Good news, The little yearling was here again tonight and this time not alone. Mama wasn't too far behind. I was sure happy to see her again.
The Birds of Winter in the mid-Atlantic
Yay!!!!
Good to hear the mama is back.
Muddy, I just feed suet. I quit feeding seed because I was tired of having to clean the feeder all the time due to caking after rain. It was really annoying.
feeders should drain at the bottom and/or be covered on top... mine don't cake up. Sometimes the feeder "roof" isn't really big enough. I recently put a squirrel baffle over one feeder and a clear plastic takeout lid over another for extra protection (from rain; the squirrels aren't at all puzzled, certainly not baffled).
Jeff--
You can use large plastic cake tops as a makeshift baffle.
Cut a slit in the top and slide it over the wire hanger.
Think all the clear plastic stuff one would see at a buffet.
ALL those trays and bowls and covers have another life. Think creative!
Using a cake cover as a baffle on my finch feeder.
Look for a bigger one than this, for a regular feeder--OR--a large bowl
salad would be served by caterers. SO! It may be black!
G.
That's a great idea Gita.
Gita's idea is great; re-purposing is the way to go whenever possible!
Seq, if you don't want to deal with any kind of feeder, you could spread birdseed on a flattened cardboard box or even on the ground if you only put down what they'll eat in a day or two. It might take the birds a few days to find it, so I'd start with just a little seed.
I've read that birds need water even more than extra food in the winter, so that's a great way to attract them too. Lots of things can be re-purposed as ground-level bird baths.
Interesting ideas for sure. I'll have to do something about it some time. Right now we don't have a lot of good feeder space. In the summer though, our one suet feeder gets mobbed.
Yup, Gitas suggestion is great! I have a cake topper right here I saved for either a large dish under a pot but its perfect for this. But the label on the side is stuck pretty tight. I hope the birds don't read the nutrition facts and think I'm giving them junk food...
I am dumping hot water on my birdbath 2x a day if possible, and since its full of ice, then I put a large plastic saucer where it overflows. Neighbor gave me her old concrete birdbath that is super sturdy and heavy. Those lighter ones everybody sells crack with ice.
Sally--you must remember when i got this, all metal, Finch feeder at Big Lots
end of the season on clearance---$20 was the 5% off price.
Really a good quality feeder. You pull out the rod (pic 2) aand all the feeding
stations cope apart for easy cleaning.
Now--if only some Gold Finches would eat at it....other birds try....
I have a lg. brown saucer (16") that sits out in the winter for water.
It also sits, in the same place, all summer as I only have 2 concrete BB's
but need this 3rd one by the shed.
Yes--it is all frozen over...but could the birds not eat snow?
Get their water that way?
Do they bathe in this kind of weather? Water would freeze--right on them....
G.
We have a heater in our pond and the birds can just drink there, which they do a lot. We had a lot of birds feeding today, all day.
Funny!
Tuesday--I counted at least 16+ Doves, all of a sudden, at my feeder station.
Most were on the ground--a bunch at the feeder--and one, contently, sitting on top of it.
Sometimes even they fly up and feed from the tube feeder.
It is funny--they are so big, as they have to position themselves just so--so they can
peck at the feeder stations.
I am seeing mostly Junkos and Sparrows-also some cardinals. Even have seen a couple
Downy W-peckers at the suets. An occasional Chikadee as well.
I should make up a batch of Jill's suet. I have all the stuff needed...just need to get some
peanuts. I think I will just smear it on the trunk of the big Maple--the bark is very
irregular and always peeling off. Lots of nooks and crannies.
Just seems like a big mess to make it......yuk!
g.
Gita, birds can eat snow, but it takes a lot more energy for them to get their water that way.
I've read that birds know better than to bathe in freezing weather, but I noticed that the frigid temps didn't stop the Starlings. When they were around, my birdbath was filthy, full of little feathers, and became half empty really quickly. The native birds haven't been bathing recently.
The birds sure were active today--all kinds....
I think I saw 2 i have not seen before---A decent sizes Woodpecker--
and a House Finch.
The Woodpecker was at my suet cake in the smaller maple.
I always put one in the "Y" of the main trunk. I can reach it just using a stepping stool.
IT was maybe 8"-10" long and had a very pronounced red head
and the rest of the body was all black and white striped. I only saw it from behind.
Got my book out--and the one matching it the most was a Red Bellied Woodpecker.
The House Finch--I knew it was a finch--as it was small--and thought it may be
a F Gold Finch. But then the read head and throat???
Looked that one up--and so I decided it was a House Finch.
Lots of Downies around too. Nice to see something different.
G.
Tricky Bird ID - how to tell birds apart from their look a likes.
Finches:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/which-red-finch-is-it/
Woodpeckers:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/woodpeckers-with-red-heads/
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/downy-and-hairy-woodpeckers/
Sharp Shinned and Coopers Hawk comparison:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/coopers_sharpshinned_hawks/
Doves:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/identifying-doves/
Sparrows:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/identifying-some-common-sparrows/
Chickadees compared:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/learn_about_birds/black-capped-or-carolina-chickadee/
I didn't feed the birds last winter or this winter because I just don't want the TNR feral cats I care for to get any ideas about birds and feeders. or the birds to risk the coast being clear. The two grey brother cats are hunters but they seem to be concentrating on squirrels as I have found 4 tails so far. Since there are no mice in my or my neighbors house I think they do rodents, too.
The cats have made themselves scarce in this cold and do not all appear when I call them for twice a day feedings, so I have left some dishes of dry cat food out in several places for them. Each day the dishes are empty, which I thought nothing of until I looked out my kitchen window today to see several birds swooping in to grab a bit of cat chow and then fly off.
Don't think cat crunchies are particularly good for birds so I went and got a bag of blak oil sunflower and another mix and will find a way for the birds to get their fill tomorrow while I monitor the cats. Thinking of using the roof of my van as it is hard for a cat to get to the top without a bird noticing! Hey, a van is a multi purpose vehicle!!
Thanks for the great links, coleup! Several of those will be particularly useful to me.
Now, if I could only get the birds to stand still long enough to take photos or spot all of those minute differences.
I see that The Cornell Lab's Great Backyard Bird Count is on 13-16 February; I'm going to try to do that.
I really love doing the back yard bird count especially seeing the lists of what birds others in my area are seeing. One year my grandson in Vermont and I compared lists. Those tricky IDs should come in handy...Hope I see the Bald Eagles those days. Their nest has been kind of quiet.
Please explain to me.....
How does one count birds in a back yard--or anywhere--as they are
always flying around...coming and going. I( have always wondered.....
I am sure there is some logistics to this--so one does not count
the same birds over and over.
Currently being treated to the repeated hooting of an owl just outside from my desk. If it were not so cold I would go out with my flashlight and locate it.
Gita, Pat and I were discussing the same issue of bird counts just in the past day or so. If you get a good explanation, pass on please.
This message was edited Jan 10, 2015 10:39 PM
For those who haven't had the pleasure of seeing one, here's a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker that my daughter took a few years ago. They live in our area year-round. I often see a pair in the forest, but I rarely see them in my yard.
This one is pecking away at a Silver Maple that used to be in my back yard. I was so excited to see it that I bought a suet feeder with an extra long tail prop area in the hope it would return.
It did eat from it a few times, but I haven't seen it on the feeder in over a year. There are lots of rotten trees and logs in the forest, so maybe it's got plenty of food.
Here are the instructions: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014GBBC_DownloadableInstructions_NewHeader_time.pdf
and the script for a slide show: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/FINAL_2015_GBBC_Script_PPT.pdf
Edited to add the more thorough instructions provided for Project Feeder Watch: http://feederwatch.org/about/detailed-instructions/
In a nutshell: Your "count" is the largest number you see at your feeders at the same time. For example, around 10 a.m. you see 2 cardinals in your front yard. You look in your backyard right away and see 4 cardinals that likely didn't just fly there from the front. Your "provisional" count is 6 cardinals. If you look again in the afternoon and see a total of 9 cardinals, then your count for the day becomes 9.
This message was edited Jan 10, 2015 10:04 PM
I love owls hooting greenthumb
Gita, you've probably got those birds right, those are ones I see often.
nice pileated- they are said to be in some parks around me but I've never seen one at home.
thanks for the bird count info.
from the birdcount.org site
GBBC Instructions
HOW TO COUNT THE BIRDS: Easy as 1-2-3!
1. Count birds anywhere you like for at LEAST 15 minutes—or even longer if you wish.
2, Keep track of the kinds of birds you see and how long you watched.
3. Make your best estimate of how many birds you saw of each species. For example, 5 Northern Cardinals, 3 American Crows. Huge flocks may be a challenge, but your best guess is still valuable.
Enter your list(s) online at www.BirdCount.org. Put in a new checklist: --for each new day --for each different location --for the same location, same day, if you counted at a different time of day
ENTERING DATA Map Your Location Log in to your account. Choose your country and state/province (if applicable), and county or city (optional), so you can quickly zoom to that location on the Google map. When the map zooms to your location, left-click with your mouse to place a “pin” at the site where you counted birds. Give that location a name (i.e. home, Central Park) in the box in the right-hand column of the page so you can use it again in the future. The larger red pins on the map are “hotspots” marked by others as being good places to find birds. Your personal location pin will be blue and slightly smaller.
Date & Effort Fill in the date for the checklist you are submitting and indicate the type of count you did:
1. Traveling: You traveled some distance—walking a trail, driving a refuge loop, field birding
2. Stationary: You stayed in one place, perhaps watching your feeders from a window
3. Incidental: You saw a bird while you were doing something else—birding was not your main activity
Enter your start time, how much total time you spent counting birds, and how many people contributed to this checklist.
Enter Your Birds Next, you will see a list of birds that could be in your area during February. In the boxes, enter your estimate for the number of individuals of each species you saw while you were counting. Use an “x” if you can’t estimate the number.
Rare Birds If you have a bird on your list that you don’t find on the main checklist, click "show rare species" in the right column. If the species is not there either, go to “Add a Species” to type the species’ name and add it to the list.
I wasn't going to do it this year, but I just signed up for Project Feeder Watch, which ends on 3 April. If this link works, here's a list of the Top 25 birds spotted in Virginia during the 2013-2014 watch. http://feederwatch.org/PFW/ExploreData?cmd=topSpecies&embed=1&period=PFW_2014®ionType=SUBNATIONAL1®ionCode=US-VA
I did the count as I delivered my paper route: in 2 hours I saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings estimated at 28 birds, two flocks of Robins (15 and 10) 6 black vultures feeding on a deer carcass, 7 crows and 2 Bald Eagles! I think it would be great to report an owl count! Just looking over the list of species that might be seen in my area was an education especially since there are many shore and water fowl, marine birds around here.
Muddy, We are lucky to have a pair of Pileated, we see them mostly in the winter when they come almost daily to our suet feeders. We see them in the summer too but not as much. Just haven't caught them with the camera yet this year. They are amazing to see in flight they have a really large wing span.
I'd love to see photos of them! I always hear them when I'm in the forest....I don't think they're happy to see me there and they let me know it : - )
Had fun feeding the birds today. Called the cats early and stuffed them full as could be in the hopes tah they would sleep most of the day and not bother and birds that came to eat. In less than a minute of setting out a dish of seeds, the first visitor arrived. A Blue Jay! I think he has learned that when I call "Kitty Kitty Dinney Dinner" there is likely to be some cat kibble he can snatch. Clever. He was soon joined by three other Jays. Then the male Cardinal came to check things out and let his mate eat while he kept watch. Of course they had to fly off when the Jays swooped in again. And then, my red bellied Woodpecker appeared! I was so excited to see him again. I do believe his tree cavity is somewhere nearby. A blck capped Chickadee perched on numerous nearby branches but never came in to feed while I was watching. When I cleaned up and took in the seed trays around 4, about half of each station had been consumed. I did see a titmouse, 2 sparrows and 3 Canada Geese flying over head. Seems the little birds were wanting more cover closer to seed source to feel safe.
I need some binoculars that I can focus up close as both of mine are good for distance viewing.
Last night I went out just before dark to put some corn in the deer feeder. I only had a little left over so I didn't fill it yesterday so the squirrels wouldn't carry it off. I had just stepped out onto the patio when I looked up and there was the little yearling standing just at the opening to the woods. He didn't move as I walked slowly out to the feeder but as soon as I poured the feed he was gone. Not sure if he came back later or not, will check the feeder this morning and pick up more corn while I am out.
I jumped in yesterday and got some safflower seed and another of a mixture. I figured freezing rain and ice wouldn't be good, hence the purchase. And a suet block, so I can use the container to make some more that has mealworms in it. I have been enjoying the little feathered friends as they scratch around and in the garden as they search for seed.
Yesterday seemed sooo mild. It was a teaser.
Jan--
Tell me what YOU put in your suet and how you make it.
Then--do you use the small suet cages for feeding? Big ones? I have both.
Somewhere--I have Jill's recipe.
I have the peanut butter, Oatmeal, Lard, Bird seed...dried Cranberries--what else?
Is sweet dried fruit OK? Like raisins?
Not gonna spend the $$$ to buy mealworms. We do sell them at HD.
Small bag--like $7.
Thanks, Gita
This message was edited Jan 12, 2015 10:30 AM
Hehehe, Gita....I'm just going to wing it. I have a package of mealworms that has been around for awhile. After reading that muddy adds them, thought I'd just try it. Figure on peanut butter, lard, some seed and maybe some craisins, too. Can they be added? I'll try it. Never made any before. I just have a small suet cage. Unfortunately the squirrels can reach it, too.
Sprinkle lots of ground cayenne in your mixture. Birds love it, squirrels don't.
I have quite often thought of raising mealworms. I use to feed them to my fish and the birds, they are pricey especially the live ones. I had heard that they are easy to raise, but then I read up on it and deceided it was more work than I wanted.
It's nice of you to feed the deer, Holly; it might be what's keeping the little guy alive.
There was a flock of about 20 starlings in my yard this morning. They come for the suet, so I took in all but the starling-proof cage feeder. They intimidate the other birds, even the blue jays.
Coleup, I have never seen a Cedar Waxwing here, and I would be amazed to see any kind of eagle, let along a Bald Eagle. There was a flock of Bald Eagles at my sister's house in Springfield, VA a few years ago, though. They had followed shad that somehow ended up in a nearby pond.
Good idea about the cayenne, Greenthumb. I mix a block of suet that comes with hot pepper in it with a block without, because the hot pepper one is very crumbly.
I'll try to raise mealworms again...just gotta ask my daughter to teach me how to do it the right way so I don't end up growing mites instead. Now's the time to start in order to have lots by nesting season. She made it look so easy when she raised them for her reptiles and frogs, and always had lots of extra ones for my birds. I still have the raising container she bought for me, probably from The Container Store. It has 3 drawers and is about 1 cubic foot.
For a good price on hot pepper, go to a Latino grocery and purchase a jar with several ounces. You will pay a only a fraction per ounce compared to the spice in the baking aisle.
I don't like to encourage them to come to the yard but when they are eating out of my bird feeders I know they need something to get them thru the winter. They like my pond, too it has a heater so it never freezes over. If I had problems with them eating all my plants I might feel different but we never seem to have an issue with that and come spring they just seem to drift back into the woods.
I just love Cedar Waxwing, I know they come thru this area but I have only seem them once. A huge flock showed up one day a few years ago and spent the whole day eating juniper berries. Never to see another one again.
lol Greenthumb, I don't think the birds love cayenne, they just aren't irritated by it the way squirrels and we humans who don't wash our hands before we touch our eyes would be.
Muddy, there is an eagle nest right on my route where I can walk right under it. It is very near one of the condos I deliever to so the eagles are more used to humans than most. The third floor condo residents have the best view for monitoring nesting progress. Last spring when I stopped one day I heard the baby eaglets asking for more food from Mom...I could just make out her head moving up and down above the nest. I think the male and his first and second mate have raised 18 eaglets so far in the 15 years they have nested there.
I have enjoyed being able to see so many animal tracks and trails with a little bit of snow cover. Sometimes tracks in the snow is the inly way to tell what's moving through my yard. Some critter ran up and down my snow covered roof! Still has me baffled.