Put out seed in a feeder today first time since May, already had 6 species visit in the first 4 hrs. Are they trying to tell us something about upcoming winter weather. Yes, junkos too.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Front yard bird watching in this case.
 

Front of the house was covered with Winter moths this morning.We open up the door so the sun can come in and the storm was covered with moths.My first thought was: "kind of crazy no birds eat these things".About 20 seconds later I see a Wren fly up to the door and grab a moth.Ended up being a pair and this happened several times until the dogs barked!

Tried to take several pics but those buggers were fast.

Are they saying I will have to spend 2 grand on gas to go ice fishing this year again?:smash: Hope not.

in Jan maybe not, Dec. probably

White-Winged Crossbill?
 

Spotted a flock (maybe 12 birds) that I could only identify as white-winged crossbills. However, Peterson's indicates a range much further north than Cape Cod. They were picking at something in my shell driveway. We have a lot of pines and it has rained recently so thought that they may be getting pine seed. They were too small to be Pine Grosbeaks and the markings didn't quite match.

The best match was for the attached picture so I'm going with white-winged crossbill until someone proves that's not possible :)

Highly likely. Reading the Boston Globe there is a weekly article on birds seen, I think I read the cross bills are here for winter foraging this year.

because snow-ageddon is coming

Paul, that's awesome! I'll keep my eye out for them.

When working in the yard I've noticed the steady stream of pine seeds floating down, can't remember it being like this before.

I noticed this thread had reached 27 pages and came in expecting that Crafty Angler had steered it off course with discussion about watching "red-breasted warblers" and "long-legged bed thrashers" from his deck off Thames Street.

But it appears to really be about bird watching.

Actual bird related content. Had a red-tail tearing a squirrel to pieces in the back yard this AM. No way to get a good shot of it but it was quite the show. Happens about once a month and always provides some entertainment.

And on that note:

Golden Eagle Snatches Kid - YouTube

WOW that was amazing! Lucky kid.

Tough to say if it's real or a very good fake and the Internet is pretty excited about the video right now, but then again, they are capable predators.

golden-eagle-drags-goats-off-cliff - YouTube

:rotflmao: they navigate by sound(s)
"remembered" such as firetrucks ,church bells,
flowing water, and sounds of the spectrum unknown to us.

Birds in Mass can hear the sound of Niagara falls (long range)
similarly to elephants-> low pitch vibration

Don't forget to say Merry Christmas to the Birds

it's gonna be 17 degree's christmas morning -> well (here)

$2.00 of white Beef suet from the big meat market's goes a long way!

i have two pair of Blue Birds as steady customer's along with
BIG RED (a red bellied woopecker) plentiful Downies,nutty's and tit mice
all coming over to wolf down suet....
the nuthatches fly off with chunks to place in their secret stash tree
where they jam it up under neath bark for leaner days....

Some seens from the feeders today.
 

Had some and took some pics.

Some more.

Still more.

One more,the wall and Simon.The wall shot was an accident but what the hell.(That paper IS on its way out)

Bluebird on my Christmas tree

reminder:
SUET IS WHAT BIRDS REALLY want right now
that and melted water (a scarce item at below freezing)

the regular store bought suet cakes SUCK right now!
because in these temps they freeze solid as a rock and only
the strongest HAMMER HEAD birds in the woodpecker family can
bust some loose....

BUT, the regular MEAT section beef suet sliced like your carving a turkey -->
then fine chopped into 1/4 inch cubes is PERFECT

Seeing a blue bird swallow those...
the equivalent of a slider hamburger to us....
..... makes it OBVIOUS they are surviving and thriving
given the right food at below freezing temperatures. :uhuh:



Happy new year :wave:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...1/BlueBird.jpg

Bald Eagle
 

Not exactly backyard but I did see a Bald Eagle at Whitman's Pond in Weymouth today. Driving past the boat ramp on Middle St. glanced out and thought I saw something -black and white- in a tree on the opposite shore. Got my glasses and that's what it was. Watched for about 30 minuites after calling my brother to see if he had a camera with telephoto lens. He took a couple of pics but thought it was too far away to come out clearly. It was still there when we left.

Raven: what are Bluebirds doing in NE during Winter, should have headed south?

I have had a good size flock of them one late winter drinking the melting snow off my roof. Had to be 30 of them. I got some pics somewhere. The milder weather some years will keep some species from not being in a rush to get out of here. Heck robins are pretty much here at least in coastal locations year round nowadays.

thinking the same BUZZ
 

after watching them very intently just outside my window
for the last month as they eat fat.(very much like a Mad Scientist)
because i use one way glass....SEE

i am only one yard away and i can get 1 foot away if desired
i am sure without checking that they are related to the Robin

both have dainty style beaks and similar brown buff on sides
and their eye is circled in white...

If i was asked to officially rename them i would call them
BLUE Robins

but they're everywhere.... huge flocks
IMHO : Spring is coming early
my celery is already Growing even

Didn't know that, Rav. I guess duct tape over the ears would help.

The Fischer Cat took care of my squirrel problem this year.
Only one left, and he's too busy looking over his shoulder to eat. :hihi:

it was truly AMAZING...
watching the birds eat
at my new bird station as
the NEMO blizzard was winding down

there were about ten birds eating at different
spots and then a huge gust of wind
would send them sideways with no
opportunity to flap their wings
ending in a total WHITE out

Had a sleeper this morning. A female downy was clinging on the suet
feeder with her head back and eyes closed motionless.
At first I thought she froze to death there, but didn't want to wake her
by knocking on the window in case she was sleeping.
Watched her for a few minutes and she looked dead as a door nail.
So i knocked lightly on the window. She woke up opened her eyes,
shook her head back and forth and looked around in no hurry to fly off.

LOL,must of been sleeping it off after a buzz last night.

i saw one do that on the bark of a tree
and literally Vanish as the coloration
on their back perfectly resembles bark

kinda Funny here...i mounted this wicked curvy
piece of manzanita wood from the Cali woods
outside on the window sill feeder as a L.Z. (landing zone)

and they love being UNDER the ARCH because they feel
protected from hawks and other marauders....
(always scanning the skies)

Ya Rav, they look dead as a door nail. :hihi:
Great idea on the overhead protection.

Speaking of Arches
 

for those of you that enjoy building Bird houses otherwise known as Nest boxes......

I have found a Certain trick that encourages birds to take up residency

and that is to create a U shaped bottom with a thinner material
by either back cutting it if using wood ...so it will bend.....

or selecting a material that will bend on it's own...

some moisture getting in is desirable from the parent birds perspective
because the eggs need a bit of moisture to develop...

Ya mean like scoring a piece of plyscore?
I've found they also like cuts on the inside front of the house that
makes it easier for the little ones to get up and out when the time comes.

Where can I find out how to make certain houses for certain species, I work with seniors, and want to put them outside their windows. I probably want to make feeders too. ---Thanks