Backyard bird watching

[PRBuzz]

Does anyone do life lists? When I last updated, I was at about 220 species. Use to watch birds much more when young (HS/college) than now but I do have feeders active and just checked: 8 different species at feeders in preparation for the storm.

[Raven]

you can have all the feeders you want but
you need to do some broadcast seeding also where you can.....

the birds respond to their environment too
so increase their FUN any way possible...

they like "sheltered spots" especially in this snowy weather

that's why i mentioned the Quonset huts made from pine bark.


for example:
just now after going out food shopping we noticed a sign
for FREE Christmas trees ....that did not sell b4 Christmas
and i grabbed two and tossed them into the back of my car

they are now out on the deck in my little Bird play ground
and instantly the birds Love hopping around under them.

[Chris in Mass]

Funny you say that Raven. Just took my xmas tree down and propped it up in the woods near the feeders. It's like a mini playground before they hit the feeders.

The guide I'm using now is Kaufman's Field Guide to Birds of North America - pretty decent. I'm always looking - I'm a sucker for guide books.

[striperman36]

Audubon Field guides

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Audubon Field guides

Got the Audubon Birds and Rep/Amphib, too. I think the Peterson is better.

[PRBuzz]

Cold is really bringing the birds to the feeders today. Saw my 1st Red-Bellied WP (female) since putting out the suet about a week ago. Funny name for a bird that has no red at all on the belly! More appropriate would be a Redneck WP?

Bad news: starlings are zeroing in!

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Bad news: starlings are zeroing in!

I find they spook pretty easy with a bang on the window
or a little starling/blackbird chase.
Man can they eat suet.

[basswipe]

Feeder's are already jamming today.

[Chris in Mass]

Made a log suet feeder for the woodpeckers and added it to the station. Now it is the wait game. Made it like this (Duncraft), but with poplar.

[ProfessorM]

saw a bunch of bluebirds this morning around the boxes again. i have heard they will bundle together in boxes in the winter cold nites. That may have been the case. They should be south as I would if I had wings

[Raven]

if we buy a roasted chicken somewhere like say Bj's for five bucks

the black plastic tray goes out there with the left overs

and they devour it like Piranha

[likwid]

My parents have a small army of woodpeckers coming to their suet feeder. Dog keeps the squirrels away.

We just got a birdfeeder down here where I am now (Southampton LI) about 2 weeks ago and the birds have found it.
Had a Cardinal pair out there yesterday and the usual hundred thousand chikadees that have found it.

[ProfessorM]

tufted titmouse is my most abundant, and a lot of cardinals too. Really missing the few Carolina Wrens we usually always have but have been absent this year, although they were around a lot this summer as they woke me up often. Squirrels have been scarce the last few years must be the coyotes.

[Chris in Mass]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

...Squirrels have been scarce the last few years must be the coyotes.

I think you got a point there. Squirrels have been scarce my way too. Coyotes were so close last night they woke us up. We typically hear them when we are up, but they never have woken us up -Freaky

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Chris in Mass

I think you got a point there. Squirrels have been scarce my way too. Coyotes were so close last night they woke us up. We typically hear them when we are up, but they never have woken us up -Freaky

The real wackos are hunting them for food now?

[PRBuzz]

Got the wrens over here! Titties = chicks but all outnumbered by common house sparrows. Got 3 regular Cardinals, boy are they territorial.

[PRBuzz]

Did anyone watch the Nature special on hummingbirds? Just finished on WGBH2, should show again. Great footage and several new learnings.

[basswipe]

We've had lots of Wrens and Titmice here.The Downies have been absent around the suet feeders.

Haven't seen my Sharpie(hawk) yet this year.

The stupid Blue Heron is STILL hanging around!

[Raven]

maybe the presentation isnt right..........
for the smaller downies as i have both kinds
the bigger Harries cuz they have a brownish tuft of hair
between the beak and their head
it acts as a shock absorber when they rat ta tat tat
on a tree drilling it for bugs

i find they want a long profile to land ,survey, and approach
as they are very cautious with much bobbing and weaving to
make sure nothing has changed since their last visit.

the wife's been buying suet at Job lot about 7 cakes per week
so that their is several options available.
they seem to have a pretty good selection there
and the Nutties (i callem) nuthatches
and the smaller downies like the peanut suet...

nuthatches are quite fond of the smaller spanish peanuts
and like Cardinals favor safflower seed which looks
like a hulled sunflower seed except they are white.

[PRBuzz]

Today the birds were (almost) the food: visit by a sharp-shined hawk!

Right now at dusk about 20 mourning doves doing their best at cleaning up the ground.

[PRBuzz]

Playing with my VadoHD camera spying on the birds. First attempt nice shot of some mourning doves. Weird, the birds seem to know they are being filmed!

Doves.flv video by PRBuzz - Photobucket

[Chris in Mass]

Cool Cam. Shame you couldn't get some cards in the shot. I'd tak a Junco. Friggin Doves - Always in the way

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Chris in Mass

Cool Cam. Shame you couldn't get some cards in the shot. I'd tak a Junco. Friggin Doves - Always in the way

Doves were first. Got Cards, Junkos, and at end of day a Song Sparrow. Here's the song sparrow.

http://s772.photobucket.com/albums/y...gSparrow-1.flv

[Chris in Mass]

Nice. You mostly ground feeding?

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Chris in Mass

Nice. You mostly ground feeding?

I've got feeders but also spread mucho seed (premium mix: mullet, sunflower, and safflower plus thistle) on the ground.

[PRBuzz]

Haven't heard yet the forecast of the groundhog, but the birds say Spring is near: large flocks of robins seen over the weekend and today the house finches have returned.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Haven't heard yet the forecast of the groundhog, but the birds say Spring is near: large flocks of robins seen over the weekend and today the house finches have returned.

Mr Cardinal is making his 'Hey Babe calls too', gotta get all the new birdhouses up this weekend.

[Raven]

bitter sweet.... in the spring

those big narley vines that strangle trees
and make bright orangy -red berries
then they fly around and s h i t bitter sweet seeds
everywhere starting the whole process again for
future generations of robins.

[Peterjay]

Don't let the robins fool you - there's always a bunch of them that stick around all winter, congregating in wooded or swampy areas. They'll come out and forage when the weather is decent and head back to the swamp when it gets nasty again. I don't know what they've been finding to eat in my backyard, but it sure can't be worms. The ground's hard as a rock. Guess they live on seeds, dried berries, etc. until it thaws.

[PRBuzz]

Spring is surely around the corner: saw the 1st "TBuzz" soaring overhead .
Not sure why but we called them Turkey Buzzards vs. vultures in NJ. I think they are my 5,678th distant cousin, 5 times removed on the evolutionary family scale. No I am not related to "O"!