Bird Watchers

[lunatic59]

We had a visitor. I was able to grab my D3200 before he was chased away by some finches with attitude.

 

[Clementine_3]

My Mrs. Red-belly is among the missing Mr. has been here daily for months now and she is nowhere to be found. They've been out there together since I put the feeders up 5 years ago and she's just gone.

 

[lunatic59]

Probably ran off with a cowbird. (Isn't that the avian equivalent of a cowboy?)

 

[Clementine_3]

She's not THAT kind of bird!!

 

[Unforgiven]

I've got tufted, pillowed, and red bellied on my feeders regularly. I have pileated (sp?) in the trees, but haven't attracted them to my feeders yet.

That's one of the smaller males I that comes to visit. Probably ~5-6". I have one that's close to 8-9".

 

[lunatic59]

I have one that's close to 8-9".

That's biggie. I wonder how it would taste with barbecue sauce?

 

[Clementine_3]

pillowed

Pillowed?
The Pileated never come to my feeders either but do go to the big ol' stump sometimes. Mostly I just see or hear them in the back woods.
My feeders are pretty busy; the red-belly, downy & hairy woodpeckers, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmouse, chickadees, house finch, American goldfinch, dark-eyed juncos and the stupid invasive European/house sparrows that I hate. That's my daily crew, I get other fun visitors sometimes. Oh, I suppose the Cooper's hawk, Sharp-shinned hawk and Kestrel/Merlin dive-bombing fast little sucker are regulars too. Everyone has to eat...

 

[Unforgiven]

downy & hairy woodpeckers

Doh, screwed up the name pillowed and hairy. I hadn't realized that the hairy weren't just huge downy's until recently, now I confuse the name sometimes until I drive it through my thick scull.

 

[lunatic59]

I put out primarily sunflower seeds in one feeder and it has since been swarmed with house finches. I've seen a couple of jays and cardinals try to get close, but the finches are bullies.

And don't foget the most common visitor ... the american grey.

 

[Clementine_3]

Yeah, those hairys are pretty big, same-ish size as the rb's.
OH! I forgot to list the cardinals, I have one resident pair and a new pair that tries to sneak in when no one is looking. And the blue jays. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone too. I have thistle socks, woodpecker suet and sunflower seeds, used to have safflower for the cardinals but the freakin' sparrows just throw it all around so they wrecked that. It's too expensive to be tossed down for the squirrels to eat!

 

[Unforgiven]

I put out primarily sunflower seeds in one feeder and it has since been swarmed with house finches. I've seen a couple of jays and cardinals try to get close, but the finches are bullies.

And don't foget the most common visitor ... the american grey.

I'm getting on of these when I have the free cash.

 

[Clementine_3]

I need that! It would be great for the dogs too, rotisserie squirrel...no more chasing, just grab and go. The dog version of fast food or take out.

 

[Unforgiven]

They are about $125, so if I get one I'm putting it where the squirrels can get to it. I will need to be doubly entertained (birds and dizzy squirrels) to make it worth the money.

 

[Unforgiven]

Another new visitor to my feeders. A Northern Flicker (female). Holy smokes is she fat.

 

[Clementine_3]

They don't come to my feeder either, they like the big stump better too. They aren't tiny birds! And I did forget the mourning doves, droves and droves of doves

 

[Unforgiven]

Yeah, I have all the regulars as well. I've been feeding the squirrels acorns from a slingshot to discourage them from raiding the feeders with limited success. My morning doves mainly scavenge on the ground as the traffic is pretty regular. I actually have three feeders, so there is almost always room for birds no matter how aggressive. I'll add in a thistle feeder in the spring to attract the finches. I'm not sure I have the patience to boil sugar to maintain hummingbird feeders even though they already frequent the yard.

 

[Clementine_3]

No boiling required. Just dissolve it water, doesn't even have to be hot...4:1 and good to go. I change it out every 3 days in the real hot weather, the big pain is cleaning the feeders. Get some that come apart easily and it just gets to be a routine. I put 4 feeders out for 4 hummers

 

[lunatic59]

We had rose of charon at the old place that would take care of the humming birds.

Ever since I stopped replacing the koi in the pond, the blue heron haven't been coming around. Magnificent birds, but I ain't running a free sushi bar for them.

 

[Clementine_3]

Yep, had that issue at my other house. Great pond, great huge fish and even bigger birds to eat them! Silly herons.

We need a bird thread.

 

[Unforgiven]

We need a bird thread.

Great idea, and kudos to @lunatic59 for getting it done.

 

[lunatic59]

We tried a statuette of a heron as a kind of scarecrow. Didn't even slow them down.

 

[Clementine_3]

I may put a pond in, I really liked it but not all the upkeep. The pups would love a 'pool' to play in. We'll see what spring brings but I almost do see one in my future...

 

[lunatic59]

We have the feeders in front and the pond out back. The thing is that my pooches love chasing birds of any kind. So it's always a barkfest around here ... when the birds aren't chirping at the window in spring. They can get pretty loud.

 

[Clementine_3]

Your pond is great, really nice size and layout. If I do do one it would not be that fancy, but it would be functional. My feeders are close to my window, it gets really loud some days! The dogs pretty much don't bother the birds but they do love a good squirrel chase.

 

[lunatic59]

TBH, mother nature and a glacier a couple million years ago took care of most of that. When we bought the property it was all overgrown, but I saw the break in the boulders and thought "great place for a waterfall."

Unfortunately the liner in the upper pond is leaking a little and needs a rebuild in the spring. Still, it is the go-to place for evening get-togethers in the neighborhood. Wheel out the fire pit and open a bottle of wine (or 4) and we're good to go.