BS: Birdwatching Challenge

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 03:12 PM

The Goldfinch is the real dazzler of the Irish birds, I seen two pair close to my home a rare sighting in an urban area.
The population is twice as large from my

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 03:23 PM

Sorry I will continue, young days , all sorts of buildings eating up the countryside and of course our feathered friends are declining rapidly.
Birds like the yellowhammer, Corncrake, Bullfinch, and many others are now a rare sight.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 04:45 PM

It's European Goldfinches we have here. They were introduced quite early on, I believe. Since they make their own nests and don't take up valuable hollow-space they don't pose a serious threat to the native bird population. Wish I could say the same for Starlings. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 07:49 PM

We live in what is basically a rural village. Lots of old diciduous (spelling?) trees, meadows, flower gardens and berry and seed-bearing ornamental shrubs and trees. Behind our house is a 2 block long corridor of immature hardwoods and scrub growth along a ravine with a wet-weather creek. Before we moved into town, we lived on a large farm that was mostly dry, wornout pasture and dry pineywoods, with a few oaks mixed in. The understory was mostly vibernum.

It is only 15 miles north of here. But the habitats of the two places are very different. I think I see most of the same birds here that I used to see there, but I saw more species out there, even though this seems a more hospitable habitat. Nuthatches, indigo buntings, occasionally cedar waxwings, white-crowned sparrows, whipporwills and chuckwillowswidows, sparrowhawks, barnswallows.

I haven't seen a nuthatch since we moved to town. I will occasionally see an indigo bunting in town, and we have as many birds of prey here as we did in the country, maybe more. But I guess there are a lot of species that, regardless of habitat, just don't like living in the middle of a bunch of people.

Sometimes I feel the same way myself!

I've never been out of the country and never seen much of the USA that lies between the Mississippi and the Rockies. I really enjoy reading about the flora and fauna of other places. Thanks.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 07:55 PM

Starlings a becoming a real pest in my garden. Come in waves, eat everything I put out for birds in moments then leave, not before covering my dark wood decking with a mucky white sheet and any washing on the clothesline. I am convinced they drink black ink and dive bomb my shirts drying on the line !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 09:56 PM

For unknown reasons, the starling flocks seem to avoid my little patch of paradise. Mom & Dad have eliminated them from their feeders by using thistle feeders for the small finches, and feeding nothing but unhulled sunflowers in the other feeders. Apparently starlings can not hull sunflower seeds. They LOVE millet.

Gray squirrels are my biggest problem. Given time, I think they can figure away to get around any barrier. Sometimes I have problems with the crows and the suet feeders.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 07:56 AM

I've just denuded my garden of much of the greenery (winter prune), being sworn at all the while by a blue tit that was sitting in a tree out of my reach. Apparently he was annoyed that I had just cut down his favourite perch (well to judge by the poop underneath it...) and wanted me to know how he felt about it. I've put up another seed feeder in hopes he'll forgive me.

Raven has been continuing his challenge - that is:~ to eat one of every variety of bird that enters the garden. He was eyeing up a magpie earlier.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 03:31 PM

This has been a great day for birdwatching.   I was sent home from work because the hill where my office is located began to ice over and the snow created a frenzy at the feeders.   There was also a first time visitor to the suet and a bird I have yet to identify.   It was about the size and shape of a mockingbird, but several shades of gray darker about the color of the catbird.   Its tail was as long as the mockingbird but dark in the middle with long white feathers to the outer edge. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 07:54 AM

Arkie Look up Northern Shrike.

Youre a bit south of its range but its possible.

Same size and colour.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 08:49 AM

Well, looks like this ol' hillbilly ain't gonna be able to stay inthis compettion 'cause whereas we have lots of birds, the variety isn't to large as yet...

Yeah, this new joint used to be a hog farm and the hogs ate evrything down to the clay and therefore there's a small problem with ecological cycles andf food sources... But I'll get things perkin' over time...

We do have, however:

*hundreds of finches, seem to all be gold (brown now)
*junkos
*titmice
*grouse
*nuthatch
*doeny woodpeckers
*pilated woodpeckers
*chicadees
*pigeons
*doves
*interupted sparrows (?)

But that's it so far... We've got 3 feeders (thistle, black oil and suit) up but other than lots of birds, not much variety yet... Sniff...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 09:50 AM

Ah Bobert--the challenge is watching and noting the birds--not seeing more than anybody else!

You best stay with us, ya' hear?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 10:09 AM

Yeah, I loves each an' every one of them birdies... I'll keep readin' with the hope that someone else finds us... Seein' as it's snowing, I figured that the P-Vine and I would go fir a walk in the woods today... Maybe we'll be able to add to our species list later...

Bobert

p.s. Oh yeah...

*pesky blue jays, but not in large numbers like back in Wes Ginny
*red tailed hawk, which might explain why we ain't got some species
*dumb crows

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 01:41 PM

A couple of bluejays finally showed up. As well as an URS (unidentified roosting sparrow.) Perhaps a chipping sparrow, but I'm not at all certain. Used to get fox sparrows at our old place in the country. They're pretty birds.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Metchosin
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 01:53 PM

Still nothing birdwise at my feeder....damn. Guess they are not that desparate.....even the flowering cherry has begun to push forward a few blossoms and the salmon berry also. Damned weird weather, this is the earliest I can ever recall.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Joybell
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 08:12 PM

Our Welcome Swallows are back. Arrived the day after I posted my list. They don't go far North from here. They could actually stay all year but they do a sort of token migration and come back early. They line up on the wires on one day at the start of Summer. At some subtle signal they take off together heading North.

Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 09:23 PM

Don't know if there's much point entering a challenge, it's usually the same smattering of customers at my feeder every day:

-Dark-eyed juncoes
-House sparrows
-Black-capped chickadees
-Mourning doves
-Downy woodpeckers (a mated pair that comes for the suet)
-Tufted titmice (usually the same 2, cannot tell the gender)
-Cardinal & wife
-One red-bellied woodpecker
-Entirely too many jays.

But then, I feed them out of kindness/ professional courtesy (they ARE musicians!) than out of any burning need to tick names off of a "life-list." :)

Well, that and it's fun to torture the cat.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 09:25 PM

Oh. Forgot: a pair of thoroughly crazy white-breasted nuthatches, that like to fling seed all over the place.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 12:12 AM

Raptor, thanks for the suggestion, and I did check on the Northern Shrike but I do not think that was visitor.   It is lighter in color and I got a fairly good view of the birds beak which appeared to be straight. This bird's feathers were almost as dark as slate colored junco, not quite, but almost.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:11 AM

Gray squirrels are my biggest problem.

Janie,

When baffles and other tricks fail to work, there's always chili powder. Birds can't really taste capsicumin, but mammals can; and let me tell you, squirrels do NOT like it.

I use a commercial brand, "Squirrel-Free/Chili Treat", that comes laced with the stuff. It's very effective. But you can mix your own at home, with some cayenne and a little cooking spray to make it stick.

One or two mouthfuls of unpleasantness, and the greedy tree-rats WILL let your songbirds feed in peace.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:43 AM

Arkie You got a "white-winged"aikeni Race Dark-eyed Junco!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:57 PM

If my response to Windsinger appears three times, I hope it is not because I'm a birdbrain. Every time I click send message, it acts like it is, but the thread doesn't bump up to the top. So--I did 3 times! Still no joy. Lets see what happens this click.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 01:58 PM

Hmmm? Not only not 3 times---not at all. Que pasa?

Anyway--I wondered about the hot pepper. I'll give it a try.

J

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 02:11 PM

:::giggles:::

No, you're not going crazy. At least, not for anything related to your mouse button...

FYI: In case that other post wasn't explicit enough, the suggestion was for ...SEED. Chili-laced ...SEED. (After proofreading it I realized that crucial word appeared nowhere. lol looked like a recommendation to set out a bowl of chili peppers or pure cayenne powder. DOH!)

Seriously, that commercial brand has served me very well this winter. The squirrels hate it. The same company even makes chili-suet, in case they've been robbing that station too.

(This may sound sadistic, but I totally wish I had a vid-cam of their reaction, the first attempted raid after I switched brands. Doesn't hurt them, really. Just...some amusing negative stimulus therapy.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Arkie
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:25 PM

Raptor, that's what I suspected all along.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 10:31 PM

Any sign yet of the Peruvian Ring-Winged, Bow-Beaked, Ant-Eating Parakeet or the Ream-Nosed Romflombler? And how about the Least Glebe, a bird which never gets the attention it deserves in these discussions?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 01:49 AM

I guess not, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 07:15 AM

Random observation from this morning's feeder-activity:

I really like juncoes. :) Juncoes are cool.

I love the social-system they've worked out. They seem to be the wee scouts that are the first to find every feeder in this neighborhood. Every time I refill the stations, you can count the seconds until the first junco hops up.

And there's never, ever, any such thing as "just one" junco. If you only SEE one, you know he's on a recon mission for ten of his buddies, who are hiding in the bushes waiting to converge on whatever he's found.

Unlike the sparrows, they'll sing no matter how cold it is outside. There's nothing like waking up to the two-two-two-two-two-two! of their Happytime Feeding-Song. (I imagine it translates something like "oh boy! Seed! AGAIN! My favorite! I LIKE seed! Hey, me too!" etc.)

Juncoes don't take shit from ANYthing. Bigger birds, or even the cat. They'll come right up to the glass and peck at his face!

Juncoes are cool.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 09:54 AM

No, LH. But I have seen one or two Texan right-winged shrub jays.

J.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 12:39 PM

Those are nasty birds. They rob nests.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 03:23 PM

a small bird feeder which cannot be perched upon and eaten from by larger birds

Gnu,

Not as amusing as your "Godpigeon" anecdote...but I've noticed that the neighborhood jays refuse to accept that they are too damned big to feed at the hanging station (it's more sized to suit chickadee/sparrow body-types.)

Instead of going to the ground-station, they'll claw the high perch, hang ludicrously off to one side, wildly pivot one wing like a propeller to stay balanced, and gobble until their equilibrium gives out.

..or until the red-bellied woodpecker drives them off. :D

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: ard mhacha
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 03:48 PM

A sad sight on our TV news to-day, the dreaded bird-flu is moving westwards, Swans diagnosed with this have been found dead in Austria and Germany.
It will be impossible to curtail,it is enevitable that the culling of the birds will be on a vast scale, sorry to paint such a gloomy picture, I hope it never happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 05:32 PM

Haven't seen anyone post this yet...this "challenge" begins Friday and lasts for a week straight:

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 04:54 PM

Sad news indeed ard mhacha. Heard an even sader sound today as I was standing in the nature reserve on the shores of Lough Neagh looking at the sheer beauty of the local swans. The sound of wild fowlers in the distance with their non stop volley of gunfire. They are allowed to shoot one mile away from the reserve. The whole shoreline of Lough Neagh should become a reserve.Sad when natural causes kill birds in such numbers. Even sader when men go out to do it in the name of sport.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Beer
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 05:31 PM

The Great Backyard Bird Count.
Have been doing it for a number of years.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 07:42 PM

Well, well, well....

Still no mew species here on this old hog farm but can't complain about the numbers of the 15 or so species we have 'cause it's plenty...

But we are still optomistic that with the feeders that have never been here that eventually we will have the variety we had back in Wes Ginny...

A sad note, however, is that a downy woodpecker tried to fly thru a window and has passed on to the next life... Sniff...

We will get some of those stick on hawk decals for some of the windows to prevent this from occuring again...

Oh yeah, we did get 2 male cardinals during the snow so maybe they'll come back... There are so many nesting places here on the farm that I jsut know we're going to get more variety with time...

Until then, patience and keepin' the bird feeders full....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 08:43 PM

back in Wes Ginny...

Tell me bout it, son.

Fam' from Lncoln Co. hear.

Yew?

Slan,

~F

(URL? ...awwww, hell, yew Mountainers'll figgr it auwght)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 09:36 PM

Jeffason Co. Wes Ginny, here...

Ahhhh, Lncoln Co., ya say??? My couzin Rufus's wife, the lovely Rether May, from right next door to Lncoln on Ford Co... Sho nuff is... She was a Timpkin befire she married ol' Rufe... Lotta Timpkins in both Lncol and Ford Co's., I hear...

She swears that she is related to the Reg Boys of the Spaw Clan but I think it's thru marriage so no real blood involved here...

And, yeah, glad you brought up Url? How is he since the operation??? We heard he weren't doing too good...

Gotta go now... Night bird watchin' wid these Acme infird-red, 3-D goggles is da hoots....

Couszn Boberdz

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 16 Feb 06 - 09:40 PM

By Gawd, iff'n it ain't my long lost kin, Windsinger!

I be from next door in Kanawha County. Folks, in-laws and nephews are all still there. Was down in Lincoln Co. 2 weeks ago. It is definitely still there!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 12:10 PM

ACK! No way!

My maternal fam does hail from there; I actually didn't live down there myself (Cabell Co.) until I was an adult.

Had occasion to go into Kanawha Co. when visiting Charleston. (Mostly for brewing supplies, there used to be the most kickin' brewer's supply shop!)

Don't get to visit the Homeplace but once a year these days. :(

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 05:46 PM

(And now, an actual bird-related post... :P )

Which Northeastern US finches migrate seasonally, and how far south?

Basically, in an effort to attract a broader class of clientele at the feeding stations, several weeks ago I hung up thistle-seed. But it hasn't increased the variety of birds: same twelve species still show up every day.

None of them are finches. None even seem interested in the nyger seed.

Surely there's finches that winter in the NY-NJ-PA latitudes? Or has our resident Retarded Cat mauled and eaten them all?

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:37 PM

Well, as often happens I found this thread pretty late, but I think I'll put up my January list anyhow. It's the same as my February list so far anyway, except that the hairy woodpeckers moved on when I took down the suet feeder for a week in hopes of discouraging the starlings. We live in Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD, a suburb of Washington, DC. The original builders left a row of big trees in the back yards which is nice. And our yard is great habitat, which is my excuse for never clipping it into order....

Cardinals (a pair)
Song sparrows
White throated sparrows
House ("English") sparrows
Tufted Titmice
Carolina chickadees
White Breasted Nuthatch
Northern Juncos
House Finches
Goldfinches (American)
Red Tailed Hawk
Carolina wrens
Downy woodpeckers (2 pairs)
Hairy woodpeckers (male & female)
Red Bellied woodpecker (male only, so far)
Mourning doves
Starlings
Robins

A few goldfinches always winter here and seem fat and sassy. If I keep the thistle feeders up during spring and early fall, we get literally dozens of them, like little olive and gold and black mice swarming around and underneath the thistle feeders.

I have to be lucky to see any other birds because they are usually migrants. Have seen American redstarts, common yellowthroats, black and white warbler, yellow rumped warbler, pileated woodpecker, Coopers hawks, hermit thrush and veery, all (not at the same time!) within 10 feet of the house at one time or another.

Rita F

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Ferrara
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:39 PM

Oh, and we had a pair of red breasted grosbeaks on the feeders last fall. I was happy because Bill got to see them too. They were about 3 feet from the living room window so we watched them to our hearts content.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:47 PM

Now, Fionn, if you wanta see some finches, Rita has 'um!!! I'z sat in her living room lookin' out the window and seeing bunches of them critters...

I love the finches, too... We have maybe 40 or so that work the thistle feeder daily... Come summer it should be a real show when they yet yellow again... A couple are turning just a little even now...

Ahhhh, waalaa, cowabunga, far out...

I can now add the titmouse to the collection as we have a few who have found us...

Folks say there are bluebirds around so I reckon I'll get a couple bluebird houses up and maybe get a couple nests of 'um...

The 2 male cardinals haven't been spooted since the snow but we're hopefull of gettin' 'um as time goes on... Nothin' purdier than a male cardinal against a fresh snow... Well, maybe the P-Vine, but...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 06:59 PM

Fionn look for Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskens, And American Goldfinch in your area.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 08:08 PM

The bullfinches are stricly mythological.
Yesterday, EBarnacle was up in Frenchman's Bay, Toronto and saw his first Whistling Swan.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 09:04 PM

Yeah, I saw a Purple; he came once or twice for a brief visit, but that was late fall, and he hasn't been back since. I imagine he lit down to the Virginias, and I saw him just in time to say goodbye.

No other finches of any species since. :( It could be they just don't like this neighborhood...

Shame. They have such a cute little song when they're happy.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Janie
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:08 PM

Saw a white-breasted nuthatch today--first nuthatch I've noticed in the yard this winter. A brown thrasher and I startled each other badly a little while ago. It literally grazed my face when it took off out of the tall shrubs I was brushing past.

Windsinger, unless you have cover or seedheads that they like in your vicinity to draw them to your habitat, it may take a good long while before goldfinches discover your thistlefeeder. If in summer there are gardens or fields that have chicory, rudbeckia, echinacea or other good seedflowers, but all of that gets mowed down in the fall, they may just not be around to discover the feeder. If you keep the feeder up during the summer, when there are seed crops to begin to draw them, they'll find it and keep coming to it in winter.

Leastways, that has been my experience.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:39 PM

Avoid the Razor-Winged Castrator and the Exfoliating Grey Plover, two species of bird that can only be described as pests.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Raptor
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 06:20 PM

I'd say the Little hawk is gettin pesky.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching Challenge
From: Windsinger
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 12:57 PM

Janie,

Pair of white-breasted nuthatches comes to the feeder here every day. Aptly named; there' both quite mad, I think.

Shame about the finches.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir