MID ATLANTIC BIRDS IN OUR GARDENS

I heard one once, in Catoctin National Forest near Frederick MD. One of my best sleepless nights ever, four owls.

blue jays I get LOVE Cheerios

I had a friend who was a Wild life Rehabilitator in training specializing in birds of prey. She says that many owls are struck by cars. Glad that the weird little leaf colored sods can caused me to stop. I do feel honored to have had the 'close encounters of the bird kind " I have had. One summer near dusk walking in the woods my daughter pointed to a large shape in an understory tree. It was a Great Horned Owl which while we stood there, took of and flew/glided passed us and disappeared into more forest ahead. No sound at all. Close as 10 feet from us!

Jen, my jays love cheerios, too and Purina Cat chow. They would scold me when I didn't leave some of either of them for them.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2011 9:35 PM

I had some past-prime apples I cut up this morning and decided to throw them
out under the bird-feeder.
The squirrels came and got them all! I was hoping the birds would like some "fresh fruit"....

I don't care! The squirrels need some fresh fruit too.....

Gita

I put out a half an orange today- for mockingbird maybe

WE are feeding a lot of birds under the patio picnic table today. There is some sand there too. Nearby we have heated water and very close dense shrubs.....mostly laurel. We have a thistle sock and a window feeder and one rendered fat and peanut butter station. All are busy today. Storm moving in with heavy snow possible. The birds agree with the weather report. Our forcast is for this evening and all day tomorrow to be more snow....possibly heavy snow.

We got into our second ten pound bag bag of thistle seed yesterday. It appears we will run out of the basic bird seed. We started with a hundred and twenty pounds last fall. We had two bushels of ear corn. It is about used up. Some of this action we are seeing might be neighbors not feeding as per usual.

Our DSL was down for a few days now I need to catch up with all the talk. Our birds are doing well lots of them out there.

I refilled my one of those standard plastic tube thistle feeders, I am pretty sure it was just last Monday and its half gone. They're really chowing down, all of them. Getting to be a nice mess of husks on the snow. I wonder how they know not to pick thru all of them. Or do they?

Some of our neighbors in the Northeast Forum are experiencing fewer birds and a different mix than previous years. Speculation is that due to so much snow more birds have moved southward to find food. What say we? Here's their thread

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1149575/

Be careful as you navigate the icy surfaces to refill those feeders!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1143772/

This message was edited Feb 1, 2011 8:34 AM

When I could get out and move about easily at times like these I often found the birds heavily populating the real thick thickets along the moving water, up next to industrial buildings and thickets warmed a few degrees by thermal heat loss from the industries and other similar factors. No doubt that some could have gone South. I think local dense cover was the larger of all factors.

The bird population has increased here in NJ over the past week. We are having sleet, freezing rain and fog. The bigger birds eat at their regular times, but the little ones are eating all day. They of course are the ground feeders cleaning up after the grackles.
They are quiet but busy eating. They are hanging close to the house and greenhouse and I agree, Doc, they are smart enough to go closer for heat. I have six giant arborvitae next to the silo and my little feed barn, the birds love them because they are thick and give them a lot of protection from the elements.
I have noticed a lack of geese. The other day some snow geese went over but the local geese are not flying or else they went farther south. They can not find much feed in the fields because of the depth of the snow. They may have had to move on to feed properly.
The feeder is empty again. Second time today. They are eating me out of house and home.
The house flock are extremely quiet today. Usually they have their noisy times but today they are very quiet. I have been cleaning cages and that usually makes them chatter, but not today. I can not help but wonder if they know how unsettled the weather is. Birds are so sensitive to all things.
I hope you all have a nice day and keep in mind Spring is just around the corner.

Very busy feeder today

Big Happy Dance today as both eagles were spotted working on their nest!!! Lady on third floor of condo says they generally don't lay eggs until mid to late Feb here This will be their fourth or fifth family. None of last year's clutch made it with back to back big snows.. Here is a pic...nest is obscured behind pine to the right. Makes me feel hopeful that the rest of nature we've pushed to the brink can come back...Judy

Hey gang, the grandhog did not see his shadow..................Spring will be here soon. JB
Eagles must have heard the news. That is so exciting, please keep us posted.

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT Feb 18-21





The 2011 GBBC will take place Friday, February 18, through Monday, February 21. Please join us!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. We'll be adding updated GBBC materials for the next count as they become available.

*



Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

Why Count Birds?

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

We need your help. Make sure the birds from your community are well represented in the count. It doesn't matter whether you report the 5 species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.

Your counts can help us answer many questions:

*

How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

*

Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

*

How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

*

How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

*

What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

*

Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to give us an immense picture of our winter birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far-reaching questions.

For highlights of past results, visit the Science Stories section of the GBBC web site.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.




http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html

This message was edited Feb 2, 2011 11:04 AM

Don't pay the ransom ..... I've escaped. Sort of. lol Blizzard is gone but left behind lots of the white stuff. 2.8* on my thermometer. -15to -20 windchills.

So glad to hear about your eagles Judy!!!

Skating anyone????

Then we can come in and relax by the fire.

I do not think you will be able to see these little guys because I took it with the cell phone thru the birdroom window. They are so tiny and it was foggy and rainy when I took it.
There are three or four little sparrows splashing around in the stream of water in front of the snow pile. They were having such fun I just had to share it. Now unfortunately I do not think you will be able to see them. You will however be able to see the ice spots on the stones. As the rain came down it was freezing on anything it could. Those birds were splashing in the midst of it all. I love birds. LOL JB

Crit- Yay, I'll be there.
I'm going to try and sneak out this weekend to see if any ponds here are frozen well.

Alllllllllllllllllllllllll-right!

Have you all seen this Eagle cam at Norfolk VA? I found it on the Bird Watching Forum.It has a daily slideshow in the event you may have missed something. Kool.


The Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle-cam is up and running. http://www.wvec.com/marketplace/microsite-content/eagle-cam... The Eagles have moved into a new home. They are anticipating the first egg to be laid at any time.

JB--
Tried to open your link.
Says the "Page you are looking for cannot be found"....

Boo-Hoo.....

It's getting dark--I still have to run outside and re-fill the bird feeder...
They are really starting to chow down....

I also keep throwing out sliced up apples--twice a day--and they are
all gone too. I have seen squirrels eating them--but I think they must have
some help......
I buy them on the marked down Produce racks--about 3lbs. for 99 cents....

Gita

DONE!!! Filled up the ole 3-tube feeder....
Two tubes for mixed seed--one for Sunflower seed....

Threw some on the patio floor for the doves too.....

We are lucky! We never got any snow at all with this last storm.
Just some icy rain the first day--which "iced" everything with a thin layer of slippery stuff..
I couldn't even get a niche into the ice on my car windows....had to heat up the car first...

It has been very cold today and tomorrow too.....Below freezing....Off tomorrow--and
Saturday as well. Gonna make a huge batch of stuffed cabbage Saturday.

Tonight--time to dice up the onions, the smoked ham (I add a bit of it to the meat mixture--
Yum..) and the innards of the cabbage head (i mix some of that into the meat filling. Makes it moister)
I bought 2 heads of Napa Cabbage instead of the regular,,green" cabbage---
Martha Stewart magazine had that in it about a year ago. I liked the looks of it.

Can't do it tomorrow (Friday) as i will be going to a Bull Roast in the evening...
Too much of a constraint to an otherwise free day....
BUT--I will mix up the meat and maybe make the rolls....Leave the cooking to Saturday.
SO! Saturday will be the COOK day!!!

Gita

OK! On to better things....Gita

That link I cut and pasted did not work, the one I bookmarked and cut and pasted worked. I think you have two good ones there Cole, thanks for finding them. I was about to turn in and I thought I would check out the forum. Glad you found them. Thanks again. The daily slideshows are tremendous and the pictures are so clear. Wonderful Eagle Cam. Best I have seen in years.
Nite all. I am tired. Cold weather is getting to me. JB

There are deer tracks at the bird feeder today. Hmmmmmm.

Been taking fresh water out to my feathered friends everyday, and throwing some feed on the ground. Of course it sinks in, but I think they still get it. I wonder if I put it on a metal tray on top of the snow, if they would eat it off there? I don't usually put too much on the ground, because my dogs eat it faster than the birds. Arf arf TWEET. lol They are not too enthused about trekking out there in 14" of the white stuff right now.

I'm ready for some of this.......

Wow! I just found this thread, and in less than one month you all have over 100 posts! Way to go! And as far as I can see, it has stayed on topic! I love everone's contributions! Doc, thanks for starting the thread.

My suggestion for field guides... I love my books. I had the Reader's Digest Guide to NA Birds, but I gave it to my Mom as it was very user friendly! I then bought the Nat Geo Complete Guide to NA Birds. It's heavy duty, but I like thhat it offeres photos of male vs. female and adult vs. juvenile. On-line, I suggest taking a look at eNature.com.
http://enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?curGroupID=1
You can search by many different filters, from type of bird such as hawks or ducks, or by your geographical area or even zipcode. I like that it gives a detailed description, a photo, and a soundbite to the bird's call.

I have developed a rather large inventory of bird shots, but I won't saturate this thread. I haven't been able to get a good hawk shot (since conversations began about hawks). The owls as many of you know, are some of my faves, but all my owl shots are of captive birds.

Here is a female Downy Woodpecker, taken from my balcony.

And here is the male...

Karen, you know we love your fantastic photogrpahy when ever you grace us!

Karen, so glad you found this thread. Frustrating to make a post without a pic for others to 'see' like of the little owl I encountered at 4 am. If you have a pic of one or of screech owl broown or red form, I'd love to see them. I'd also be more than happy to 'borrow' (with credit, of course) one of your photos to post with or edit in to posts . Could that be done via Dmail?
Are there places on the web where it is ok (legal) to download pics rather than just link to them?

Another frustration with guide books for bird id is that most every shot is from the front and I was viewing this owl from the back and side profile. Also, if I could see a saw-whet owl next to a screech owl I could compare al least their size (with a soda can in the middle for reference!) So captive birds who can no longer survive in the wild are such great opportunities to meet and greet some feathered friends.

They have been here all winter. All they did is change clothes. LOL

OK..................you all get a chance to ID these two.

We have a local garden center holding a "through the glass" winter bird photo contest. Prizes are modest but very nice. You have to stop in to get the rules. They want to keep it local.

This one is a male Purple Finch doc.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/birdfiles/go/199/

coleup... I am happy to post some of my owl pics for people to see. As far as downloading others' photos... most people are pretty picky about that, but with good reason. Photos are "stolen" all the time from sites like flickr and Photobucket, without credit given to the proper person. It is a shame that people must do this. I personally don't like others using my photos without my expressed permission... but I don't mind sharing with others on sites like this one. There may be someone out there that would never have a chance to see a Pileated Woodpecker or Screech Owl if someone like myself were not willing to share what they have seen, photographed, and experienced. I have never seen a Great Grey Owl and would know nothing about them if someone had not been willing to share their photos!

Eastern Screech Owl - red phase

Eastern Screech Owl - grey phase

What are the different "phases"?

They are color phases, or morphs, primarily based on geographical conditions. Studies have been done, and it is not a genetic tendency... two reds can produce greys and vice versa. The greys are seen more in the northern areas of their territory while reds are seen more in the south. When you get close to mid-range, which Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania fall into, you can see both. It's about camoflauge... greys blend in with the bark of the trees they like to nest in... the hardwoods like oak and hickory. Reds blend in better with the bark of the cedars that they primarily nest in.

I agree Karen always a pleasure to see your photos!

Karen, a font if info too. Can you quit your day job and start giving us guided birdwalks? LOL

I read that cat colors are partially determined by not just genetics too.