near work, gonna bring camera.

[Raven]

easy to recognize a gross beak hence the name

their beak resembles a pair of wire cutters

the female is striped bigtime and the male looks like he's wearing a tuxedo complete with a ROSE

if that's a coopers hawk its pregnant

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by Raven

easy to recognize a gross beak hence the name

their beak resembles a pair of wire cutters

the female is striped bigtime and the male looks like he's wearing a tuxedo complete with a ROSE

if that's a coopers hawk its pregnant

I'm pretty sure it's a cooper's hawk based on the coloration and 2na's description of it's size. It's bathing itself so its feathers are all puffed out.

By the way, I was walking the old railroad bed between Great Hollow beach and Pamet Harbor in Truro today and spotted what I think was a black headed grosbeak, but I didn't think the eastern coast was in their range. Maybe it was a towhee, not sure. I couldn't get a picture.

[Raven]

i'd say it was a towhee as their head is completely black

they sound different too....

so............what kind of seed you gonna switch to?

i've been getting raided also so i put up a real bright light
for the time being as they like to be in complete darkness
if possible....

my seed mix has some peanuts and i keep finding the tops
of the feeders pulled up with only half the amount left each time

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by Raven

i'd say it was a towhee as their head is completely black

they sound different too....

so............what kind of seed you gonna switch to?

i've been getting raided also so i put up a real bright light
for the time being as they like to be in complete darkness
if possible....

my seed mix has some peanuts and i keep finding the tops
of the feeders pulled up with only half the amount left each time

Not sure what kind of mix I'm going to. There's a "birder" store in Orleans, I may go there and get some hints about attracting a wider variety of birds. I do get a lot of birds and the local feral cats can attest as they stalk my feeders.