Creating A Bird Sanctuary In Your Yard

March 5, 2005 | sweetliberty

[sweetliberty]

Wow! Awesome. I was just thinking a little bit ago that I ought to look into a new digital camera. I am so discouraged with the one I have. Yours sound like a more high end camera. If you don't mind my asking, what did you have to put into it?

I took this one in the yard yesterday evening (yes, it DOES need mowing...badly). This bunny is a tiny little thing. He is much smaller than he appears in this picture. He really does let me get this close. I've been feeding him graham crackers. He loves them.

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I think the Mockers must have a nest very nearby. I just watched one this morning take on 3 huge crows. I decided he needed a little help and went out and ran the crows off. It was funny though. He was swooping down and giving them a good peck on the head, one right after the other. They were just kind of ducking their heads and going on about what they were doing. I would guess that crows are not above raiding mocker nests, and I'd hate to see that happen. These crows put in an appearance every morning, but they don't hang around too long.

[sweetliberty]

He is so pretty!

[sweetliberty]

Awwwww....

I'm expecting to see mocker and Cardinal juveniles soon. So far I have seen the Downys and the Grackles' nasty brats. With some of them, it is hard to tell.

Well, gotta run. Time for work. Y'all have a great day.

[rustbucket]

You can read about the Canon EOS 20D here. Rough cost of the camera with the 18-55 mm lens it comes with is about $1,500 to $1,600. I also paid a couple of hundred dollars for a 2 gig memory chip (well worth it if you take lots of pictures) and something for a memory chip reader to download the pictures into my computer.

I already had an old 100-300 mm Canon zoom lens that I now use on the 20D for my telephotos. With the 1.6 times multiplication the camera does, that translates into a 160 to 480 mm lens.

This weighs much less than the 170-500 mm Sigma zoom lens I had been using for bird pictures with my old Cannon EOS film camera, making it very easy to transport and carry around. That old 100-300 mm Canon lens cost about $600 when new some 10 years ago.

Unfortunately the old Sigma zoom lens does not work with the 20D, but it is possible Sigma could rechip the lens so that it would. That would give me an 800 mm lens.

There are no bunnies in my yard, but here's another shot with the camera while on vacation. A vermilion flycatcher.

[Dysart]

That is a gorgeous photo of the Vermilion Flycatcher- a bird I've never spotted myself.

I really like the Canon EOS 20D and the ability to add a good lens but I've yet to upgrade. Hoping that the price will drop to the $1,000 neighborhood but since it won an award, that may be unlikely for awhile.

Are you a professional photographer or just a amateur enthusiast? If it's the latter, you may consider this a compliment!

[rustbucket]

Thanks. I'm just an amateur who takes a lot of pictures on the theory that sooner or later one of them will turn out by pure random chance to be a good photo.

The vermilion flycatcher was in West Texas. At the same place, we also kept seeing this cute little unknown bird we started calling "rosy-bottom" for obvious reasons. Turned out that it was Mrs. Flycatcher herself.

Here was a shot we took from the car in Arizona. I cropped the photo a good bit to zoom in on the birds. This is a red tailed hawk and two young on the nest (one sitting up, one lying down). The adult is probably looking for that bunny up-thread.

[A CA Guy]

I don't take pictures, but am growing birdies in my light kit under the patio roof.

[Dysart]

Beware the parenting Crow: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1420326/posts

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Everyone!

Seems the Mockers spent all that time building a nest and have left. The strange thing is I don't even hear them singing any more. It's very odd in my backyard, I don’t hear any birds singing most of the time now. I assumed many were nesting but the birds are not visiting any longer with exception of a few.

One morning I saw what I thought was a Flicker fly away. But didn't see the gold under wings but there was a spot of white on the underside of tail feathers. It probably wasn’t a Flicker. I saw a predator 2 times take after a bird but didn't recognize this bird. It was a quick view.

Hawk or maybe even an Owl. It's a bummer because this time only comes once a year. I miss the birds! I want to see those little juveniles come too. :(

Here’s some pictures of the garden :) It’s only just starting now to bloom. It was cold in May.

I have to clean up those messy cuttings next to this rose. :) Peony

[GodBlessUSA]

Is there a name for the fear of being attacked by birds nesting? Birdnestingphobia? I have that phobia. :) I'm certainly not going near any Crow's nests! I hope the person attacked by Crows, is fine.

[GodBlessUSA]

Your pictures are gorgeous! Your being modest! :)

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Sweetliberty! That bunny is so sweet! We use to have them around but I haven't seen one, in my yard, in a couple years. That could be a good thing though. :)

Isn't it funny to watch the Mockers chase those large Crows!

[GodBlessUSA]

One more, Clematis :)

It's fun sharing the Garden. Thanks for indulging me. :)

[sweetliberty]

"The adult is probably looking for that bunny up-thread."

LOL! Could be. Great picture. Great luck to spot such a view.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Love your pictures of your Garden!

[sweetliberty]

How sad that your birds are gone, but it would be sadder to see them picked off by a predator. They will return. My population is lower now than it was, probably because of the d**n Grackles running off everything in sight when I'm not around. I'm finding that I'm less enthusisatic about keeping the feeders filled. I don't buy all those special goodies to lay out a buffet for those awful creatures. The only thing that even keeps me using the platform feeder at all right now is the jays. They love their peanuts, almonds and walnut pieces that I put out for them and I can't think of any way to put them someplace that would make them accessible to the jays, but not the Grackles. They have ruined my enjoyment of my yard though and I put out much less than before and try to watch it until the jays have had a chance to eat. I hate those nasty birds!

[sweetliberty]

Your garden is looking beautiful!

[GodBlessUSA]

Thank You, Mrs. N! :)

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Sweetliberty On the plus side, the Starlings have taken off too. I know eventually, the predator will leave. It's just a bummer. They will be back. I love seeing the Titmice/Chickadees come with their juveniles but I may not see them this year now.

I know how frustrating the Grackles can be. Like the Starlings are here. I had to stop putting nuts out for a while also. I'm not paying that money to feed the pests either. :)

[GodBlessUSA]

Thanks! The hard work is starting to pay off. I just hope the June beetles, that will be here soon, don't eat it all up. :)