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Creating A Bird Sanctuary In Your Yard
March 5, 2005 | sweetliberty

Posted on 03/05/2005 8:07:37 AM PST by sweetliberty

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As it turned out, the previous thread on this topic generated a lot of interest and several people recommended doing it as a regular thread, so here is the second installment.

How you go about creating a bird sanctuary in your yard, or outdoor space, will depend on a number of givens, some which can modified, and others over which you have no control. One of these is geographical location or climate zone. If you live in the Colorado Rockies, you are not going to attract Cardinals, no matter how many black oil sunflower seeds you put out, and if you're on a beach in Florida, it's a pretty safe bet that there will be no snow buntings visiting your yard, the cornucopia of insects notwithstanding. Of course, if global warming keeps encroaching on us, we may soon find Alaska overrun with Parrots and Flamingos, but, I digress.

Within any given area, there are a variety of habitats, so no matter what your specific location, it is possible to vastly increase the types and numbers of birds in your immediate environment by modifying your habitat to make it more bird friendly to a wider array of birds native to your region.

Another "given" is your available space. If you live in a cottage in the woods by a stream, you will obviously have a lot more options available to you than if you live in an urban apartment with nothing more than a small porch or balcony. Of course, I think the majority of us live somewhere between those extremes. The point is, even if you have nothing more than a porch, you can still make it bird friendly, thereby increasing your enjoyment of these highly entertaining creatures. If you don't even have so much as a porch, I would suggest moving!

The purpose of this thread is to share ideas for maximizing our outdoor spaces to make them appealing to birds and butterflies, to share our experiences and knowledge or expertise, photos and resources. The discussion is pretty free-flowing and may expand to include gardening, landscaping and related topics. The direction the thread takes will really be up to the FReepers who post on it. We can focus on a different topic every week or two, or just keep it open and casual, updating the thread periodically. The main thing is that we learn and have fun.

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Link to previous thread:
Attention Bird Gardening Enthusiasts


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Gardening; Hobbies; Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Reference
KEYWORDS: attractingbirds; backyardbirding; birdfeeders; birdgardening; birdhouses; birdlover; birdsanctuary; birdwatching; butterflygardens; gardening
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To: rustbucket

Gorgeous picture!


1,141 posted on 05/30/2005 4:21:42 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: Dysart
Hi Dysart
Thanks :)! After years of no takers, I put one house on a poll, I finally have them staying. I'm wondering if they feel more protected. I have chicken wire on the bottom with a vine climbing. The chicken wire has some sharp ends on it to prevent the climbing predators, I hope. :)
1,142 posted on 05/30/2005 4:28:02 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: sweetliberty; MamaTexan; Dysart; PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
Good Morning!
It was fun watching the Wrens build their nest yesterday. One goes in and when done with working calls to the other from the top of the house. One came back and was passing nesting material to the other and it fell. They both started what seemed to be bickering at each other. I imagine them arguing about who was responsible for dropping it. LOL! Just like an old married couple. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Image hosted by TinyPic.com

1,143 posted on 05/30/2005 4:33:44 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA
" I imagine them arguing about who was responsible for dropping it. LOL! Just like an old married couple"

LOL! Yep. I've been seeing a lot of bickering too. With the downies, it is the parents fussing at the kids. There are two male Cardinals who have taken their squabbling to chasing each other in flight. They look like they took a page from the hummer playbook.

The Brown Thrashers are feeling amorous....well, at least the males are, but the ladies are having none of it. Day before yesterday, a male was after a female. She was diligently working on getting supper and he kept nipping her tail feathers. She was not impressed. Then he took to chasing her around the yard, dove style. Still didn't get anywhere. Then yesterday eveing, she was busy getting some delicacy out of the ground. I guess he got impatient because he decided to just jump on her. She brushed him off like a mosquito, and flew off to the other side of the yard. I'm guessing that she's going to have a "headache" tonight.

1,144 posted on 05/30/2005 5:32:13 AM PDT by sweetliberty (Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.)
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To: sweetliberty
That is so funny to see. I notice sometimes the Female Morning Dove appears to be really annoyed. I just want my dinner!

Or are they playing hard to get. ;)

I hope you get to see (and post pics) of juvenile Thrashers.
1,145 posted on 05/30/2005 5:37:39 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA

Oh, that would be fun.


1,146 posted on 05/30/2005 6:20:35 AM PDT by sweetliberty (Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.)
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To: GodBlessUSA
Good Morning and Happy Memorial Day!

Did you get a shot of this mystery bird?

LOL! Not yet, they are very fast and rather spastic in the way they flit and flutter around. (A lot like a Chickadee)

They hang with the Goldfinches, too. So I may see one for a couple of days and then they're gone again, so I haven't pinned them down to a 'regular' time to visit the feeders.

1,147 posted on 05/30/2005 6:30:35 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am NOT a *legal entity* ..... nor am I a 'person' as defined and/or created by law!)
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To: MamaTexan
Hi MamaTexan
I hope you had a great day! I wore my Lone Star State Tee shirt today, Hubby bought home for me. :)

I'm very curious, it's like an unsolved mystery, does this look like the bird??

Image hosted by TinyPic.com

Image hosted by TinyPic.com

1,148 posted on 05/30/2005 6:15:59 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA
Good Morning!

So does you t-shirt say 'My Hubby went to Texas and all I got was a lousy shirt'? LOL

The bird is close to the one I've seen. Where the bird in the pic has a dark yellow crown and upper back, the bird I've seen is jet black, but the yellow underside is the same.

What type of bird is that in the pic, anyway?

The bird that I've seen has wings like a Goldfinch's black/white pattern, too. I though maybe it could be a vireo, but none of the pics I've found quite match.

1,149 posted on 05/31/2005 4:57:25 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am NOT a *legal entity* ..... nor am I a 'person' as defined and/or created by law!)
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To: MamaTexan; GodBlessUSA
... the bird I've seen is jet black, but the yellow underside is the sameMight your bird be a Lesser Goldfinch, Texas variety? They are pretty much black on top and yellow underneath. The ones further west have a greenish back.
1,150 posted on 05/31/2005 5:26:10 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: rustbucket
I sure should have done a better job reading the description. :) What a beautiful bird. I've never seen one before! Looks just like the description, Rustbucket! Here's a pic. MamaTexan has Rustbucket solved the mystery bird? Lesser Goldfinch :)

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1,151 posted on 05/31/2005 5:32:41 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: rustbucket; GodBlessUSA
Might your bird be a Lesser Goldfinch

BINGO!

Image hosted by TinyPic.com

The Lesser Goldfinch is a small, seed-eating finch of the Southwest. It comes in two forms: a dark-backed one in Texas, and a greenish-backed one farther westward.

Strange a search never pulled that one up. It kept giving me warblers that were close, but none had the solid yellow underside.

Now when one of my daughter's ask me:

'Mama, what kind of bird is that?'

I can say: Rustbucket's Lesser Goldfinch!

Thank you! :-)

1,152 posted on 05/31/2005 6:28:29 PM PDT by MamaTexan (Attention *INS*: ~ EVERY year, Illegals murder more Americans than died on 9/11 ~)
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To: MamaTexan; GodBlessUSA
I've never seen one of the dark-backed variety. I just saw my first green-backed one a couple of weeks ago in Madera Canyon, Arizona. Here a photo of it.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com

1,153 posted on 05/31/2005 8:19:42 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: rustbucket

I don't know if we have them here. I will have to check. What beautiful birds they are.


1,154 posted on 06/01/2005 4:46:08 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: MamaTexan
Hi Mama Texan!

It's great that Rustbucket figured out your mystery bird. What a beautiful bird. It always makes me nuts not knowing a visiting bird's id. Yesterday there was a bird here singing. I didn't recognize the call. I looked up and only got a quick look and it flew off but I could still hear this bird. I need to see this bird again so I can Id. :)

1,155 posted on 06/01/2005 4:51:11 AM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA
Here's a picture of one of the Juvenile Mockingbirds from my longtime breeding pair. This one has been observing mom and pop very keenly--even the Starlings are oblivious to this secret feeding station. A couple of years ago, Pops flew into my room from this window and it took almost an hour for me to show him the way back out again... I don't leave the window open any more!

Image hosted by TinyPic.com
1,156 posted on 06/03/2005 11:54:10 AM PDT by Dysart
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To: Dysart
Great picture! That's a great spot for them to be feeding! What a fantastic way to view them up close! They are such fun. I have a while yet before the juveniles are here! I bet that Mocker was not thrilled be in the house. LOL.

This afternoon I walked to the Bus stop for my daughter, which is fairly close to my house. I knew I had to get some food out there. Mocking bird flew over and landed on a branch over my head and started singing like crazy. It sounds crazy but I know he was was tell me to get on it! He flew back to the yard and waited. It seems crazy but I really think he was saying, Hey, get over here and put that fruit and jelly out. I did the second I was back and he ate. He's trained me well! :)

Your right. Those House Wrens songs are great!

1,157 posted on 06/03/2005 1:27:01 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: Dysart
Hi Dysart
I have Mockingbirds building a nest in our arbor. I don't know, part of me is happy the other is fear. LOL! Can I mow the lawn or do you think they'll attack. They can be quite a force to wrecken with when they feel they have to protect their nest. You had the nest by you right? How did it work out?
Thanks :)
1,158 posted on 06/07/2005 6:26:12 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA
Hi to you!

That's cool about the Mockers nesting near you. Mine nested across the street again this year, though they set up shop in my backyard two years ago. They've never attacked me, but then again, they know me very well. They associate me with food so I suspect they figure I can't be all bad. :) Besides they are pretty harmless birds-- their wing-bar flashing and buzzing is much worse than their peck. I'm sure you'll be fine...haha. The sibling Juveniles are cracking me up here lately. They saunter around my feeders or A/C unit raising and lowering their wings over apples and peanut butter as if they are preying on insects in the yard to scare them out of hiding. They spend so much time at my feeders, I fear they may not know how to actually forage for their regular diet without it being presented on a silver platter!

How is your Wren family coming along? Have you seen them at your feeders? Any pics? I haven't found them too interested in free food much except only occasionally during Winter.
1,159 posted on 06/07/2005 7:06:31 PM PDT by Dysart
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To: Dysart
Hi Dysart,
They see me bringing the food out so hopefully they will cut me some slack. LOL. I was attacked by Robins nesting last year and I never want to live through that again. :) The Robins nest didn't last in the trellis. I hope there's no trouble for the Mockers.

Sounds like they are having quite the good life in your backyard! They may never leave you. :) I can't wait to see what your watching from the juveniles. They are such unique fun birds.

I'm thinking the Mama Wren is laying eggs or maybe even sitting on them now. They are in my garden and so far haven't attacked me, LOL. They make incredible noises to prevent predators. They sound scary compared to those beautiful singing voices. :)
1,160 posted on 06/07/2005 7:41:24 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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