Backyard bird watching

[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