Posted on 03/05/2005 8:07:37 AM PST by sweetliberty
.
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.
.
That's great! I hope they stay around and you can get pictures.
I think we must have the same birds. When I don't have the camera with me, seems there's always a couple that I could almost reach out and touch. When I do have it, they all fly away. Camera shy?
I think they remove their sense of humor in public school
I use those woodpecker blocks of seed periodically. They like them. So do a lot of the other birds....and the squirrels. But a word of warning...the scatter will germinate.
My Nuthatches are very reliable. They seem to always be around, although not in large numbers. The Brown Thrashers were in my yard this morning and again this afternoon. I hadn't seen them for awhile.
LOL!
Yep, I counted 4 feeding trips in two hours.
I got on my ladder from a distance to view the little critters.
Two babies, brown feathered, not red like the parents yet.
The glass is a little dirty but there's a pretty good view of the 4 eggs, green with brown flecks. The nest is built in a ladder on my workshop wall.
Based on a 17 day incubation, hatching should take place on about May 8th.
&nbs
That's cool:) I have a foal due May 8.
Becky
Haven't managed to get a Blue Jay picture. We have a few, but I think the mockingbirds and the woodpeckers keep most of them away.
Very neat picture. Is this inside the workshop?
The photo was taken from inside the shop through the (dirty) glass. The ladder is hung sideways on brackets on the outside wall.
I put up a tarp to hide the inside from her view. I can work and she can incubate. But if I ever touch the tarp that is a mere 2 or 3 inches away from the nest, she flies away. So far, I can't a pic of get her on the nest.
I'm not sure, I haven't seen him in the bright light, but I think I have a Blackchinned Hummer at my feeders. He just doesn't look like he has the red throat, but the three times Ive seen him he was in the shade turned profile to me so it's hard to tell. I looked him up in my book, it shows we shouldn't have that species here, but the boundry is so close, I'm thinking I may just have a very adventurous one:). I did see a female chase him off the feeder. He flew up in the tree in my garden and sat and watched her at the feeder, and you could tell from the way she turned her head she was keeping an eye on him:)
Becky
My two parakeets sit in their cages at the window and go crazy with all the bird activity outside. Robins, starlings, sputsies, crows flying overhead. Can't wait to see all the new bird babies in the neighborhood.
They are thinner than a pigeon. The two are always together. They are very skitterish and fly away at the first sight of me or the noise of the screen door opening.
How exciting!
The Mourning Doves are very skittish. I have several around, and they tend to fly off at the first sign of unfamiliar movement. A couple of them are not quite as bad as they used to be. I love the way the males chase the females. I enjoy their noises too.
I have had a Brown Thrasher out excavating my yard ever since I got home. He's a handsome fella. Meanwhile, I am very aggravated with the squirrels of late, so I've cut back their rations. They're casing the house now. Should I be afraid?
That's a great shot! My neighbor had Jays nest in her back yard last year. The juveniles were running around for a while and they were adorable. Enjoy! I hope you keep us updated on their progress. :)
She will chase that one away. Could it be possibly a migrating bird? I don't know much about them. We only have Ruby's here and I don't even see them often, yet... I'm still working on that. :) Have you seen the bird again, yet?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.