Wow, great photo Ronnie.
Holly, I was trying to think of some joke about the vultures at the bank but couldn't come up with anything on the fly. Coleup, you have such a quick wit - good one LOL.
Mid-Atlantic Bird Watching - Winter 2012-2013
Evidently what kind of omen vultures circling could be, depends on two things; whether they were going clockwise or counterclock wise and sunspot activity.
Yes, Ronnie great shot! My cell phone camera can't even get a blur of the eagles I see.
Hugs to Harper and welcome to Winston. Are they bird watchers at all?
This message was edited Feb 3, 2013 11:11 AM
ROFLOL,
Me, too, Holly!!!
Judy Harper isn't but it's funny Winston will stand at the door and watch them. He probably would like to catch them if he could!
Ronnie, That is a great shot. What an experience. We are lucky to have a few in our area as well and always a treat to see them.
Thanks guys, we were lucky to see three together that day. Wasn't lucky enough to get them all in a decent shot.
Coleup,
How many threads are you on?I tried to find you on the soil thread to no avail.I am a avid bird watcher,feeder,ect.I just found a swirled mess in the middle of my 'Karl Forster ' grass.I read that it is from a bird that looks so much like finches.I thought I saw a strange yellow bird at the finch sock!
A few birds....
Carolina Wren
Dark-eyed Junco
Fluffed up female Cardinal
You get the most amazing shots!
Love them Karen!!
Thanks for posting them Karen, great photos!
Thank you all...
Good Morning, With the weather the way it has been, I came here to see how you and all your feathered friends were doing and if you found any of your regulars missing.
As a retired breeder of parrots, conures, parrotlets, lovebirds, mostly hookbills, I am always watching anything that flies. I have found that this year some of our regular birds are missing and I can not help but think the weather has to do with it. I would like your thoughts when You have time. I do have hawks and crows (thought they did not like each other but these two flocks live here at the farm).
Last year the number of barn swallows was much less than the year before.
Couple of years ago, can not remember because I am older than dirt, we had that awful blizzard. Prior to that I had a variety of finches that returned every year. Especially our State bird, the goldfinch. Most of them are gone. I have a few purple finches but not in the numbers I had before. I have several cardinals who weathered the storm and this year with the Sandy storm I am seeing they are still here. They have made their home in an old row of arborvitae that is next to my feed barn and the greenhouse. My feeders are between those two buildings and all of my indoor flock old seeds go out on the ground for the birds who prefer to forage rather than use the feeders. Of course, squirrels, groundhogs and other little critters use that method also. The bluejays and starlings and tiny little sparrows are still here. I do so want to take pictures but by the time I get the camera, the bird has vanished. We have some woodpeckers also. I do so want my finches back and you are so correct. THEY WILL NOT EAT OLD NIGER OR THISTLE SEED. They do not even like it if it is damp. I wonder how hungry they are? Water is my problem. I have a difficult time keeping the water from freezing. It is so important they have water. They do eat the snow, which helps.
I bought a great feeder, at least I thought it was great especially for the finches so they would not get wet, the seed stayed dry, paid a small fortune for it and they do not eat out of it. I moved it several times.........they do not like it. They prefer the tubes, but they get so wet and miserable after a rain or snow I spend more time cleaning them out than it is worth.
Also throw away alot of seed which they do not eat off the ground. It just lays there.
I was wondering what you all do to help your finch population grow. I am at a loss now.
Gita, be careful with warming up that fat, you may start a fire. ☺
I got a new niger feeder (a Droll Yankee) and the finches went to it fairly promptly. But we had a thistle sock out for ages they wouldn't touch -- but now they do, even with the old seed in it. Doesn't make any sense!
I haven't figured it out either Happy, We have had a sock for years that the birds just flocked too. Now they won't go near it even with different feed. You know maybe I need to relocate it.
Well--I am happy to report that "my" gold finches have found my thistle feeder.
They are all still a drab gray--with just a touch of yellow on the breasts.
Had 4 of them chowing down this morning....
I have it hanging just under my patio roof overhang so it would stay as dry as possible--
but still would be visible.
You can see my big, 3-tube feeder on the left--this one hangs completely under my P. roof.
Safe and totally out of the weather--no matter what it is. Also--out of sight of predatory birds.
Took this through my LR window at full zoom....surprised it came out as good as it did.
G.
COngratulations! Great to see them pigging out.
I think we haven't seen the usual birds because it's been unusually cold here this year, I think they all migrated farther south
Did see a whole flock of Robins yesterday
OMG no. Had I seen robins I may have not been so annoyed with the storm that is coming. I hope NJ is on the rainy side most of this one. That would help me, but not the shore. Oh well, for those people, I will be happy to suffer. I can not imagine what they are going through. JB
So, Gita has my gold finches. Not very nice of you girlfriend. Send them home.
I moved my feeder this morning. Maybe those finches will like this spot better.
In my yard, I have a HUGE native Maple, must be 75' or so. I have 3 giant Droll Yankee feeders, 1 of them a "Flipper," and two "Whippers." There is a thistle feeder, and an finch feeder. Two suet feeders, one is set on an angle so it is diamond-shaped. The other is a biggun' that fits those enormous and $$$ suet cakes.
I have so much enjoyment from my feathered friends. There are Cardinals galore, tons of finches, and some doves which the Hawk (my husband says there is a pair now) loves, and bluebirds. I also have a couple of bluejays but they come and go. I just saw a steroidal Robin, and the Chickadees have entertained all Winter, with the bonus of such a pretty song!
I have squirrel-proofed my feeders, and have to empty our traps regularly that we set below the feeders - they have squirrels in them all the time. My favorite latest saga is to spray Pam on an above-feeder squirrel baffle, then heavily dust thoroughly with Cayenne pepper. Oh I am an enemy of the squirrels these days...
And I will not spend time rendering suet, sorry. I find that my time needs to go in other directions. Now, I am seeing a sooty-colored finch-like bird that I swear I've never seen before. There are many. Has a whiteish beak.
Ah! There's nothing like a yard full of birds! I LOVE all of your posts.
May be a Slate Colored Junko. Some call it a Black-eyed Junko"
I have loads and loads of them....Gita
Just got a call this morning from another bird watcher and she said she and her husband were waiting to see the Northern Lapwings (3) that have been coming to the field in the back of her house. Birdwatchers from all over are coming to New Egypt, NJ to see these birds. You can google it if you want to see what it looks like. They are very big. We have bald eagles here now, more each year and once in awhile they go over the farm. It is a thrill seeing them. Have a great day. Just wanted to share this with you all. JB
JB< That Northern Lap Wing is a beautiful bird! Well worth seeing and if that field was a bit closer to me I'd try watching for it too! Nice that there are three. Very rare bird. Didn't know that there are rare bird sightings alert networks. Cool.
My rare to me sighting was a pair of flickers last week. Haven't seen a flicker since I was a kid in Illinois. It's the first bird I ID ed by using a bird book (The Birds of North America). I remember they drilled squarish hols in the bark of our little pine tree and then would return each day to feed on the bugs attracted to the gouey sap.
Reminder to all that The Great American Backyard Bird Count is here. Great way to find out what birds others in your neighborhood/area are seeing even if they aren't at your feeders!
Feb 15 - 18 http://birds.audubon.org/great-backyard-bird-count
That is a pretty bird! I'd never heard of it.
Love seeing flickers
I need advice, please. We have triple windows that overlook the yard and sometimes birds fly into them. I am looking for something to put in the windows to let them k ow it is glass. Suggestions please. A decorative something to hang there?
Boy they sure are pretty. I went and looked them up.
Jan, since my smaller windows don't seem to cause this, I think a few decals placed here and there might do it. Some people I have read go to more effort- maybe their location and window size make it necessary. I notice it on my front and back, certain times of year. Just the large panes of picture window an bay window.
I try to put the bilnds down when I think of it.
One day we noticed one mockingbird and 3 - 4 bluejays in the dogwood tree in front . The jays spent five or ten minutes 'baiting ' the mockingbird as he tried to keep them out of the tree. Can't figure why the tree was so vital to the mockingbird. He'd chase one jay, then that one would retreat to a twig, then another would hop in to be chased out...on and on.
Will keep my eyes open for decals.
Maybe the Mbird claimed it as his territory. Funny how the jays teamed up to cause him some distress.
I have the same trouble with my big sliding doors. The other day when the Hawk few in I had two of them hit the doors. I went outside and stood over them till they could fly away. Even stunned one of the birds crawled into a hiding spot till it could fly away. Besides the decals you can hang something flashy from the overhang.
I use the little glass things that you can hang on with one of those sticky round things that have little hooks, you spit on the round thing and it stays on the window. You then hand the little glass object. I love the one I use on the kitchen door, It is a little frog. If you can not figure out what I am talking about, I will take a picture for you. Are they sun reflectors? Darn I can not figure out what they are called. Senior moment. Let me know so I can take pics for you.
Flickers were always at our home in PA, but since I am in NJ I seldom see them. I remember them and how they bore holes in the ground to get grubs. Just now there is nothing but starlings and sparrows eating. The snow and rain seems to deter the others. Even the cardinals are hiding.
I was surprised at those bird alert sights. I think i will sign up for one of them just for fun.
JB I know exactly what you are talking about. Sun catchers that hang from suction cups.
I have had the same problems with my 4'x4' patio roof skylights.
Aver the years--I have come upon several Doves laying dead on my Patio floor.
I KNOW that something must have startled them and they, blindly, headed for daylight--
ans broke their necks when hitting the glass.
Now--I have an odd bird to show you. Just saw this one about 2 days ago.
Feeding on the patio floo0r were 2 doves--except one of them was white and gray/black speckled.
Never seen that before. I know some genes from a Pigeon were at work here....
Sorry about the blurred picture. I tried and tried--but it never stopped moving.
Besides--I was shooting through my LR window in full zoom. Another issue...
Yes, sun catchers. I was struggling to think of the name that's why I asked for help. LOL
That looks like a racing or homing pigeon. They stop over and eat and rest at my feeders sometimes. They hang around for an hour or two and then go away. One time one stayed for two days. I thought maybe he decided to live here but he did eventually leave. They are the size of doves and usually are slim in build compared to the regular pigeons. At lease that is what I am told.
I was thinking the same thing JB some kind of pigeon.
Some kind of pigeon . Rock Dove is another name for common pigeons.
I have seen some kind of pigeon here. Rarely..then i read that they also like barnyards for spilled grain.
A resting racing or homing pigeon sounds exciting though.
I worked with a guy that raised homing pigeons. He lived pretty far from work came down in a car pool of guys a good hours drive each way. Every so often he would bring his pigeons down and turn them loose. Especially when he was training them for a race. We use to have pigeons. A friend that raised them gave Jamie a few of them that weren't good enough to show. They were fun.
You can tell if they are racing or homing pigeons in most cases they will have bands on their legs. If not, they are just regular farm pigeons. They hang out around horse, cattle, etc to eat the grains, or they love to live in barns where farmers grow hay or other grains. When we grew grains we had a whole flock who lived in our barn. Now that we are not growing grains or feeding any kind of stock, they left. We do have our regular barn swallows that arrive late March or early April. They are beautiful birds and their babies are so adorable, but they make a complete mess of the vehicles in the barn during their breeding season. We have come to the point where when they move in, we just move the vehicles so they can have their babies. LOL Pretty bad when you like birds that much. We just do not like to destroy their nests. They use them over and over. Some are too high in the barn to even consider knocking them down anyhow. Which reminds me, did you know that birds poop every 15 minutes? I never timed it myself, but when I was breeding birds one of my friends sent me a sign to post in my breeding room. I always wondered if it was true. Maybe we could google it? ☺
The odd Dove I saw was in the company of a "regular" looking dove.
It was the same exact size as the 'regular" Dove.
They were both feeding on my bird seed on the floor under my big feeder and walked off together...
Maybe the male just had an eye on the "fancy lady"???? Have NO idea which one was what gender....
G.