Daily Bird Pictures, Vol. 356

Wonderful range of birds, everyone. I wish I could comment on each one. Here's a snatched shot of Banded Stilts from a moving vehicle on Rottnest Island a couple of days ago.

Also from Rottnest, Nankeen Kestrel.

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One of twenty Ospreys we saw on an Osprey monitoring day on Rottnest. They are clearly not comfortable with human presence, treating us as "our" family of Ospreys treat strangers - with suspicion

Would die to see 20 osprey!!

Burn, love that jay photo. I'm enjoying the Red-breasted Nuthatches-hope yours are still around too.

Margaret, great shots-especially that beautiful kestrel. Your osprey sure is pretty.

My crows continue to work at keeping the raptors away from our home. I don't mind feeding them when they work so hard to keep my little birds safe-at least that's what I think anyway.

Here's one of my House Finches.

This orange variant House Finch was playing tough guy.

An Oak Titmouse.

Like that orange House Finch. We are remarkably free of birds again today...this may be one reason.

Stiff winds here and this Hawk was just hanging in the air, head bent down, watching something intently.

Juvenile Bald Eagle. First sighting in a while, glad to know some are still around.

I need HELP!!! I have been thinking about trying to just put Sunflower Seeds in the feeder. I have been reading different opinions on whether Sparrows like it or not. I put some out for the squirrels and the Sparrows eat it, and they are all over the feeder where there is mixed seed and sunflower seed. I need to know if it would be worth it to do that idea or should I just scrap it and deal with the sparrows. I would appreciate some advice and help. I am on a limited budget, so it is hard to buy food for each specific bird, when I lived in Indiana, all we put out was sunflower seeds and thistle seed and I don't remember seeing one sparrow, we had tufted titmice, chickadees, woodpeckers, juncos. But as one person said, thistle seed is VERY expensive!

Well just let me say that I live in Indiana in a semi-rural area and the House Sparrow population is awful here. I worry about our population of Blue Birds constantly. No doubt my feeding birds helps contibutes to the ever expanding population.

I feed safflower, sunflower, thistle seed plus suet all year round. During the winter I add nuts. The sparrows are very adaptable and I have seen them eat everything I put out except the thistle.

So your choices are to live with it or don't feed the birds. Of course there is a 3rd option which can't be discussed here.

I bought a special feeder and feed for the Indigo Buntings....but it drew the sparrows in so bad that I decided not to use it anymore.

The problem in part is that the House Sparrows breed at an alarming rate. They did at least 3 broods here this summer.

I hate to say that there are no easy answers and you have to decide what you can do.

Thank you nanny, I guess I will just deal with the sparrows, maybe if it snows or gets really cold, the winter birds will come. When I look out my window every morning, It's like a scene from the movie the birds, sparrows EVERYWHERE!!! I will just live with it, I guess they have to eat too. They are like rabbits, they breed like crazy!!!

my neighbor said he throws bread out and the sparrows eat that up. Although he says they eat everything else too. If I stop feeding the sparrows the rest won't have anything to eat, I think I will just feed them once a day like a cat or dog. I just filled up the feeder and put some on the ledge for the squirrels and they have not been one single bird or squirrel, they do that though, they won't eat for quite some time after I fill them up. One of the squirrels tried to get into the Squirrel Stumper feeder with no luck! It is funny, though, watching them try to figure a way to get the seed.

This is how much that baby chickadee trusted us. My husbands finger was warm, so he just hunkered as close as he could get.

That is sweet kc!

GP, great shots of the hawk. Glad you saw the juvie eagle too. The winds seem to bring out our eagles and hawks too.

Kc, that chickadee is so cute!

cute, KC.

Oh Margaret, congratulations on a great day.

Hey KC, I hate to say it but yah, you'll just have to deal with it. You have the right idea about just putting out a little bit at a time. My peanut feeder goes empty most of the time now that the sparrows eat it. I WILL say do NOT put out baked goods. That will just bring in more. They love the "junk" food as much as good sunflowers. You may also try to see if you have any feeding patterns. For instance, the cardinals love to show up at dusk here, so I have to make sure I have seed out for them then.

I DO see some house sparrows eat thistle seed, but it is not their preferred. Maybe you should just hope that some neighbor feeds them more than you do. ha.

I'm curious to know what you think are your "winter" birds. I only really have two birds here that are regular winter birds, the juncos and the brown creeper. Sometimes an american tree sparrow, but rarely.

Just heard on the news, some snow for tomorrow with a -13C tonight. That will probably tell the Redpolls to mossy on down here. ;)

Kc , that's so sweet.

Your getting some really nice in flight shot GP.

Duc, isn't it nice of the crow to unintentionally protect those small birds. Love the orange variant in the House finch. My Nuthatch are MIA at the moment. Hopefully they will show up again.

Lovely shot of the Kestrel and Osprey Margaret.

Brrr burn...that is dang cold!! But would love to see some redpoll pics from you!

kc, your DH does have a way with animals! Just feed a little...I only put out so much a day...period. Like Mrs. Ed I make sure I out some out late in the day for the cardinals since they are first in the morning and last in the evening. The birds find other natural food to eat too. You do not have to provide all their food. We all go thru this at some point! lol

This little Carolina Wren loves all the places it can hide here, like under the deck or inside the flip cap on the gas tank!

Mrs_Ed, the winter birds are not really winter ones, I was just getting tired of all the Sparrows, I wanted some like you all get, Carolina Wrens, Owls, Cardinals, all the pretty ones. I know on one of the Islands here, there is a Bald Eagle nest, but try getting a shot of them! (NOT)! We get the Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Whitebreasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, and sometimes a Redbellied Woodpecker, she is huge! I am going to do what I said, just feed them once a day and thats all, I am also going to let the feeder get a little more lower before I fill it up. The Sparrows will empty it in a hurry. I found out the Sparrows do like the sunflower seeds, very very much. Also am not going to put out baked goods, don't need any more than I already got. Thanks again for the advice.

kc8tbq... that little chickadee is adorable!

nanny... your wren is so cute too!

I really enjoyed seeing all your great bird photos. Especially this morning as there is 1 1/2 inches of new snow that i must go out and shovel off the paths. Temp. 27 degrees, now, but weatherman predicting down to single digits of next few days, so I must go out and try to shovel the snow at soon as light, it is now at 7:00 am, still dark.

I think at long last a pair of chickadees have decided to stay around for awhile. There are at least 25 or 30 goldfinches, and of course many E. Sparrows. Haven't seen any Juncos. a couple of Song sparrows. Probably a 100 Calif. Quail, that i feed once a day.

Again I really enjoyed seeing the wonderful bird photos.

Donna

Nanny, I had no idea the birds would hide in places like that-very cute!!

Rutholive, sorry about the snow. We just got a dusting on the mountain tops around us and that's fine with me.

Our juncos are multiplying and starting to come to the peanut butter/nuts log on the deck. This one was waiting in line for a free perch.

A Western Bluebird trying to beat the mockingbird to a berry.

A House Finch.

I looked out this morning and did not see a single bird and when I was getting in the truck, I saw why. There was a hawk circling around, I did not get a good enough look at to find out what kind he was, but my hubby thinks it was a Coopers hawk. The bad part of the leaves falling off the trees is that the poor squirrels nests are exposed. I am not anxious to see snow, but unfortunately it is coming, but we are supposed to have some more nice weather for awhile yet, so going to try to get a picture of the redbellied woodpecker, she is big.

Hi Donna, Good to see you but sorry to hear about your snow.

Duc, Beautiful shots!

Beautiful junco duc! I have one I have been trying to get a good photo of. It has more brown then most typically do around here.

The silly little wren shows up everywhere!! I really hope it sticks around. It is a bright spot in my day to see it!

Telling the Downy Woodpecker to hurry it up!

Still waiting & filing a complaint I think!...lol

LOL Nanny-that little wren looks like it's full of personality.

Hi guys,

I have a canon dslr xsi that came with 18-55mm lens. I bought a new lens yesterday, the 55-250mm telephoto lens, but it seems am still not able to get a close up on the birds, as seen in the pics below. I am shooting from the patio door into half the backyard ( 15ft ish in length )

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0856.jpg?t=1290288793

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0859.jpg?t=1290288840

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0860.jpg?t=1290288874

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0865.jpg?t=1290288903

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0867.jpg?t=1290288992

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/aghapymou/IMG_0863.jpg?t=1290289049


Any advice on camera settings?

Mick

This message was edited Nov 20, 2010 5:48 PM

Hi Mick, If there is enough light I would turn the shutter speed higher.

What is your focal point set at?

Love the black squirrel!

Great pics. Took quite a few today. Got some good deer pics, too.

Daddy having his dinner tonight.

My favorite duck-- the little woodie.

A female Bobwhite.

Nice to see that Bobwhite red! Good pics!!

Oh red....that Wood Duck is GORGEOUS!!!!!! I agee with pelle really nice to see a photo of the Bobwhite...not seen enough anymore.

Mick, cool black squirrel!

Tufted Titmouse.....they are usually to fast for me!