Backyard bird watching

[Raven]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

There have been no fewer than 20-25 sparrows on the feeder right outside my window every morning for hours and then throughout the day. So many of them, no other birds show up any more... damn things.

http://www.sparrowtraps.net/?gclid=COmg_92szKoCFcnc4AodWVZw1g

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

There have been no fewer than 20-25 sparrows on the feeder right outside my window every morning for hours and then throughout the day. So many of them, no other birds show up any more... damn things.

Same here! The parents are teaching all the young ones how to raid feeders rather than really have to search for wild food sources. They empty my thistle tube feeder in 2 days and fight off the gold finches, chikadees, etc.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Raven

http://www.sparrowtraps.net/?gclid=COmg_92szKoCFcnc4AodWVZw1g

Alright now that looks pretty damn cool. Not sure if it's worth the $55 to me though.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Same here! The parents are teaching all the young ones how to raid feeders rather than really have to search for wild food sources. They empty my thistle tube feeder in 2 days and fight off the gold finches, chikadees, etc.

I used to have a pair of goldfinches that were here all through winter and still coming back in the spring. Since this madness with the finches started, I haven't seen them back since and don't get any chickadees either.

Pretty much down to a couple titmice and nuthatches.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Alright now that looks pretty damn cool. Not sure if it's worth the $55 to me though.

if ya have some materials you could make one

[Raven]

it has allot to do with the plants on your property
and whats adjacent to you....

we have crown sparrows ,fox sparrows, chipping ect

but no english ,suits me fine because they are always rioting

[FishermanTim]

If you want to get rid of the sparrows, stop feeding them.
I rarely feed the birds during the summer because I want them to forage for their natural diet.
That also goes for other birds. Sure, eveyone enjoys the cardinals, bluejays, orioles, chickadees, titmouses, nuthatches, mourning doves and various woodpeckers. But I would like them to teach their young how to forage as if I weren't providing food, so that they can fend for themselves when the winter approaches.

I will feed during the winter, but as a supplimental food source, and not their ONLY food source.

Sure, having lots of sparrows around can be daunting, but if they were to feed on their normal diet, it would be small insects like mosquitos, so I encourage them in my back yard.
I will say that if they were actually a nuisance for me, I might think differently, but since I don't see them as a problem they are OK in my book.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

don't get any chickadees either.

Pretty much down to a couple titmice and nuthatches.

i was looking out the window..........

then it hit me.... J-D

are you feeding your birds straight
black oil sunflower seed?

because that could make a HUGE difference.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Raven

i was looking out the window..........

then it hit me.... J-D

are you feeding your birds straight
black oil sunflower seed?

because that could make a HUGE difference.

I've been testing different seeds, one time at a time - black oil sunflower, hulled sunflower, safflower, crushed peanuts - and some mixtures of the above with dried fruit and other goodies in it. Same result with most of them. Also, nothing I use has millet or cracked corn which I heard is like a magnet for HOSP.

The little bastards also plow through my suet, so I stopped putting that out.

[Raven]

yeah............. them and the starlings
go ravenous on that sh1t like piranha

[PRBuzz]

Not a bird post but has anyone seen squirrels devouring a holly tree? There are at least 4 squirrels seriously pruning this tree for the berries over the last couple of weeks. The branches on the ground (sorry for the blurry pic) are just from today. Other trees/bushes in the vicinity are not even being touched.

Must be a really bad year for acorns.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Raven

http://www.sparrowtraps.net/?gclid=COmg_92szKoCFcnc4AodWVZw1g

I hate killing anything anymore. How far do you need to take them
so they won't come back?

[Raven]

China

[justplugit]

LOL Rav,thats what i figured.

Those English Sparrows would find someway to get backfor the noontime fights in the forsythia bushes.

[Raven]

has long branches with growth just at the ends

in the backyard...
anyways the cooper hawk comes gliding- swooping
through the branches every so often

then all ya see is a single small feather
floating ever so slowly to the ground.

[PRBuzz]

I haven't had my feeders up for about 3 months and put them up Saturday morning. I can't believe the number of species and total numbers of each type bird that found the feeders within the 1st 24-36 hrs! They really aren't eating a lot of the food but are stashing it all around the area. I sure hope birds are better than squirrels at finding stashes....at least the wrens are finding the nuthatch's stashes.

The rundown: chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, house finches, cardinals, bluejays, juncos, hairy woodpeckers, redbreasted woodpecker, winter wrens, and of course sparrows but they don't count.

Maybe just forecasting the impending 2 snow storms?

The squirrels will have a special treat this year......

[JohnnyD]

Since putting my feeders up last December, I've never had any blue jays or wood peckers at them. Been seeing both pretty consistently lately. Also had a junco last week as well for the first time.

[Raven]

see that !
one junco last week
this week snow

some-how
they always know

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Raven

see that !
one junco last week
this week snow

some-how
they always know

Amazing and so true.

[basswipe]

Got the feeders going yesterday.Not much activity yet but we had a few chickadees and a wren this morning.

This has probably been the latest I've ever waited to put out the feeders.Hell I'm still feeding the fish in my pond,usually this time of year the deicer is already on and the fish have been done eating for a few weeks.

[Raven]

the old timer at Comet Pond told me
that they come in cycles of two's

(14 years a snow plow operator)

meaning that this winter will replicate
last winter.

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Raven

the old timer at Comet Pond told me
that they come in cycles of two's

(14 years a snow plow operator)

meaning that this winter will replicate
last winter.

Maybe, I'll tell you April 2012 what the winter was like.
I heard a stat that with the extremely warm Nov coupled with a warm Oct the chances of a cold (could still be wet) winter are unlikely.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Maybe, I'll tell you April 2012 what the winter was like.
I heard a stat that with the extremely warm Nov coupled with a warm Oct the chances of a cold (could still be wet) winter are unlikely.

NAO is extremely Postive, doesn't show signs of even coming neutral before the end of the year.

We could get a blast of arctic temps end of this week. it's been trapped up in AK/BC

[ProfessorM]

So I had to take down this monstrous white oak next to the house this past weekend. This tree has been the center of my bird feeding stations for 20 years. God I hated to take it down, perfect specimen, but it has just gotten to be too much work so close to the house. The next morning the birds all came around and were like WTF. Where did the tree go? Why is it on the ground? So I am in charge of cutting up and removing the wood to my stacking area so I didn't get the feeder put up in another location by then but I could tell they were pissed at me for not having their breakfast ready for them. Late that day I put it up on another tree, not as good as viewing for me , but they found it an hour later and this morning they were happy as clams.

[Raven]

One thing i can advise you to do
is to provide a "landing ZONE" for birds
so that they can do a look-see survey first
before they go to the feeders.

Just like at an AIRport
the planes have a runway then disembark passengers
to terminals and there is a rotation of planes coming in.

the airplanes don't land inside the airport buildings.

It's the same with Birds! and that's their comfort ZONE.

I have a dowel screwed to the house at the gutter level
then i have runway ONE screwed to an old fence post
where they have safe landing and hop on in further.

below that
i have various perches and feeders for them to explore.
and of course a recycled 8' footer christmas tree with SUET

on the other set up in the middle of the backyard i have three of
those metal "candy cane shaped" feeder poles in a row with bamboo
sticks going across the top tied down
and then a larger fatter maple branch on there too
so they can zoom down and land easily without any hesitation.

[Raven]

for photography

here's the results while sitting in the office

one for Paul and One for Buzz ;o)

[PRBuzz]

Nice! How much you pay them to pose, going rate 100 black oil seeds?

[nightfighter]

Wind blew seed all over the place last night. Found it >20ft from the feeder.... Threaded a dead circular saw blade through the wire that holds the feeder to keep the squirrels from climbing down to it so easily. So far, so good. If they get around that, I havce a 10 inch ready to try.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Nice! How much you pay them to pose, going rate 100 black oil seeds?

Suet....
with 4 degrees coming it's more important than seed to them
for survival... otherwise a seed mix with Spanish peanuts

Ross a policeman out in Cal is the latest abuser...
just sprayed a baby squirrel in the eyes with pepper spray....
and he is catchin hell for it... like pissin on dead guys

[PRBuzz]

new bird for the life list today: Snowy Owl

Not expecting to do bird watching so photo taken on an iPhone (thanks ODM) through a spotting scope.

Anyone else that wants to go see it: Sachuest Point National Wildlife refuge