Creating A Bird Sanctuary In Your Yard

March 5, 2005 | sweetliberty

[sweetliberty]

I am kinda on the borderline of their migration and breeding area.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

When I saw the first one, at first, I thought it was some kind of woodpecker (black and white, and red). But then I looked closer, and figured out what he was. I was so excited -- and then today, saw two males together on the feeder.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Squirrels are our friends.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Hopefully we'll both have some nesting. :-)

We live in a rural area, with various types of habitat, open fields, brushy areas, hardwoods, pines, a pond nearby, creeks, etc.

[sweetliberty]

I'm hoping they stick around. I have at least a couple more today. Sassy little things, at least the males. There is one that sits in the feeder and "announces" to the other birds that he wishes to dine alone, when he gets tired of being crowded.

[sweetliberty]

I was just looking at the local "paper" and saw this event coming up in a couple of weeks. Guess where I'm gonna be.

Birder's Weekend not just for the birds

And, of course, the latest Arkansas attraction (I'm betting the democrats are already trying to figure out how to tax it), the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Naturalists expect flock of visitors for rare woodpecker

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That sounds really neat.

I saw a bird today, 2 of them actually, that I've never notice. Their necks and breast was purplely blue, tails and wings stripped sort of a brown, gray on the top of their heads they had a white strip. They were very pretty, about the size of a sparrow.

They were under the feed bucket where I feed one of my horses pecking around. I need to go get my bird book out before I forget what they looked like. I thought maybe chickadees but I don't recall them have the blue on them, and they really weren't shaped like one. Chickadees do look pudgy:).

Becky

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning!

How is everyone? :) I saw the Grosbeak again. It's feasible they can stay in my area. I hope so.

I dug out another garden bed yesterday and this one will have a lot of berrying plants shrubs for the birds.

Looking out before I saw a bird I love. Eastern Towhee. I love his call. A whisle call.

[I_saw_the_light]

Just saw your post-I feed "craisins" which are dried cranberries you can buy in the dried fruit aisle (they make great cookies) but they are around a buck fifty a pack and I mix them with other things-my woodpeckers love them. I think theyre tasty too!

[MamaTexan]

I just caught the organizers in some lies, and pointed them out at the meeting.

There is nothing more terrifying to a bunch of tyrants than an honest person.

:)

[MamaTexan]

Oh bert!

Those are beautiful pictures of some gorgeous plants!

[MamaTexan]

Morning Everybody!

GodBlessUSA, that's so neat you still have the Grosbeaks! What type of bushes did you plant? Any luck on spotting a hummer?

[Dysart]

I had Towhees here over the winter( I thought they were Juncos before closer inspection.) They have since returned north to make more Towhees, I suppose.

[Dysart]

Can anyone identify this egg I found outside near the shrub where the Brown Thrashers built the nest? I suspect it might be a Brown Thrasher egg. If so, they abandoned the nest after laying the eggs. But it could be another, just not sure.

[Dysart]

Meant to ping you to #814 not myself haha

[MamaTexan]

Don't know about thrashers, but some birds will push 'unhatchable' eggs out of the nest.

I remember reading a paper on it, and even the scientist couldn't figure out how the birds knew something was wrong with the egg.

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi MamaTexan!
I hope your enjoying the weekend! I didn't plant yet. I decided to make the garden bed larger. My husband will be in Texas so I'll sneak and do it then. LOL!

No, Hummer, Yet.... I have so many new plants this year for them I'm confident, eventually, I'll spot one at the feeder. I hope.

92 I read you had. Wow, Hot days already?

[GodBlessUSA]

I just looked up on Google images. That didn't help. Other bird eggs come up. LOL. Have you seen the parents? I know the Robins, here last year, took the babies elsewhere. A predator came in the night. One baby didn't make it. They moved them since the predator knew their location. Possibility?

Isn't it neat how all their eggs are decorated differently. I love it! Nature is so beautiful.

Hey, I thought you were going to post 100's of pictures. LOL! Come on Dysart, Post some more pics. :)

[GodBlessUSA]

Thank you! The Mockers love them! I put out quite a feast of fruit today. This Mockingbird is getting use to me and coming close. It's so great! I'll have to try the craisins in cookies too, ;).

[GodBlessUSA]

Sounds like a beautiful bird, Becky. Please let us know, if you find out who your new visitor is. :)

How is your Hummingbird?

I dug out another garden bed. My husband always gives me a hard time about taking out the grass. Then he sees the garden and loves it! I still haven't found Nandina. I'm looking at getting a service berry now. I have a new bed to plant, woohoo! :)