Backyard bird watching

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by justplugit

I think it's a juvenile female Cooper because of her size and coloring. Could be a Sharp-Shinned but hard to tell without a telephoto. Legs were very bright yellow.

I think it's a fish hawk targeting the fish in your window!

[Old Man]

...we had a Veytoslow pigeon show up yesterday....

[JohnnyD]

Been seeing a bunch of Blue Jays and Cardinals around. Finally motivated me to mount the feeders to the side of my place - landlord said he didn't mind me making a few holes to hang a couple feeders right in front of our bay window.

Ladder ended up being about 4' too short. Was probably an interesting site from the road seeing me hanging mostly out the window with the misses holding my waist to prevent a 20' fall. The effort was worth it though and we have a great view... now to wait for the birds to find them.

Mike, thanks for the bags. Worked perfect with the suet.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Ladder ended up being about 4' too short. Was probably an interesting site from the road seeing me hanging mostly out the window with the misses holding my waist to prevent a 20' fall.

LOL, prolly thought she was shakin ya and saying, " give it up".

The Cooper was back today at 12 PM wating in a tree above the bushes
where the English Sparrows have their daily noon time racket fight for a couple of
hours.
Right now I'm rooting for the Hawk.

[ProfessorM]

most blue jays I have seen in years this year. Won't take them long to find it. I filled mine, I have 3 , and they were there within a half hour and I hadn't put seed in them for a good year. It was like they were watching me.

[Raven]

fastest eating sunflower seed bird
is the rose breasted gross beak

or maybe its the longest...
dunno

but the females sit there forever
with a beak thats PERFECT for splitting seeds
and they never leave

[2na]

Raven, I do get the suet out too. 2 springs ago I kept every yellow rumped warbler in Truro fed til the bugs showed up. I would have a dozen sitting around it taking turns - never saw one before or since. I use the sparrow crop as a gauge as when to stop. I think the birds have to be given a chance to learn to feed on their own, but if they make it through winter I like to give them an energy boost until other food shows.

Yeah Johnny, those bags work perfect for the suet. They'll get crappy after a while, let me know if you want any more - I find enough of them on the beach.

Paul, I put a scrap of ply on a couple of sawhorses in the middle of the feeding grounds and throw seed on that too. I have 2 seed feeders and a bag of suet within 15’; I'll sit in the middle. The birds are accustomed to me so they barely spook. Mucho relaxing. The chickadees, pine warblers and red-breasted nuthatches will land within arms reach. I've wanted to try to hand feed them, but I think that would take too much time to get them to do it.

[FishermanTim]

Chickadees are probably the least wary birds when it comes to you and the feeders. If you are filling the feeders, they will usually be the first ones there, and if you place seeds in your open hand held as high as possible (or as close to the same height as the feeder) they WILL eventually fly onto your hand and feed.
I've done this a few times in the past.

As for feeding, I feed the birds regularly during the fall thru to spring when I wean them off of my offerings and let them fend for themselves. It's about the same time that the spring insects make their appearance, so they food supply is consistent enough.

My favorite bird based on their call is the mockingbird. They will incorporate many sounds in their call, including machines and man-made sounds. I've heard them mimic cats and dogs as well as lawnmowers and car alarms.
The one that made the cat sound was funny because it was poised at the VERY TOP of a tree near a local bus stop. When I heard the sound, I thought I was hearing things since I could clearly see that there was no way for a cat to climb that high (plus the leaves were off the tree), and when the bird flew away it finished its call in mid flight, at which point I turned to a fellow transit traveler and said "Unless cats can fly, that was a mockingbird!"
They got a kick out of it, almost as much as I did!

[ProfessorM]

Mockingbird calls are in my top 4 for sure. Some have been known to do 50 different calls in a row. Catbirds are pretty talented too but they never shut up. Got an affinity for the Carolina Wren but they are loud and early and wake me up some mornings, but probably my favorite bird. Beautiful to look at too. Also luv to listen to the Baltimore Orioles song too. Probably my fav though is the Robin. Listening to the robin as it starts to get dark in early spring as it sits high in the leafless tree is the best sound you can hear as it means the days are getting longer and warmer weather is coming out way. Brings me a smile all spring long.

[2na]

Tim, I've had them land on the feeder in my hand as I was hanging it in the spring. I've read about how to wean them away from fear by putting a little seed on a table next to you, then putting your hand on the table, next move it closer to the seed, then finally get the seed in your hand, but I just don't have the time. It would be cool, though.

Paul, I lived in an apartment next to a marsh way back when, and the mockingbirds would call nonstop straight through the night. It was the only noise in the neighborhood. I've read that yearlings do that.

[Backbeach Jake]

Catbirds watch me mow the lawn. Makes it easy for them to pick the worms and grubs out of the grass. Some times when I don't need to mow they'll sit in the Privets and bitch at me.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Mockingbird calls are in my top 4 for sure. Some have been known to do 50 different calls in a row. Catbirds are pretty talented too but they never shut up. Got an affinity for the Carolina Wren but they are loud and early and wake me up some mornings, but probably my favorite bird. Beautiful to look at too. Also luv to listen to the Baltimore Orioles song too. Probably my fav though is the Robin. Listening to the robin as it starts to get dark in early spring as it sits high in the leafless tree is the best sound you can hear as it means the days are getting longer and warmer weather is coming out way. Brings me a smile all spring long.

Turkeys roosting and Owls hootin

[justplugit]

P. another favorite of mine is the wood thrush singing in the summer
evening. Had one nest in my rhodies near the front porch one year.

I think they are related to the robin family as they like to stay in the
marshy areas of the woods.

[JohnnyD]

Haven't witnessed any activity at the feeder... until today.

First observed visitor (sorry about the image size):


So next on the agenda, I need a guide book. What do you guys suggest?

[Raven]

i see lots of leaves

[striperman36]

Audobon field guide.

[2na]

looks like a Goldfinch or a close relation

[PRBuzz]

Johnny D: "So next on the agenda, I need a guide book. What do you guys suggest?"

John I've got a brand new (better classified as unused) Peterson's guide and a rarely used Audubon, we can talk trade. I have 3 guides so will not miss one. I like Peterson over Audubon, I can show you both and you choose.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by 2na

looks like a Goldfinch or a close relation

Good call Mike. Seems to be a female American Goldfinch. Picture from a state's DNR website:

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Johnny D: "So next on the agenda, I need a guide book. What do you guys suggest?"

John I've got a brand new (better classified as unused) Peterson's guide and a rarely used Audubon, we can talk trade. I have 3 guides so will not miss one. I like Peterson over Audubon, I can show you both and you choose.

Appreciate it Phil, but I got yelled at last night when I mentioned "I might pick up a field guide tomorrow to be able to figure out what I'm looking at."

Apparently I ruined a Christmas gift from one of the grandmothers. Never did well with the whole "don't buy anything for yourself during December". I'll drop a couple hints on the Peterson's guide.

Thanks for the suggestions from you and striperman36.

[Raven]

Goldfinches are deceiving because they always change color

the females turn olive colored in the spring to be better
camouflaged when nesting

the males loose some gold ......... then regain it....

[2na]

Johnny, the best bird book out there is Sibley's Guide to Birds.

[goosefish]

Originally Posted by 2na

Johnny, the best bird book out there is Sibley's Guide to Birds.

It is excellent.

[PRBuzz]

Anyone else interest in birding field guides? I'm willing to barter......

[Raven]

i like all those GUIDES

but the best book on north eastern song and Garden birds
in my opinion is:
(to start out with- that is- not to carry)

song and garden birds of north america


an older book! prolly hard to find now
but it had small flex vinyl bird records in the back
which allowed you to hear each individual bird
as narrated by the bird guide
....and that helped me to identify birds better!

because allot of times you hear them
but cannot always see them because of dense foliage

[PRBuzz]

I just want to point out there are several really good websites nowadays for bird visual/vocal ID. We are in the internet age!

I'll post some later but if you have your favorite, please post.

really good site. Cornell Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search (includes multiple versions of calls/songs, video, color patterns and most likely to confuse with")

Common Birds of NE: http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio...CH_COMMON.html (no songs)

for those on iPad/iPod: http://www.birdjam.com/?osCsid=uggve...qgqko0d6ao4d92

[blondterror]

Another great gift for Bird watchers is the iFlyer bird call wand. It is a small handheld wand and a small field guide that has pictures of NA birds. Next to each pic is a barcode... you wand it and it plays their unique bird call. I went to Mt auburn cemetary last spring (cambridge, MA) with a friend who has one and this device is great. At $87 from Amazon not cheap but the birders I know love this device.

here is the link to Amazon:

Amazon.com: I-Flyer BirdSong Scanning Wand: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Raven]

watching chickadees pecking on frozen suet squares wasn't cutting it
as they hardly were making a dent in the now "wood like suet" ...
so i grabbed one......

brought it inside and grated it with a cheese grater into much smaller bite sized pieces for them

now the tuft TIT mice ,Nuthatches and Chickadees are loving life.

little things like this goes a long way in getting them enough fat to burn in these frigid temperatures and survive.

[JohnnyD]

I've had the feeders up for almost two weeks now. For the past week, I've only had the same two birds show up every day. Haven't seen a single one of their avian friends. What's the deal?

[Raven]

LOOKS rather high up ....
i have several types

the one they like the best is made out of wood and is ancient

the wire is wicked cold , so, add a wooden dowel perch to it
attached to the wire with some twisto's

they like LANDING zones
to scope it out first- i've found

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

I've had the feeders up for almost two weeks now. For the past week, I've only had the same two birds show up every day. Haven't seen a single one of their avian friends. What's the deal?

At least you have finches, you'll regret when the sparrows, blue jays and other less desirables show up and go through your sun flower seeds every day.

Agree with Raven, too high up and away from cover. Give them time others will find the feeder, especially at first snow.