Posted on 06/15/2024 6:14:29 PM PDT by rlmorel
Just finished grilling some ribs, sun went down behind the trees, and I am sitting in my backyard hammock looking across my yard up here in New England.
Got my pipe, having a smoke...just perfect.
The birds are having a ball!
There are a lot of adolescent fledges, I count four downy woodpeckers, one who has the beginnings of little strings of red, but they stick out in amusing way, giving it the appearance of a kid with a bad haircut whose cowlick protrudes off the back of his head.
Anyone see anything interesting in your neck of the woods?
I’m in central Indiana also, about 45 minutes to an hour west of Indy. We live at the edge of some woods, with a small creek that runs through our property beyond the woods. We’ve been here 10, almost 11 years. That’s when I began my backyard birding hobby. I am a novice, but learn more every day.
A few years ago, I began to take an interest in the Eastern Bluebirds. We are right on the border of where they will live year-round. So I’ve taken some steps to coax them along. We have several bluebird nesting boxes around, so they can choose where to have their babies. I provide dried mealworms all the time, plus peanut butter suet nuggets. For the last 5 or maybe even 6 years, I have been able to watch them go from courting, to nesting, to feeding their babies, to watching the babies fledge, and then the parents bring the young ones to the feeders to show them where the food sources are, and then the cycle begins again. Almost every season I capture parts of these events with my camera. It’s so amazing!
I think I probably have about 50 different species that regularly visit my feeders (probably a dozen different types of feeders). I am especially fond of the various woodpeckers here: Downy, Hairy, Northern Flickers, Red-bellies, Red-Headed and Pileated visit most every day. Once in a while I’ll see a Sapsucker, but they don’t come to my feeders. Plenty of food out in the woods.
I could go on, but I’ve had a particularly difficult day, so I’ll try to keep up with your thread, and maybe fill in more tomorrow if I’m able. I’ve seen lots of great comments posted already.
Swarovski-OUCH! They are in the stratosphere. Even before I saw the price I knew they would be crazy expensive.
That is a big redtail, all right. Those (and owls, and coyotes) are why our cats stay inside. There are some cats that roam near here, but you don’t see the same ones for long.
At least our chimney is pretty much at the other end of the house from the bedroom. I have thought about putting some sort of padding up on the chimney cap, but then they’ll drill holes in the siding.
I hear owls
Always where I live in woods
I think I am going to check that out! Thank you for the suggestion...
Java sparrows, house finches, saffron finches, norther cardinals,. yellow beak cardinals, pqarrots, mayna birds, egrets, mouring doves, feral chickens, Frankolins.....
I tried two plastic owls this spring. One’s head is on a swivel spring and moves in the slightest breeze. They are below the top of the chimney on top of our pergola. They worked for a couple days, then the woodpecker wised up.
I need to hire somebody to install bird spikes up on top of the chimney. The top of the chimney is about 35 ft off the ground and the roof is a 12/12 pitch! Not easy to get to. Just need to make my insurance coverage is good before letting a guy work up there.
It’s great fun when you go to any wildlife preserve. The spotting scopes aren’t that great for birds that move around a lot, but herons, egrets, swans, etc that don’t move around quickly are great for the scope.
Along the sammamish river there are some dead alders where some bald eagles like to pose majestically. I think they’re hoping to get paid for have their photos taken..
Lovely bird pictures. Post more when you can
Thanks to my neighbor not repairing their roof eaves, I get all the house sparrows making nests up there and eating the seed I’m rather see native birds eat. I also get starlings and grackles. I get house finches, mourning doves, downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, dark eyed juncos, cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, and now catbirds. Occasionally see Coopers hawks but only once in my yard. Don’t want the feeder raiders here. I don’t have rabbits, as the numerous rabbits are fenced out of my yard. We have tons of turkey vultures out patrolling the skies, a Maryland specialty. Canada geese go honking over the house from a nearby quarry lake. Occasionally, I also see an egret.
haven’t seen any bluebirds yet...hummers coming in well...robins...some finchs...haven’t heard a flicker yet....
Tree Swallow fledging is in full swing in these parts. Due to rain last weekend and cool and windy weather last Monday, there were high mortality counts at both our research areas.
We also tally the number of times we hear or observe (including any mortalities) species in the research areas. While not focal species, it gives us an idea if certain species are in an irruptive cycle, etc.
Top species seen/heard so far:
Gray Catbird - see them quite a bit this year
Baltimore Oriole - not quite as high as last year, but still up for the last three years
Eastern Meadowlark - off season mowing of nesting areas has resulted in multiple years of high tallies
One species that we have only tallied twice this year are Wood Thrush. Conspicuously absent thus far in my woods - have not heard them once this year. My “guess” is that some of this is due to tree die-off that is accelerating due to Emerald Ash Borer. As understory cover thins out, nesting areas may no longer be selected. I miss their song.
Tick counts are very high this year.
Yes, the tick counts are far higher. Less birds.
Your first two are my first two, lots of Bluebirds, Hairy Woodpeckers, Big Redheaded ones too!
Wonderful tale about “getting to know” the Jays! I do love their bright plumage and sounds, however, I was told by a Canadian Park ranger, that BlueJays & Cedar(small red) Squirrels were the two major predators of songbird eggs.
He said if you have Jays, your other bird populations would suffer greatly, so I have mixed feelings about catering to them.
I had a red tail sitting on my back fence not long ago. I’m sure it was hunting the squirrels, which are abundant since my outdoor kitty passed. Mostly I have mockingbirds, seasonal cardinals, and small birds. I live in a small rural subdivision and my backyard borders a small wooded area.
I am more disappointed in what I am not seeing this year. I am in rural high desert and usually see hawks and hear owls through the night. No birds of prey this year. None. This is no good because the place is overrun with rodents and vipers.
Wow...but looked at price if Kowa scopes too....$3-4K!!
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