Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

This morning I had a fledgling house finch fly into my kitchen from the back deck. Poor thing was freaking out. I caught her in my hat and let her fly free! She was so happy.

I have both house finches and barn swallows nesting on my front porch. First year the swallows let the finches move into the "hood". :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Day trip to Somerset County

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Common Gallinule
Black-necked Stilt
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Forster's Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Carolina Chickadee
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Yellow-breasted Chat
Orchard Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Pictures by birding buddy

Image

Image

Image
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 3:21 pm Day trip to Somerset County

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Common Gallinule
Black-necked Stilt
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Forster's Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Carolina Chickadee
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Yellow-breasted Chat
Orchard Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Pictures by birding buddy

Image

Image

Image
Wow! Great photos and great, long list. :happy
BlackwaterPark10
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by BlackwaterPark10 »

Any advice to getting birds to eat my suet cakes? I have plenty of woodpeckers, bluejays and cardinals around but they just ignore it. I have it on the same Shepards hook as the bird seed, in the shade, under an oak hammock. It is one of the wild birds unlimited woodpecker tail prop feeders.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

BlackwaterPark10 wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:14 am Any advice to getting birds to eat my suet cakes? I have plenty of woodpeckers, bluejays and cardinals around but they just ignore it. I have it on the same Shepards hook as the bird seed, in the shade, under an oak hammock. It is one of the wild birds unlimited woodpecker tail prop feeders.
We normally pull our suet feeder in early April here in mid-Atlantic. Natural food is more available and rising temperatures risks having the suet get rancid or mold. I simply bag our un-opened suet cakes in a plastic bag and stash them in the fridge for next season.

Woodpeckers still come to our regular feeder (safflower and sunflower hearts) from time to time but they are insect eaters and will spend most of their time in the nearby trees. I have excess seed from a mild winter so will continue to fill this feeder for a while. Normally I would de-commission it in June after the various fledglings have disappeared.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

BlackwaterPark10 wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:14 am Any advice to getting birds to eat my suet cakes? I have plenty of woodpeckers, bluejays and cardinals around but they just ignore it. I have it on the same Shepards hook as the bird seed, in the shade, under an oak hammock. It is one of the wild birds unlimited woodpecker tail prop feeders.
In my experience, Northern Flickers (and other woodpeckers) love suet but they are large so sometimes have a problem hanging on to the smaller suet cages. I have seen larger ones for sale. You might also try moving the suet "station" to another area which sometimes will help.

https://www.amazon.com/Heath-Outdoor-Pr ... B000UK0ZXC

I can't speak to Cardinals since they don't come to my state, but in my experience Bluejays love peanuts the best.

From Cornell:

"Blue Jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than hanging feeders, and they prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. Planting oak trees will make acorns available for jays of the future. Blue Jays often take drinks from birdbaths. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch"

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/overview
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by InvisibleAerobar »

Chip wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 2:45 pm
InvisibleAerobar wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 11:40 am What time of the day would you recommend? And I presume one should get as close to the water as possible?

We probably missed our opportunity this year, but I'm hoping to get on it next year.
Not necessarily close to water, but definitely true for some birds (e.g. Wood Thrush). Most (all?) of the warblers eat bugs, typically by gleaning them off of twigs and leaves. I was seeing the Magnolias and Chestnut-sideds in a leafed-out, flowering (i.e. catkins), shagbark hickory tree, mostly high up in the crown. This was a couple of hours after sunrise. Typically early morning and late evening are better times. Other birds tend to skulk in low shrubbery.

The other thing they may be doing if they're nesting in your area is singing to attract a mate. Many of them do that right up near the tops of trees.

When they're feeding they're moving around a lot so it's easier to spot them initially, but then really tough to keep the binocs on them as they move so quickly in and out of foliage. If they're singing they often don't move much, so they're very hard to find initially but easier to keep in your view.

I finally got a good look this morning at the Red-eyed vireo. They are notorious for singing loudly but staying out of sight. This one cooperated by flying to the top of a tree that was just starting to leaf out and singing loudly. Easy ID. :)
Understood; thank you.

jebmke wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 3:21 pm Day trip to Somerset County
Which Somerset County? I know there is/was a bald eagle nest in Duke Farms in Somerset NJ, but your list contains quite a few shore birds to make me doubt it's the inland Somerset County in NJ.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

InvisibleAerobar wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 10:44 am Which Somerset County?
Maryland; down around Deal Island.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Sheepdog »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:27 am /

In my experience, Northern Flickers (and other woodpeckers) love suet but they are large so sometimes have a problem hanging on to the smaller suet cages. I have seen larger ones for sale. You might also try moving the suet "station" to another area which sometimes will help.

I can't speak to Cardinals since they don't come to my state, but in my experience Bluejays love peanuts the best.

From Cornell:

"Blue Jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than hanging feeders, and they prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. Planting oak trees will make acorns available for jays of the future. Blue Jays often take drinks from birdbaths. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch"

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/overview
Yes, blue jays love peanuts more so in the shell rather than shelled. One will fly in, grab the unshelled peanut and fly away and then fly back for another.

I use 5 regular size (6"?) suet feeders in the winter, but stop loading them when late spring arrives. However, I do have one of the longer suet feeders specifically for woodpeckers in use all year.. It holds 2 suet cakes and was specially made for Pileated Woodpeckers. but the other kinds like it also What makes it special for the pileated woodpecker is the long wood below the suet blocks. It is long to support the tall bird.
This is the one I purchased 8 years ago: https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-2-C ... B001QSL1IU
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by kelvan80 »

We had three Pileated Woodpeckers playing tag outside our sliding glass door the other day. I got to see them three separate times. I 'd never seen them so close before. Their wingspans were quite large.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

kelvan80 wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 11:14 am We had three Pileated Woodpeckers playing tag outside our sliding glass door the other day. I got to see them three separate times. I 'd never seen them so close before. Their wingspans were quite large.
Very cool!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Sheepdog:

"I use 5 regular size (6"?) suet feeders in the winter, but stop loading them when late spring arrives. However, I do have one of the longer suet feeders specifically for woodpeckers in use all year.. It holds 2 suet cakes and was specially made for Pileated Woodpeckers. but the other kinds like it also What makes it special for the pileated woodpecker is the long wood below the suet blocks. It is long to support the tall bird.
This is the one I purchased 8 years ago: https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-2-C ... B001QSL1IU"

Thanks for this post. Added this to my Amazon list (even though I don't get Pileated Woodpeckers, it will be nice for the other birds e.g. Bush Tits who arrive in flocks).
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Chip »

jebmke wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 3:21 pm Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Nice gets. Very rare to see them long enough to get that good a picture. Congrats to your photographer buddy. I have a picture from a birding trip of six (!) humans standing by the side of the road trying to find a Clapper hiding in 2' tall grass not 5 feet off the road. It was moving back and forth and calling regularly. We never saw the grass move and never saw the bird in 15 minutes of intense viewing.
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Good to know that someone can tell all these apart. :D
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by BlackwaterPark10 »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:27 am
BlackwaterPark10 wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:14 am Any advice to getting birds to eat my suet cakes? I have plenty of woodpeckers, bluejays and cardinals around but they just ignore it. I have it on the same Shepards hook as the bird seed, in the shade, under an oak hammock. It is one of the wild birds unlimited woodpecker tail prop feeders.
In my experience, Northern Flickers (and other woodpeckers) love suet but they are large so sometimes have a problem hanging on to the smaller suet cages. I have seen larger ones for sale. You might also try moving the suet "station" to another area which sometimes will help.

https://www.amazon.com/Heath-Outdoor-Pr ... B000UK0ZXC

I can't speak to Cardinals since they don't come to my state, but in my experience Bluejays love peanuts the best.

From Cornell:

"Blue Jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than hanging feeders, and they prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. Planting oak trees will make acorns available for jays of the future. Blue Jays often take drinks from birdbaths. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch"

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/overview
I have one of these to ensure they are comfy and mimics side of tree.

https://www.wbu.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... otough.jpg

I am wondering if it is mainly due to above poster saying summer time there's enough bugs they don't need it.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Birdwatching has increased during COVID-19! NY Times article 5/29/20. Scarlet Tanager mentioned.
🐦 🦉🦅

Segments:

"The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them

Bird-watching has surged in popularity during the pandemic. It’s easy to start, and you can do it anywhere — even from inside, and even in urban spaces."

"“There is definitely a craving for engagement with nature, especially considering how limited our ability to move is right now,” Mr. Lovitch said."

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/scie ... pe=Article
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by minesweep »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sat May 30, 2020 8:00 am Birdwatching has increased during COVID-19! NY Times article 5/29/20. Scarlet Tanager mentioned.
🐦 🦉🦅

Segments:

"The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them

Bird-watching has surged in popularity during the pandemic. It’s easy to start, and you can do it anywhere — even from inside, and even in urban spaces."

"“There is definitely a craving for engagement with nature, especially considering how limited our ability to move is right now,” Mr. Lovitch said."

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/scie ... pe=Article
They must be feeding them too. On my last two trips to Walmart I found zero sunflower seeds on the shelves. They had the best price for the 40# bags ($18-$19). When I checked online today the price was $28. Lowe's had a price of $20 but they had an increase as well ($25). Looks like Lowe's will be getting my business for now (especially with the veteran discount I get there).

P.S. I couldn't access the link to your N.Y. Times article.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

White breasted nuthatches have fledged. On the edge of the roof today yacking at adults to bring them seed. Cardinals, House Finches and Tree Swallows have all fledged as well.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

^Minesweep:


They must be feeding them too. On my last two trips to Walmart I found zero sunflower seeds on the shelves. They had the best price for the 40# bags ($18-$19). When I checked online today the price was $28. Lowe's had a price of $20 but they had an increase as well ($25). Looks like Lowe's will be getting my business for now (especially with the veteran discount I get there).

P.S. I couldn't access the link to your N.Y. Times article.
[/quote]

Interesting the bird seed is disappearing at the stores (but harder on the pocketbook)!

Sorry about the NY Times link. I'm a subscriber but they usually allow 10 free articles/month to everyone. Sometimes it helps to open a new or different browser to read the article. It is behind a pay wall (after 10 free articles.) I can't copy the entire article for copyright reasons (a moderator had told me once). :(

Here is a "fresh" link from a different web browser you might try:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/scie ... Position=3
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sat May 30, 2020 8:47 am They must be feeding them too. On my last two trips to Walmart I found zero sunflower seeds on the shelves. They had the best price for the 40# bags ($18-$19). When I checked online today the price was $28. Lowe's had a price of $20 but they had an increase as well ($25). Looks like Lowe's will be getting my business for now (especially with the veteran discount I get there).
A lot of places around here run down their inventory in the spring because there is little demand in the summer and the seed has a shelf life. It also attracts pests - especially ants. If you have a Tractor Supply, they sometimes have some good deals on bird seed.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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Sheepdog wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 11:08 am
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:27 am /

In my experience, Northern Flickers (and other woodpeckers) love suet but they are large so sometimes have a problem hanging on to the smaller suet cages. I have seen larger ones for sale. You might also try moving the suet "station" to another area which sometimes will help.

I can't speak to Cardinals since they don't come to my state, but in my experience Bluejays love peanuts the best.

From Cornell:

"Blue Jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than hanging feeders, and they prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. Planting oak trees will make acorns available for jays of the future. Blue Jays often take drinks from birdbaths. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch"

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/overview
Yes, blue jays love peanuts more so in the shell rather than shelled. One will fly in, grab the unshelled peanut and fly away and then fly back for another.

I use 5 regular size (6"?) suet feeders in the winter, but stop loading them when late spring arrives. However, I do have one of the longer suet feeders specifically for woodpeckers in use all year.. It holds 2 suet cakes and was specially made for Pileated Woodpeckers. but the other kinds like it also What makes it special for the pileated woodpecker is the long wood below the suet blocks. It is long to support the tall bird.
This is the one I purchased 8 years ago: https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-2-C ... B001QSL1IU
I mentioned the larger suet feeder to my wife and I have a feeling we are going to be getting one of these very soon. :wink:
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by LadyGeek »

I'm going to put my suet feeder away for the summer. As experienced by others, the starlings are grabbing all the suet.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

LadyGeek wrote: Sat May 30, 2020 10:00 am I'm going to put my suet feeder away for the summer. As experienced by others, the starlings are grabbing all the suet.
Suet is also a little messier in the summer heat. I often keep it in the freezer to help with that issue. I don't have a starling problem. Right now the grackles and red-wings love it.

Fun little birds to watch are Bush Tits who adore suet. They almost never eat seed in my experience. I'm afraid I would never see them if I put the suet away. :(
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sat May 30, 2020 10:28 am Right now the grackles and red-wings love it.
That's the problem we have. By mid-spring, grackles and red-wings are on the prowl. Another reason we take it down, usually in April.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Worcester County, MD. Around Pocomoke State Forest and selected coastal locations; we were really going after a Mississippi Kite that had been reported earlier but no luck finding it.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Killdeer
Ruddy Turnstone
Willet
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Chip »

Got a very good look at a Prothonotary Warbler this morning. We called it in to about 10 feet away. No binocs required!

Also had a Chipping Sparrow in the backyard.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by ray.james »

Saw a blue bird family on my walk this morning. The babies might leave nest soon. :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Sandtrap »

Western Meadowlarks sing in the morning and late afternoon, calling across the hills and pastures. The one's around here have a lot of yellow color.
This is how they sound:
Youtube: Western Meadowlark Call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRgU4xS06sM

They will call back and forth if I whistle back to them with the same tone melody. Cool.

j :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

in Maryland we have quite a few Eastern Meadowlarks. Habitat is threatened but some areas are being restored to grasslands. A neighbor of mine has bought up over 2,000 acres of cropland and a significant amount is converted back to grassland. The rest to riparian forest and original wetland. But some of the grasslands in a NWR south of here are being encroached by rising water so it is a constant battle.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Sandtrap wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:06 pm Western Meadowlarks sing in the morning and late afternoon, calling across the hills and pastures. The one's around here have a lot of yellow color.
This is how they sound:
Youtube: Western Meadowlark Call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRgU4xS06sM

They will call back and forth if I whistle back to them with the same tone melody. Cool.

j :happy
I love the song of the Meadowlark! One of my favorite sounds every spring. :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:11 pm in Maryland we have quite a few Eastern Meadowlarks. Habitat is threatened but some areas are being restored to grasslands. A neighbor of mine has bought up over 2,000 acres of cropland and a significant amount is converted back to grassland. The rest to riparian forest and original wetland. But some of the grasslands in a NWR south of here are being encroached by rising water so it is a constant battle.
That is awesome about turning the land back to grasslands! The birds and other wild life will be happy! :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

ray.james wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:44 pm Saw a blue bird family on my walk this morning. The babies might leave nest soon. :happy
Cool!

I saw a very touching scene yesterday. While driving home from the grocery store, I saw a breeding pair of Canada Geese slowly walking across a BUSY street with their 3 little goslings. Thankfully, all of the cars slowed down and stopped long enough for the little family to make it safely across. Now that more folks are back on the road, I was a little worried. :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by LadyGeek »

My woodpeckers don't read the instruction manual. I took down the suet feeder and they're hanging on my tube feeders to grab seeds.

This is a male red-belly woodpecker. What you can't see is that one foot is hanging off the seed opening, the other on the peg. Click on the image to view full size.

Image

Photography Rule: If you have time, setup the shot. Otherwise, grab the shot as soon as you can and don't worry about quality. You may not get another opportunity.

The image is blurry because I shot through my kitchen window screen with my cellphone. He flew away a few seconds later. (I later cropped the image to show what I wanted.)
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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LadyGeek wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:44 pm My woodpeckers don't read the instruction manual. I took down the suet feeder and they're hanging on my tube feeders to grab seeds.

This is a male red-belly woodpecker. What you can't see is that one foot is hanging off the seed opening, the other on the peg. Click on the image to view full size.

Image

Photography Rule: If you have time, setup the shot. Otherwise, grab the shot as soon as you can and don't worry about quality. You may not get another opportunity.

The image is blurry because I shot through my kitchen window screen with my cellphone. He flew away a few seconds later. (I later cropped the image to show what I wanted.)
LOL! He was obviously hungry! Even though I still keep one suet feeder up, I haven't seen any woodpeckers for a while in my area. However, I have seen flickers eat from seed feeders before.

Re: photos - sometimes you have to act fast to catch the subject as you noted so don't worry about the quality. :happy

I've seen quite a few American Goldfinches lately and many hummingbirds (in addition to RW blackbirds, grackles, house finches, ravens and doves.) I did spot a Cooper's Hawk this week as well.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Kompass »

I have recently moved to a new-to-me part of the country which is a bird watcher's haven so I am just starting to learn. I live on the edge of a lagoon/nature reserve so get all kinds of birds from migratory song birds to birds of prey to shore birds. It's a lot to start learning in such an environment but I am loving it and couldn't ask for a better "perch" for stay at home times.

I used the BH recommendations to get upgraded binoculars and am learning the basics of what to look for to ID various birds. My side yard just sent out several young ones, two Mourning Doves raised in a flower pot high on a wall, one baby Humming bird from a nest in a nearby bush, and three Speckled Towhees learned to fly off of a retaining wall at the edge of the yard. I will try to encourage even more next spring since I now know where they like it.

I'm enjoying this thread and learning quite a bit from it, thanks to all who post here!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Dottie57 »

I saw a pheasant wandering around my very busy suburban roads.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by mcblum »

Gaithersburg,Md here. I live backed up to a small lake. We have four nesting blue herons which have created massive photo jams. The chicks are all grown but still in the nest. They make clacking sounds when an adult approaches with food.

There are also lots of gray catbirds with amazing repertoires of song. I found a site with cat bird songs on my phone. They will come to my tree to find out who the stranger is.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by LadyGeek »

LadyGeek wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:44 pm My woodpeckers don't read the instruction manual. I took down the suet feeder and they're hanging on my tube feeders to grab seeds.
This morning, the Bluejays were on the tube feeder. It was interesting, as the Bluejays had one foot standing on the peg, one foot on the tube opening.

Woodpeckers are designed to hang off the side of trees, so they perch on the tube feeder like it's a tree.

Bluejays perch on tree branches, so they perched on the tube feeder like it was a tree branch.

Each bird is designed for a different purpose and has a different approach to solve the food problem.

Disclaimer: I'm an engineer and that's how I see this.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

LadyGeek wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:41 am Each bird is designed for a different purpose and has a different approach to solve the food problem.
We have a feeder designed to prohibit squirrels (which it does, flawlessly) and larger birds. Some of the larger birds find various work-arounds. The Blue Jays keep hitting the feeder and closing it -- bang, bang, bang - endlessly. They haven't figured it out yet.

We are still getting RB woodpeckers and Downys on the seed feeder - I guess they like a little vegetable matter mixed in with the insects.

Lots of fledglings of various breeds. Some are second brooders. Bluebird chicks have hatched and should fledge in a couple of weeks or so.

Heard a Bobwhite the other evening - first time on our property although I know they are in the area because I have heard them on walks and bike rides.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

mcblum wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:28 am Gaithersburg,Md here. I live backed up to a small lake. We have four nesting blue herons which have created massive photo jams. The chicks are all grown but still in the nest. They make clacking sounds when an adult approaches with food.

There are also lots of gray catbirds with amazing repertoires of song. I found a site with cat bird songs on my phone. They will come to my tree to find out who the stranger is.
Marty
Nice! I saw a Great Blue Heron this morning - it flew right over my head across a pond.

I also heard a sandpiper but didn't see it.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Candor »

I had a Northern Cardinal make a nest in the holly tree just outside my living room window a few weeks ago and I had a prefect view of the nest just a couple of feet away. She sat on the nest for a couple of weeks and while I was sitting in my office one day I heard all the birds going crazy outside my window, robins, blue jays, cardinals etc. I suspected there was a hawk in one of my trees so I was trying to scope it out but couldn't find anything.

As I was looking for a hawk I noticed the male cardinal doing what I thought at the time was some sort of a mating display on a limb below the nest and the female was above the male looking kind of agitated. I watched this for a couple of minutes and was confused by it all until I happened to look over at the nest and there was a 2 foot black snake all coiled around the nest. I hopped into action and ran outside and climbed the tree and chased off the snake but it was unfortunately too late. The female came back to the nest a couple of times over the next few minutes but I haven't seen her since.

I had the perfect vantage point to watch the cardinals raise the young ones and was looking forward to it especially due to all the covid stay at home business but it wasn't meant to be. Such is nature but it was a shame it ended that way.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Candor wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:17 pm I had a Northern Cardinal make a nest in the holly tree just outside my living room window a few weeks ago and I had a prefect view of the nest just a couple of feet away. She sat on the nest for a couple of weeks and while I was sitting in my office one day I heard all the birds going crazy outside my window, robins, blue jays, cardinals etc. I suspected there was a hawk in one of my trees so I was trying to scope it out but couldn't find anything.

As I was looking for a hawk I noticed the male cardinal doing what I thought at the time was some sort of a mating display on a limb below the nest and the female was above the male looking kind of agitated. I watched this for a couple of minutes and was confused by it all until I happened to look over at the nest and there was a 2 foot black snake all coiled around the nest. I hopped into action and ran outside and climbed the tree and chased off the snake but it was unfortunately too late. The female came back to the nest a couple of times over the next few minutes but I haven't seen her since.

I had the perfect vantage point to watch the cardinals raise the young ones and was looking forward to it especially due to all the covid stay at home business but it wasn't meant to be. Such is nature but it was a shame it ended that way.
Oh gosh! A sad story to be sure. It's a circle of life out there. You were kind to try and help the situation.

I had both finches and barn swallows nest on the porch this year. One of the finch babies didn't make it. Always a sad discovery when that happens. :(
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by TnGuy »

My wife was out with some friends hiking on the Appalachian Trail a couple of days ago and saw and heard some Veerys.


David
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

TnGuy wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 2:52 pm My wife was out with some friends hiking on the Appalachian Trail a couple of days ago and saw and heard some Veerys.


David
Cool - they kind of look like a Hermit Thrush which Cornell says is a related species. Their sound is very interesting!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

Here are some pics of my very first sighting of red-cockaded woodpeckers. Apologies for the camera, but I was not out looking for these birds and came upon them in a remote location and only used the camera I had with me.

Image
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by glock19 »

livesoft wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 3:13 pm Here are some pics of my very first sighting of red-cockaded woodpeckers. Apologies for the camera, but I was not out looking for these birds and came upon them in a remote location and only used the camera I had with me.

Image


That is a rare find. Do you mind sharing where you saw the bird? What time of day? I have chased them a couple of times in deep East Texas (Big Thicket area) and have found the classic holes in pine trees where they tend to nest. Guess I just have not had the patients to wait them out. Consider yourself fortunate.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

livesoft wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 3:13 pm Here are some pics of my very first sighting of red-cockaded woodpeckers. Apologies for the camera, but I was not out looking for these birds and came upon them in a remote location and only used the camera I had with me.

Image
Very cool! I haven't heard of that type of woodpecker before so had to look up their geography (none out west!). Mostly southeast US and is endangered.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red ... maps-range

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat—old pines with very little understory—was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. They also occur in stands of loblolly, slash, and other pine species. The birds dig cavities in living pines softened by heartwood rot. They live in family groups that work together to dig cavities and raise young. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

glock19 wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 3:22 pm Consider yourself fortunate.
I do consider myself fortunate as I have backpacked past this stand of a trees a few times in the SHNF and never noticed them, but recently I watched a Texas State forest ranger give a talk about these woodpeckers (not this location though). I learned about their habitat and the telltale signs of sap that they create to prevent snakes from reaching their nests, so when I saw a stand of trees indicating that they should be there, I listened for them and heard them. So I stopped and got out my camera. They are known to be in the W.G.Jones State Forest, but these pics are not from there. This was today around 11 am, there were several of them out foraging. The leftmost pic shows 2 on the same trunk.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Fallible »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:42 pm
ray.james wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:44 pm Saw a blue bird family on my walk this morning. The babies might leave nest soon. :happy
Cool!
I saw a very touching scene yesterday. While driving home from the grocery store, I saw a breeding pair of Canada Geese slowly walking across a BUSY street with their 3 little goslings. Thankfully, all of the cars slowed down and stopped long enough for the little family to make it safely across. Now that more folks are back on the road, I was a little worried. :happy
This happens every spring on the busy streets in my suburb and it seems most of the time they do make it across without being hit - and without causing traffic accidents as we drivers slam on the brakes and some even get out to hurry the little birds across.

Here is a video of a kind-hearted and quick-handed banker saving a large duck family you may already have seen but is still fun to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqWC3Cpny8
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Fallible wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:52 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:42 pm
ray.james wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:44 pm Saw a blue bird family on my walk this morning. The babies might leave nest soon. :happy
Cool!
I saw a very touching scene yesterday. While driving home from the grocery store, I saw a breeding pair of Canada Geese slowly walking across a BUSY street with their 3 little goslings. Thankfully, all of the cars slowed down and stopped long enough for the little family to make it safely across. Now that more folks are back on the road, I was a little worried. :happy
This happens every spring on the busy streets in my suburb and it seems most of the time they do make it across without being hit - and without causing traffic accidents as we drivers slam on the brakes and some even get out to hurry the little birds across.

Here is a video of a kind-hearted and quick-handed banker saving a large duck family you may already have seen but is still fun to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqWC3Cpny8
I love that video! I haven't seen that particular one before. Thanks for posting! :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Dottie57 »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:57 pm
Fallible wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:52 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:42 pm
ray.james wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:44 pm Saw a blue bird family on my walk this morning. The babies might leave nest soon. :happy
Cool!
I saw a very touching scene yesterday. While driving home from the grocery store, I saw a breeding pair of Canada Geese slowly walking across a BUSY street with their 3 little goslings. Thankfully, all of the cars slowed down and stopped long enough for the little family to make it safely across. Now that more folks are back on the road, I was a little worried. :happy
This happens every spring on the busy streets in my suburb and it seems most of the time they do make it across without being hit - and without causing traffic accidents as we drivers slam on the brakes and some even get out to hurry the little birds across.

Here is a video of a kind-hearted and quick-handed banker saving a large duck family you may already have seen but is still fun to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqWC3Cpny8
I love that video! I haven't seen that particular one before. Thanks for posting! :happy
+1. Loved it!
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