Posted on 10/02/2018 6:50:46 PM PDT by Chipper
Going to start this back up, with permission from Islander7. Posts, comments and stories for the birders/birdwatchers/twitchers on FR. Post and share.
I was walking through a small sanctuary in my county, when I had two Barred Owls paying very close attention to me. I happened to look straight up over my left shoulder and saw why.
Then on the other side of the tree I saw another reason why. One of the best birding experiences I have had. 
Parent bringing in the food. 
The other watchful parent 
Barn Swallow 
Northern Harrier so focused on hunting it was within 30 feet of me flying. 
Cackling Goose - rare but regular here in Michigan 
Burrowing Owl from a trip out West. 
Anna's Hummingbird 
This picture I had Mallard drake come by the dock I was on and got some decent pictures of. Shortly after it passed by I hear quite the commotion. Two Mallard drakes started to fight behind me. I started snapping pics and didn't even realize until about 1/2 through there was a third Mallard under the pile. Unbeknownst to me a pair were in the middle engaging in Springtime activities, and the second drake wasn't taking kindly to that. I did a gif that compiles all the pics I took (will take a little while to load). There are times where the two bottom ducks were completely submerged. 
Your place sounds beautiful! I love the Ozarks!
I have plenty of suet and other goodies for the Pileateds. They used to come to my feeders, seriously, at least a half dozen times a day. I have about 10 feeders each filled with different food, so that I see a variety of birds. My house backs up to several acres of woodlands and a farm, and a creek runs between the properties. So there’s a nice variety of trees, shrubs, and feeder foods around here. We’ve been here for 5 years now, and every day, I learn something new about the wildlife around me. It’s been a great adventure!
so suet is the secret eh?.....
thx everyone for this wonderful thread
I remember a trip to Arkansas many years ago. We were sitting in a restaurant overlooking some deep woods and saw flocks of pileateds. It was amazing.
Well they will come to suet but what they really like is old thick woods. They have a large feeding range and if you are in or near some woods try a sturdy suet cage. Ours are not dependent on the suet - we are just happy to get visited. Good luck!
When “my” Pileateds were coming to my feeders several times a day, I had (and still have) several choices for them. One is a double size suet feeder with a paddle. It helps them stabilize. I rotate the kinds of suet that I put in there, but I don’t think that really matters. Another feeder is a basket cage for a large Woodpecker block filled with nuts and some seeds. The third one that I see them at is a bark butter feeder. We made our own from a log that was about 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and about 12-15 inches long. We drilled 1-1/2 inch holes in it to put the “butter” in and added an eye-bolt to the top to hang it with. They love this feeder, but I would say they split up their time pretty evenly between all 3 of them. Sometimes I would have 2 come at the same time, and be on different feeders. Because I live so close to the woods, and we let the dead trees stay once they fall, there seem to be plenty of places for them to find the bugs they like. As someone else mentioned in an earlier post, they can be very skittish if they see you. I work outside in the yard a lot, and when I’m out there, they want me as far away from those feeders as possible before they will go to them. They are a sight to behold, especially when I get 3 or 4 of them at a time, 2 on feeders, and 1 or 2 waiting nearby in the trees. I hope you have success getting one (or more!) to your feeder!
I initially called this a Barnacle x Canada Goose hybrid, but the dark neck didn't extend down into the chest. Chalk it up to just some odd plumage.
I just saw the first Dark Eyed Junco formally the Oregon Junco here in Eureka Ca...
A few years ago...I was walking out of a place after WT deer bow hunting....It was dark...but the moon was up..and bright.
Had a little owl follow me..circle me...for prolly 150 yds....I thought it was cool.
Told a friend that....story, who is Choctaw..and she looked at me real funny...Of course I'm part Native...and knew why she looked at me like that....I laughed...
Owls...! Many Natives...think death is near...if an owl...pays much attention to you.
Screech and Saw-whet owls can be pretty feisty if you are “trespassing” in their territory. For a Christmas Bird Count a few years ago we had a Saw-whet Owl that was going absolutely ballistic when we were doing playback.
Those are really dark!
It was very curious...
Humboldt Bay is a wintering spot for Black Brant but we have not heard them flying over yet this year. The dairy farmers hate them as they eat the pasture grass down to the crown of the plant...
How big?
A little smaller than a Greater Yellowlegs - about 12.5 inches long.
Thanks.
Great thread...Thanks...
Thanks for the ping! Very enjoyable thread!
I live in southern Wisconsin. My parent’s marsh has been frequented by eagles in the last couple of years. I have moved back near them this year and can look for the eagles more often.
Friday November 2nd I watched 2 American Bald Eagles sit in the high dead trees in the marsh and look down into the pond and marsh waiting for a tasty meal to appear.
A month ago I saw 2 eagles there and another 2 perched in high dead trees at the marsh on the other end of their property. Seeing 4 eagles at the same time on the family farm was special to say the least.
I saw one eagle fly over my own field in the last month. I live 15 miles west of my folks place.
I find it awe inspiring every time I see an eagle.
Pretty sure I saw a snowy egret a few weeks ago. We have a river at the back of my property so he may have been fishing there. He was snow white and very large. I observed him flying from my house to the west until he was out of sight.
When I was a kid my parents marsh was home to Trumpeter Swans sometimes. People would drive from all over to park in the ditch and observe them. That was a rare thing and has only happened once or twice in the 45 years they’ve owned that land.
Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures!
Lovely thread, Chipper!
Thank you so much!
PING to a few friends.
Luvvy will just LOVE those owls!
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