I wish I did, Gita! Unfortunately, robins don't do well in my yard since they are ground-feeding birds, and this makes them easy prey for the 2 ferals. :-(
Mid-Atlantic Bird Watching - Spring 2014, Cont'd
Thanks for the id Sally! I was surprised at how big this bird was. Easily about the same size as a morning dove.
I wish I knew more bird sounds!!
Well this Robin does have a Robins nest in the tree in the front yard. While I was out working on getting the clumps out of the turned over dirt the daddy robin was patrolling for worms and bugs.
That's a cute woodpecker!
I'm impressed that anyone can get such clear pictures of woodpeckers. They never stay still enough for me.
I didn't realize robins were ground feeders. There are a lot of robins in my neighborhood and they *love* my compost pile.
Robins are always eating the worms in our yard. In the fall when the pyracantha berries mature, there can be 10 of them at a time hopping from the ground up to get the berries.
Jan, for me they are best tied to actual experience. First time I watched a robin in a tree and listened and could see it actually singing- locked it in.
Mnemonics-" teakettle teakettle teakettle"
Pick one and learn it, before just listening to a whole CD and trying to memorize.
You know cardinals, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9LNexIoCW0
This message was edited Jun 2, 2014 9:31 PM
Does anyone have a solution for keeping flocks of grackles and starlings away from a suet feeder? If I don't put the feeder away while I'm at work they can eat an entire suet cake in a day.
Yep, cardinals are the ones I do know!!!! Hehehehehe
My pea brain hears something familiar, but can't recall it. So I need to train my brain.
Jeff--
I no longer feed birds anything at this time of year. Plenty worms and bugs around..
feel a bit sorry for the Doves-as they ground-feed. Need to toss down some Millet..
It is the whole crowd of black birds that decimated my big 3-tube feeder in a few days.
Mine hangs under my high patio roof--and the birds can feed dry and safe.
Hate--hate--the crowd of black birds (grackles--Starlings--red-winged Blackbirds--
and brown-capped Cowbirds (?)
Yes! Starlings and their kin CAN eat a whole Suet cake in one sitting...
I struggled with he same thing last winter..
Jill may have some ideas---she has a zillion feed stations...
Once I threw down some cracked corn on my lawn--and this black cloud descended...
Crazy!!!
G.
Oh wow! They're so creepy too because there's always one or two big American Crows hanging out as if coordinating all the mayhem.
Jan I have a bird clock- my kids and I will forever recognize Song Sparrow as 'time to go to the bus stop for school'
Hehehehe.
I saw an oriole yesterday! First one I have ever seen, very pretty.
I don't know a single bird song. I need to start NOW.
Are you sure you don't know this one? Oh, when the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along.........?
LOL Jan!
This evening I saw a small brown/plain bird flying around like mad, chasing an insect. The insect didn't look colorful, so it may have been a moth.
Is there a small bird that catches flying insects in the air?
SSG, found this Wiki entry on birds that catch flying insects in the air: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_(birds)
rofl Jan!
Oh, maybe it was a flycatcher! Maybe even the acadian flycatcher?
Sally--
A couple weeks ago--when Benita and Mathew were here--they had
all the windows open during the day and night. Not something I usually do--
as my bed is right next to the window--and the birds wake me up.
One early, early morning--I think I hear an Owl.
The call was like-----"Whu...Whu...Whu...Whooooo.". Sound like an owl?
I thought of you--that yu would know even WHICH owl it was.....;o)
g.
Gita, when I hear "whoo whoo," it's usually mourning doves.
Like this : http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mourning_dove/sounds
I don't think I've heard an actual owl in person!
Jan -- waaay too funny!
SS--I got loads of Doves. here---they feed al year.....and am familiar with their calls....
This was in the dark--before the sun had come up. And it was 3 short calls and
then a long Whooooo...
Doves are Whoooo...whoooo.... G.
TO me doves are like WHoo Whoo WHoooooo.....Who Whoooooo
rofl
Gita, see if this great horned owl sounds like it at all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsTKkLxtGx4
for happy and Jan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xH2GjHKYj0
and everybody, neat video
Yes--sally--that sounds like it....Only tome i have heard it--so I can not compare...
G.
This web site really helps and has bird calls also: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_catbird/id
nice!!
We've heard them here, but on nights few and far between.
Seq should listen to that catbird cuz it sure looks like the one on his suet the other day.
I'll have to check it out when I'm not at work :) I did go to the website though, pretty sweet site.
I was picturing several of us in cubicles with bird noises wafting out into the office....
Hm funny, not too funny, just looked at Facebook and had a lot of Cornell birding posts and links.
Cornell has one of the best sites I've found, I found the grey catbird just by typing in "black cap, black tail".
We've had hummers since May 1st when I hung our feeder. They have been enjoying the bleeding heart, wisteria, big root geranium, and others as they come into bloom. I'm pretty sure one pair is nesting in the trumpet vine trellis out front.
Those links are interesting. Also, trying to visualize the sound helps.
Just found out, baby Thomas is coming over to have his nap here. Lucky me!! For this shot he put on pop pop's cap. He isma sweetie!!!
oh my such an angel!
Looks like he is ready for his nap. So sweet.
love that bird sound website, Ric. We definitely have catbirds here--most distinctive to me is the 'mew' sound!
Sally, that birdsong spectrogram site was fascinating! It also drove my cat totally nuts -- she kept looking excitedly for the birds! :-)
This message was edited Jun 4, 2014 7:01 PM
I wish I had a way to record sound and let you hear it here..
Just tonight--a lone Mockingbird sat in my neighbor's Hemlock and gave a
concert to die for! Unbelievably amazing!!! How can ONE bird vocalize all that?
Years ago--there was always a Mockingbird that would sit on my neighbor's
roof TV antenna and sing away. It's repertoire is amazing!
G.
Years ago we had a mockingbird that had our phone ring in its repertoire.
LOL--too funny!