we've seen and heard several geese flocks over the last 24 hours
Mid-Atlantic Bird Watching - Spring 2014
Maybe the water fowl figured out that a big storm was coming. We're getting some strong winds now. I can't believe the temperature will drop from the high of 67 today to 31 tomorrow. Crazy.
Spring is coming! Here's the proof: http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2014/03/snow_geese_arrive_en_masse_at.html
There was so little open water thousands were using any open water on the river, Just what Josh saw.
WOW!!!
That has to be some sight to behold!
I always get VERY nostalgic when i see geese flying overhead in a big "V"..
I believe it is because of a series of three books I read as a child (I still have it)
which was translated into Latvian from A book by Selma Lagerlof (Norwegian??)
and it is a fantasy story about a boy who is transformed to pixie size and travels
along with the migrating wild geese sitting on the back of one.
His name is Nils Holgerson.
The book is called (I translate here)--Nils' Holgerson's wonderful travels with the Wild Geese"
All the trials and tribulations they encounter...such a fantasy--just what I needed back then.
The book was published in 1948.
IF it were still available anywhere in English--it is a wonderful book for children.
Might even be on an I-pad nowadays?????
I just Googled Nils Holgerson's name and all kinds of links came up.
Ahhhh-memories......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Adventures_of_Nils
Here's a place that still sells it--
http://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Adventures-Dover-Childrens-Classics/dp/0486286118
And---on Kindle...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771287.The_Wonderful_Adventures_of_Nils
This message was edited Mar 13, 2014 10:00 AM
I bet Josh's kids would live this book! Gita
This message was edited Mar 13, 2014 10:09 AM
That is a LOT of birds - thanks for the link! I hope they found enough to eat.
sweet story Gita.
thanks, Gita! That sure rings a bell... I must have come across it long ago... it'll be fun to read again! Amazon currently has the kindle edition for $0, so I promptly "bought" it. :-)
The feeders were half full this morning, empty when we returned from the Y at dusk. I threw out a quick handful of millet & safflower for the sparrows & cardinals that were pecking around hopefully... with luck they ate it before the 'possum came foraging... I'm hoping he will move on before our birds start nesting!
Sounds like a great children's book Gita.
I really wanted to buy this book too...
Went to Amazon (one of the links)--chose a used-Good one. $2.49. One copy left...
Tried to fill out all the endless info--and it kept telling me that my e-address
and password did not match. Did this over and over--even tried to go in as
a new member. Thought that, maybe my earlier use of Amazon was so long
ago that i still had Earthlink....but was it "net'--or ". com" Neither was accepted..
Gave up--
Went to the other sellers (link #2)
Picked one I liked and filled out all the info....went to "my cart" and put in my
Credit card number...etc. Was told my CC was not valid...
Filled everything our two more times...same thing.... Gave up! Will try again later.
Now you know why i don't shop on line---always some kind of C--p.
Will get Aina to help me--she's a whiz at on-line shopping.. Will try later--one more time.
Can't spend hours doing this!
Here are my very faded books from my childhood. These were the Latvian translation.
Published in 1948. We were already 4 years into the refugee bit...
Good paper was hard to come by. All the books from those days look like this...
Faded, fragile, yellowed paper.
In 2007 when I had my second knee replacement and I had to lay n the couch a lot--
I got these out and started reading them again. Finished 2 of the 3 books.
Here are my 3 old books--they came out in 3 parts--small print, and between all of them--
it was 520 pages.
How can the English version books have only ONE book and 365 (?) pages???
There's lots of activity at the bird feeders, and I saw my first Baltimore Oriole ever!
He apparently didn't like my offerings, though, because he didn't stick around. I don't happen to have grape jelly or oranges on hand; drats! I wonder if clementines are acceptable.
Oh how exciting, we occasionally get them up here and it is a great treat when we do.
My bird books they like sugar water; I could try that. I have dried mealworms out, but my birds don't immediately recognize them as food.
White here again! We have like a gazillion birds out there. Just as the ground finally cleared enough for them to browse for their own food we get this. We usually feed them year round, provide them with water, housing and baths. I wonder if I could claim them on my taxes. I wonder if the IRS would question 300 new dependents.
Muddy, O's like orange slices, if you happen to have any.
It's back to the gazillion Black Birds here....
I give up! G.
Gitagal- I have so many of those hated Starlings, I could scream! They're such bullies. Then add in the Grackles & the frustration soars. I'm finding that in order for the Robins to get any of the raisins or grapes I put out I have to get out there either at the crack of dawn or near sunset. And now today, with all the snow, I even put out some bananas - crows & seagulls swooped down & took them! Oh well, like they say - everybody's gotta eat.
Someone mentioned mealworms - I don't put them out anymore cuz they're so expensive (tho I would if my property was big enough for bluebirds). But I put out some dried ones a couple years ago: a Mockingbird & a Robin did near-mortal combat over 'em! I mean they were going at it in mid-air, feathers flyin'! It was something to see. And neither one would back down. It wasn't like it was winter & food was scarce. They both did finally get some, but each paid a price. It was impressive.
I have occasionally thought of growing mealworms not just for the bird feeders but the Chickies would love them, too.
I raised mealworms once, but stopped after the last of them had been eaten because I didn't want to spend time cleaning the mealworm-growing containers. I failed to keep them clean enough and ended up with a proliferation of mites.
It was rewarding to be able to give the birds live ones, though, especially during nesting season. I once watched a small bird - a chickadee, I think - collect at least 12 mealworms in its mouth at one time!
I didn't think it was too hard but then when I sat down and read up, it seemed like maybe a bit more work than I really wanted to do.
Oh man, I never even realized this thread was here! I just posted over in the bird watching forum for an ID. Perhaps you all could help me better since we're all in the same area. I just started to use a suet feeder (bought from Backyard Birding in East Petersburg PA, yes a shameless advertisement because that guy is awesome) and we just saw our first bird on Saturday. I thought it would take longer but it only took a week to see some action. We were using a regular feeder but water would always get in it and clog the feeder. I wanted something low maintenance and low cost. Perhaps someday when I have $100 to burn, I'll get a seed feeder again unless that is, if you all have an alternative suggestion.
Sequoia, keep in mind that I'm brand new to birds and can't even identify bluebirds.
But that looks like a Downey Woodpecker.
Looks like a female Downy to me,too.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/downy_woodpecker/id
The gurus over in the bird forum think it's a hairy woodpecker. I told them that the the square part on the suet feeder was about 8". I guess the hairy woodpeckers are larger. Either way, it sure helps me out because I had no clue! I'll have to stick around here and pay attention, maybe I'd learn something!
You picked a good suet feeder, big enough for a pileated woodpecker. Is it a Duncraft?
Duncraft makes several great feeders. This one is grackle-proof, squirrel-proof, and keeps the seed dry: http://www.duncraft.com/Duncraft-Squirrel-Proof-Selective-Feeder
This is the best seed tray I've found: http://www.duncraft.com/Duncraft-Eco-Strong-Ground-Platform
They are very good on ID over there so I would agree.
Sweet Muddy, I'll have to check out that website. Perhaps I can put another feeder somewhere in the yard.
We have a suet feeder 3 feet from our kitchen window where I often sit and watch. We have had Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers on opposite sides of the feeder at the same time, allowing close comparison of the two similar species. I'm pretty sure it is a Downy, not a Hairy.
Either way, I'm ahead of where I started! Thanks for the help :)
Muddy, I forgot to say, I don't know what brand it is. It's made of recycled plastic.
I have one very similar to yours. The @#%$ grackles and starlings were eating from it, so I hung it horizontally instead of vertically, and covered the top side with thick plastic secured with electrical tape. Grackles and starlings can't hang upside down to eat; at least, I haven't yet seen them succeed.
This message was edited Mar 18, 2014 6:02 PM
What's the difference if it's horizontal over vertical? If it's like mine, wouldn't it be the same except for the tail prop?
The difference is that, unlike woodpeckers, most birds can't eat while they're hanging upside down. This is the suet feeder I have now: http://www.duncraft.com/Eco-Strong-Tail-Prop-Double-Suet-Feeder
It's great except that, when hung as shown, grackles and starlings can eat from it.
Rather than buy a new suet feeder like this one - http://www.duncraft.com/Duncraft-Eco-Strong-Upside-Down-Suet-Feeder - I decided to convert mine. All I did was hang it horizontally and cover the top part so birds can't perch there.
This message was edited Mar 18, 2014 8:34 PM
OH I get it now!! Sometimes it just takes a picture!
I'd be happy with any birds coming. I'm an equal opportunity bird feeder!! LOL
Today I saw yet another true sign of spring. Our gold finches are donning their summer attire. They seem to be getting brighter by the day.
Sequoia - Hairys are slightly larger than Downeys & have a longer beak. Males & females of both look basically alike except that males have a bright red spot at the back of their heads. And I had one of those recycled wood suet feeders. Had a green roof & was made for "clingers" to eat from underneath. And Muddy - yes, the starlings can eat from underneath like that, if not for long. But then they'll fly up from below, hover & grab a few bites. They swarm in such #s that even with just a few bites they could eat a whole cake in a day! I have 2 of the Squirrel Buster Plus feeders, set on the most sensitive setting. Still, the Starlings seem to have figured out that if they land (one at a time), the ring perch bobs up & down - but if they "hang in there", they can grab a few seeds between bobs! I give up. Gotta take the good with the bad - put up with the bully birds to be able to get some chickadees, titmice, wrens, etc.
Carol, at least the bullies are working harder for the meal.
I don't get many starlings - just the occasional one or two - but the grackles would invade my yard if I didn't try to keep them away. The grackles don't try to eat the suet, but one starling did try to take bites while fluttering in place. It finally gave up, though.
I know I can't get rid of grackles entirely, but I do everything I can to discourage them. I put safflower seed in my largest tube feeder, and they don't eat that. They have started to eat safflower from ground feeders, though; I guess they're desperate.
They really want peanuts, but I won't them have any. Those are reserved for blue jays, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, woodpeckers and squirrels.
I haven't filled up my feeders since last summer after what I'm assuming was a bear visit. The pole was bent to the ground, feeders were strewn about, and the 4 cage suet feeder was completely missing except for one ripped off cage cover. With the many acres of woods in this general area, I'm surprised that this was the first time in 20+ years that I've seen any evidence of a bear.
I should have started filling them again to help the birds out during this extreme winter, but I never got around to it. I finally bought another suet cage last week and put some suet out. I need to start watching to see who is coming - usually get wood peckers which I think are downy and yellow bellied sapsuckers.
Wow, that's kind of scary. It would make me think twice about putting out food, too!
Muddy - what kind of feeders do you use for peanuts for the jays? I have a gazillion grackles & starlings. They scarf up the whole peanuts I put out for the jays & squirrels. Like I mentioned above, the only way others have a ghost of a chance at the peanuts (that I put on the ground) is if I get out there at dawn or near dusk.
We currently have 8 male cardinals competing for a turn at the feeders. it's very spirited and colorful out there. Still flurrying but little or no accumulation. Bah Hum Bug!
Yeah it's like snow mist! I'm watching the weather like a hawk for Saturday. It looks like it could be a possible wash out and I need to get some gardening done. I need to plant 4 deciduous Azaleas, 2 Amalancheir alnifolias, line our large shrub garden with decorative stone, and put out two scoops of mulch. Busy day so hopefully it doesn't rain.