Hey Hack,
He used an old garbage can bottom --then placed a wooden disc the size of the tree trunk base inside, to make a stable fit over the trunk, and finally cut some more plastic for the inside ring. Used quick-crete.
We like the rustic, unfinished look.
Wonderful photos, linth! The Osprey looks so regal in that pic. Bombay Hook sounds like a great place to visit. I bet it's hard to leave with all those beautiful birds to look at and photograph!
Great shots, Hack! The last one is really special! You should try that shooting mode more often.
Chilly, that's great news! I doubt that both you and your husband would be mistaken about the beak. Who knows...maybe the top part of the beak just got a little behind schedule. Even if it grows out a little deformed, she may still be able to eat okay.
JulieQ, we also have lots of House Finches. I like your new bird bath that your husband built. It looks like the birds do too!
Lovely shots, Lily! You have quite a variety of birds at your lake!
Nice pics, Hack! Mr. & Mrs. Downy WP are very cute and you're right about the Brown Thrasher's eyes!
Love the detail on your pics, duc! That "feeding time" one is just adorable!
This message was edited Aug 20, 2012 4:31 PM
Julie thanks for the bird bath reply. Your husband did good.
Yep nuts, I figured the same thing about the AI Focus shooting mode.
Bye, Hack
Nice photos everyone! I don't have anything new to post, but on my morning walks the past week I have begun to see warblers already passing thru and several gnat catchers one morning. The male hummers are getting a bit plump too. Fall is really on the way I guess!
Nanny, please don't tell me fall is on the way! I'm glad you're seeing the warblers & gnat catchers but I'm sure not ready for any cold weather.
This juvenile brown-headed cowbird is beginning to get the darker feathers.
Here's a cute pair of mourning doves.
It took me most of the summer but I finally got a decent photo of an oriole in flight.
decent pic of a oriole in flight, duc, - I'LL say YOU SURE DID!
Bye, Hack
Nanny, you are so right. I have seen the hummers beginning to arrive for the past several weeks. I put up an extra hummer feeder today, action didn't take long. It is a bittersweet pleasure, watching the hummers, when I know they will leave for the winter soon. But again, another winter to plot and plant! More nectar and seed/fruit producing plants will be on the way.
I snapped some more pix.
1 and 2 are the male and female Downy Woodpeckers I've had visiting for a while
3 is one of my ever-present male Cardinals
4 is a pair of Jay birds at the suet feeder. They were not taking turns, but they weren't bickering, either. After the one nearest the suet left, the other one ate some.
Bye, Hack
I was messing around with the video part of my camera, does anyone know how to do video on this page, am trying to get a video of the hummingbirds eating, but sometimes they don't cooperate;) Since I don't work this weekend I am going to try to get some of them eating and maybe a close up, It is hard and takes a lot of patience, yuck, there that word is again!
Teddy, you have to put the video on you tube or similar hosting site and then post a link to it. We tried starting a thread just for videos last year maybe, but it just didn't really take off.
Nanny, our Hummer activity has increased dramatically in the last couple of weeks. They chase each other all over the yard. My feeders are all far apart to try to keep peace, but they chase each other anyway, though everyone seems to be getting plenty of food. I also still have a few blooms they like. I think some of them might be siblings as they actually seem to be playing.
Gazergirl, every year I try to plant more nectar plants. Because of our extremely hot, dry Spring and most of the Summer this year, several of them didn't do so well (we have Summer landscape water restrictions). My Lobelia Cardinalis, though, are thriving. I planted them last year and they barely grew. This year they're nearly 4' tall! I have two plants...each one right near a Hummer feeder. They're so tall it's hard to get a decent pic, but maybe I'll post a section of one as it's a popular one with the hummers.
Great pics, Hack! You're getting better and better with the new cam. I wonder if those two Blue Jays are mates?
Nanny, I'm starting to experiment with the video mode on my cam. I'll have to sign on with You Tube, but I fully intend to post something on that bird video thread. I just recently discovered it and think it's wonderful! Don't give up hope, yet. I think it can still "take off" with a little prompting.
Nanny is that video thread just for birds or can for example squirrel videos be posted there as well?
Duc, I jumped down too far and missed your beautiful pics! Very impressive detail, as always. That Bullock's must have been a very difficult shot...great job!
Great question GG. Even though it says birds, I've wondered the same thing myself since squirrel videos could be very entertaining...or even other critters, for that matter. Course, then it would no longer be a Bird watching thread, but a Wildlife video thread isn't such a bad idea.
This message was edited Aug 22, 2012 4:10 PM
Thanks, nuts. About the two Jay Birds. Don't know about them being mates, I was wondering if maybe they were siblings. I've never noticed a pairing like this before. When I usually see Jays, they're by themselves.
Bye, Hack
Hack, I've seen Jays in my yard follow each other around from one place to another. Sometimes they'll call to each other from all over the yard (or also from surrounding yards), then join up in a tree, at the birdbath or feeders, etc...at all different times of the season. I figured yours could be mates or siblings.
Here's a couple of quotes from one of my bird books put out by the Smithsonian Institution that you might be interested in:
"BEHAVIOR: Usually in pairs or flocks; especially gregarious after nesting season."
"BREEDING: Monogamous. Solitary nester. Male feeds during courtship. May keep several mates for several years."
The Video thread was here on the Bird Watching Forum. But you could always put a Squirrel video on the Wildlife Forum.
I agree with Nanny, GG. you should start one on the wildlife forum.
Good activity at all your feeders everyone, Things have picked up here too.
To start off, a common bird for most of you. the Grackle.
And another common one, the Goldfinch.
I have not seen this one in the pass few weeks, but he showed up yesterday. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Got a nice visit from the Flicker.
And last a juvie male Hummingbird
Nice pictures, burn. It's always funny seeing birds going to feeders much too small for them. That is an interesting feeder-guessing homemade. How is it hangning? That's always been our problem with trying to make homemade from plastic containers, how to get them to hang?
Oh, keep your hummie away from here! We were just watching WWIII between two females. Though really bad, I got some pictures of the battle and one showed the bill of one right at the throat of the other. How the species thrives I have no idea...
The one good thing about the heat this year was that the grackles did not stay long....ours have been gone for over a month now!
Our hummer feeders are very busy now...lots of chasing so fun to watch!! Our son has really enjoyed them!
Hey Chilly, I've added a picture of the whole feeder and some instruction on how to make it. It's very easy to make.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1214698/
I've been away for a few days in Sydney, but managed to get a couple of shots of birds whilst I was there. The first is a Noisy Miner, taken quite literally at my feet (wide angle lens) and a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, which hopped off the fence and started to get stuck into someone's oranges. The cockatoo was taken with my point and shoot, thus the poor quality.
Great shots everyone. Margaret, I love the eyes on the Noisy Miner. Cockatoo in the oranges--smart bird!!
Ha. As you can imagine, two or three of these birds can strip a tree within an hour, casually moving from one orange to the next, never eating all of it, just chewing them to the point where they're no good to anyone.
Can't type, can't snap pics, - had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder Fri the 24th. I'll be lurking.
Hack
Speedy recovery to you Hack, love all the pics. everyone. I may not be able to hang around DG much. The program inhibits me from loading photos to our forums. I'll be lurking around, please keep in touch to all my friends here.
Beautiful shots, burn! Cool idea for your feeder, too.
The hummer at your Fuchsia plant really shows just how small they are. We have more Hummers right now than we've probably had in years (even during other migrations). They're everywhere...still rarely share feeders, though. Fortunately we have enough feeders out plus blooming hummer plants to keep them all happy.
Nanny, it is fun. Do you have more now, this year than other years, like we do?
Love the pics, Margaret! Oh, those naughty Cockatoos...I bet the orange growers hate them (but they're still a beautiful bird)!
Oh no, Hack, I hope you're alright!! Was this something pre-planned or did you have an accident? OOPS, sorry...I forgot you can't type. Well...LURK AT THIS...We all wish you well for a speedy recovery. Take care of yourself and when you're feeling better you can tell us all about it!! ☼ ☺ ☼
No luck yet, Kim? What a pain!
This message was edited Aug 27, 2012 11:25 AM
Take care of yourself Hack!
Great shots everyone!
It's a real pain. But maybe there is a different calling for me? I still have dmail. So everyone feel free to stay in touch. Hack I hope you'll feel better soon.
Ooo, I hope you get better soon, Hack.
Lily, what do you mean by this? " The program inhibits me from loading photos to our forums."
I noticed last week, the site here now requires a googleapis script to upload images when it didn't before. I do not understand why, it worked fine before and it sure seems Google is taking over many websites that if you do not allow their scripts, the site won't completely function. I figure if I am not on a Google site, such as Maps or search, why do I need to use Google scripts? Maybe I'm just a little paranoid. :P
This message was edited Aug 27, 2012 1:37 PM
Chillybean, I don't know it's google or it's DG's own program that causing this headache. I installed google plus, but opted out on their request to store history of my browsing.... I opted out, and nothing works since. It's such a headache!
Kim, this is interesting. If, in fact, you're saying these problems started with Google Plus, it's very possible the program is still on your computer.
My husband and I finally got rid of a program we downloaded months ago, but immediately removed because it was useless and invasive. Suddenly, a few weeks ago, they started regularly downloading updates to their program...without our permission! My husband checked and discovered the program was still on our computer and monitoring our every move! He finally removed it entirely about a week ago.
If you can, you might want to check your programs to see if Google Plus is still listed. No guarantee it has anything to do with this issue, but if it's a program you don't want anyway, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
n.a.n, yes I think we do have more hummers this year. Nothing like 2007 our first year here, but the numbers do seem to be on the increase.
Hack take care and hope the recovery goes well. My DH needs to have the same surgery but has put it off for the time being. Just too much going right now and he is in no hurry!! lol
A shot of some Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and some American Gold Finch enjoying the Echinacea seeds.
This message was edited Aug 28, 2012 10:28 AM
Thanks, all for your "get-well-soons". This is gonna take a while - typing one finger technique, left hand.
About a month ago, I had my fake leg off, just using long crutches, In the back yard, in my shed, I bent over to pick up a bag of seed and the right crutch fell away, The left crutch drive me sideways, to the right. I tried to hop, but lost my balance. As I fell I reached out with my right hand and grabbed something, but fell anyways, ripping my shoulder as I went down. I managed to crawl to my 4-wheeler and through sheer determination got up on it - knew I was in trouble (in the future my cell phone will be with me). I managed to get back to the garage, where I had traded my wheelchair for the long crutches, and wheelchaired into the house - couldn't lift my right arm at all and it hurt pretty bad. My wife came to me she took over from there. Again, my wife, my rock of support. God sure was good to me when He brought us together. She knows what I'm going thru for she has had rotator cuff surgery herself
The fall happened on a Sunday. Saw the Dr, did MRI and discovered I'd re-torn my rotator cuff. First tear was in 2003 when I got run over by a man who ran a red light - I was on my Harley. About a month later gangrene cost me my right leg. They hacked it off.
Right now, I'm not hurting much at all, unless I try to move my arm in a contray direction - and even then its a slight hurt, because I'm always mindful of what may happen. I wear one of those bulky slings, but find comfort when i slip it off for a short time. In short, I'm healing. Its actually a blessing that I've been thru this before, I know my limitations. I go to my first physical therapy session Thursday - not looking forward to that, but realize how beneficial it is to my full recovery.
Well, that should give you all an idea of what happened.
Again, thanks for your well wishes.
Lurking Hack
Any typing errors, excuse me.
Hey nanny, I like the GOFINS. How long do you leave the flowers on your plants. Are they "dead" when the birds feed?
I recently got 4 new coneflower plants, planted them and they are small, but living. However, I snipped off the old ugly flowers, leaving just two, which still are pretty. Should I have left the old flowers on?
Hack
I've fallen behind once again. Hack, Burn, Nanny and Margaret I really enjoyed all the great pictures.
Hack, you poor thing, I do hope you'll be feeling much better soon and do keep that cell phone close from now on.
Here's a pair of doves that come to our feeders every day.
A northern mockingbird in flight-this one is a juvenile.
A bewick's wren.
And the last, a western tanager that's continuing to stay hidden in the trees.
I just let the coneflowers go to seed and then the finch will come eat the seeds. With our drought here, nothing is still blooming except for my one phlox and the sedum!! lol
Beautiful shots, nanny and duc.
Hack, may I add my well wishes. What a horrible experience. Mind you, you've obviously got a positive mental attitude, which will always serve you well.
Hack that was quite an ordeal that you went through! Happy to hear you found someone so caring to be by your side. Wishing you a speedy recovery from the surgery, so you can go back to the things you love to do.
Cool bird that Noisy miner, Margaret! I love the eyes.
It's so nice to see the birds go for the seeds, like your goldfinch do, Nanny. The Hummers are enjoying the nectar off of mine at the moment.
Thanks, n.a.n. and Duc. Love your birds Duc, Three of those you've posted,I don't get to see here.
Purple Finch
Love the pics, nanny! Our Goldfinches are also spending a lot of time on our Echinacea and Rudbeckia. Sometimes I don't even see them until I realize the stems are shaking around like "crazy". Then I see 4 or 5 of them "yanking" out the seeds...lots of fun to watch!
Hack! Oh gosh, it's hard to even know what to say! You've really been through the "ringer" and, incredibly, through it all, you've kept the most wonderful attitude!! We all know the "happy-go-lucky" Hack that is full of compliments for everyone here and LOVES to take pictures of birds and other wildlife. Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?? PLEASE take care of yourself, heal fast and shower that wonderful wife of yours with LOVE every single day (and, yes, I agree with duc...don't let your cell phone out of your sight).
Also, I hope you don't mind another opinion on a question you actually asked nanny. My Goldfinches start munching on the coneflower seeds even before they dry out so I don't do a lot of deadheading with those. When I do, I usually stick the stems into something like a suet cage near the feeders. As the season winds down I stop deadheading pretty much everything as I've seen the goldfinches eat seeds from all sorts of plants. You can usually tell by looking at seedheads whether they have "emptied' them of seeds. With many of the ones that still have seeds, I may leave them for most of the winter for extra food.
Wonderful pics, duc! They're all great, but my favorite is the first one of the Doves.
Beautiful Purple Finch, burn!
All opinions are valued, nuts. I guess I better go out and pick up the coneflowers heads I snipped off and put them in a suet feeder, huh.
Thanks everyone else for the kind words, I guess I fully agree with the old saying that "Whatever doesn't kill you, any makes you stronger" - or something like that.
Ya'll take care,
Hack
