Backyard bird watching

[striperman36]

I had issues with squirrels and raccoons right up the street from Slip

After taking out 63 squirrels, and fortunately rabies got the raccoons. I went with the Audobon feeder pole shield.

I've never had problem since as long as I mounted the shield per instructions.

Now if I could keep the bastards out of my birdhouses. I'm putting sheet metal inserts in the entry holes this year.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Probably won't see him ever, scavengers will get it first! Way to go, only an infinite number more to send to their graves!

I'll be curious. He fell in the middle of nowhere so the tracks and digging will be obvious. Should have had at least a couple more but I suck.

[2na]

Johnny, the tail fur makes nice teasers - go dig it out!

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by 2na

Johnny, the tail fur makes nice teasers - go dig it out!

I thought of that a couples hrs later and the body(s) had already been dragged off by a predator, damn!

[2na]

Don't worry PR, they'll be more - it's like the attack of the zombies.

I get red squirrels too.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by 2na

Johnny, the tail fur makes nice teasers - go dig it out!

I have more deer tails and other teaser making stuff to last me a few years. Thought about collecting the tails and sending them off to Mepps, but I'm just gonna feed the local foxes for now.

I have a couple yuppy neighbors and the houses are pretty close so I'm trying to not draw any extra attention.

[ProfessorM]

Cardinals. Just counted 9 males and 3 females at the same feeder at once. So cool to see so much red in the same place. Most i have ever seen at one time. had 3 on the feeder perch at once and the others were on ground or on branches with in 3 feet.

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Cardinals. Just counted 9 males and 3 females at the same feeder at once. So cool to see so much red in the same place. Most i have ever seen at one time. had 3 on the feeder perch at once and the others were on ground or on branches with in 3 feet.

For a territorial bird their testosterone levels must have been off the charts!

[striperman36]

get your birdhouses up shortly. that smell is in the air!!

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

I have a couple yuppy neighbors and the houses are pretty close so I'm trying to not draw any extra attention.

Sorry to hear that, I could see a call to the ASPCA in your near future.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by justplugit

Sorry to hear that, I could see a call to the ASPCA in your near future.

What's the fine for killing a squirrel after the season?

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

What's the fine for killing a squirrel after the season?

It's the Peta people

[Raven]

PETA people Suck

Toch O he's sympathetic to their cause

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

What's the fine for killing a squirrel after the season?

I have a good friend who was reported by some yuppie for shooting squirrels
with his 22 in his own neighborhood.
He had to go to county court, pay a $2500 fine and turn in all his guns due to local weapon discharge laws.

The ASPCA heard of it and wanted to prosecute him for cruelty
to animals too but that was dismissed.

ASPCA was successful though in another town for a guy shooting RATS
in his garden!!!! Forget what the fine was,but it was stiff.

I could see it if he were shooting at yuppies.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by justplugit

I have a good friend who was reported by some yuppie for shooting squirrels
with his 22 in his own neighborhood.
He had to go to county court, pay a $2500 fine and turn in all his guns due to local weapon discharge laws.

The ASPCA heard of it and wanted to prosecute him for cruelty
to animals too but that was dismissed.

ASPCA was successful though in another town for a guy shooting RATS
in his garden!!!! Forget what the fine was,but it was stiff.

I could see it if he were shooting at yuppies.

Interesting. Ah well. I think a pellet gun will be a bit different than a 22. MA regulates slingshots more than pellet guns.


*edit* The whole rat thing got me wonder... wtf??? So are they going to start prosecuting people for putting out rat poison and mouse traps?

*edit #2* Did some poking around out of curiosity...
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Ge...r131/Section37
(my emphasis added)

Section 37. An owner or tenant of land or, if authorized by such owner or tenant, any member of his immediate family or his employee, as defined pursuant to section one of chapter sixty-two B, may, upon such land:—

(1) kill or attempt to kill, by means other than poisoning or trapping, any wild bird damaging his property, including domesticated animals, poultry and game on game-rearing farms or preserves, provided that such killing is not contrary to any federal law, rule or regulation.

(2) hunt or take by other means, except by poison or snare, any mammal which he finds damaging his property except grass growing on uncultivated land. No such owner or tenant shall authorize any person, other than a member of his immediate family or a person permanently employed by him, to place traps for the protection of said property other than during the open season, unless such owner or tenant has first obtained from the director a permit authorizing him so to do, which permit the director is hereby authorized to issue in his discretion, unless such authorized person holds a trapping license. All deer so killed shall be turned over to any environmental police officer and shall be disposed of by the director of law enforcement.

[FishermanTim]

I had a good sign, in a sense, this morning when checking the recent damage to my bird feeders. The squirrels had once again dropped it off its metal hook (unraveled clothes hanger) and tore it apart.
The good news is that in the process one of the little bastiges must have cut its paw pretty good, because there was a fair amount of blood on the snow and the feeder.

The other good news was I was able to fashion a squirrel baffle out of plexiglas sheeting, cut into a circle roughly 18-20" wide.

I may have reached a turning point in my ongoing battle with these flippin' tree rats.

[justplugit]

*edit* The whole rat thing got me wonder... wtf??? So are they going to start prosecuting people for putting out rat poison and mouse traps?

[/QUOTE]

This goes back 5 years or so ago and I don't remember all the particulars.
But there was a big hullabalou about just that, the rats were destroying
his garden and that was his defense.

So many regulations by the town, state and government agencies.
In high density residential areas I can see the gun regulations for safety,
but no traps is ridiculous.

[PRBuzz]

Has anyone ever heard of Canada robins? Weather guy just said he's getting lots of reports of robins as being a sign of Spring. He said what we are seeing is southern migration of robins from Canada. He commented you can tell the difference in that the Canada robins are fat and when the US robins fly north when Spring does arrive they will be skinny.


I've got a flock about 40 fat robins going around cleaning off holly bushes of the last remaining berries.

[Raven]

AS a type of Shelter from the Storm..... (blizzards)

i recycled a huge Christmas tree by tying it
to my wooden Bird feeder pole outside the office window.

In the Center of it i tied a suet basket feeder
so that smaller birds would have unrestricted access
from the other "more dominant" suet feeder visitors.

AS it turned out , MALE cardinals preferred this location
because i think they felt more safe and that particular suet
basket was the first one to go "empty".

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by striperman36

I'm putting sheet metal inserts in the entry holes this year.

Try gluing on fender washers just the right size inisde diameter for the birds you want to attract on the ouside hole of your birdhouse.

[2na]

PR, I saw something on the news about that last night. They said that the robins we have around here now are northern robins coming south for the winter and that our robins were south in the Carolinas, Georgia & Florida. They said that when our robins get back you'll know because they'll be thin from the flight back north. Let's see -

[JohnnyD]

Finally getting a chance to post some pictures I've taken during the days I've been snowed in. Pretty sweet being able to get within 3-4" of the birds and they can't see you - loving the mirrored windows. And not too bad of quality by the iPhone cam.

Sorry about the large size:










And I have no idea what this guy is. I've only seen him once. Only ate the suet. Any help from you pros?







The a few more pictures and larger versions of the above ones can be found here:
Da Birds - Imgur

Also had 4 goldfinches at one feeder, with 2 more sitting on the post waiting for their turn. It's funny... initially we had the same two every day, then this past month, the same 6 show up every morning.

[PRBuzz]

Unknown ID: Mockingbird! Wait until they nest in your area, you want some all night noise....

Nice that the birds, and a good variety, finally found your feeding stations.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Unknown ID: Mockingbird! Wait until they nest in your area, you want some all night noise....

Nice that the birds, and a good variety, finally found your feeding stations.

Thanks for the ID.

Yeah, I'm happy to finally have some variety. Getting a bunch of Chickadees, Titmice (titmouses?), nuthatches and the goldfinches.

Only saw that Mockingbird once. I can only convince the Cardinal over on rare occasion by throwing seed onto the snowy ledge (what you saw in the picture). Then, I get a dozen sparrows and finally the Cardinal will stop by for a few minutes here and there eating thistle and none of the other seeds.

I put up the feed house that I posted pictures of a few weeks ago with some quality seed, but no love over there by the Cards.

[Sweetwater]

Wow! Squirrel-Kill porn! Why didn't someone tell me about this thread earlier. I've got an idea for an "electric bird feeder" that will make ol' sparky at San Quentin look like child's play.

[Raven]

Mocking birds make nests low to the ground
and unfortunately snakes often find their babies and eat them
which has happened to me at a previous residence

unfortunately i have no mocking birds here
and i don't mind listening to them sing all night long
there's nothing finer than sitting outside listening
on a breezy summer night

As for Squirrels
i'm at war because one was sitting on my jerry jug today
chewing on the pouring tube and i am very pissed off now
AND....they all shined on the have a heart trap too

[PRBuzz]

Squirrel-kill porn

[FishermanTim]

You can buy or build the best "squirrel-proof" feeder in the world, only to have a furry little bastige render it obsolete in seconds.

They have to be one of the smartest rodents because they can be solitary or work as a group.
Damn, if they ever get REALLY organized, they'll probably pick the lock to our shed and take all the seed they want!

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

Wow! Squirrel-Kill porn! Why didn't someone tell me about this thread earlier. I've got an idea for an "electric bird feeder" that will make ol' sparky at San Quentin look like child's play.

Can I be your beta test site, please. I can power the contraption with solar power!

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Squirrel-kill porn

i have one squirrel that has no tail at all
just a pink stub....four inches long