Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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

Post by cbeck »

We have started seeing a pair of olive-backed sunbirds coming to the flowers on our balcony. Beautiful little birds that fill the niche occupied by hummingbirds in the US, of which there are none here in Thailand.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Sandtrap »

cbeck wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:44 pm We have started seeing a pair of olive-backed sunbirds coming to the flowers on our balcony. Beautiful little birds that fill the niche occupied by hummingbirds in the US, of which there are none here in Thailand.
Olive Backed Sunbirds.
Do they look like this beautiful bird?
Image

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

Post by cbeck »

Sandtrap wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 6:55 am
cbeck wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:44 pm We have started seeing a pair of olive-backed sunbirds coming to the flowers on our balcony. Beautiful little birds that fill the niche occupied by hummingbirds in the US, of which there are none here in Thailand.
Olive Backed Sunbirds.
Do they look like this beautiful bird?
Image

j :D

That's the one.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by ruhigste »

A turkey feeds on the ground under the feeders early in the morning.

A red bellied woodpecker likes the peanut feeder. He announces himself by pecking loudly on the gutter. It frightens away the red wing blackbird if it is using the peanut feeder. Clever.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

This morning I saw a Cooper's Hawk within 25 feet, eyeing a couple of squirrels before he flew off.

Earlier in the week: Snowy Egret, Cormorant spreading his/her wings, Mallard ducklings (2 sets), American Goldfinches, hummingbirds, Spotted Towhee, Great Blue Heron. And a turtle :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Caligal »

We sat out on our patio last night and watched a family of Red Tail Hawks jumping and flying around the branches of the redwoods. They fledged recently and are learning the ropes. Beautiful and at at times funny, but very loud! The jackrabbits are nervous.

It is very dry here so we have a new bird bath and have also put out a pan of water for the local critters.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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My friend showed me a green heron nest and I was able to brave the mosquitoes and get a pic. I'll try again in the next few days.

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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

livesoft wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:44 pm My friend showed me a green heron nest and I was able to brave the mosquitoes and get a pic. I'll try again in the next few days.

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

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Amazing thread. Thanks for all the pics
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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JAZZISCOOL wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:45 pmAdorable!
That wasn't my thought when seeing that long beak jammed down the throat for feeding.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

livesoft wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 4:13 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:45 pmAdorable!
That wasn't my thought when seeing those long beaks jammed down the throat for feeding.
Yes, but I love to see baby birds! :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

livesoft wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:44 pm My friend showed me a green heron nest and I was able to brave the mosquitoes and get a pic. I'll try again in the next few days.

Image
Quite unusual to spot them, much less photo. Outstanding. We have a pair nesting in our marsh but we won’t see them until they emerge after kicking out the youngsters. They are deep in the marsh. Among other hazards, the quick mud is a risk even if inclined to go in there.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

Here is another green heron pic taken with my cell phone on a walk this morning.

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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Three GHs spotted the other day at local pond. Could be family unit. Quite a few birds fledging now. Great-crested flycatchers now vocalizing again which means they have fledged their young. Chimney swifts have started cruising the back yard at twilight gobbling insects which means they have fledged as well.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Sun Jun 27, 2021 11:39 am Three GHs spotted the other day at local pond. Could be family unit. Quite a few birds fledging now. Great-crested flycatchers now vocalizing again which means they have fledged their young. Chimney swifts have started cruising the back yard at twilight gobbling insects which means they have fledged as well.
I've noticed a lot more "begging' behavior this week. Mostly among Red-winged Blackbirds and House Finches. Also, at least 2 baby Barn Swallows on the front porch.

I saw a GBH yesterday but the Snowy Egrets seem to have moved on.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sun Jun 27, 2021 2:08 pm I've noticed a lot more "begging' behavior this week.
Me too; the ones I hate are the Cowbirds being fed by the surrogates - often Cardinals.

Egrets nest around here so they will be here well into the fall.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Osprey's just starting to hatch on the Chesapeake. Live Ospreycam from Chesapeake Conservancy. Should start seeing the parents moving about more as their eggs hatch and hungry mouths to feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oqtyFRHok4
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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I know a Robin is not special, but the location is - Newlan Creek Reservoir, MT. Such a peaceful quiet place compared to the hustle and bustle SillyCone Valley.

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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by f35phixer »

jebmke wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:42 am Osprey's just starting to hatch on the Chesapeake. Live Ospreycam from Chesapeake Conservancy. Should start seeing the parents moving about more as their eggs hatch and hungry mouths to feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oqtyFRHok4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzNcR4mWwso

this is the one at Dahlgren Potomac River bridge, looks like they have fledged. But, this pair brings back lots of STUFF, there's a glove, pair of jeans? and a stuffed animal .... i have not seen this with any other osprey pair.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by MP173 »

Here in Indiana songbirds are dying. No one knows why although the theory is contaminated bird feed.

Anyone else seeing or hearing this?

Personally we have not had any deaths (that we have seen).

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

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

MP173 wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:23 pm Here in Indiana songbirds are dying. No one knows why although the theory is contaminated bird feed.

Anyone else seeing or hearing this?

Personally we have not had any deaths (that we have seen).

Ed
I haven't heard of this issue in my area although I've read a couple articles on the topic in other parts of the country:

Blue Jays, Grackles, Other Birds Dying From Mysterious Ailment

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/06/1 ... us-ailment
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by livesoft »

RetiredAL wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 6:12 pm I know a Robin is not special, but the location is - Newlan Creek Reservoir, MT. Such a peaceful quiet place compared to the hustle and bustle SillyCone Valley.
I just wanted to say that I love robins and have some photos of robins like yours including from last week. :)
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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We get large flocks of Robins. One year I went out early with a real pro "Robin counter." At dawn, in one fairly small wooded area near town we counted 50-60,000 Robins coming out of the woods to go on their morning foraging.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

livesoft wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:39 pm
RetiredAL wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 6:12 pm I know a Robin is not special, but the location is - Newlan Creek Reservoir, MT. Such a peaceful quiet place compared to the hustle and bustle SillyCone Valley.
I just wanted to say that I love robins and have some photos of robins like yours including from last week. :)
Me too! We've had a ton of robins this year.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:42 pm We get large flocks of Robins. One year I went out early with a real pro "Robin counter." At dawn, in one fairly small wooded area near town we counted 50-60,000 Robins coming out of the woods to go on their morning foraging.
Amazing number! :beer
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:57 pm Me too! We've had a ton of robins this year.
To be precise, that's 11,852 American Robins, assuming Wikipedia's 2.7 ounce average per robin was correct for your population. Naturally, if there were many fledglings, the count would be higher.

Jebmke's 60,000 American Robins is roughly 5 tons.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Purple Martin chicks in Erie, PA, 7 days old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx9M36wqwh8
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Great Horned Owl on the back lawn after thunderstorm. Probably a first year bird feeding on frogs coming up from the creek. OK by me. Keeps the frogs out of the pool.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 4:28 pm Great Horned Owl on the back lawn after thunderstorm. Probably a first year bird feeding on frogs coming up from the creek. OK by me. Keeps the frogs out of the pool.
Cool!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

MJS wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 6:30 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:57 pm Me too! We've had a ton of robins this year.
To be precise, that's 11,852 American Robins, assuming Wikipedia's 2.7 ounce average per robin was correct for your population. Naturally, if there were many fledglings, the count would be higher.

Jebmke's 60,000 American Robins is roughly 5 tons.
LOL :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by minesweep »

Birds are dying at an alarming rate (and they don't know why). It seems to be happening in a lot of places.

mysterious disease

Just saw an article today for my local area:

Songbirds are dying mysteriously in Pa. Here’s what you can do.

I guess I’ll do as recommended and stop feeding and putting water in the bird baths. The house finches won’t be happy with me taking away the sunflower seeds. I clean my feeders thoroughly, but not every week. I sometimes just use the Lysol disinfecting wipes around the perches and metal openings in the early evening.

P.S. Last week I found a dead female house finch in one of the birdbaths (I buried it). I would have checked for the symptoms if I knew what they were at the time. Being that it was in the water it may not have been visible.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by RetiredAL »

I almost hit a large bird running across the highway today. I was told it was a Sandhill Crane. Later we saw many of these birds north of Dillon Mt.

We also drove past by 2 different Bald Eagles tending to their nestlings.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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A few days ago I saw a beautiful American White Pelican on a lake. Not that common in my area. :happy
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by LadyGeek »

minesweep wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 8:20 pm Birds are dying at an alarming rate (and they don't know why). It seems to be happening in a lot of places.
About a month ago, my local house finch crew seemed to have disappeared from my feeders. A week or so ago, they reappeared. My thinking is that some pruning I did near their nesting area may have scared the them off, hard to say.

In any case, they're back in full force chomping down on the seeds.

I haven't seen any dead birds.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by minesweep »

LadyGeek wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:51 am
minesweep wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 8:20 pm Birds are dying at an alarming rate (and they don't know why). It seems to be happening in a lot of places.
About a month ago, my local house finch crew seemed to have disappeared from my feeders. A week or so ago, they reappeared. My thinking is that some pruning I did near their nesting area may have scared the them off, hard to say.

In any case, they're back in full force chomping down on the seeds.

I haven't seen any dead birds.
That could be a reason. Birds like to have cover nearby for protection from predators. Hawks sometimes pay a visit to bird feeders. I see them on occasion (more so in the winter months). It's somewhat of a common occurrence here to see a bird species disappear from my feeders (only to show up again weeks later).

House finches are susceptible to an eye disease that is deadly. I lost some of these finches in the past to this disease so I take special care to keep the sunflower and safflower feeders clean.

Birds infected with House Finch eye disease
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by femgineer »

minesweep wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 8:20 pm Birds are dying at an alarming rate (and they don't know why). It seems to be happening in a lot of places.

mysterious disease

Just saw an article today for my local area:

Songbirds are dying mysteriously in Pa. Here’s what you can do.

I guess I’ll do as recommended and stop feeding and putting water in the bird baths. The house finches won’t be happy with me taking away the sunflower seeds. I clean my feeders thoroughly, but not every week. I sometimes just use the Lysol disinfecting wipes around the perches and metal openings in the early evening.

P.S. Last week I found a dead female house finch in one of the birdbaths (I buried it). I would have checked for the symptoms if I knew what they were at the time. Being that it was in the water it may not have been visible.
NPR article also. https://www.npr.org/2021/07/02/10125419 ... -songbirds

I've stopped feeding birds in my yard. First do no harm.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

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Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
Nice story about saving the nest! Hope they do ok. :beer
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Arabesque »

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
1+. Good work.

I took a walk on a Cape Cod beach and saw Piping Plover chicks. They are tiny, little fairy birds, and pretty fearless

https://images.app.goo.gl/YNASCs6QJcv5AAkx9
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by jebmke »

Arabesque wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:38 am I took a walk on a Cape Cod beach and saw Piping Plover chicks. They are tiny, little fairy birds, and pretty fearless
Shorebirds are precocial - that is, once the eggs hatch, within a couple of days the adults high tail it out and head back to their wintering grounds. So their migration (south for your area) is almost immediate. We start to see shorebirds heading south down here in late July.

Somehow the chicks figure out how to survive on their own right away, as well as when and how to migrate later.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Jeepergeo »

Lots of Gold Finches on the niger seed feeder. A couple of rambunctious Blue Jays, some local crows, and a beautiful Coopers Hawk that has been hanging around and bathing in our fountain. A couple of weeks ago, we watched the Coopers Hawk stalk and hit a fence rat and then fly off with it.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

Arabesque wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:38 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
1+. Good work.

I took a walk on a Cape Cod beach and saw Piping Plover chicks. They are tiny, little fairy birds, and pretty fearless

https://images.app.goo.gl/YNASCs6QJcv5AAkx9
So cute! I've seen a couple baby Least Sandpipers this year.

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

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

jebmke wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:52 am
Arabesque wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:38 am I took a walk on a Cape Cod beach and saw Piping Plover chicks. They are tiny, little fairy birds, and pretty fearless
Shorebirds are precocial - that is, once the eggs hatch, within a couple of days the adults high tail it out and head back to their wintering grounds. So their migration (south for your area) is almost immediate. We start to see shorebirds heading south down here in late July.

Somehow the chicks figure out how to survive on their own right away, as well as when and how to migrate later.
Interesting! I didn't know that but I have noticed few adults around the Sandpiper chicks when I do see them.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Dottie57 »

Arabesque wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:38 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
1+. Good work.

I took a walk on a Cape Cod beach and saw Piping Plover chicks. They are tiny, little fairy birds, and pretty fearless

https://images.app.goo.gl/YNASCs6QJcv5AAkx9
The images from the link made me laugh. Several pics make the chicks look like they are on stilts.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by retiredjg »

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside....
I had one build a nest in the tongue of my 5th wheel once. Luckily, I was able to wait until the little ones fledged before moving on!
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by bberris »

I wouldn't call myself a birdwatcher because I barely know a nuthatch from a robin. But I did get a close look at a hawk picking apart the remains of a bluejay (blue feathers flying). Normally he would have flown away but he wasn't going to give up his kill. He was eyeing me like I wanted some of it, and he wanted some of me. Unfortunately I did not have my phone on me. I frequently see eagles making large lazy circles high in the sky in my backyard.
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Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:07 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:42 am Took down a kayak stored upside down in a barn yesterday. A Carolina Wren had built a nest inside, and the hatchlings fell out, as well as what seemed to be a bad egg. We scrambled to put it back in place and I put the hatchlings back in the nest. They may have just hatched that day or the day before. Looks like the mother returned, so hopefully all is well. Luckily we had a spare kayak.

On the lake, saw Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants, and possibly an Osprey.
Nice story about saving the nest! Hope they do ok. :beer
Thanks! Based on the mother returning as of the next morning (today), I THINK they should be fine. I can't take any credit for "saving" the nest as the one who (inadvertently) endangered it.
tnf
Posts: 135
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:23 pm

Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by tnf »

Was thrilled to see a pair of Baltimore Orioles (winged kind) early one unseasonably cold morning about two weeks ago. Was at the dog park with my Golden. Location is DE near PA border.
I do enjoy seeing the many birds who are in this Peidmont area. Glimpses of Pileated Woodpeckers are always exciting as one can hear them more frequently than seeing them.
water2357
Posts: 654
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 9:24 am

Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by water2357 »

it seems the new bird disease outbreak started in the DC,MD,VA area and is now being reported in other areas with some in PA and DE and i think NJ and some areas farther away. Don't know if it's all connected or not. The PA Game Commission is one of the agencies monitoring it and in contact with other agencies trying to figure out what is causing it. One earlty report mentioned cicadas that were sprayed with pesticides, but have not heard anymore on that theory lately. Hoping they find out the cause and a remedy soon. Bird watching was the one thing you could do this last year and now it's in trouble.

A few roseate spoonbills were spotted in PA recently. There was one in south central PA a couple years ago. It stayed all summer. Wonder if it is one of those that returned a bit farther away.

Lots of young birds currently, blue jays, cardinals, starlings, brown thrasher, white breasted nuthatch, house wren, catbirds, northern flicker, red bellied woodpecker, black capped chickadee, house finches, song sparrows, house sparrows, robins, mourning doves, ruby throated hummingbirds (are just now getting out of the nest) and others all had young birds nearby. Also seeng goldfinches, red tailed hawks, cooper's hawks, cowbirds, downy woodpecker, titmouse, and a few others.
minesweep
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Location: 27,000 light years from the Galactic Center of the Milky Way Galaxy (the suburbs)

Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Post by minesweep »

femgineer wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:29 am
minesweep wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 8:20 pm Birds are dying at an alarming rate (and they don't know why). It seems to be happening in a lot of places.

mysterious disease

Just saw an article today for my local area:

Songbirds are dying mysteriously in Pa. Here’s what you can do.

I guess I’ll do as recommended and stop feeding and putting water in the bird baths. The house finches won’t be happy with me taking away the sunflower seeds. I clean my feeders thoroughly, but not every week. I sometimes just use the Lysol disinfecting wipes around the perches and metal openings in the early evening.

P.S. Last week I found a dead female house finch in one of the birdbaths (I buried it). I would have checked for the symptoms if I knew what they were at the time. Being that it was in the water it may not have been visible.
NPR article also. https://www.npr.org/2021/07/02/10125419 ... -songbirds

I've stopped feeding birds in my yard. First do no harm.
That article you linked shows a dead blue jay. I haven't seen any of them around here in eastern PA for a few weeks. My brother who lives nearby said he hasn't seen of them either. We both fed them peanuts (in the shell). If I was outside the blue jay would make a loud jeer to get my attention (as if to say "come on buddy lets get those peanuts out here pronto").

Since I stopped feeding the other birds the only ones I'm seeing are a pair of catbirds who come here for the raspberries. On occasion a house finch will show up to check if the hanging feeders are back. I feed all year long (not as much in the summertime) so it seems eerie not hearing their chirping.
Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy - John Bogle | Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others, it's cheaper! - John Bogle
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