Creating A Bird Sanctuary In Your Yard

March 5, 2005 | sweetliberty

[stainlessbanner]

Hey sweetie - good thread. thanks for posting....

[sweetliberty]

No idea why there are so many, or if there are. Perhaps it is a variation in their migratory path. I am getting very frustrated with them, though. I got home this afternoon and there were hundreds of them in my yard. ALL the birds' food was gone from the platform feeder (and it holds a lot), the birdbath was drained (I just filled it early this morning) and full of bird s**t. There has got to be a way to deter these nasty things without running the others off. Many of the other birds seem to know though. Whenever I go out and make a ruckus and run the Grackles off, the other birds come back quickly, appreciative of having their food to themselves again, but I can't be here watching the feeders 24/7.

[sweetliberty]

Thanks for joining us!

[sweetliberty]

That would be weird. I didn't read the whole thing, but how did the turkey get in there to begin with?

[Vicki]

I get hummingbirds every year. They love my hanging fuchsias. I have been thinking about planting a butterfly bush. I've heard they love those too.

[sweetliberty]

I might do fuchsia this year. If I ever get to it. There is so much that needs to be done in the yard, but I can't seem to get enought time away from work that I have any energy left.

[Dysart]

Welp, Turkeys' legs are pretty powerful(and tasty) and it apparently, literally kicked in the window. Incidentally, I like the name of the "victim" here: Suzan BAREFOOT. Maybe it's Native American.

[sweetliberty]

"Suzan BAREFOOT"

That could easily have been my nickname as a kid. But I was thinking the same thing about her being Native American.

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi MamaTexan
I planted the Texas bluebonnets. I pray they grow! They are so beautiful. Hubby's back in TX next week. I think he's there more lately than here. Maybe we'll move there, LOL!

It's a rainy day here. Crowded busy yard full of birds today. I think the Hawks have gone up North already. Even the Blue Jays are back. They leave when the Hawks come in the late fall. Your right, those Doves are hysterical. Every time I look out the window there's another chasing one.

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Becky,
How's the gardening going?

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Sweetliberty
How are you? Did you plan your days off to work in the yard yet? I started this week! I'm so happy it's warming up at bit. I think it's finally spring here. Still a bit chilly but much nicer than it has been. Really rainy day here but I put my Hollytone fertilizer down on evergreens yesterday, so I don't mind. Very busy feeders today too!

[MamaTexan]

Hubby's back in TX next week. I think he's there more lately than here.

This is the time of year to be here!

Night time temps in the high 40s, daytime is 70 to 80 degrees!

Perfect weather.

I think the Hawks have gone up North already. Even the Blue Jays are back.

All the birds are on the move.

After the ruby throat left, two male black-chins showed up, and the other morning there was a huge flock of Canadian geese passing by.

Ah, if only Spring could last all year!

[GodBlessUSA]

Wow! You get both Hummers! Maybe we should move there! I'll have to google BlackChins and see what they look like. I'm going to set up a new Hummer feeding area this year. I did this last year too. I only had some passing through. Maybe I'll get lucky some year and have a regular.

I wish we had those temps here! I hope it doesn't get warm to hot immediately. Sometimes we do not have much of Spring like Temps.

I love the spring too. The WhiteThroat Sparrows will leave and I miss them but then the Catbirds and Mockers show up. They are such fun to watch and listen to!

Do you have scorpions there?

[MamaTexan]

Do you have scorpions there?

Goodness YES!

The house we bought a couple of years ago is an older home in the country, and hadn't been occupied for a few years.

We had to watch where we stepped (particularly at night) and one of my daughters and I have both been stung. (Thankfully, we used an old home remedy for stings, so it wasn't all that bad)

Here's some lovely drawings and a good website on Texas hummers from Texas Parks & Wildlife:
Ten Most Common Hummingbird Species

They are such fun to watch and listen to!

I think I heard a catbird the other day.. I could see where the sound (like the 'Yowl' sound a cat makes) was coming from, but all I saw there was a bird!

I just wish I had the binoculars handy so I could have gotten a better look at it!

[GodBlessUSA]

Thanks for the link! I enjoyed looking at the pictures. 10 types of Hummers, Wow! That must be so much fun to see them!

I can't move Texas now, scorpions would make me a wreck. They sure are scary and look so creepy. God bless you for dealing with them!

Sometimes, the Catbirds sound so much like a cat the squirrels all run up the trees. It's so funny to see it's just a bird causing them to do that.

[sweetliberty]

It's a nice, sunny day here, but I've ended up working most of it. Still have more to do, too. Yeah, I took three days off this coming week. Don't know how much I will get done in the yard, but I'm going to try. I have a new neighbor two doors down and they have almost as many feeders as I do. I will have to meet them.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It's great:)

Today I planted all sorts of things, and my lillies and glads are coming up. And my red bud tree bloomed, but is already fading. They don't last long:(

I still don't have my camera fixed, but as soon as I do I will post pictures.

How are you?

I have my hummer feeder filled but so far no visitors. I can't remember when they that showing up here. I did see a bluebird the other day, while I was out riding.

Every afternoon for the last couple of weeks I have had a hawk, that circles over head making it's noise. It's funny there is always another kind of bird flying around with it. I can't figure if they are fighting or playing...I'm wondering if the hawk is robbing a nest??? I don't know much about them. But he's very pretty and sooo graceful flying around. My chickens all head for the barn tho:)

Becky

[GRRRRR]

FROM my deck...

[HairOfTheDog]

From our deck ;~D My dad took these the other day:

As a size reference, the cap rail that he has his talons around is a 2x6.

[sweetliberty]

Wow! Awesome pics, Hair. Thanks for posting them.