BS: Birdwatching 2011

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 11 - 10:37 PM

I waited patiently for the birds to fledge out of a nest inside a hole in the stonework on the front of my house, then filled it in with mortar. No point in walling in eggs or chicks, so I had to choose my timing carefully!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Jul 11 - 09:02 AM

Hope you are back watching soon Raptor. Keep up the recovery.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Beer
Date: 13 Jul 11 - 08:43 AM

Right in front of my computer is a window which I have a view of a mulberry tree. I have had continues early morning and evening visits from Orioles, catbird, robins and cedar waxwings. This has been a great invest for us.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Janie
Date: 16 Jul 11 - 08:03 AM

Have been watching a Sharpie out in the yard for about 15 minutes now. It and the crows keep getting in minor dust-ups - it seems to be trying to chase the crows out of the yard - landing on the ground near them, then making runs at them. I'm guessing it's pretty hungry - also saw it go after a mature squirrel that probably outweighs it.

Needless to say, the finches have all made themselves scarce!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 04:46 PM

THAT was cooool!

I collected Mum's garbage as Tuesday night is my most exciting night of the week. >;-) I heard the blackbirds going nuts and thought it might be caused by the little black cat that has been leaving prizes in my small carrot plot so I walked between the apple tree and the fence to investigate. There is public sidewalk next to the fence and a row of poplars on the other side of the sidewalk. Just as I got to a gap in the poplars a hawk with a two foot wingspan barreled thru the gap doing a dip type u-turn and rocketed upward about three feet from me, followed by about 8 blackbirds... up and over the poplars and out of sight.

I expect it was the same hawk responsible for all the pigeon feathers on my back lawn lately.

I have no idea what kind of hawk it was as it was at high speed and it startled me. Actually, the only reason I KNEW it was a hawk was because of the speed and the action and shape of the wings.

But, it was cooool. Reeeal cool.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Janie
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 07:14 PM

Sort of thread drift - but sort of not as it involves the birdfeeders.

Guess I'm a social worker to the bone. Ya'll have listened to my squirrel rants and this summer they have been particularly aggravating as one squirrel is willing to tolerate the hot pepper oil in which I was marinating the peanut/fruit blend I put out for the woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Have a sick squirrel that I have been watching for the past 2 weeks. Very thin and lethargic but stays under the feeders, scavaging for any seed that the birds drop or that gets spilled when I fill the feeders. Am having a very difficult time resisting the urge to put feed on the ground for it.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 07:19 PM

Janie, you might find something useful here:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jul 11 - 08:45 PM

That is a great site Maeve. Thanks.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 05:26 PM

I'm glad you liked it, Adrien. There was some helpful information there.

Raptor might enjoy this: My Truelove and I opened up the yurt this morning so our carpenter could get to work on the stairway there. Fluttering around inside the dome was a young Red-breasted Nuthatch.

We set up the ladder (it's 20 feet to the base of the dome)and I hurried to find a net to safely scoop up the bird before he hurt himself. Our only net (for fishing) was too coarse, letting the little fellow slip right through the mesh, returning to the skylight that made false promises of escape.

Finally TL handed down the net, and the nuthatch landed on his forearm as TL held on to the ladder, and it stayed there as TL gently picked it up with his free hand and climbed down.

It was a short walk out to the suet feeders, where the nuthatch found himself released safely.

How'd it get inside? We're still waiting for the contractor to install the basement windows. Little buddy was out cruising the side of the yurt looking for food, and found its way in. Easier in than out!

********
How are you doing, Raptor?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Janie
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 11:50 PM

Awesome!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Newport Boy
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 06:18 AM

A nice one for Raptor!

Yesterday the sparrowhawk who is a regular visitor to our bird table (we don't have to provide the food) landed below the bird table to eat his dinner, instead of disappearing over the field with his picnic. I managed a few pics, which I'll try and post.

Last week a young swallow managed to get into our bedroom and perched on the roof truss over the bed. Unfortunately, when it was disturbed it did what swallows usually do on rapid take-off. So we took the duvet cover off and put it in the washing machine.

A while later it's sibling repeated the trick in the other bedroom, so we ran the washing machine again. Don't you love birds?

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Newport Boy
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 01:03 PM

The sparrowhawk is here and also a young blue tit picking insects off the door.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 01:10 PM

m... cool about the bird langing on TL's arm!

NB... how do I open the pics without downloading them?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Newport Boy
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 05:11 PM

gnu - when you click the file download link, you should get the option to Open or Save (as I remember, Windows offers that option). Either way, you do download the file.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: ragdall
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 06:46 AM

I've been enjoying the return of Pine Siskins and visits from a family of Northern Flickers

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 07:48 AM

We have a cool morning for a change, and the robins, bluebirds, and wood thrush are foremost in the chorus of bird songs we can hear ringing out once again.

rags- Nice capture of the full wing extension on the 1st siskin photo, but what an amazing photo of the Flicker resting on the grass! Beautiful!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 10:21 AM

We also saw a pair of Mourning Doves this morning. Not unusual in itself, but one was leucistic, as shown here: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mourning-dove.html#cr

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Beer
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 07:00 AM

Thanks for this information maeve.
Yesterday while in the swamp (which are vary dry.)picking blueberries I heard a bird singing which I have never heard before. Try as I may to see it I was not successful. However, next time I will bring my binoculars just in case. Question, anyone have a good web site that I can browse to listen to bird songs? I'm sure I will recognize it if I hear it again.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 07:24 AM

We've used these as well as others, Adrien.

http://www.enature.com/birding/audio.asp

From Cornell
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search

http://www.birdjam.com/learn.php

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 07:48 AM

We had a few days in Cornwall the other week and were hoping to see a chough or two.
We came across them both on the Lizard and near to Lands End. We even found a flock of eleven of them on the coast path at one point.
Nice to think that there are now enough there to consider using the word flock!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 02:41 PM

Thanks NB... loved the tit pic.

Now, anyone care to guess how much shit there is in an adolescent american robin with a mass of approx 50g? I actually know the answer as I conducted an experiment by accident. Last night, after I put Mum's "stuff" away in her garage, I closed the overhead door which I leave open from mid-afternoon on. Yup, you already know the answer, don't you? A SHITLOAD!

I extracated the car at 1PM and parked in the driveway. As I went to collect Mum for her daily walk at the shops I saw it. Didn't see it when I put the car away yesterday afternoon. 24 on the car. 3 on the generator, one on her patio chair seat (part of the stuff)... and I didn't look elsewhere. I was seriously taken aback! That little robin deposited more on her car than she did to hold it for sale!

Gee, I never thought to take pics. >;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Crowhugger
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 02:12 AM

Also from Cornell, Macaulay Library has many long sound files which lets you get familiar with it, and sometimes I just play them to enjoy as music. They're having hardware problems right now, there's a caution on the site about slow loading. I got error too. But great content.

There are a few sound files here too; while it says NY state, that's perfect for lower St. Lawrence Seaway as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 11:27 AM

Can't seem to make a clicky...

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/your_weather/details/620/4660855/4/canb0067/plpcities/?ref=ugc_city_thumbs

Wet Blue Jay.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Beer
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 11:35 AM

A little wet is right. Nice picture.
I can now add the American Redstart to my list of birds (Robin, Cedar Waxing, Orchard Oriole, Catbird)that like our Mulberry Tree.

ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 01:29 PM

Isn't it a nic pic? Lucky to have gotten that one right after he took a bath.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: GUEST,999 -- gnu's link.
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 02:04 PM

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/your_weather/details/620/4660855/4/canb0067/plpcities/?ref=ugc_city_thumbs

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 02:11 PM

Thanks 999. When I tried, three times, it froze. Well, for over a minute each time but I don't have much time left.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: GUEST,999
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 02:17 PM

That is a fine pic. Got one here who was shocked to shit yesterday when he landed beside a chipmunk. They were less than a foot apart. After nibbling at the various seeds, they saw each other, froze, and took off in different directions like their lives depended on it. That jay hasn't risked the bird bath yet.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 02:57 PM

Dumb jay. If he'd'a landed that close to a squirrel he'd be a pile a poo today. I've seen redrats put seeds on branches and then wait on a higher branch for small birds. One day, MANY years ago, a Chickadee was the prey. Glad I was a cracker with the Baikal o/u full/modified 28" vent rib and CIL Special Long Range high brass Dynawad.

A course, the bird never even said thanks.

Now, if it had been a Blue Jay, I'd'a cheered the redrat on. Them Blues mug the Greys (Moosebirds) and that used ta really piss me off.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 06:12 PM

Just stayed for a week in a remote cortejo in Andalucía. We saw hoopoes every day, always down by where we suspect all the local cesspit outflow gathers (away from the cortejo, thankfully!). We saw eight at once on Wednesday. Ironic to think that such a lovely bird is so attracted by shit...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 06:19 PM

cortijo. Bugger.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 13 Aug 11 - 11:49 AM

Early last week, I saw a hairy woodpecker and Thursday I saw a flock of starlings. Things seem to be 2 to 4 weeks early this summer.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 09:30 AM

There was a little white winged dove that used to hang out around the sunflowers in my garden but yesterday he/she apparently had a visitor. In front of the garage door yesterday evening I found two wings, a foot, and gobs of what look like spit-out feathers. I suspect a hawk removed the wings with a couple of swift cutting bites to remove the wings that would get in the way of carrying off this meal. We have various hawks and owls around here, but I haven't seen much activity lately. I'll have to keep an eye out - there are times of day when there are quite a few doves in the yard.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 12:59 PM

What a thrill! Second time in my life, both from Mum's back yard. The seagulls and crows disappeared, the robins and blackbirds and such went into the trees. A flock of chickadees went into Mum's apple tree and tweeted up a storm. I was looking up at the apple tree and a female Great Northern Harrier appeared about 80 feet up. She was using the wind like a sail and when she banked away from me I could clearly see her against the sky... magnificent!!! The wings are more impressive to me than on any other bird although I'd say a Great Horned Owl ties.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 08 Nov 11 - 04:51 PM

The crow migration was on over the past few hours. I didn't notice it until about an hour ago. AMAZING. I got some video but my vcam is a cheapo and the stuff that was amazing was too far away for the vcam to do it justice. I saw at least ten thousand within 500m of me.

This date is goin on the calendar!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: olddude
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 12:20 PM

What is the name of that little tiny woodpecker we have here in Western New York. That little guy has been very busy the last few days in my Maple tree

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 03:22 PM

Dan- Downy?
We've been watching Downy, Hairy, and Pileated woodpeckers here. Many Red-bellied woodpeckers have been seen in the area, but they've missed us so far. I have a photo of a Yellowthroat warbler on the stoop just outside our front door. It had been investigating some potted dahlias and cannas, looking for insects.

We've enjoyed watching the local wild turkey flock. This morning the young'uns flew down from their roost in the big White Pine behind the yurt, landing in the young apple orchard. They cleaned up lots of insects and quite a few dropped apples before wandering along the new stone wall to the woods beyond the back door of the house.

Right now, I'm watching bantams Twinkle and her chick Shadow as they forage for dropped sunflower seeds under a feeder. The bantams were all asleep in their coop at three yesterday morning when I heard a Long-eared Owl hooting; out back near the winding river.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: olddude
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 03:40 PM

Downey Maeve. Cute little guy very small

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 09:31 AM

There've been a few house sparrows taking a break here for the water.

Yesterday, down be the highway we saw an immature baldy. Already impressive!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 11 - 11:16 PM

We've had a bunch of House Sparrows, a pair of House Finches, half a dozen Black-capped Chickadees, several very hungry crows, two Downy Woodpeckers, a Hairy Woodpecker, at least three male and one female Northern Flicker, a Song Sparrow, and flocks of Bohemian Waxwings gyrating through the back yard.

rags
in "Northern" British Columbia

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 01:42 PM

You might consider posting a link to your pics for newcomers, rags. I find your birds pics absolutely stunning!

Got any snow there yet? >;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Bettynh
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:32 PM

Has everyone seen My Life as a Turkey on PBS? Turkeys have become somewhat of a pest in suburbs around here, owning whole neighborhoods and evicting local residents, especially canine and human, when they can. A local farmer has added turkey hunting to one area of the farm, followed by Christmas tree cut-your-own.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:38 PM

TURKEY!!! Grrrrr... we are experiencing... and cannot... agggghhhh!!!

I'll try again... and again...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Bettynh
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 10:02 AM

Are you ok, Gnu? Does this mean that PBS isn't available outside the US? BBC aired it in August, apparently, and has clips posted, but I've never been able to view any BBC clips or shows, apparently because it's been blocked (outside Britain? USA only? I donno.)

Or do you have something against turkeys?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: maeve
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 10:12 AM

"(Video limited to U.S. & Territories.) "

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: gnu
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 06:09 PM

That link ain't PBS or I'd be REALLy pissed about all the $ I donated over the years.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Bettynh
Date: 23 Nov 11 - 11:46 AM

Does this work??

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: Janie
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 05:33 AM

The annual http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count# started yesterday.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 06:12 AM

My Life as a Turkey was shown on BBC. Its also on numerous torrent sites for downloading. But its not on BBC iPlayer.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011
From: freda underhill
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 07:26 AM

Last week I went to the funeral of a beautiful rainbow lorikeet who was found and cared for by a friend's daughter. Originally called Larry, the name was changed to Lariette after she laid an egg!

These are beautiful Australian birds and it was very sad to say goodbye to Lariette. She was given a quiet funeral in the garden near where she lived.

Flocks of rainbow lorikeets often come to visit in my backyard, we have a beautiful big gum tree that thewy love to swoop and sing in.