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20 Jan 11 - 09:17 AM (#3078584) Subject: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor Here we go again! |
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20 Jan 11 - 09:21 AM (#3078586) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Hello, Raptor. We've had Redpolls here lately, along with American Goldfinches, Black Capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, Several woodpeckers, Brown Creepers, a Titmouse, among others. What birds have delighted you this winter? Maeve |
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20 Jan 11 - 09:33 AM (#3078593) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor I'm at a loss this year I'm missing a few that I should have by now including northern srike, red Breasted nuthatch, pine Sisken brown creeper, blue jay, purple finch, house finch, redpolls, dark eyed junco. Its weird. |
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20 Jan 11 - 09:53 AM (#3078611) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Others in my area have been seeing unusual birds, but not their familiar birds; or if the usual suspects have shown up it's in much lower or much higher numbers. It's interesting to note the patterns over the years. |
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20 Jan 11 - 10:30 AM (#3078629) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor Thats why I do this house list! |
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20 Jan 11 - 10:34 AM (#3078634) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve It's appreciated! It just occurred to me that your bird threads have some of my bird sighting records that I lost in the fire. |
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20 Jan 11 - 10:54 AM (#3078648) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor Where do you live? |
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20 Jan 11 - 11:13 AM (#3078657) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Maine, USA The most wonderful sighting was an extremely rare Spoonbill Sandpiper, seen by my husband up the road from us just after a series of severe autumn storms brought several unusual migratory birds. It was a definite id, but we couldn't get a photo. |
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20 Jan 11 - 11:14 AM (#3078658) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: EBarnacle Right now, we have slate colored juncos and white throated sparrows dining on our porch. |
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20 Jan 11 - 01:53 PM (#3078763) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor I love Maine I was in Bar Harbour last year |
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20 Jan 11 - 02:30 PM (#3078783) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Little Hawk Hey! How about some punctuation, eh? No Romflomblers yet? |
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20 Jan 11 - 03:12 PM (#3078808) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Bar Harbor is pretty, especially if you avoid the high-traffic roads. We enjoyed watching the seabirds while we were walking on a beach there. Here, LH. Punctuation for you, eh...,,,???!!! Mourning Doves and Chickadees have been busy today here. |
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20 Jan 11 - 04:31 PM (#3078866) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Little Hawk Chongo is planning to visit Bar Harbour soon and he plans to drink the entire town under the table. How are they about chimps there? I asked him what birds he had seen in January, and he proceeded to tell me about all kinds of women that he had seen...talked to....etc. I don't think he normally even notices the feathered kind. |
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21 Jan 11 - 07:01 AM (#3079273) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Patsy For 2 afternoons in a row I've been watching a Murmuration of starlings making incredible patterns in the sky on my way home from my job. Against a sunny winter's afternoon sky it was such a stunning sight to see, does anyone know why starlings do this? Individually they are just a plain looking bird, unless of course that is the reason for this display? What gives them the instruction to create the patterns? It's a mystery to me. |
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21 Jan 11 - 07:47 AM (#3079292) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon Individually, they may look dull from a distance but starlings look great close up, the light catches them and you see their colours - greens and purples. Don't seem to see them here (North Norfolk, UK). Lately we've had pheasants, blue tits, great tits, wood pigeons, crows, blackbirds, robins in the field and garden. |
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22 Jan 11 - 07:38 AM (#3079927) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie You can have the ones that invade my suet feeders, Jon. |
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22 Jan 11 - 07:40 AM (#3079929) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza I'm in West Norfolk UK, have had some lovely little goldfinches all winter gorging on the sunflower hearts. I've heard they prefer nijer seed, but I've always put sunflower hearts in the feeders, and loads of different little birds like them. Have had starlings too, about six, hoovering up the fat and scraps I put on the lawn. Yesterday heard the great tit singing "Teacher!Teacher!" and the woodpigeon "Doo!Doo! Doo-doo-DOO!" They're obviously feeling perky for the Spring. Hooray! Also a little pied wagtail bobbing about. BUT, tiny, sad pile of fluffy down on the lawn.... the sparrow hawk has been. I know he has to eat too, but grrr! Patsy, isn't that a super collective noun for starlings, murmuration. I seem to remember a Parliament of owls. And a charm of goldfinches. |
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22 Jan 11 - 07:51 AM (#3079935) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon We use sunflower and nijer seeds (and peanuts, at least one seed mix) in feeders. Then there are fat balls, corn for the pheasants, etc. The goldfinch go mostly for nijer. I haven't seen them over the last week or so but they might be feeding next door - as far as we can make out, some birds do sort of alternate between their feeders and ours. |
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22 Jan 11 - 08:02 AM (#3079939) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza Jon, you're like us, putting out all sorts. We spent a fortune over the winter, dried mealworms, fat slabs, peanuts, robin mix, plus any and all scraps (including the last chunk of Christmas cake which we just couldn't face any more.) But the sight of those poor creatures out in the snow at minus ten, I'm so glad we helped them in our small way. I suppose that in North Norfolk the sea keeps the temp up slightly? Or was it just as cold there as here? Also you must see some super seabirds and marshland types when you go for walks. |
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22 Jan 11 - 09:52 AM (#3079996) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Charley Noble Well, there's also the poor Cooper's Hawk that's been flying around inside the door of the reading room at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC: click here for story Hopefully, they'll be able to capture and release him/her without injury. Charley Noble |
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22 Jan 11 - 10:14 AM (#3080013) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: WalkaboutsVerse Nigh on a dozen puffed-up Wood Pigeon perching on a nearby tree by night, Blue Tits, Jackdaws, and Magpies by day; and occasionally - http://walkaboutsverse.webs.com/#174. |
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22 Jan 11 - 01:09 PM (#3080105) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Yvonne Well here in Cheshire we have had lots of Goldfinches after the sunflower seeds. Plus Starlings, Doves,Great tits and Blue Tits, Bullfinchs and at the bottom of the garden is the Manchester Ship Canal. So this morning we had two mute Swans and a Great Crested Grebe. We don't do bad but I do envy you people living in Norfolk. Birding heaven! Yvonne |
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22 Jan 11 - 01:50 PM (#3080137) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu I was out shovelling sh, ah, snow. I was gonna do some bird watching bird watching afterward and I had on sweatpants, pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, touque, parka with hood, snowmobile boots, snowmobile mits. But, apparently, the birds around here now don't have such winter gear so I am typing this. |
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22 Jan 11 - 01:59 PM (#3080141) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Oops. |
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22 Jan 11 - 02:54 PM (#3080166) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Well, well, well. I have been saving suet since last winter. I threw out some chicken fat from yesterday's roast. Blackie the crow (some know he has a lame mate that can't fly south) wouldn't touch it but the Blues Jays had at it. I threw out some beef fat and Blackie went nuts... he's sitting on the wire outside my office and he keeps flying back and forth, perhaps to get my attention. Of course, he knows better than to caw or get to close to my window. Also, if he caws, the gulls come... hundreds of them that stay on the roof of a nearby strip mall. |
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22 Jan 11 - 03:24 PM (#3080191) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Our birds love the suet also, gnu, especially in this bitter cold. I even give an occasional crumbly seed-filled suet block to the chooks when I know severe cold is on the way. We had a feeder on a windowsill once, years ago. A young red squirrel decided he needed all of the suet block...spat out the seeds, gobbled the fat. By the end of the day he was one fat-slick little fellow. I wonder how long it took him to clean up his coat? |
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22 Jan 11 - 06:22 PM (#3080321) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon It froze pretty hard here, Eliza although I'm not sure what it got down to. I've not got out much over the last couple of years but I do like the Cley/Salthouse area which is about 20-30 minutes by car from here. |
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22 Jan 11 - 07:42 PM (#3080352) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Took part of the afternoon off from work and chores and just sat in my warm house and watched the birds for almost 2 hours. The cold weather brings in a few species, especially to the suet, that I otherwise don't often see - pine warblers and yellow-rumped warblers in particular. Mocking Birds are year round here but I only see them at the suet feeder in cold weather. More male bluebirds than usual also. (come to think of it, I don't think I have seen any female bluebirds at the feeders this winter, only feeding on the privet drupes occasionally.) There is something tasty just under the soil near the front of the lot that brings one Northern Flicker to one, relatively small area, where he will dig and poke intently, often staying in the same spot for several minutes. Seems his back is always to me with I train the binoculars on him, so haven't a clue what it is. |
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23 Jan 11 - 04:56 AM (#3080494) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza A friend once took me to Minsmere Reserve years ago, she's a very keen birder. And (naturally!) when we arrived a crowd of frantically excited people told us "A bittern! A bittern! It was here about thirty minutes ago!" And we never did see it! But I joined the RSPB there and got a really lovely bird identification book half price as a new member. I also once took some ten year old pupils to Ranworth and there were dozens of thrilled folk photographing a marsh harrier. I pointed it out to the children but all they wanted to know was "Where's the shop please?" Cley and Salthouse are wonderful Jon, many interesting birds there. |
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23 Jan 11 - 05:12 AM (#3080499) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: My guru always said Whenever I can I sit and watch out of my window at our bird-lawn where all the feeders are and very rarely see any new birds. But a couple of days ago, walking past that view I caught a glimpse of a rare newcomer to our garden, a Blackcap. Then an hour or so later I spotted another occasional visitor, a Goldcrest, while walking past again!! A watched pot never boils..... |
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23 Jan 11 - 07:27 AM (#3080546) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza It's true. It's when you least expect it that you see something exciting. I've just got home from church, and on the way, right over my head, flew two wonderful swans. There are a number of lakes near here in the Wensum Valley, and we're used to ducks honking overhead in a V formation morning and evening, but these swans were just magnificent. I'd LOVE to see a goldcrest guru, lucky you! |
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23 Jan 11 - 09:24 AM (#3080606) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie I wonder if Stilly or Raptor would object to combining the two birding threads? Hey Liz, How are your Tits?(birds 2011) |
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23 Jan 11 - 09:25 AM (#3080609) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor As a bird bander I can tell you the Starling is a greasy bird That is couvered with a smell oil thats hard to wash off your hands. |
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23 Jan 11 - 03:47 PM (#3080889) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Cats the long tailed tits are back in my garden and I have to say I think they are wonderful little birds... rather like apricot cotton wool balls on a black and white stick! |
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23 Jan 11 - 04:36 PM (#3080922) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: My guru always said Cats, they're one of my favourites!! We do get them, but unfortunately rarely, you're lucky! Our Robins are all getting very territorial now, claiming particular twigs on the shrubs and getting argumentative. The male birds colours are sharpening up too. Must be spring *grin* |
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23 Jan 11 - 04:57 PM (#3080948) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: WalkaboutsVerse I agree with Janie. |
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23 Jan 11 - 05:17 PM (#3080966) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Stilly clarified on the other thread that her intent was not for that thread to be the annual birdwatching thread, (you can read her post on the other thread,) so they really are two separate, though related, threads. More sparrows today, after setting out a shallow clay drip tray filled with millet. It has alerted more of them to the millet I have been broadcasting. White-throated, and a few that I am pretty sure are chipping sparrows, and one song sparrow. |
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23 Jan 11 - 05:41 PM (#3080982) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie so, birds seen from my yard thus far in 2011: American Goldfinch Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird House Finch Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker Pine Warbler Purple Finch Red-bellied Woodpecker song sparrow Starling Tufted Titmouse Turkey Vulture White-breasted Nuthatch White-throated Sparrow Yellow-rumped warbler |
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24 Jan 11 - 12:12 AM (#3081185) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,leeneia that's amazing, Janie. I envy you! I have just returned from a trip to Miami and the Everglades. We saw about 60 kinds of birds and a few other animals. Alligator, crocodile, manatee, turtles, and a raccoon. |
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24 Jan 11 - 02:47 AM (#3081209) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: My guru always said Amazing, the only bird on Janie's list I've ever seen here in Southern UK is the starling, and that's only once! Though we do have wrens, finches, woodpeckers, doves, sparrows & nuthatch, just not those varieties! |
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24 Jan 11 - 04:26 AM (#3081236) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Patsy Eliza, To be honest I didn't know that was the word for a collection of starlings, you live and learn! |
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24 Jan 11 - 06:19 AM (#3081279) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza Janie, your list is absolutely fascinating:- chickadee, junco, bluebird, mockingbird, yellow shafted flicker(!) all unknown to me. Will look them up later. |
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24 Jan 11 - 06:30 AM (#3081285) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon Have you seen this clip, Eliza http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8663000/8663139.stm |
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24 Jan 11 - 07:41 AM (#3081309) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: My guru always said Sorry, when I saide 'ever seen here in Southern UK', I meant in our garden..... |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:02 AM (#3081314) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler I would like to see more birds in my garden but seeing as I don't see it much in daylight at this time of year it's a bit of a vain hope. Anyone have any ideas about audio sources that can help me identify bird night-calls (UK). There must be at least two sorts of owls calling because I've seen barn and tawney owls in the neighbourhood and I think that there may me others. I'm also getting some other calls that sound more like game birds or plovers at various times of the year. I don't get many of the usual small garden birds as we are in sheep grasing country, away from other houses with gardens and there are very few hedges or trees around for cover. |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:12 AM (#3081319) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon There are some owl calls if you follow the sound link on this page http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/infopage.html?Id=1 |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:16 AM (#3081324) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon There are also links to calls on the rspb pages, eg http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/n/nightjar/index.aspx |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:35 AM (#3081334) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor Janie, Yellow rumped warbler I don't get them till ay Where are you? |
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24 Jan 11 - 09:00 AM (#3081354) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu There's Kiki Birds all over the place this morn. Almost -24C, -39WC at 10AM. |
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24 Jan 11 - 12:39 PM (#3081493) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Eliza Thank you Jon, I enjoyed the booming bittern very much. I just wish I'd arrived there half an hour earlier all those years ago to have seen one for myself! As I remember, they'd deliberately created more wetland areas for the bitterns at Minsmere, and it looks as if they succeeded. |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:06 PM (#3081800) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie North Carolina, Raptor, about 40 miles east of Greensboro. They winter here, but I never see them at my suet feeders until January. While cold spells bring a lot more birds to the feeders, I also have more time to watch the birds when life slows a bit in January and February, and also add feeders and stay right on top of keeping them filled when the weather is cold. They have maybe been coming to the suet since November, but I wasn't around to watch. |
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24 Jan 11 - 08:42 PM (#3081813) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Know what you mean, Eliza and Hillary. I can spend a lot of time googling the birds you name in your posts. leeneia, I live in a southern temperate zone. Most of the birds on my list are very common here and are here year round. There will maybe be another 5-10 species that get added by spring, but that will be it. I envy those of you who live along major fly-ways who observe, if only briefly, many more species during spring and fall migrations. (That trip to the Everglades and So. Florida must have been grand. Used to spend the winters there, and loved seeing so many species of birds that are absolutely exotic to me in my own natural habitat.) |
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24 Jan 11 - 10:51 PM (#3081867) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Sandy Mc Lean I have about 10 feeders in my yard and lots of birds. Flocks of starlings descend and empty everything that they don't want on the ground and the pigeons just wait for the easy pickings. Lots of Blue Jays and chickadees and some goldfinches and sparrows. Yesterday a bird flew down and I thought it was a hawk because everyone else left in a hell of a hurry. Turns out it was only a woodpecker so I don't know if it was mistaken identity or what but he had the place to himself. An article in the Halifax Herald today shows this guy far from home: Ralph (likes strippers) |
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24 Jan 11 - 11:05 PM (#3081872) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Sorry to hear the transfer is not going smoothly. We have a major sicko deliberately cutting tendons in pelican wings on Topsail Island, here in North Carolina. The latest news stories on it can be read here. and here. Why someone would do something like this is beyond my ken. I love watching lines of pelicans wing their way over the water along the shoreline, and watching them break formation to dive like bombs when they pass over schools of small fish. |
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25 Jan 11 - 12:14 PM (#3082158) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,olddude holy cow, that big red tail hawk that sits in the same tree everyday. he just swooped down and took out a gray squirrel that was running around out back. This was maybe 15 - 20 yards from me. out of no where, bam there he was, one minute I saw him up in the tree, the next he is in front of me claiming his meal .. incredible. He started to eat it, they picked it up and flew out into the grape vines and sat on top of a fence post finishing his prize. Incredible |
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25 Jan 11 - 05:04 PM (#3082345) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,leeneia Hi, Sandy. I used to have your problems, but then I changed my method and fill my bird feeder only with sunflower seeds. The starlings are not attracted to it at all. There is seed spillage, but the juncos and squirrels help clean it up. I do get wasted seed, but I haven't seen any rats because of it. I always keep an eye out, though. |
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27 Jan 11 - 12:06 AM (#3083139) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Somebody bought the ranch today. It was all but dark when I got home and went to fill the feeders, so I'm not sure what species, but gray feathers with white tips tell the tale. Mockingbird? Junco? titmouse? Predator have been a cat, but my guess, from what evidence I could see in the dim light, is that a Sharpie is more likely. Haven't spied a Sharp-Shinned Hawk recently during my limited time to observe, but have often seen them in the yard in the past, including in December. (Still some cats around, but not infested with the 4 neighbor cats anymore. I guess they all died.) I won't be home in daylight until Saturday morning. I'll take a closer look then, in the event there is still enough evidence to draw a conclusion. |
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27 Jan 11 - 12:10 AM (#3083142) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Raptor, as each year goes by, I more and more appreciate your "rules" for reporting species by specific location. Really increases awareness of the importance of habitat. Birds that I commonly see on my drive to work as I drive by or under the flyway between ponds or open meadows and farm fields, or wheeling above the parking lot at the strip mall less than 2 miles away are never or rarely seen in my yard. And it all comes down to habitat. |
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28 Jan 11 - 04:18 AM (#3083860) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: ragdall Before Christmas my yard was full of birds, House Sparrows, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, Bohemian Waxwings, Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, crows. Now a few chickadees and a single male House Sparrow make very brief visits around dusk because a Merlin has decided to stake out my area. I miss seeing "my" birds. rags |
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28 Jan 11 - 04:35 AM (#3083864) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Stu UK birders- the Big Garden Birdwatch is this weekend: RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Here's hoping for a return of our Redpoll! |
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28 Jan 11 - 11:05 PM (#3084471) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Wheeled the trash out to curb late last night, and apparently surprised an owl who was parked in the privet, one of the few tall, dense evergreens in my yard, and a place where many small birds roost at night. It was too dark to identify. Too big to be a screech owl, but not huge. All those small roosting birds should thank me. Eh? |
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29 Jan 11 - 04:37 AM (#3084534) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: My guru always said Thanks for the link, Sugarfoot! I was just going to do that same thing. Can't do the count myself as I'll be in our garden this weekend and we have an enormous amouunt of small birds making continual trips to our feeders. The maths wouldn't work here *sigh* |
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20 Feb 11 - 09:02 AM (#3099052) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor A Sharp-shinned Hawk just nailed a European Starling at my birdfeeders |
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20 Feb 11 - 12:48 PM (#3099145) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Max Johnson I'm lucky, living where I do on Morecambe Bay. We have one of the largest populations of estuary birds in Europe, and being so close to the Forest of Bowland, we also see a lot of other birds (if we look). This morning I was watching Curlews on the beach. A few days ago, it was Lapwings and a Heron in one of the fields next to the beach. Last summer I was watching a cricket match in the village, and scuttling around on the boundary right next to where I was sitting was a small bird that I couldn't identify. When I looked it up later on, it turned out to be a Ringed Plover. Hardly rare, but you don't see them every day (or, at least, I don't!) There seemed to be a lot more Goldfinches last year. And Jays. And lots of Long-tailed Tits just before Christmas. All very pleasing. |
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20 Feb 11 - 01:35 PM (#3099171) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Stilly River Sage This week my dogs were making a fuss at the back gate that overlooks the creek at the bottom of the yard. Turns out a gorgeous snowy egret was perched in one of the hackberries that hangs on at the edge of the bank, over the water. I didn't have time to get my camera before it decided to move on. The dogs were wagging - but too noisy in their enthusiasm for that visitor to stay a while. SRS |
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20 Feb 11 - 01:43 PM (#3099177) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp Raptor - I put out a contract on that European Starling cos he shit on my hat the other day. I will now see that the hawk gets paid. - Chongo |
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21 Feb 11 - 07:53 AM (#3099655) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Max, I used to see ringed plovers most week days on the way to work from Lancaster to the Fylde and crossing the bridge over the Wyre. Now that I'm travelling from the east of Lancashire I miss out on seeing the estuary! Robin (the micromodeller late of Lancaster) |
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21 Feb 11 - 02:24 PM (#3099852) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Max Johnson Well, no wonder I didn't see them if they were on their way to work! I probably don't get up early enough. Did I have the pleasure of meeting you and your lady a few years ago over a curry at your house when Chris Timpson and Anne Gregson were staying with you? If so then Hi! Let me know next time you're back in Lancaster and I can buy you a pint. |
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21 Feb 11 - 09:32 PM (#3100066) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Don't laugh, but I get to add a brand new species to my bird list. Ready? Rock Pigeon. Have never seen one from my yard before as they all tend to hang out 3/4 mile away in the business district. (Not a whole lot of them there, either - I live in a wee little town.) Come to think of it, I never saw them from my yard in Hillsborough either. Still have not seen a pine siskin this year, from my yard or anywhere else, but other birders in the area have seen plenty of them. Added another squirrel resistant bird feeder a couple of weeks ago, hoping to not have to fill the feeders every day, but the sunflower feeders are still empty or nearly so when I get home from work. I'm guessing this late in winter the wild seed sources are pretty much depleted and they are stoking up to court. haven't seen my bluebirds since I cut back on suet due to the starlings. The guy at the local birding store is suggesting I get a suet feeder from which the nuthatches, woodpeckers, chicadees, etc. can hand on upside down, since the starlings can't cling. I don't think the bluebirds would go for that, however, and they also rarely frequent the peanut/nugget feeder tube. He's suggesting a bluebird feeder (enclosed cedar and plexiglass with 1 1/2 inch holes on either side bluebirds and other small birds can get into to get at either nuggets or mealworms. Do squirrels go after mealworms? If I fed nuggets in it I'm sure the squirrels would chew thru the wood or plexigass before too long. |
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22 Feb 11 - 07:50 AM (#3100266) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Max, Yes, my secret identity is unmasked! We sold that house and are now over near to Bacup and 1100 feet up which is why we now get to see a lot fewer species of birds. However, I noticed our first skylark airbourne on the 14th February, so perhaps spring is in the offing. Robin |
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25 Feb 11 - 03:09 PM (#3102753) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu I was just washing dishes and a starling type bird (it's snowing) tried to pearch quite close to my backtard maple tree trunk. Lost it's footing and a sharp shinned hawk side-swiped it at a million miles and hour, rose, banked and dove and after the starling did a few 360's and tried to make it into the pines... bang! Right to ground, er, snow. Got some on video but stopped after the hawk was done plucking. I will probably erase it. |
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25 Feb 11 - 03:48 PM (#3102781) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu VERY unfortunate. The hawk was too busy/satisfied with the feathered prey to nail the red squirrel that was running around on the pine branches just above it for an inspection of the carnage. |
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04 Mar 11 - 06:49 AM (#3106747) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon A couple of Jays back again. Managed to get a quick pic of one this morning. here |
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02 Apr 11 - 10:37 PM (#3127296) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie What is the full name of that Jay, Jon? The birds that were depending on my feeders have had to branch out this spring. I've been gone so much the feeders are empty as often as they are full, mostly because I haven't been home, but also because I keep running out of seed and have trouble finding time to get to somewhere to buy the 40lb bags, and the little 5-10lb. bags in the grocery are outlandishly expensive. I added a new feeder with a bigger hopper a couple of months ago that I thought would extend things for at least 4 days, but it only extended the "fill" schedule from daily to every other day. This is hard to say, gulp, but I have a new appreciation of starlings. Some one in the UK, on this thread or another, commented on watching the amazing, wheeling flight of starling flocks driving home from work a month or so ago. There are large flocks of starlings that live in my mother's neighborhood. The last several evenings I have watched the airshow they put on in preparation for roosting for the night, and it is a wonder to behold. They may be greedy, nasty pigs of birds at feeders and when one has to park under Bradford Pears in winter, but watching them collectively in those nightly patterns is pretty awesome. |
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03 Apr 11 - 02:29 AM (#3127349) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: ragdall The American Robins have been coming through the past two weeks. They're eating the Mountain Ash berries that the Bohemian Waxwings decided were too difficult to reach. In the past week or so, as the deep snow has been melting and forming ponds and streams, Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, ducks and hawks are returning here to northern Canada. rags |
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03 Apr 11 - 07:43 AM (#3127512) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Great pics rags. |
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03 Apr 11 - 08:34 AM (#3127531) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Charley Noble The pair of eagles that winter over here on the coast of Maine have refurbished their nest platform in the Sasanoa River, laid eggs, and in another 4 weeks or so should be feeding two or three little puffballs. Yesterday, mother was photographed brooding the eggs while father perched on the edge of the nest. Father will take over brooding when mother wants to stretch her wings but most of the time his duty is to supply fresh fish and anything else he can harvest of interest. Charley Noble |
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03 Apr 11 - 05:24 PM (#3127856) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Q (Frank Staplin) Eight inches plus in Calgary yesterday. The redpolls at the feeder are the only spots of color. Saw a flight overhead during the snowfall- probably waxwings. |
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17 Apr 11 - 07:53 PM (#3137133) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Soooo... I JUST happened to see a crow out of the corner of my eye land on Mum's lawn while I was watching a curling game. Yes, Canada won the briar beating Sweden in exciting fashion >;-). I wondered why it was where. It was walking toward the house. It strode up to the remains of a chicken egg... just pieces of shell which have been there for a while as I don't want to walk on the lawn until it is reasonably dry. It picked up the largest piece of shell and flew into the maple in front of my house whereupon it ate the shell. Never saw anything like that before. |
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17 Apr 11 - 09:41 PM (#3137156) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie The Common Grackles have arrived from where ever they winter. I'm gonna go ahead and spring for one of those "upside down only" suet feeders that only acrobatic, clinging birds can get at. I like grackles, but they sure can polish off a suet cake in no time flat. |
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18 Apr 11 - 07:57 AM (#3137310) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler It must be summer. Saw the first swallow on Thursday and the second yesterday! |
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18 Apr 11 - 08:01 AM (#3137313) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Lizzie Cornish 1 I had the two collared doves, who live next door, both fast asleep on my lawn yesterday, dozing in the warm sunhine. They looked so sweet together.. Meanwhile, up in my Mimosa Tree my two wood pigeons, Beloved and Adored, sat cooing to each other, same as they did last year. They're completely besotted with one another, and live in the huge bay tree in my garden. Bird Love...Magic. :0) |
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18 Apr 11 - 10:05 AM (#3137378) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: EBarnacle Due to our condo rules, we cannot get away with a feeder, so we have been strewing a handful of seed at a time on the porch. A grey squirrel showed up yesterday and scoffed it all, so our feeding season is over. Even so, we have gotten our locals through the winter. |
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14 Jun 11 - 11:22 PM (#3170771) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Just saw a large owl swoop through the yard, then alight on a long horizontal branch of a dogwood. Can still see it in the light of the streetlight, but not enough to light identify it. The dogwood limb is over a ditch that I haven't mowed in 3 weeks, a good place for small rodents, baby rabbits and snakes to shelter. Barred Owl is the mostly likely suspect, but I will never know. The lovely and silent swoop of the large wingspan is enough. |
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15 Jun 11 - 04:58 AM (#3170850) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon One addition to the bird feeders this year. We have had tree sparrows. Oddest sighting was last month when a moorhen entered one of the sheds in the field/our veg plot. There are plenty of them reasonably near by but I don't expect to see one on the field let alone in the shed. |
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15 Jun 11 - 07:31 AM (#3170895) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler We finaly joined the RSPB (should have done it years ago). One unexpected bonus was a very good bird identification book that came as part of our welcome pack. It was interesting to compare it with my old ones (from childhood and inherited) to see the way that some species have become more common and more likely to be seen while others have declined. |
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15 Jun 11 - 07:49 AM (#3170898) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon On guides, we have a 1981 Readers Digest Field Guide and 1995 Larousse Pocket Guide, the latter being the one I'm more likely to pick up - I like its compact format. What do others have? |
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16 Jun 11 - 03:21 PM (#3171605) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon I have just caught a carrion crow. It was seen earlier dragging a wing and unable to fly but when we went out, we couldn't find it. It looked exhausted when I found it this time in one of the sheds. Anyway, it's at least got food, water and a safe place for tonight. Will have to see how things look tomorrow. |
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16 Jun 11 - 05:29 PM (#3171667) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: olddude Pilliated woodpecker visiting the dead tree everyday out back so far. Beautiful bird My gosh |
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16 Jun 11 - 09:07 PM (#3171757) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve We have a bird guest also, Jon; a young Barred Owl is staying here overnight. Early in the morning we'll deliver it to the bird rehabbers. The little hummer we delivered a few weeks ago was too badly hurt to make it, but a recent Broadwing Hawk was successfully released in time for this year's breeding season. We're part of a sort of avian underground railway that links volunteers to deliver injured birds to licensed, thus legal, care. Best of luck with your crow visitor. |
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17 Jun 11 - 06:52 AM (#3171862) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon Hope the Owl does OK, maeve. Crow seems well in itself this morning. We have found a bird rescue place and we will be taking it there this afternoon. |
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17 Jun 11 - 10:00 AM (#3171914) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Thanks, Jon. Best wishes for the crow as well. The Barred Owl is a male, and seemed in good spirits and fairly fit this morning. He had broken a couple of primary feathers- easily replaced by gluing in replacements- and will be checked over carefully, given whatever is needed for immune support and hydration, and released when ready. |
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17 Jun 11 - 02:43 PM (#3172009) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon A visitor to our house reported seeing a red finch like bird near our garden gate. Speculation on my part and I've not seen one but I think it might have been a crossbill. ---- Thinking owls. I didn't go on the trip to the bird rescue place to take the crow today but apparently they had 5 little owl chicks there. |
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18 Jun 11 - 01:46 AM (#3172189) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Raptor, the originator of these wonderful annual threads, has had a serious accident and requests Mudcat thoughts, prayers, energy, etc. per Little Hawk. Here is a link to the pertinent thread. thread.cfm?threadid=138583&messages=9 |
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18 Jun 11 - 12:27 PM (#3172375) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie For some reason I can not discern, the crows (American) are spending a lot of time in my yard this summer. Haven't been able to see what it is they are after. Pretty cool to watch them, though. Most often, I see two adults and two juveniles, though will occasionally see a few additions that I wonder may be extended family. Must go read about the life and breeding habits of crows. Was just startled (and so were they) to walk out onto two of them on one of my birdbaths. |
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18 Jun 11 - 12:41 PM (#3172381) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Indigo Bunting! First one I EVER saw! |
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18 Jun 11 - 01:00 PM (#3172389) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Wonderful sighting, gnu! |
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11 Jul 11 - 05:45 AM (#3185299) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon Rescued a chaffinch this morning. It hit the French windows (we have tried stickers but once in a while a bird still hits them) and stunned itself. Having had a bit of time to recover in safety, it's now flown off. --- Pip phoned up once about the crow. They diagnosed a pelvic injury which apparently take time to heal. Apparently it was doing well. |
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11 Jul 11 - 06:58 PM (#3185731) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Raptor from Hospital I miss my birds. |
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11 Jul 11 - 07:26 PM (#3185742) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve It's very good to see you post here, Raptor! I can tell you that we have infants of all sizes here; tree swallows, blue birds, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, Black-capped chickadees, Purple finches, Ravens, crows... I hope you can see your birds for yourself, very soon! Maeve |
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11 Jul 11 - 10:37 PM (#3185802) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Stilly River Sage 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 |
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12 Jul 11 - 09:02 AM (#3186012) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,Jon Hope you are back watching soon Raptor. Keep up the recovery. |
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13 Jul 11 - 08:43 AM (#3186630) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Beer 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. |
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16 Jul 11 - 08:03 AM (#3188715) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie 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! |
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19 Jul 11 - 04:46 PM (#3190925) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. |
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19 Jul 11 - 07:14 PM (#3191029) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie 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. |
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19 Jul 11 - 07:19 PM (#3191035) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve Janie, you might find something useful here: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/ |
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19 Jul 11 - 08:45 PM (#3191064) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Beer That is a great site Maeve. Thanks. ad. |
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21 Jul 11 - 05:26 PM (#3192220) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve 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? |
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21 Jul 11 - 11:50 PM (#3192411) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Awesome! |
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22 Jul 11 - 06:18 AM (#3192512) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Newport Boy 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 |
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22 Jul 11 - 01:03 PM (#3192812) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Newport Boy The sparrowhawk is here and also a young blue tit picking insects off the door. |
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22 Jul 11 - 01:10 PM (#3192817) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu m... cool about the bird langing on TL's arm! NB... how do I open the pics without downloading them? |
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22 Jul 11 - 05:11 PM (#3193031) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Newport Boy 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 |
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24 Jul 11 - 06:46 AM (#3194148) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: ragdall I've been enjoying the return of Pine Siskins and visits from a family of Northern Flickers rags |
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24 Jul 11 - 07:48 AM (#3194158) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve 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! |
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24 Jul 11 - 10:21 AM (#3194206) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve 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 |
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25 Jul 11 - 07:00 AM (#3194815) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Beer 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. |
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25 Jul 11 - 07:24 AM (#3194821) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve 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 |
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25 Jul 11 - 07:48 AM (#3194827) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler 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! |
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25 Jul 11 - 02:41 PM (#3195126) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. >;-) |
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26 Jul 11 - 02:12 AM (#3195518) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Crowhugger 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. |
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07 Aug 11 - 11:27 AM (#3203273) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. |
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07 Aug 11 - 11:35 AM (#3203275) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Beer 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. |
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07 Aug 11 - 01:29 PM (#3203354) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Isn't it a nic pic? Lucky to have gotten that one right after he took a bath. |
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07 Aug 11 - 02:04 PM (#3203386) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,999 -- gnu's link. http://www.theweathernetwork.com/your_weather/details/620/4660855/4/canb0067/plpcities/?ref=ugc_city_thumbs |
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07 Aug 11 - 02:11 PM (#3203391) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Thanks 999. When I tried, three times, it froze. Well, for over a minute each time but I don't have much time left. |
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07 Aug 11 - 02:17 PM (#3203394) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST,999 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. |
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07 Aug 11 - 02:57 PM (#3203428) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. |
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07 Aug 11 - 06:12 PM (#3203535) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Steve Shaw 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... |
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07 Aug 11 - 06:19 PM (#3203543) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Steve Shaw cortijo. Bugger. |
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13 Aug 11 - 11:49 AM (#3207289) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. |
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14 Aug 11 - 09:30 AM (#3207812) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Stilly River Sage 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 |
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05 Sep 11 - 12:59 PM (#3218554) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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. |
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08 Nov 11 - 04:51 PM (#3253062) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu 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! |
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09 Nov 11 - 12:20 PM (#3253653) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: olddude 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 |
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09 Nov 11 - 03:22 PM (#3253796) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve 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. |
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09 Nov 11 - 03:40 PM (#3253808) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: olddude Downey Maeve. Cute little guy very small |
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10 Nov 11 - 09:31 AM (#3254231) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: EBarnacle 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! |
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20 Nov 11 - 11:16 PM (#3260692) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: GUEST 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 |
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21 Nov 11 - 01:42 PM (#3261014) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu You might consider posting a link to your pics for newcomers, rags. I find your birds pics absolutely stunning! Got any snow there yet? >;-) |
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21 Nov 11 - 04:32 PM (#3261116) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Bettynh 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. |
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21 Nov 11 - 04:38 PM (#3261122) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu TURKEY!!! Grrrrr... we are experiencing... and cannot... agggghhhh!!! I'll try again... and again... |
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22 Nov 11 - 10:02 AM (#3261488) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Bettynh 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? |
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22 Nov 11 - 10:12 AM (#3261492) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: maeve "(Video limited to U.S. & Territories.) " |
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22 Nov 11 - 06:09 PM (#3261770) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu That link ain't PBS or I'd be REALLy pissed about all the $ I donated over the years. |
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23 Nov 11 - 11:46 AM (#3262112) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Bettynh Does this work?? |
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15 Dec 11 - 05:33 AM (#3274082) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie The annual http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count# started yesterday. |
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15 Dec 11 - 06:12 AM (#3274092) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: ChrisJBrady My Life as a Turkey was shown on BBC. Its also on numerous torrent sites for downloading. But its not on BBC iPlayer. |
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15 Dec 11 - 07:26 AM (#3274126) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: freda underhill 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. |
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15 Dec 11 - 10:28 AM (#3274181) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: EBarnacle The other day, I saw a red tail atop a lamp standard. A rock pigeon landed about a foot away. Red turned his [?] head to look at it and the body language very clearly said "Get lost, small fry." |
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15 Dec 11 - 05:24 PM (#3274411) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor I'm mostly back at it and I'm doing the Christmas Bird Count again this year with the Brereton field Naturalists club again the club I used to preside over. |
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16 Dec 11 - 12:37 AM (#3274601) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie I continue to neglect keeping my feeders full, but think the felling of a major oak has also had an impact on the number of speies I see. I have, however, kept the thistle feeder full. It seems the copious numbers of goldfinches have moved on. Have seen goldfinches only very occasionally the past 6-7 months. |
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16 Dec 11 - 08:12 AM (#3274720) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Jim Martin The goldfinches must have moved here (W.Clare, Ireland)! I've seen more the last couple of weeks than ever before and other people in Ireland are saying the same. |
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23 Dec 11 - 03:36 PM (#3279043) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: katlaughing There were two neat segments on Science Friday on NPR, today, which I thought you all might like. The first was on a probably extinct Imperial Woodpecker with a 1956 video, the last time any were seen in Mexico where they lived. The second segment is playing, right now, and is on the 112th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. |
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23 Dec 11 - 03:40 PM (#3279050) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: gnu Betty... not in Canada. |
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05 Jan 12 - 08:29 PM (#3285531) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Janie Here's my list for 2011 - Nuttin' too exciting but fun to keep track. American Goldfinch American Robin American Crow Blue Jay Brown Thrasher Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Catbird Chipping Sparrow Common Grackle Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird House Finch Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker Pine Warbler Purple Finch Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-Tailed Hawk Rock Pigeon Sharp Shinned Hawk song sparrow Starling Tufted Titmouse Turkey Vulture White-breasted Nuthatch White-throated Sparrow |
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05 Jan 12 - 08:40 PM (#3285539) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Raptor Nicely done |
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12 Jan 12 - 04:56 AM (#3289165) Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2011 From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Finally collated my list for 2011. Blackbird Black-headed Gull Blue tit Canada goose Chaffinch Crow Curlew Dunnock Fieldfare Goldfinch Greater Black backed gull Great tit Greenfinch Herring gull Heron Jackdaw Kestrel Lapwing Lesser Black backed gull Lesser spotted woodpecker Linnet Long tailed tit Magpie Mallard Meadow Pippit Pheasant Pied wagtail Robin Rook Skylark Song Thrush Starling Swallow Swift Tawny Owl Twite Wheatear Wood pigeon No wren this year - think the bad weather in December 2010 finished them off and they haven't re-established. |
