One thing I love about this thread is that I learn about new bird species from people in other parts of the country.
Yes, I agree, it's fun to learn that others have such diverse bird populations where they live.
Today I was in my kitchen looking for food and I kept hearing the call of a bird I didn't recognize. Then I checked my link to the Moorhen (Gallinule) bird sound and found that yes, it was the call of the Moorhen I was hearing. I live on a Florida waterway/canal and we have all kinds of water birds.
White Coat Investor wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:35 pm
On my most recent trip, Blue Herons and Canada Geese. And some wild mustangs. Sorry, probably not very exciting for you birders.
Very cool on the wild mustangs! I have heard there are several herds scattered in the west.
I saw a Great Blue Heron last night - really beautiful, especially when they take flight.
I have been visiting Louisville, KY for the past few months and the bird wildlife here is incredible. As I sit typing this I hear birds excitedly chirpping outside at a happy pace. I do not know many of the species yet, but the magnificent Cardinal abounds. I get great joy seeing these beautiful and vibrant red creatures flying in all different directions constantly.
The abundance of these birds are incredible. Whenever I talk to someone on the phone, within seconds the person on the line comments on how loudly (in a good way ), that the birds are chirping.
My MIL is at an assisted living facility here and she has a bird feeder outside her first floor window. We visit her everyday and fill the bird feeder. The next day it is always empty! Fun. By the way ours is not the only feeder there, there are at least 6 more. My MIL enjoys the lively activity so that is rewarding.
Ivygirl wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:29 pm
House finches appeared for the first time at my feeder. I would not have recognized the juveniles for what they were except papa finch was feeding them. Mama finch showed up later. I was so excited I bought a "finch feeder" but they wouldn't approach it. Evidently house finches can't hang upside down to feed and need a perch so this isn't the right feeder for them.
I'd like to encourage the doves, but I'm afraid the cats would get them, doves are so silly and so edible.
The upside down thistle feeder is specifically designed to cater to the goldfinches. It’s the perfect feeder for making sure they get their food undisturbed.
My brother tells me that the goldfinches love the Nyjer Plus (Nyjer seeds and hulled sunflower seed chips) that he puts in his upside down thistle feeder. The only place I know that sells it is Lowe's but they are out of stock in their stores around here. They said there would be some coming around July 20 (still waiting). I noticed that 1it received 5 stars (138 reviews).
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
All 3 of our barn swallow chicks fledged yesterday. They are all flying around like crazy with mom today looking for flying critters to eat. Soon they will begin their journey to Mexico for the winter.
Part-Owner of Texas |
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“The CMH-the Cost Matters Hypothesis -is all that is needed to explain why indexing must and will work… Yes, it is that simple.” John C. Bogle
Living in a first ring suburb in a fairly busy area ( office buildings across the street) i didn’t expect to see 4-6 turkeys with lots of little ones crossing the street into m front yard. The parents are ugly, the chicks(?) are cute.
I have cellphone pics so if I can find a public place to place them and provide a link I will do so.
The hummers are stoking up for the trip south. I increased the sugar from 4:1 to 3:1. By mid September they will be gone along with most of the Ospreys.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
Went to Madera Canyon, AZ and saw our first Elegant Trogon (along with quite a few hummingbirds we've never seen before) in late July.
Would recommend this area to anyone who's interested in birds well worth the trip!
azumagaoka wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 1:45 pm
Went to Madera Canyon, AZ and saw our first Elegant Trogon (along with quite a few hummingbirds we've never seen before) in late July.
Would recommend this area to anyone who's interested in birds well worth the trip!
Very cool! I'm not familiar with the Elegant Trogon - very beautiful!
bighatnohorse wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2020 9:20 am
Bald eagles and Osprey - pretty high up and calling.
The eagles are opportunists. They will mug an Osprey and steal his fish, sometimes working in pairs (one eagle harasses and the other catches the fish dropped by the Osprey.) Our Osprey mostly disappear in mid-late September so the eagles have to fend for themselves at that point.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
This morning from right outside of our front window my wife and I counted 7 Wood Thrushes eating ripe Dogwood berries - fattening up during migration time.
David
"Money will not make you happy. And happy will not make you money." - Groucho Marx
This morning from right outside of our front window my wife and I counted 7 Wood Thrushes eating ripe Dogwood berries - fattening up during migration time.
It has been a very dry (drought) the last two months. The flowers, fewer than in a normal year, don't have much nectar obviously. Our hummingbirds normally start their migration within a couple of days from October 15. They are already gone this year, so early, but nectar is gone. I last saw them on October 3.
See you next May, beautiful creatures.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
This morning from right outside of our front window my wife and I counted 7 Wood Thrushes eating ripe Dogwood berries - fattening up during migration time.
Sheepdog wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:03 am
It has been a very dry (drought) the last two months. The flowers, fewer than in a normal year, don't have much nectar obviously. Our hummingbirds normally start their migration within a couple of days from October 15. They are already gone this year, so early, but nectar is gone. I last saw them on October 3.
See you next May, beautiful creatures.
Same here. The hummingbirds went south a couple weeks ago so I took the feeders down. So fun to watch.
I saw my first Townsend's Solitaire of the year. They love juniper berries and are shy birds. I don't see them often. They have a white eye ring similar to a Robin.
Cornell shows they are primarily in the western US and Canada.
"The Townsend’s Solitaire is an elegant, wide-eyed songbird of western-mountain forests. Their drab gray plumage gets a lift from subtly beautiful buffy wing patches and a white eyering. Though they're thrushes, they perch upright atop trees and shrubs to advertise their territories all year long, and can easily be mistaken for flycatchers. Their sweet jumbling song gives them away and enlivens their evergreen forest and juniper woodland homes. In winter they switch from eating primarily insects to eating fruit, particularly juniper berries."
MrBobcat wrote: ↑Sun Oct 18, 2020 6:56 pm
Yay, my bluejays came back this weekend. The were here last fall for a month or so too.
Nice! They've been in my area for about a month now. Love peanuts .
I've been seeing large flocks of Robins and a lot of Northern Flickers as well. I usually see the flocks of Robins in the spring. So cheerful to listen to.
Big news for us is that we have attracted Eastern Bluebirds to our suburban dwelling. There are plenty of pine trees, primarily as privacy screens between properties which attract and hold numerous birds. A bluebird house was placed in service this year and the bluebirds are flocking to it and even entering it...seems odd in October (NW Indiana) as it is assumed there will be no more broods. Bluebirds are fed each morning with live mealworms which are usually consumed within an hour.
Other birds at the feeder include Blackcap Chickadee, Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse...these three are dominant at this time. Others include Cardinals, BlueJays, House Finches and Goldfinches.
There are a few Robins but not so many...probably have headed south. Hummingbirds were last seen two weeks ago...very active until then.
Red fox (mammal) has been in the neighborhood, adding more viewing pleasure.
MP173 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:37 pm
Big news for us is that we have attracted Eastern Bluebirds to our suburban dwelling. There are plenty of pine trees, primarily as privacy screens between properties which attract and hold numerous birds. A bluebird house was placed in service this year and the bluebirds are flocking to it and even entering it...seems odd in October (NW Indiana) as it is assumed there will be no more broods.
Bluebirds are naturally curious and they will check out potential homes even in the off season. In the late winter/early spring they will start shopping in earnest. We have two boxes. Sometimes only one gets used but in good years we have fledged 15+ birds.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
I've been chasing away a pair of downy woodpeckers. They're beautiful birds, but pecking at the house to build a nest isn't cool with me. I seem to see the 2 ends of sizes of woodpeckers. Downys are the smallest and Pileated are the biggest. Both are around quite a bit.
Nuthatches have started showing up. It's too soon for suet, so they're perching on the tube seed feeders.
The bird feeder activity also attracts animals that feed off the discarded seed. I routinely have rabbits, squirrels, and a ground hog. It's nature's food chain in action.
The next level up in the food chain just visited. A fox tried (and missed) to have squirrel for dinner.
I also have a sharp-shin hawk around, but I haven't seen him in a while.
To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:51 pm
Nuthatches have started showing up
going to be a big year for Red Breasted Nuthatches. They are showing up in a lot of places. I hear them on my daily walks and they come to our feeder. White-Breasted and Brown-Headed nest around here so they never leave but the RBNHs for some reason come and go - and some years they are almost non-existent around here.
Also seems to be a big year for Pine Siskins.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:51 pm
Nuthatches have started showing up. It's too soon for suet, so they're perching on the tube seed feeders.
The bird feeder activity also attracts animals that feed off the discarded seed. I routinely have rabbits, squirrels, and a ground hog. It's nature's food chain in action.
The next level up in the food chain just visited. A fox tried (and missed) to have squirrel for dinner.
I also have a sharp-shin hawk around, but I haven't seen him in a while.
I've had quite a few red-breasted nuthatches for about 6 weeks. Fun to watch them climb up the tree.
There have been a few bear sightings in my area lately so if they come closer, I'll bring in the bird food at night.
We have Bluejays year round as well but large flocks migrate through here in the fall heading south. I've seen flocks of 300-500 (hard to count when so many) passing through with the hawks.
Juncos just arrived here today. They will suck up the seed all winter. I have 150 pounds on order to pick up Wednesday so that should carry me most of the way through the winter.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
Northern Goshawk flying through the yard with the backdrop of the snow covered Chugach mountains getting the sunset Alpenglow this evening. Spectacular and beautiful bird! Not easily found or seen, just a lucky sighting.
Bruce |
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Winner of the 2017 Bogleheads Contest |
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"Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
Bruce wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:15 pm
Northern Goshawk flying through the yard with the backdrop of the snow covered Chugach mountains getting the sunset Alpenglow this evening. Spectacular and beautiful bird! Not easily found or seen, just a lucky sighting.
Very cool! I would love to see one of those.
Also, for anyone missing their hummers, you can see them at the West Texas feeders on Cornell's webcam:
We are seeing lots of Pine Siskins at our feeders recently (in NC). There is an irruption going on this fall. The Audubon Society has a story titled "Pine Siskins Have Taken Over the Country" https://www.audubon.org/news/-pine-sisk ... -fall-2020
The regulars (Carolina wrens, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, bluebirds, goldfinches, house finches, etc.) are wondering what the heck is going on!
agbp wrote: ↑We are seeing lots of Pine Siskins at our feeders recently (in NC). There is an irruption going on this fall. The Audubon Society has a story titled "Pine Siskins Have Taken Over the Country" https://www.audubon.org/news/-pine-sisk ... -fall-2020
The regulars (Carolina wrens, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, bluebirds, goldfinches, house finches, etc.) are wondering what the heck is going on!
This is what I like about the Bogleheads - I learn new words. What is an "irruption?"
If you've never seen a Pine Siskin, this is your year. In the past month, the birds have invaded the United States in search of food, inundating backyard feeders across the country. Without question, it's one of the biggest irruption years in recorded history for the finches.
What is a bird irruption?
An irruption is the sudden change in the population density of an organism. When speaking of birds, irruptions refer to the movement of northern-wintering species to the south in years of low food availability.
Apparently, there just aren't enough conifer seeds in Canada and the finches are coming south
Yesterday was the first hard freeze of the season, so I put out my suet feeder.
The first customer was a red belly woodpecker who proceeded to ignore the suet and eat from the seed feeder. A short while later, he figured it out and went for the suet.
To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.
MrBobcat wrote: ↑Sun Oct 18, 2020 6:56 pm
Yay, my bluejays came back this weekend. The were here last fall for a month or so too.
We have bluejays all year round. We feed them black oil sunflower seeds all year too. It’s the favorite of many songbirds. I’m in the upper Midwest.
I feed blue jays unshelled peanuts. They love them, as well as the red-bellied woodpecker. When I'm outside both species let me know (vocally) when they're they are here for their treat. I don't put too many out at once because the blue jays hide them in nooks of trees where the squirrels can find them. I put the unshelled peanuts on the tray of a feeder that is protected by a baffle on the pole (so the squirrels can't get to them).
I even put the unshelled peanuts in the peanut feeders. The downy woodpecker seems to prefer them from the peanut feeder. The invasive nuisance English sparrows can't get them with their short beaks (but they can get at the shelled peanuts). The nuthatches & Carolina wrens can get to the unshelled peanuts from the peanut feeder as well.
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
JAZZISCOOL wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:08 pm
What a beautiful, exotic-looking bird! The best birders can identify by ear.
Sometimes the only option. In spring migration I'd guess that at least half of the warblers and flycatchers are ID'd with sound only once the trees leaf out. It takes a while to learn the calls. Becoming more challenging for me as my hearing is starting to become a bit impaired.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
JAZZISCOOL wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:08 pm
What a beautiful, exotic-looking bird! The best birders can identify by ear.
Sometimes the only option. In spring migration I'd guess that at least half of the warblers and flycatchers are ID'd with sound only once the trees leaf out. It takes a while to learn the calls. Becoming more challenging for me as my hearing is starting to become a bit impaired.
True, sometimes sound is the only option! Today I heard a Belted Kingfisher and a few Blue Jays but didn't see them. Warblers and flycatchers are small and fast so even more difficult to see IMO.