BS: Birdwatching 2010

Subject: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Raptor
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 02:22 PM

I got 11 species yesterday!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 02:46 PM

At the moment, with much snow around Newcastle upon Tyne, there are just a few collared doves, in a nearby tree, and pigeons warming on the window sill, but, in warmer times, the scene has been like this...

Poem 174 of 230: CIRCLES - AUTUMN 2001

The ringed homing of pigeon;
    The telescopic gasworks,
Which alter the horizon;
    There's what could be, for some, perks -
Chopper-journeys as sight-sources,
    And advanced driving courses;
Plus, on our flats' thermals,
    The circling flights of seagulls.

From http://blogs.myspace.com/walkaboutsverse (e-book)
Or http://walkaboutsverse.sitegoz.com (e-scroll)
(C) David Franks

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 03:05 PM

Well, I haven't participated much in these threads, but I got a story.

Today, I was driving along a strip mall when sommat fell straight down at a good speed and smacked the pave. I thought maybe somebody threw sommat off the roof? over the roof? No.... it fell straight down. As I got closer, I could see it was a twelve inch long trout.

Now, there is a grocery in this mall close to where the trout landed and there were lots of seagulls in the air. I surmised.... obviously.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 04:58 PM

We broke ground in May and spent the past summer building our house in the middle of a 15 acre wooded lot. Here are birds who have never seen a birdfeeder. We've been living in the house since the end of Sept., and I waited for the first freeze and snow (about a month ago) to put out the bird feeder (so as not to attract the bears!). I also regularly sprinkle the ground below the feeder to attract and educate the birds that there is food here. So far, 2 squirrels have learned that there's easy dinner here on the ground- but no on has discovered the feeder! I use best wild bird mix together with black oil sunflower seeds. Any further suggestions, or do I just keep feeding the squirrels and hope the birds figure it out eventually?


...we do get wild turkeys occasionally, but not near the feeder.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 05:26 PM

...no first hand experience, Animaterra, but I heard on TV that it's good to have feeders not too far from trees/shrubs for shelter.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 02 Jan 10 - 06:26 PM

Give'em time. They'll come. Also suggest squirrel proof feeders. I've a yard full of trees, mostly oak, and more tree rats than you can count. I also use suet feeders and had to start buying the suet blocks laced with hot pepper to keep the squirrels out of them.

WAV is also correct that birds are more likely to come to feeders that are either hung from trees or near trees. My feeders that are close to cover or hanging from trees draw a lot more traffic than the feeders on poles with no cover or tree branches near by.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 10:03 AM

...and, if possible, within the view of a lounge or kitchen window, of course.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 11:15 AM

The usual winter birds are here:

Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flickers
Black-capped chickadees
Red-breasted Nuthatches
Brown Creeper
Dark-eyed Juncos
Song Sparrows
House Sparrows
House Finches
European Starlings
Crows

I have three feeders hanging from the clothesline which goes through droopy branches of the Mountain Ash (Rowan). One feeder has wild finch seed, next has mixed sunflower seed, the third has a mixture of walnuts, almonds and peanuts that were too old to use in my baking. The nuts are all chopped into small pieces so the nuthatches can manage them.

I also have three suet baskets attached to different trunks on the Mountain Ash. Two have homemade beef suet laced with ground peanuts and raw sunflower seeds.

The other has a block made from the fat, bits of meat, etc. that was left over after I rendered the fat to make the other suet. The Starlings think this is wonderful. The crows have been trying to eat it too, but the openings in the suet basket are too small for big beaks. I've set out another block of "leavings" on a board for them, but it snowed so much after I put it out, I don't think they know it's there.

I see a squirrel occasionally in the tall trees at the far end of my garden, but it has shown no interest in coming near the house or the bird feeders. It's busy cutting cones off the evergreens and running off with them.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 11:39 AM

Yesterday I picked up a couple of those shepherd's crooks for hanging bird feeders on the other side of my driveway from the kitchen window. I have a smallish juniper tree near the window but they cluster in it so heavily they're kind of hard on it (the plant has issues I hope to finally address this spring). So they're on the other side of the drive.

Having a source of water is very helpful. And while you do need trees nearby, don't make it so close that the feeder looks like a trap. They do take a while to discover a new source of food, especially in what isn't a logical place. Plant some bird attractant shrubs (something with berries or seeds that stick around during the winter) this spring so they're near the feeder next year and the discovery process will be considerably shorter.

Yesterday on my way from the post office to the bank I crossed an open stretch of prairie and spotted a large red tailed hawk perched on a tree beside the road, surveying the prairie. I figure the critters are out feeding in the warmth of the afternoon, so Ms. Hawk was out hunting also.

Here at the house I've had various finches, cardinals, and sparrows at the feeders this week. It took them a while to discover them here even though I put out feeders every year. In year's past I've seen immature hawks stick near to the feeder, one even perched on top of the crook, hoping to get lucky (like the little birds are going to come feed with him right there!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 12:23 PM

I am anxiously awaiting our winter robin that feeds in the apple tree in Mum's yard. It came on 2008.02.16 and 2009.01.06 when it was extremely cold. Very mild here for the past 2 weeks with day temps near zerc C.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 05:08 PM

A gorgeous pair of cardinals were out there feeding while I washed dishes. And a one-eyed sparrow was camped out on the tray of the thistle seed feeder. Looked like he was making the most of his good eye, very alert as he pigged out. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 05:14 PM

Here's a link to a live webcam that is scanning the Chahallis estuary in British Columbia for eagles fishing for salmon: Click here for video!

The website is maintained by the David Hancock Wildlife Foundation.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 03 Jan 10 - 08:11 PM

Today we added Common Redpolls and Bohemian Waxwings to our garden.

gnu?
Do you think the gull was dumpster diving? That's a pretty big trout for a seagull to carry. I guess that's why it fell?   I wonder if the birds went back to get it after the traffic slowed down? It was a big prize to forfeit.

It's exciting when you can be fairly certain that the same bird has returned, year after year. When are you expecting the temperatures to drop down to robin weather?

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Jan 10 - 09:40 AM

Just my usual tits, my black bird (who has fully fledged but is still rather small... late brood I suspect), the robin, sparrows, wood pigeon and a very surprised black headed gull.

However, I have today, purchased some new feeders and a fat block with insects so hopefully there'll be enough to attract more to the garden. My cats are quite good in regards to the birds, but the herd from up the road are not so polite - they sit under the shrubs and wait, dribbling....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 04 Jan 10 - 05:09 PM

Having read that from Liz, I checked in google and it's wood pigeons not "collared doves" (above) in a tree near my window.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Raptor
Date: 04 Jan 10 - 08:31 PM

A feeding tip: Go to your butcher and request the beef fat leftover from trimming they throw it out anyway so you can usualy get it free., Then put it out in an onion bag the woodpeckers and nuthatches love it and its free. Only at lower temps mind you so it doesn't get rancid.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 04 Jan 10 - 09:10 PM

Are squirrels attracted to it?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 03:10 AM

The butchers I know mince up the fat for suet, so no joy there. There's an astonishing array of fat balls and suet slabs available now - some have berry flavours, some have mealworms and others dried insects in them. I have visions of a family of tits gathered round a bird table whilst a waiter pigeon hands them a menu, recommending the mealworms... I think I had too much gin last night.

When it gets a bit lighter, I'll be replacing my old feeders with some new ones I got yesterday - hope they don't notice the difference! It must be cold down the river today, I've just seen a cormorant fly past.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: open mike
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 04:32 AM

i saw a bald eagle on christmas day...sitting on the ground..
near a flock of ducks...(or geese?) probably dreaming of dinner.

I plan to have my radio show this sat. on the theme of birds...
will start a thread to search for bird songs...i mean human songs
about birds...

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 04:47 AM

Tip: Blackbirds and thrushes love grapes (or any kind of dried fruit). I have 2 blackbirds on my way to work that will actually take a grape from my hand.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 05:03 AM

And the grapes they love, Sminky, may be good for them, too - BUT I don't know...and could it be that, just as we humans sometimes eat foods that taste good but may not be healthy for us, so too with birds and other animals. Is there a need for more scientific work here..?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 05:07 AM

What I thought was a pigeon on the chimney pot of the house opposite, is actually a kestrel, looking very cheesed off...

Open Mike - UK singer Derek Gifford has done a similar thing - he was at Chippenham Festival in 2008 with a whole concert of birdwatching songs - songs that mention birds in them.

'The snow it melts the soonest' - mentions woodcock in one of the verses.

There are many tunes and songs about the hunting of the wren, which is right for this time of year (just... Boxing Day and Twelfth Night in certain years)- the Chieftains 'The Bells of Dublin' CD and the Boys of the Lough 'MidWinter Nights Dream' (aka 'Da Day Dawns') has some great ones.

'She moved through the fair' mentions swans.... and there are so many more.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 06:21 AM

Is there a need for more scientific work here..?

Dunno, WAV, maybe. Certainly some commercial bird foods contain currants/raisins specifically for blackbirds. All I know is that I've been feeding them grapes for years and they keep coming back for more.

I reckon wild creatures know what's good/bad for them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 08:34 AM

What is a grape but a fruit - just like blackberries, raspberries and sloes... It has to be tastier than the ivy and firethorn berries that a blackbird and what looks suspiciously like a cross between a thrush and a blackbird (I suspect it's a female blackbird with a mottled breast because it's not pale enough and the wrong shape to be a thrush) have been systematically stripping from my garden fences. Perhaps I'll hang one of my bunches of elderly grapes from the firethorn and watch what happens....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 08:56 AM

I think you're probably both right about grapes, but I still question this view: "I reckon wild creatures know what's good/bad for them" (Sminky)..? What about when animals do consume, from humans, foods that are very different from their natural diet..?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 09:22 AM

...although, on a lighter note, I have to admit that seagulls seem to do very well, indeed, on potato chips without the fishing!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 09:36 AM

Scavenging animals will eat practically anything. If a creature suffers the ill-effects of eating something harmful it is unlikely to repeat the activity either (a) because it is dead, or (b) because it has learned its lesson.

This also applies to humans.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 09:38 AM

The difference is when 'human' food is a supplement or a replacement. The odd chip is not going to kill a gull, they are naturally scavengers rather than fish hunters and potatoes are organic things... grapes, breadcrumbs and bacon rinds are also reasonably organic and full of goodness. The danger comes when these 'human' foods are the sole source of nutrition. Ducks that eat little else but bread crusts are in danger of becoming malnourished - just like humans if they eat nothing else but rabbit meat. It will fill their bellies but it doesn't provide vital nutrients and in smaller ducks has the potential to be hazardous if stale bread is given.

Chimpanzees are considered to be vegetarian and passive, but they've been filmed hunting down and eating smaller monkeys in their natural habitat.. on the whole, animals know what they need - just like we'll have a craving for salty snacks or a glass of water - they get what they can, whilst they can get it.

This is why it's important to have a variety of foods available for your birds. If you put out crusts, sooner or later, you'll only get birds that can eat/digest crusts. Put out nijer, sunflower and other seeds, you'll get a variety.

I added a house sparrow to the list, he was on the new feeder about 20 mins ago.. he looked a lot happier with this style of feeder because it has little perches that he can sit on to eat - the others he had to hover and he wasn't very good at that.

I also broke the ice on the pond for them, but I doubt they'll want a bath....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jan 10 - 10:45 AM

The feeding guide that came with my new feeders states that whole bacon shouldn't be given to wild birds - presumably the salt content of a whole slice of bacon would be fatal... but a little bit of rind occasionally is OK. It also advises against peanuts unless they're from a reliable source (some nasty fungus can infect it and kill the birds) and in a small mesh cage or net so they aren't taken whole and thus choke smaller birds.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: bubblyrat
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 09:29 AM

I have been putting out bread on the snow in my graveyard. Initial interest came from tits & finches,but soon the feral "racing" pigeons muscled in & took over. They in turn were usurped by a group of seagulls, which I took exception too,and frightened off by standing in my doorway,opening & closing a large black umbrella ; seagulls don't seem to like that much.
            Then a large black crow appeared,and made off with a choice chunk of my burnt breakfast toast, also in the snow. Later,I shall make some tasty treats from stale bread and congealed olive oil (from my frying pan) for the smaller birdies,and hang them up somewhere.It's something to do, now that I'm confined to the house due to all the snow we have had ....half the gravestones have vanished, Dusty Springfield's having been one of the first ones to be snow-covered !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: bubblyrat
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 09:30 AM

Exception to, not too ! Damn that Jameson's Irish Whiskey !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 10:37 AM

We still haven't figured out who our tenant on the light at night is. This morning, however, I saw a couple of Slate Colored Juncos foraging on the porch. The usual vultures have been around.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 11:14 AM

I leave diced ox hearts out for the three young foxes. If there's any left over in the morning then it's 1) seagulls 2) magpies and 3) blackbirds, in that order, who polish it off.

It's just about the one thing that pigeons can't/won't eat.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 11:21 AM

Another gorgeous red-tailed hawk this morning, next to the road (maybe she's keeping an eye out for roadkill).

Beautiful house or purple finch on the feeder yesterday morning.

Last evening I was driving past a shopping center with a lot of trees and power lines nearby, and there was a dense cluster of starlings and grackles circling; this megaflock so much more dense than I've usually seen. It really did look like a scene out of The Birds. Lots of poop hit the truck as I passed under them also. Yuck.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 12:43 PM

Just had a smile over battling Bubblyrat's last two posts!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 06 Jan 10 - 06:26 PM

Sat watching three Avocets feeding on the bank of the River Debben nr Woodbridge last week. Beautiful birds.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 02:47 PM

I've only seen them on TV, so far, but I agree, Alan - very elegant.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 07:38 PM

My six starlings have multiplied to about thirty and are in danger of taking over every feeder in the garden, including the hanging nut feeder. This afternoon a Norther Flicker was hanging from it when a European Startling landed on the other side and the two seesawed back and forth on it, trying to gobble nut bits. In the end, the Flicker had to let go and left the starling to clean up.

I'm afraid that soon I'll have nothing but starlings. I'm happy to feed one or two of them, but not the entire extended family! I wonder how I can discourage them without frightening away the other birds? They seem to be able to eat any sort of food so removing their food source isn't an option.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:12 AM

The cold weatther has brought record numbers of species into our Ascot garden this week. Fieldfares for the first time in ages and redwings for the first time & redpolls again. When we lived in Stanmore 20+ years ago and had apple trees we got flockc of redwings & fieldfares on the windfalls every year.

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 10:03 AM

Crows'/Snows' Nest!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 02:27 PM

Wild Flying Dove and I ( Karen Hemmingham and me, Roger Vaughan Mills ) have now done a little video of birdies feeding,with me playing some Carolan tunes in the background----it's on You Tube !!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:28 AM

With the cold weather reaching the West of Clare there seems to be a change in the birds visiting the garden. There are loads (and I mean loads) of redwings around and I even spotted a two snipe in the garden (and more in the fields around). Blackbirds and thrushes are closer to the house (and visiting the birdfeeders) too in addition to the usual flurry of robins, finches and tits.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:33 AM

I saw a smashing pair of tits from the bedroom window this morning!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:34 AM

On thinking about it, they might have been Robin Redbreasts.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:36 AM

Oi Bubbles! Giss a link! in brackets please, her says!! Posh beggar

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:45 AM

Somehow in this weather you feel very responsible for birds and animals.
Even the little fox is coming to my call.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:51 AM

Brambling at the bird table this morning

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Arnie
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:38 AM

Today I watched a Scandinavian Redwing stripping the berries from our holly tree. These redwings cross the Atlantic in flocks to overwinter in the UK - unfortunately they've now stripped the holly tree bare and left nothing for my usual blackbirds and robins! I scatter birdseed in the garden but unfortunately the snow is still coming down and tends to cover up the seed before the birds get to it. Sadly, the green woodpecker that has visited for the past few winters has not shown up at all this year.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 07:07 AM

ragdall, if you will feed only black oil sunflower seed, in the shell, the starlings will leave the feeders alone. They can not crack open the shell.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Callingbird
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 07:42 AM

Redwings in trees surrounding a car park in Altrincham, Cheshire this morning.

Lovely

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 08:51 AM

They came! Finally! This morning I saw a flash by the kitchen window and realized that a flock of chickadees have finally figured out that this mysterious hanging thing is a food source! They've been back and forth all morning.

The cats have also discovered that the birds have discovered the feeder. Fortunately, due to all the nasty predators living in our woods, these are permanently indoors cats, so they can enjoy the show from their perch and the birds will soon figure out that they are no threat!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 10:02 AM

I may have had a chiffchaff... it flew away before I could get a closer look but it was definately not one of my usuals.

The result of my inability to find the good bird book to identify it quickly means I went out yesterday and bought myself a much better and bigger bird book... the RSPB guide to British and European birds - a steal at a third of the marked price! So now, no LBJ (Little Brown Job) is safe from identification!

The gulls are going mad up and down the street outside the front right now, I guess it's a bit chilly down river.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 12:18 PM

We've had a whole load of redwings and fieldfares visiting our garden (Oxford, England) since the snow, and finishing the berries on next door's tree. Yesterday at a friends' house we put some food out for the birds and were waiting for some takers when a male sparrowhawk flew down and perched on a nearby tree stump.

I've seen red kites overhead three times this year so far, though I wouldn't dsecribe them as a "garden" bird....

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 01:54 PM

I stopped by a neighbor's back yard pond yesterday with my camera and took photos of the ducks walking around on the ice. One end was open, so they had a choice, but the family feeds them every day so they were hanging around on the end near the food. Mallards, Wood ducks, and a few Shovelers. They are so funny when they land on ice and slide and slither to a stop!

I suppose they're sliding and slithering in my back yard also, down on the creek, but I have to go look over the bank to see them and at my place they aren't used to being fed so they exit when they hear me coming. Can't get close enough for photos.

Links later.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 11:56 AM

hot summer over here no ice or snow to think about seeing a lot of Tui, Bellbirds, Pheasants, Morepork hear him every night, skylarks, fantails, putting out lots of fruit and have lots of watering holes for the birds now. Kingfishers are nearby as well

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 01:23 PM

See if this shows up properly (I loaded it to my TwitPic page):

Ducks standing on an icy pond near my home. It may not be a durable link.

I'm going to load some of these and put in links later, but it was just perfect lighting for these beautiful birds. Even garden-variety mallards look fabulous when they're well-lit!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 02:09 PM

Excellent pic., thanks SRS (one minor thing, maybe you could trim a bit off the right hand side..?)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 02:20 PM

ragdall - Date: 03 Jan 10 - 08:11 PM

I suspect sommat like that. Perobably a mid-air fight knocked the trout loose.

Dunno if it is the SAME robin, but I like to think so.

We are bound to get some cold temps soon. -6 daytime today, sunny.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 04:43 PM

the Redwings are in trouble here, one was rescued today and put in my conservatory where it was given bread crumbs and a hot water bottle, it eventually revived, but we have had snow here and the worst frost for 25 years[5 days running, water supply frozen too], and the poor old Redwing cant find any worms.
liz the squeak, glad your tits are alright.
did you say you had blue tits? or long tailed tits?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 05:59 PM

Symmetry, like rhyme, isn't all it is cracked up to be, WAV. That ice is pretty interesting looking and is part of the photo, not just the ducks. But I do have a bunch of photos in the set and I will be focusing in on some with specific bird activities. I think I caught a couple of shots where you can actually tell that the ducks are sliding across the ice as they land.

My bird feeders on the edge of the driveway are hopping with all sorts of bird sizes. In the past I had a lot of sparrows and finches, but I have a more conspicuous thistle feeder out and the tiny birds are turning up also. Some are very pretty with their colors. Must get out the bird book.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 05:15 AM

Dried mealworms make a great rescue food for insect-eaters.

My fearless Blackbird, who eats from my hand, has now acquired an impatient streak. If I don't feed him as quickly as he would like he flies up into my face!

I was followed through the park this morning by two pairs of Jays; they are getting quite tame now and fly down to pick up the monkey nuts I throw for them. I'm going to try and get a photo of them. Also the Nuthatches - there must be a dozen of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 06:59 AM

We get lots of fieldfares and redwings every winter. The fieldfares specialise, along with the blackbirds, in polishing off the windfall apples up to Christmas. I tell myself they're fertilising the stand of apple trees I have, and I do get great crops every year in spite of having added nothing by way of fertiliser for 20 years. There are far more songthrushes around than last winter, and lots of tell-tale smashed snail shells - I reckon the thrushes are hunting out the hibernating molluscs. I haven't seen any unusual birds so far but the regulars are desperate for food (and water in the freeze) and are far bolder around me than usual when I'm out filling the feeders. The biggest entertainer is a male greater spotted woodpecker who sounds like a ram-raider trying to get into the house when he's hammering on the window feeder. I had to buy a new one the other week as he managed to completely wreck the previous one. A couple of days ago we had blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits all frenetically together at once on the bird table. We've only been getting long-tailed tits for about three years but now we have a regular mob of seven or eight which visits several times a day. I saw a bullfinch up the lane the other day - not a very common sight around here. There are barn owls around but I'm concerned that I haven't seen one for three or four months now.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 02:33 PM

My tits are coal, blue and great... and they're all fine thanks for asking. My chiffchaff looked pretty spry too.

The strange, mottled bird has decided it's a lady blackbird and she's systematically stripping the berries off my firethorn, getting closer and closer to the ground and consequently more and more nervous as there is frequently a posse of pusses waiting for her to make a false move....

More black headed gulls flying around today, and a disgruntled magpie.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 03:34 AM

I'm fwustrated and jealous. I've been here in the Sierra foothills eight years, and I've seen an owl only once. I saw them far more often when I lived in the heavily urban Sacramento area.
A friend has been hiking from our house through the woods next door, and she had several owl sightings last week. She thinks they were Great Horned Owls. We live here - why don't we see them?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 07:52 AM

The snow is bringing birds that I don't normally get to see at my feeders. One has me completely bumfuzzled. I think it is a sparrow. It is a little smaller than a fox sparrow. Dark bill. Head and back of neck are slate gray (looks like a hood) and the rest of the back and tail are brown, streaked with black and a little white. Breast is heavily streaked and the the streaking under and arround the throat is a buff-yellow. No white throat patch. Groundfeeder, going after the sunflower seeds I broadcast, ignoring the millet. If I see it again today I'll try to get a picture.

I really don't see anything very close in my Peterson's fieldguide. Wondering if it might even be a junco/sparrow hybrid - but if so, it is not a cross with a white-throated sparrow, I don't think.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 08:06 AM

Also seeing bluebirds and pine warblers at the suet feeders. I only see them in the coldest weather, or on the rare occasion, like this weekend, when we have significant snow.

A flock of starlings moved in on the suet and nugget feeders yesterday. The wrens and mockingbirds are pretty brave in facing them down. Don't normally have a problem with starlings.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: olddude
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 08:48 AM

Hey what is that little tiny hawk that keeps chasing the little sparrows around my back yard. This guy is small, about the size of a robin and for sure a hawk with the talons and curved beak ..

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 09:24 AM

Your little hawk is likely a sharp-shinned hawk, Dan. Take a look here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sharp-shinned_hawk/id
Another small hawk is the kestrel (sparrowhawk) but it's much less likely to be found around yard feeders. http://www.pbase.com/wes242/kestrels

We have often watched a sharp-shinned hawk in our yard at home, chasing chickadees who always escaped. They are beautiful birds.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 09:35 AM

Don't have a garden myself, but I heard the RSPB just held their annual bird-count for those who do - I think volunteers had to tally garden visitors for an hour..?...anyone take part?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 10:19 AM

Here another site with some good info.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 01:25 PM

Joe, they appear where they wish. The first time I saw a Great Horned Owl, I was driving down a road in Maine and saw a lump on a branch. I pulled over and walked back and there it was, just sitting there and watching the road from about 50 yards out.

Lady Hillary and I were on our way to Annapolis on Friday and, as we crossed the Bay Bridge, we spotted a Bald Eagle, just flying across the Chesapeake Bay, minding its own business, obviously not hunting as there were waterfowl plying the air parallel to it and near by. [I wonder how they know when they are safe from the big boys.]

Lady Hillary believes she spotted a wood stork [believe it or not] on a chimney that trip...And yes, we know it is off the maps that the bird books provide.

We also believe we saw an immature broad-winged hawk on the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 01:59 PM

I've been enjoying the large redtail hawks and great blue herons around the neighborhood this winter, and I got some great photos of several varieties of ducks on a frozen pond in the neighborhood back in early January. This afternoon I have a bunch of finches, various types, on my feeders. A couple are quite rosy in color. And there is the little guy who gets on one feeder in particular and dredges out seed to drop on the ground, then flies down and joins others eating it from below. And of course, there are some dopey doves bopping around out there also.

:-)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 02:06 PM

Blue Herons... official bird of New Brunswick. At my buddy's cottage in Shediac you can see dozens at low tide. Amazing birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 04:05 PM

Maeve
Kestrel, you nailed it thank you , that is what that little guy is. boy he is intent on catching one of those little birds for sure. Just sits there and watches and waits

Thank you
Dan

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 31 Jan 10 - 05:08 PM

They're heeeeeeeeeeeeere!! Two downy woodpeckers have found the suet feeder, as have the nuthatches. Lots of chickadees and a rare junco. We hear owls at night, and see hawks in the trees along the road, but it's so nice to have the birds right outside the kitchen window at last.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:19 AM

Terrific, Animaterra!

After looking at bunches and bunches of images on-line, I'm about to decide the unidentified sparrow is a fox sparrow. (still not absolutely sure.) Didn't realize there was so much variability in their plumage.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:27 AM

From my kitchen table this morning I see chickadees, 5 blue jays, a few finches, one large Rhode Island Red rooster, a white rooster and one white hen. There is also a fat squirrel sneaking about....all of them shining in the sunlight.

I love to watch the birds.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 03:32 PM

And a yellow-rumped warbler! Thought I might see pine siskins, but no joy so far.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 07:11 PM

We are having cold temps now! -22C tonight. I expect to see the arrival of our winter robin and the Cedar Waxwings soon. They feed in Mum's apple tree... I hope... she enjoys them so much.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Ferrara
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 09:25 PM

So far we've mostly had the usual winter birds. But there were a pair of Cooper's hawks in a neighbor's tree one morning, that was a little out of the ordinary. And we love the usual winter birds. The Carolina wrens are nesting on the back porch again for the winter.

Last year was a good one for us, I saw 2 species that we only see once every few years & never got around to listing them here. We saw one Ruby-throated hummingbird and a pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Ferrara
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 09:31 PM

Last summer I spent hours and days watching and photographing a nest of yellow crowned night herons along a local creek. Here's the album:
Sligo Creek YC Night Herons

Here's another album the Friends of Sligo Creek were kind enough to put up:
Wood Ducks on Sligo Creek

I don't know how long they will be up, I know they have been archived.
Rita

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:02 PM

Rita I'm so glad you are sharing the Night Heron series here. As I told you previously, wonderful photgraphs and documentation of the development of the chicks.


Rita, you saw the hummer in winter? If you see one this winter, http://www.rubythroat.org/OtherSpeciesMain.html, is interested in reports of hummingbirds wintering on the East coast. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for a box with a very pale blue background.

A few years ago, a birdwatching friend who lived a few blocks from me identified a Rufous Hummingbird in her yard in late January. (It was a mild winter, and she quickly put out a feeder for it. It stayed for several weeks.) The Hummingbird folks came out and documented it. It had already been banded and had been down off the coast of South Carolina.

Was it on one of our birding threads or in the news that I read, not too long ago, that it has recently been discovered that Ruby-throated (if my memory serves) have recently been discovered have a second breeding season in Mexico and Central America. The article included ponderings about if this is true of other species that breed in North America in spring and summer, and wondering if loss of breeding habitat in their wintering grounds may account for otherwise unexplained declines in populations of some bird species in North America.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,LTS on the sofa
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 09:36 AM

Mating season is already upon us...

Saturday, looking out, doing my Big Bird Watch (really must get around to posting my results), there were three male blackbirds sitting in one tree, glaring at each other. The single lady
blackbird was one tree over, watching....

The Great tits are massing too... several large males in the shrubbery were having a spirited discussion about something or other. So it looks like I'll have some baby birds to watch in about 2 months time...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,LTS on the sofa
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 09:55 AM

Put my survey results up... I've counted the black headed gull that hovered over the table preparing to land, before it noticed the cat staring up at it between the latticework.... because it was IN my garden and didn't just fly over, even though it technically didn't land.

I'm annoyed that the survey didn't have the option of writing exactly what your other food was - my garden is planted with berry bearing trees and shrubs that provide food if I can't put any out, and there was nowhere to put this information. I think it makes a difference to the birds. We wouldn't have blackbirds in such number if there weren't the berries there to feed them - due to the large cat population in the area, a bird table is not a good idea. Similarly we probably wouldn't have such a large cat population if I didn't encourage small birds for them to chase!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 11:03 AM

Last year I saw a juvenile hawk perched on top of the shepherd's crook that my feeders hang from, apparently hoping to get lucky. Like these little guys are going to throw themselves at his feet. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 03:13 PM

Out and about in South Lincs & Rutland (UK) today, noticed a lot of birds of prey: several pairs of Red Kites (or the same one following me round!), the ubiquitous Kestrel, and two other sizable species, one of which was probably a Buzzard and the other I've no idea! Anyone know what's common in this area?

Pete.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 10 Feb 10 - 10:48 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 10 Feb 10 - 12:46 PM

Just in case some one might overlook the thread ragdall started thought I would also post the link here. Thanks ragdall!

great backyard bird count 2010

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: bubblyrat
Date: 10 Feb 10 - 02:02 PM

Red Kites are not really "birds of prey",as they are more likely to cruise the skies looking ever downwards ,searching for "roadkill" and other carrion. So they're more like Vultures, although there are now so many (too many) of them around,especially in Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire,that it has been suggested that they may well be "evolving " into something more like a true predator,in order to survive . Fascinating stuff,and and an interesting insight into evolution and its causes ! Hamsters beware !

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 10 Feb 10 - 04:00 PM

Still having starlings at the suet feeders, but not so many that they are gobbling all the suet up. Found a suet feeder with a little ledge for perching. The bluebirds have finally figured out how to feed from the suet feeders. They were congregating under the suet feeders when starlings or mockingbirds were feeding because little pieces of suet would fall to the ground then. All last year, and until a week or so ago, they would sit on top and feed when I put in a new suet block, but once the block was 2/3 eaten, they couldn't reach it. Now they are clinging to the sides. Took 'em long enough.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 11 Feb 10 - 12:43 AM

Did a trip to Mystic, CT and Albany last week. Much to my surprise, I saw two birds I never saw before and, when I looked them up, found that I had seen a snowy owl and a gyrfalcon on separate legs of the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 10:24 AM

Refreshed... for olddude and his Red-Tailed Hawk.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 01:11 PM

I've gotten some great shots of birds in the snow this week. I thought I posted that remark yesterday, but I don't see it now. Will post links later.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:44 PM

The Great Backyard Birdcount thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:46 PM

OOPs, sorry, that was my post in the thread.
This is

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:49 PM

The Great Backyard Birdcount thread.

Mud elves feel free to delete my previous two posts if this one works.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 05:00 PM

Black-capped chickadees on the feeder this afternoon. Lovely little things! Is this the same as Liz's tits?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 09:38 PM

Stilly, I'm gonna guess you have Carolina Chickadees rather than Black-capped Chickadees. They are hard to tell apart - the Carolina Chickadee is a little smaller than the Black-capped, and lacks the flash of white on the wing. Their calls are probably the best way to distinquish them. They are known to hybridize, but the Black-capped Chickadee would be very rare in Texas.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 12:07 AM

This afternoon I saw a large flock of cedar waxwings in the trees around the house. They are like large versions of the pyrrhuloxia, and they fly kind of the way a cardinal does, with the little dips in the flight.

I have to look up the birds here, the chickadees. I saw them for the first time this afternoon, so I'll study them closer next time they're by and make a better ID.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 07:00 AM

Pine siskins, Black-capped chickadees, common nuthatches; seen at the feeders while we took a break from clearing up from the fire. We heard the chickadees' spring song for the first time this year.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 07:16 AM

Tweet 100 Tweet

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 07:30 AM

Chickadee-dee-dee... Fly faster, O Leadfingers bird.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 09:11 AM

The Cedar Waxwings arrived in Mum's apple tree this AM (she there were"a lot) and 3 Blue Jays put the run on them.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 07:37 PM

Have been out of town for 4 days. Got home late this afternoon, went out to fill the feeders 1st thing, and discovered bluebird feathers scattered all around a patch in the front yard.

I suppose it could have been a sharpy, but suspect that with the feeders empty in my absence, the birds were scavenging more heavily on the ground, and the neighbor's cat got one of them. I'll know if I find the carcass. If I do find the carcass, my neighbor and I are going to have another talk.

Some of you will remember from the 2009 thread that for the longest time I was dealing with 4 of her cats. I think three of them must have died, as I have only seen the white one for several months. I'm sorry she lost three of her cats, but also think it likely they would still be alive if she had kept them inside where they belong and taken care of them.

I will also say that one cat allowed to roam loose is not nearly as hard on the birds as were 4, but I am still unhappy. Our cat stayed with my ex when we divorced. While I was there, she never went outside. My son tells me she goes outside at will now to stalk the birds. I keep her when ex goes out of town, and she stays inside then, where this non-native predator belongs.

I've turned 180 degrees on this issue over the years. Ignore most of my rant. It is actually off-topic. Needed to get it off my chest.

Have noticed both here and at my parents' in WV where I have been the last several days that several species songs are changing to spring mating songs, cold weather and snow be damned.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 03:26 AM

Finally saw a red kite over the garden this week, neighbours had seen them locally but I hadn't seen them south of Burchetts Green. Parakeets moving North & kites moving South, now waiting for clash over my garden!

Rts

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 07:19 AM

I've heard three flocks of Canada geese flying over; this morning I opened the drapes in time to se a flock of seven flying past the apartment toward the bay.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 01:42 AM

maeve,

I told 'em to send you my love when they left here. Hope they remembered. Is it early for them to be moving north, or pretty much "on time?" We have them year round, but the population is higher in winter, so some obviously migrate. Since I don't have a pond or lake closely adjacent, though, I don't really notice the onset of increases or decreases in population, so don't know when those who migrate typically arrive in fall or depart in spring.

Looks like I have a pair of yellow-rumped warblers. Noticed the male several weeks ago during a cold snap. Only noticed the female 2 weeks ago. Hoping they are a breeding pair.

Got to stop filling the suet feeders because of the starlings. (Bye-bye warblers and bluebirds.)

Never had a problem with starlings on suet feeders before. Where I lived previously, there were lots of Bradford pears and other shrubs and small trees that bore berries that stayed on trees through winter, plus lots of people feeding birds. Steering clear of millet in the seed feeders was sufficient - I guess the fruit and drupes were sufficient. Such food sources are more sparse in this new neighborhood.   As best I can tell, I have a very small flock of only 5 starlings - but they wipe out all 4 suet feeders in less than a week.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 09:22 AM

I hope Raptor doesn't mind a different sort of bird sighting in his thread:

Janie- I read your post as I listened to my friend Gordon's brand new cd, "Other Eyes". Something changed.
*************************************************

Sending Love

Your wordless message carried on dark wings
Reminded me: sad winter ends.
Their voices yelped a hunt for springs long past
When laughter-colored sun leapt up
From salt of splashing ocean, calling me
Awake from sleep; from fearful dreams.

And as they passed, my falling tears were dried.
The scent of sea, a hint of light;
A freshened breeze, the sounds of wings, that cry,
Have lifted sorrow to the dawn.
An elegance of feathers whistles by
And I remember how to sing.

Copyright 2010 Maeve in Maine All rights reserved
For Janie Endres

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 05:40 PM

That is beautiful, maeve, and I am moved to tears.

Thankee geese, for delivering the message.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 07:14 AM

The male goldfinches have started molting to yellow!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 07:48 AM

In the trees surrounding most of our small parking lot we've seen goldfinches, cedar waxwings, cardinal (singing), hairy and downy woodpeckers, common nuthatches, crows, and the ever faithful chickadees.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: SINSULL
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 08:25 AM

Sitting at my desk with tears running down my cheeks. Beautiful, Maeve.
I have discovered a bird that comes out at night. He chirps away as Seamus and i walk by. No idea what it is. I used to have a beautifully illustrated book on birds - have to dig it out.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 04:50 PM

Thanks, Janie and Mary.

Chickadees were buzzing around when I checked the feeders at the homeplace. We need to bring them more seeds and suet.

m

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 01:36 PM

Saw a purple finch here about a week ago... over a month earlier than normal here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 01:44 PM

Something odd hereabouts...the songbirds have pretty much vanished here in the last couple of months. There were plenty of them in December, but now we're getting only maybe 2 finches out there, the occasional chickadee, where there used to be about 10 of each most of the time, plus nuthatches and various other birds.

This has happened at my feeders and at several friends' feeders in this area. The seed level in the feeders barely changes in a week's time.

So where have all the birdies gone??? I think they must have shifted to some other area, probably because of changing weather patterns.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 03:33 PM

LH... many birds go back to their natural habitat when the weather warms up and the snow recedes. eg, bluejays... they are not a city bird but they like an easy and free lunch. With our warm weather, they are back where they prefer because they can now easily feed themselves back there. Same as the chickadees which were in my yard for months. Haven't seen one in two weeks.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 10:55 AM

Good news! The birds are back. I now have lots of goldfinches, chickadees, a pair of mourning doves, some hairy woodpeckers, a couple of ravens, some robins, and today the blue jays returned as well. The birdbath seems to be attracting a few newcomers.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 08:24 AM

Had a hospital appointment earlier today - managed to spot a pair of greenfinches and a pair of long tailed tits all busy finding nesting materials. Then there were the blackbird couple, the male of which was vigorously persuing the female around the bushes no doubt for nefarious and procreational purposes, the magpie couple, busy throwning twigs onto parked cars beneath their chosen nest site, and the crow couple, waddling around the grass like Darby and Joan. Everything seemed to be nesting or mating... Spring has definately Sprung!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 02:47 PM

Oh, I missed this thread, and I gotta boast. My wife Christina and I went to the Debra Cowan concert in Lodi, California, on the last day of February. Lodi is in the Central Valley of California, just south of the Cosummes River Preserve and in an area where a lot of rivers come together and eventually feed into San Francisco Bay. A couple of weeks earlier, we had been to the Preserve to watch Sandhill Cranes, and it was a delightful afternoon, but not completely spectacular. I had also seen a couple of Sandhill cranes up close in December, near my brother's house in Sarasota, Florida (but I didn't have my camera).
So, on the day of Deb's concert, we went to the Isenberg Sandhill Crane Reserve. This is on Woodbridge Road at Interstate 5, just northwest of Lodi.
Here's an excerpt from the Nov 2005 issue of Via, published by the California State Automobile Association:

Lodi, Calif., 36 miles south of Sacramento, sits astride a major freeway. But every autumn thousands of its visitors arrive by air. They wing in at sunset, their masses dark smudges in the distance that swell in size, like storm clouds gathered in an orange sky. As they swoop into Lodi, their forms take shape: stretch-necked birds with ash gray bodies and bright red crowns.
An estimated 7,000 sandhill cranes make their seasonal home in the area, gliding down a migratory path known as the great Pacific Flyway from Alaska to the alfalfa fields of the Isenberg Crane Reserve, a 15-minute drive out of town. Cranes are both dramatic and prehistoric-looking. Their light-footed mating dance, with wings spread wide, is ancient avian ballet, and their calls are like the trill of a distant French horn.

We found a parking area where a number of people were gathered, and settled down to watch. About half an hour before sunset, the cranes started arriving. Most of them settled in a pond that was about half a mile from us, but we could hear and see them as they flew overhead - and boy, did they make a lot of noise! About sunset, some of them landed in the pond fifty yards from us, and we got a perfect view of them in binoculars. Then the birds stopped coming, and most people figured the show was over and left - it was a very satisfying experience. I got some pictures, but none of them were particularly good. Wikipedia will give you far better photos than I got.
There were only four of us left at the parking area about fifteen minutes after sunset. All of a sudden, the darkening sky was completely filled with huge, honking cranes. I think it was the most spectacular birdwatching experience I've ever had, but the sky was filled for only five or ten precious minutes.
And then we had a wonderful Debra Cowan concert, and it was an absolutely perfect day.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 03:03 PM

The crows are breaking twigs of my maples.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 03:42 PM

I see there has been one sighting of a Hummingbird in southern Maine.

Here's the site.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 05:47 PM

Sounds like it was magical, Joe!

The common grackles are back.

Lots of nest building activities in all quadrants.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 08:20 AM

Not sure what happened to my last posting but here it is again.
We had yesterday two large birds circling the sky above our house. Underneath they are light brown, black edging to wings and what looked to be bulls eye markings on their wings.
We think they are Sparrow Hawks, new to this area.
I would be grateful for any idea as to their identification.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 12:52 PM

Really LTS on the sofa because she can't be arsed to log Manitas out...

Alan - how big were they? They might be buzzards which are making a comeback in a lot of areas. They are pretty big though, so if yours were the size of a crow or smaller, then they're not buzzards.

Some juvenile buzzards hae quite marked stripes on their under wings.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 05:06 PM

Where are you, Alan?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 06:25 PM

Near Gatwick Airport Janie
They looked pretty big ,but although we have a lot of countryside around here I have never seen a buzzard. Kestrels have a go at the Blue and great tits on occasion. A larger Sparrow hawk came into the garden
recently ,but these birds looked bigger and were very high up. The flight path is near and I would fear for their lives long term.
A pair of Buzzards in the Gatwick /Crawley area, that would certainly be a first.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: kendall
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 07:44 PM

We now have two Pileated Woodpeckers hanging around here.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 02:23 PM

Well, there was a report on TV last night that a Hummingbird was sighted in southern Nova Scotia. So I shall be "on the lookout" here.

Seems bird migration is 2 to 3 weeks earlier on the calendar this year.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 01:52 AM

Haven't a clue about what you might be seeing on your side of the pond, Alan. Over here in the eastern USA there are a couple of small hawks that are regionally referred to as sparrow hawks.

Hummers are back here! Haven't actually seen one, but the drop in the liquid in the feeder over the past 2 days indicates they have arrived! Will be watching eagerly over the weekend.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 11:23 AM

The Blue Jays have young. I hope this link stays up for a while.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 22 Apr 10 - 07:46 AM

I saw my first swallows of the "summer" last Saturday (17th) and I've seen them most days since. Last year it was the 24th when I first saw them so they obviously aren't affected by the lateness of the spring.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 06:29 AM

Saw a lesser spotted woodpecker in Barking on Wednesday - unusual for this sort of urban area. First one I've ever seen outside of proper woodland since I moved up here from Dorset where we often saw all types.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 06:57 AM

From the apartment: three eagles, chickadees, cedar waxwings, American goldfinches, American crows, Northern cardinals, various warblers.

From home: The same species, plus many more warblers, Red-eyed veery, ravens, white-throated sparrows, bluebirds, grackles, mourning doves, purple finches, many kinds of sparrows moving through.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,callingbird
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 07:45 AM

Alan

I am no expert, but they sound very much like Buzzards. A Sparrowhawk is not a 'large bird'. Also the 'bullseye' description fits a Buzzard. Especially when viewed from beneath and sunlight catching the wings.

I was at Leighton Moss in Lancashire on Monday watching Marsh Harriers. Now THEY are large birds and so lovely to see.

Any sighting of large birds circling in the sky is food for the soul.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 05:46 PM

Many thanks never seen Buzzards down here. On this sighting there were two possibly pairing up. Tonight I saw one
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 10 - 02:35 PM

I was scolded by a hummingbird this week! Tiny little chirps coming out with every new flower, as I stood at the glass door watching it. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 24 Apr 10 - 02:39 PM

Cool! One of my favs. The King of Birds!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 24 Apr 10 - 03:07 PM

Cool hummer vid.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 18 May 10 - 11:46 PM

At some point, I have forgotten to keep track of the species this year, but don't think I have seen anything different.

The common grackles returned about 3 weeks ago. They wipe out a suet cake faster than the starlings. The bluebirds disappeared for awhile after I stopped putting out suet, but are back again - after bugs in the lawn.

Got a family with 3 recently fledged Carolina Wrens who love the carport and the top of the window unit AC, and one fledging Carolina Chickadee. Can hear all manner of nestlings calling for MORE FOOD from daylight to dark. From all the racket up in an oak tonight, it appears that someone got et. could have been either a bird or a squirrel nest that got raided.   Didn't see the predator. Are there predator birds other than owls that might feed at night?

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: My guru always said
Date: 19 May 10 - 11:13 AM

Just had a juvenile Goldcrest in my birdbath yesterday!!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 20 May 10 - 01:48 AM

Alan,
Do you have ospreys over there?

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stu
Date: 20 May 10 - 05:24 AM

Two cormorants fisihing in the reservoir a mile or so from my house, plus two goldcrests gorging themselves on dandelion seeds the other day.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 10 - 11:58 AM

I've put up the bird feeders in the front yard to distract the mockingbird and cardinal from attacking my strawberries in the side yard garden. They drag them around with such gusto - I've caught them at it now several times.

Lots of birds eating bugs in the front yard, and a finch of some sort is nesting in a hole on the rock front of my house. Once they fledge I'll find a new rock and get some mortar and seal that spot.

I haven't heard the woodpeckers (flickers) yet this year. They're usually here about now. I wonder if just enough of the woods across the road was knocked down by the housing builders to make our woods no longer desirable?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 20 May 10 - 02:32 PM

Upon arriving home four days ago, I noticed that the white splotches on my driveway were increasing. The splotches were directly under where my engine would be when my truck is parked. Odd.

I parked further down in the driveway and walked around the corner of the house and a pigeon walked quickly under my utility trailer. I walked a ways down the lawn and looked. Sure enough, one wing was askew. I have been feeding "Wingrat" since, in hopes I might catch him. Nobody wants him (SPCA, etc), so I really only have two options if I catch him. Let a predator take him or kill him. I have a feeling I should kill him as it would (might?) be more humane as it only takes several seconds but I don't have the cold heart that I used to have in such matters.

Any thoughts?

Now, the other part of the story. Two days ago, whilst feeding Wingrat, a young looking robin landed on a sawhorse about ten feet away and watched and chirped at me. Same thing yesterday... three times. Today, I was standing between the truck and my house watching the hummingbird feeders to see if maybe there were any around yet.

"Red" flew out of one of my maples and landed near the back of the truck and chirped at me and cocked his head. I replied, "Hey Buddy." Red hopped a couple of feet closer and this was repeated until he was about four feet from me. Then he put up a fuss. I asked, "What?" He flew under the truck and I could hear fluttering and red squawking that shrill squawk. Out from under the truck comes Wingrat making a beeline for the backyard. Red came out from under the truck and chirped at me loudly and flew off.

Nope, not a drop... I swear.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 10 - 07:31 PM

Amusing! I once caught an escaped parakeet in my back yard. Ended up giving it to a woman at the local garden center.

I was out back, and this bird flew past low, kept trying to get my attention, and when I walked close to the fence to take a look it didn't fly off. I went into the house to pick up a container of seed, and approached the fence with it. He was interested and hopped into the cup to eat. I covered it with my hand and took him into the house, then made arrangements to borrow a cage from that garden center (they have several store pet birds there). I took the cage back with the bird--as a cat owner at the time, getting a bird didn't seem like a good idea. Poor little guy had probably been looking for a human to notice him for a while.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 21 May 10 - 04:55 PM

FIRST HUMMER! A half hour ago, Mum saw a Hummer at the feeders, flitting back and forth to the apple tree.

I had taken down the three hanging pots off the garage eave as there is a risk of frost tonight.

I do hope he takes up residence in the apple tree but I suppose that will be up to his bride when she arrives in a couple of weeks.

Sayyyy... last time any hummers nested in her apple tree was when robins had a nest in it. But, I had a problem with a branch and removed it in late fall, exsposing the robin's nesting site. I wonder? You preen my feathers and...?

Then again, I have seen robins gang up on a hummer and try to put the boots to him. Bad move. He literally kicked their collective asses. That's one of the reasons I marvel at "The King of Birds".

Whatever... when Mum called me, it was such a joy to hear her say, "Hummer alert!" It's one of the few joys she can still enjoy.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 May 10 - 03:49 PM

I heard a ruckus outside this morning, and knew that when the birds were that worked up that someone must have fallen out of a nest. I replaced a baby back into the hole in the wall on the front of my house.

Interesting in that I've been trying to get a good look at the birds that are actually nesting there, but the parents have stayed, scolding, in the top of the vitex when I'm outside. After putting the baby back, and then showering and washing my clothes because the little bugger was covered with bird mites, I walked outside again. Where upon one of the parent birds hoped down out of the vitex onto the roof, hopped along the edge a bit, turned and faced me and chattered up a storm. Do you suppose it was a "thank you" or "that one was supposed to stay out" or "did you see my other one? Two went missing?" (I found a bird squashed in the street just now, might have been one of these guys, but it was larger than the one I handled.) They look like some kind of chickadee or little gray finch. Not sure what they are, but there is some black on the head and it's a little bigger than a chickadee.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 23 May 10 - 03:52 PM

"that one was supposed to stay out"... hahahahaa!

We definitely have one or more hungry hummers at the feeders in Mum's yard. Never seen the feeders go down this fast since we had a family of them in the apple tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stu
Date: 24 May 10 - 05:57 AM

Willow Warbler in the tree in the back garden over the weekend - a first for us here!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Santa
Date: 24 May 10 - 05:05 PM

When we find a circle of feathers it is not our two cats to blame but a visiting sparrowhawk. Saw him on the ground a few days back, walking into the bushes beside the fence, near one of the feeders. I suspect he thought some tasty morsel had fled for shelter in there. No joy if so.

My wife/resident birdfeeder is a regular visitor to Leighton Moss and Marton Mere, but is just back from a trip to Anglesey to show friend what massed seabirds look like. She thought the lighthouse trip well worthwhile but that Holyhead was shut.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 02:52 PM

The birds have been very active and noisy all day, especially the titmice and chickadees, which appear to be at various stages of either teaching and feeding fledglings, or running juveniles off to fend for themselves.

The house and goldfinches are squabbling both among themselves, and each other.

The birdbathes have been very busy with any number of species.

The neat thing about the weekends is I get to see what the patterns are throughout the day, instead of just what happens or just who shows up first light and last light.

Haven't seen the starling for a couple of weeks. I think the nest got washed out of the gutter by the rain.

A pair of robins nested on top of the privacy fence about 10 feet from my office door. The eggs hatched Friday.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Eiseley
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 04:16 PM

Spring is really here! I saw ten Lazuli Buntings on the feeder Friday, then today about six Western Tanagers flew from the ash tree to the spruce as I walked up the steps.

The darn cat got out and brought an Evening Grosbeak into the house, scattering feathers everywhere. I was able to gently pick up the bird in a soft dishcloth and take it out to the porch. Young Will, who was crying to see the cat with the bird, was consoled when Tom came running in and said the bird flew away.

Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 12:29 AM

Check the cat and the house for bird mites, and consider it a good thing that you have a well-fed cat. Birds as toys instead of meals.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Eiseley
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 10:01 PM

AAAAAAAAAaack! Bird mites!

Whew, the cat's clean, but the thought is making me itch.

Eiseley

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,CAP
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 08:30 AM

Just spent the weekend at Bempton Cliffs (Yorkshire u.k.) :- Puffins, Razor Bills, Guillimots,Gannetts, Sky Larks & Tree Sparrows. While back home :- Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Collard Dove, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Robin, Blackbird, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit & Coal Tit. Until a few weeks ago we had a Reed Bunting. The Sparrow Hawk speeds through sometimes also Longtailed Tits. Appear to have lost our Wren. Our feeders are near shrubs & trees, seed, nuts & fat balls,luckly not many cats & no squirrels. Just make sure fo& tod fresh & topped up daily & the bird bath cleaned & topped up as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: ragdall
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 02:28 AM

A flock of Cedar Waxwings have been enjoying the remainder of the bounty of Mountain Ash berries, now dried, which the Bohemian Waxwings were not able to devour during the winter.

I noticed that two birds seemed to be passing a single berry back and forth between themselves. This activity was repeated many times by other pairs of the birds. It's so cute!

I uploaded a 30 second video to Youtube of one pair engaging in this activity. There's is a photo on my Flickr as well.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 30 Jun 10 - 06:52 AM

maeve sent me this link about eagles "swimming".

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: JohnB
Date: 30 Jun 10 - 07:36 PM

Just had a Pileated Woodpecker on a tree about 30ft from the window where the computer sits, I did have to get up to have a proper look though.
JohnB

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jul 10 - 01:41 PM

I saw ONE hummer back in May. My neighbour saw ONE two weeks ago.

Mum asked me yesterday why I was bothering to put fresh stuff in the feeder. I replied, "I am not giving up hope."

Odd how some things happen! We had a good rain this AM and I just went to check my hanging pots to see if they had gotten enough water. I lifted the first one, the bottom of which is about 6' above ground. A hummer darted out of it and stopped about four feet away, facing me. I don't know who was more surprised.

He then lit on the clothesline and chirped for about ten seconds... I can only assume what he was "telling me".

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jul 10 - 02:06 PM

I was worried I had scared him off but after delivering some grub to Mum, I went in her backyard and stood there for about 10 seconds and he zoomed around the trhe corner of the garage and started feeding on the same plant... 8' away from me. I guess he has forgiven me.

Mum finally got to see the second hummer this year. Made my day!!!

I still am perplexed about their abscence. Same thing in many other areas from reading forums at The Garden Web.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 26 Jul 10 - 02:28 AM

Saw a Yellowhammer ('A little bit of bread & no cheese' song) in the Burren near Carron on Sat, they are becominging increasingly rare. Not sure whether it's habitat or predatory birds, maybe a bit of both!

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 26 Jul 10 - 04:47 AM

After you have driven through the cutting on the M40 going towards High Wycombe there is a long fence with what looks to be a wood behind it.
I have been past this spot a few times recently and on each occasion have seen a flock of birds of prey, about ten to fifteen birds rising from that area. Any idea what they are ? Red Kites perhaps ?
Thanks
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,CAP
Date: 26 Jul 10 - 09:47 AM

Yes Alan they are indeed red kites, it is a lovey spot to watch them but as the motorway signes say-Pleases watch the road not the birds. These beautiful birds of prey have now reached north essex- buzzerds also appear to be making a appearance here as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Alan Day
Date: 26 Jul 10 - 05:54 PM

Thanks Cap, they are spectacular, I noticed one go over before the cutting so they are starting to spread their wings as it were.
Perhaps buzzards here near Gatwick earlier this year.
The Great spotted woodpeckers babies are on the nuts three plus their parents. Plenty of Nuthatches, a few wrens, lots of blue and great tits.
Kingfishers in the stream. A lovely year for bird watching.
No sign of the Gold crests sadly.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Jul 10 - 06:31 PM

I get a weekly email newsletter from Jim Conrad, a naturalist who spends a lot of time living in Mexico. This week, he sent me a link to a video of some Melodious Blackbirds. Here is his info on the birds, I thought they were just delightful:

MELODIOUS BLACKBIRDS COOPERATIVELY SINGING

I've mentioned how Melodious Blackbirds often sing in
pairs, each bird pumping his or her body while
alternately issuing part of the loud call. From a
distance it sounds as if only one bird were calling
but when they're doing it you can clearly see how two
birds cooperate in the effort.

Having no tripod, I've pretty much given up on making
videos with my little handheld digital camera because
the images bounce around too much. However, this week
I couldn't pass up showing you how the blackbirds
serenade me each morning during breakfast. Though the
resulting image is as bouncy as ever, at least you can
see them taking turns pumping their bodies and
calling.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 11:19 AM

Saw my first water rail this week, patrolling the ornamental lake at Ickworthe House, Suffolk. Rather like a thin, brown moorhen.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 02:49 PM

Mum is in Hummingbird heaven. The King has returned and I expect he'll rule her backyard for the remainder of the season. He's been between the flowers, feeder, clothesline, shrubs and apple tree since daylight.

I just hope the wife and kids join him soon. That is really good fun as the young ones are in flight school now. Two years ago there were three families in her yard at once. Fascinating.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 11:00 AM

Early September, the Hummers were gone. I took the feeder down about a week ago.

Yesterday morn, I walked around the corner of the garage and a Hummer was feeding on the hanging fuscia and I frightened it off. I told Mum and gave me that look and said, "He must have gotten blown off course by Hurricane Earl."

BUT, this morning, she saw it and watched it feeding on the hanging plants for a half hour. I was thrilled to hear her account and see trhe pleasant look on her face.

I asked if it had a parka on... 6C and windy this morn.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Beer
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 09:31 PM

I'm getting ready to take the feeder in as well.
However,
this morning I saw a woodpecker behaving very strangely. It was flying in it's normal up and down motion but when it finished checking at a tree it would take a 90 degree dive to-wards the ground than up again to another tree. Then it would do it again. I have never seen this behavior before. I took out the bioc. and could not identify the specie. I know my Downey,Red Heads, Pileated, and Hairy, but this one was totally gray/blackish. Then it took off. I am stumped.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 11:15 PM

Here are three possibilities, Adrien:

Northern Flicker

Black Backed Woodpecker

American Three Toed Woodpecker

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Beer
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 08:05 AM

Well thank you Maeve. I do think it was the Black Backed Female. I have done a lot of reading on this specie this morning and the thing I was hoping to find was the unusual diving it was doing but found nothing written on this behavior. Thanks again.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 11:24 AM

Found a pic of a drunk robin. Mum's apple tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Beer
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 02:27 PM

Good one Gnu.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: gnu
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 03:57 PM

Beer... coulda captioned that, "Scuse me while I kiss the sky."

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:27 PM

The usual here this year. Tit of different sorts, wood pigeons, collard dove, gold and green finches, etc. and a magipe and jays...

Yesterday, Pip did report seeing another of these around. This one from the year (or two?) before taken by me in Pip's hand. It had bumped itself of a window but got better quickly treecreeped

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:46 PM

I hope here is the full picture that was cropped from.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Janie
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 01:00 AM

Sometime in mid June life got too hectic to keep the feeders filled and I just started filling them again about 3 weeks ago. Needless to say, the bird population dropped dramatically. They have slowly been rediscovering the feeders. I previously worked near a birder store where I could readily stop by to get suet and nuggets laced with hot pepper. Changed jobs this summer and an not do that anymore. Bought hot pepper oil to mix with the nuggets but it is very messy and washes out with the rain, unlike the nuggets and suet I bought that were generously laced with powered hot pepper...so the squirrels keep taking down the nugget feeder and emptying the contents.

Oh well.

We had a little snow Saturday - unusual for this part of the world this early - and are in for a bout of unseasonably cold temps with wind over the next few days. The weather has begun to bring in the birds again. Today the nuthatches and woodpeckers returned, and a northern flicker appeared - haven't seen one of them on this little piece of heaven before. And one Bluebird has shown up, though I have not yet seen it on the suet.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 08:54 AM

Just spent 30 glorious minutes watching a Sparrowhawk devouring a pigeon it had just killed - right in the busy town centre. I was 8 feet away, but shoppers were passing much closer. It didn't bat an eyelid.

Probably a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 10:02 AM

This Saturday, as I was walking to an event in Manhatten, I heard a tapping sound a spotted a small black woodpecker, similar to a blackback. It continued its tapping until it was frightened away--for about 5 minutes.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Greg F.
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 10:27 AM

Sparrowhawk killing a pigeon more than twice it's size? Unlikely.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: maeve
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 10:54 AM

I'm not sure I understand the difficulty believing a sparrowhawk could catch and eat a pigeon. Are we all talking about the same bird?

A quick Google search would seem to support EBarnacle's assertion:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=17259,27586,27761,27796,27868,27937&sugexp=leprodsca4&xhr=t&q=Sparrowhawk+devouring+a+pigeon

Cordially,

Maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 11:02 AM

"Their [sparrowhawks] diet is predominantly small birds; the size difference between sexes means that the female often preys on larger birds, like thrushes and starlings and occasionally pigeons, while the male preys on smaller birds like tits, finches and sparrows."

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 11:25 AM

I can believe it the hawk/pigeon scenario. If they were both raptors, probably not, but pigeons aren't the sharpest knifes in the drawer and seem to be food on the wing/hoof for a lot of predators.

I put up the bird feeders over the weekend and have traffic already. Not the full compliment yet, but there have been regular bird visits, here to see if the feeders were up yet, so it didn't take them long to discover the feeders. And this morning I scattered some seed on the ground that compliments all sorts of seed left over from the garden. I've had birds poking around where the basil grew and were the tomatoes grew, I'm sure there is a lot of seed on the ground.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 10:16 AM

The (sparrowhawk) event was captured on film by a local press photographer who happened to be passing - now how lucky is that?

Unfortunately, his knowledge of bird species is obviously less than his photograpic expertise, though you will note that he has already been corrected on that point in the comments section (not by me, BTW!).

Sparrrowhawk devours pigeon

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 07:56 AM

In between two parts of our building at work (ex-WW2 hospital building if you know the type) there is a patch of grass about 20 feet by 50 feet. For the past five days or so we have had a snipe there continualy.
The piece of land is not used by anyone, but the bird seems quite happy to move rght up close to the walls with observes only a couple of feet away watching though the windows.
It arrived in the snow and has stayed there since, presumably feeding on worms as it is active most of the time probing the soil.
I've not seen it fly or attempt to stretch its wings more than half way so it may be injured, but it seems active and healthy otherwise.

Subject: RE: BS: Birdwatching 2010
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 08:58 AM

We have families of crows where I work and that is where they stay. It is virtually safe from cats and anything else predatory. There are a fair number of trees for them so the habitat is ideal. However because of the nature of the place they are pretty tame and never in any rush to fly away. The oldest one we had, we called him 'Albert' had been around here for quite a number of years and he became such a personality. He was a huge clever bird with a very deep crow would walk up the steps with everyone else to get from A to B. He knew the shape of a triangle sandwich wrapper as opposed to anything else and would pluck it out of the bins. If he couldn't manage it especially in summer he would make a bee-line for the people eating their lunch under the tree and just stand there with his head cocked waiting but he knew he would get something. Standing in the bus-shelter he would land on the bin with a heavy clatter just to let you know he was there. I haven't seen him at all this year and think he may have gone to the big Rookery in the sky. But waiting for a bus at the end of the summer a big black crow landed with a thud on the bin slightly smaller but still pretty large. Perhaps it is the son of Albert, I keep watching out for him just in case.