I understand. It's easier said than done, I captured a short video clip of 4 Crows harassing a Hawk this afternoon. Only I forgot how to edit the picture to post it.
Here is a terrible pix; I couldn't even make out it was a Crow, or the Hawk itself. lol
1. A small flock of Pelicans revisit our lake today.
2. A pair of Tree-Swallows decided to nest here, one again this year. I'm delighted.
3. Last year, BB did not nest here, but this year, they ARE back! Spring time is beautiful!
Spring really has arrived, Kim. Wonderful, diverse birdlife at your place. Will you need to act to deter the House Sparrows from invading the Bluebird box?
Kim ~ I love your Gourd Tree Swallow houses! Did you make those?
I also enjoy seeing the incredible assortment of birds you have on and around your property. Keep the pictures coming.
Hi Margaret and NAN, Margaret, I've decided for myself that the House Sparrows are actually City dwellers, for they rarely are seen here in the country side where I'm. Yes, in the past I've seen an occasional visit from them, but Bluebirds are quite capable of defending their homes--so to speak. Other predators I'm concern for the birds are snakes, and hawks or even Crows, I think. NAN, hubby set up the PVC for the Gourd houses. We purchased the gourds from Home depot. Will catch up with more pics. later after the morning chores....have a good evening Margaret, and a good morning to you NAN.
Kim from Al.
Well I sure hope you have lots of baby birds this spring/summer to enjoy!
Thanks NAN, I hope this spring, I'll see both BB and Tree Swallows babies. Other species as well, but these two are what I readily see out of the window -- into the garden, so I can keep up with their progress better. I hope y'all will post pics. and share more often.
I saw a crow chasing a hawk, fairly common sight. Hawk landed briefly on a treetop, crow zipped past , hawk launched and started chasing the crow. I have not seen that before, I wondered if they had just trespassed from the crow's territory to the hawk's. American Crow and a hawk about the same size as crow.
Kim ~ What a great view you must have out your window...watching Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, adults and babies! It doesn't get much better than that!
I take a lot of pictures out my kitchen window. They're never as clear as being outside, but I can get much closer to the birds that way. I haven't taken too many pics yet this spring, but hopefully I'll get more soon. We should start to get more of an assortment of birds showing up by early May.
Pollengarden ~ That's fascinating about the reverse chase with the Crow and Hawk. You might be right about the territory idea. It certainly makes sense.
Thanks NAN, we do have a special view out into the garden. And Spring is my best season of all to enjoy nature, when I'm indoor even. It couldn't get any better than that. Perhaps, that's why my hubby wouldn't hear about relocating- idea. lol
It's so wild, to watch Crows chase hawks, but for Hawk to return the favor (so to speak) against Crows? The rational reason would be, like you've said; defending their nest? In my back yard this year. I think there is a flock of crows that frequenting an area where many Great Blue Herons were seen before--possibly nesting site , and these Crows have since then been observed chasing Hawks away from the area as well. So it could be that's the chosen nesting site for the Crows this year? Unless, the Crows has invaded the Herons' nest, and took over this corner of the woods? I don't know for sure. Nature is fascinating to watch!
Right here on my backyard, I had a pleasure of hosting Mallards' nest 2 years in a row in the past. They just simply took refuge on one of my flower containers by the pier-- a Mallard pair succeeded 2 years in a row. Then other predators chased the wild ducks away subsequent years. This year, I've seen Wood ducks in our close vicinity. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to find their nest. I just have to wait and see, since there are too many Great Blue Herons in the area for those ducklings to fair well.
1. The pair of Wood ducks down on the point. I've seen them kept coming back to our Island so they may stay? I don't know for sure.
2. See the Pine in the container? I planted that hoping the Mallard will find it safe to make their nest within the pot; where the Pine's broom top will help conceal the nest from Herons? I'll then be concern with Crows and Raccoons--for the ducks. Even my own pets pose some concern; I'll have to keep them in the fence and not run out freely in the backyard. Ahhh, it's rough out there! That's for sure.
Been lurking for a while… Looks like lots of activity at Kim's place!
Couple of through-the-window (dirty) shots from a few weeks ago.
House Finch that love apple
Purple Finch
Marna, thanks. Love that excellent idea to attach fruit on a wire for birds. And the Purple Finch is sweet. Please share more pics. when you have time.
Thus far, I think only the Tree-Swallow pair made a commitment for the gourd house. Interestingly this is the same one that housed a family last year. At first when they browsed the houses. They seemed to explore the other gourds, I thought they may avoid this very same one that was occupied last year -- for it's up high and Jim and I haven't figured out a way to get it down to clean it out.
I hope that they will chose one (gourd house) per year each nesting season, once they've all been used, then we'll disassemble the setting and clean them out. Hah, that will give us another 5-6 years stretch. lol
I checked the BlueBirds house, yesterday. There is no building material in there yet. :(( I only saw a male BB, but there was not a female around. These maybe new ones for they haven't found the mealworm feeder that I put out not too far from them. As a result, my Titmouse, Northern Cardinal and Carolina Chickadees are having a big time with the treats I put out that was intended for the BBs.
Wood ducks are supposed to be cavity nesters. Could you put a box on a post or tree? You should place it so either ducklings fall out directly into the water, or they are near water (and not on a rock pile).
Every spring the little winter birds like Juncos, American Tree Sparrows and others seem like they may never leave on their northward journey. Then all of a sudden, one day, I realize I haven't seen any for a day or two.
I'm still on Hummer watch, but probably won't see any for at least a week. Other spring visitors should start showing up early next month. Our yearly Mallards already arrived early this month.
It must be spring, though...the Dandelions are starting to pop up.
A new wetland is being developed about a half hour from here. The dam was put in place last fall and even though nothing is grown up around it yet, the birds are coming. We keep missing the Ibis, but did see this American Pipit up close, a life bird for us.
One bad thing about this wetland is it is on private property, so we can only view it from the road. But then that also is a good thing, especially during nesting season after the plants are grown up.
I've mellowed over the last couple of years. When we first started birding, it was more important to me to see the birds than anything else, but now it doesn't matter as much. Of course, I am glad to see something, but I would rather the birds not be so stressed. They've suffered so much loss by our actions.
Seeing a new bird is always interesting - but I enjoy my birds in context. I like to see bird behavior as they do what they do - even if it is a common bird. Then with new birds, habitat and behavior help me ID it the next time I see it, as much as field marks.
I've this mating pair Tree Swallows, I thought they were community nesters at first. But I quickly learned that they won't share. A pair once decided on the particular house (gourd), one will stand guard their territory, and the other will begins bringing nesting material. It's so sweet, that just now -- I saw the two of them entered the same gourd house outside the window.
Here's the Osprey nest I mentioned in another thread. I didn't notice until I put the photos on the computer that it says, "Osprey" on it. Funny. Looks like the birds are doing a little decorating of their own.
Hi all, Hack here. Been around, but since I haven't seen anything but my usual birds, I didn't post.
Well, today I spied a bird that I had not seen around here for a while - a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It has been back for 3 days in a row, pretty bird.
This Red-headed Woodpecker is actually a lifer for my camera. I've seen them before, but this is the first time I've gotten a pic of one. Man, that red head sure is RED!
Looks like lots of exciting spring bird sightings and nestings you all are having! Congrats everybody and lovely pics.
I just now saw our first Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the season - a beautiful male! I still get so excited every year as the spring birds start showing up. It never gets old.
Wow, what a coincidence - I just saw there was a new post while I was typing so I clicked to read it. Hack, it looks like your Grosbeaks got to your house about the same time they got to mine...Very Cool!
Sure looks that way nuts.
Since I couldn't see the tail feathers, I wasn't sure whether this woodpecker was a Downy or a Hairy. Resin said by the dandy beak it is a Downy. I should has guessed as much, I see tons more Downy's than Hairy's around here.
Now this one is a lifer (well not really, since you can't count escaped cage-birds, but you all know what I mean) for me. I put it on the ID forum and Resin told me it was a Munia lonchura, maybe Scaly-breasted Munia lonchura punctulata. An escape from a cage (native to southeast Asia).
The last two pics are of a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
This message was edited Apr 29, 2015 10:58 PM
Hi all, I am glad to see more posts sharing story what's going on.
Here from my backyard. There are Mallards seeking nesting ground. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will choose one of my flower pots as a pair has done so in years past.
Hi all, I am glad to see more posts sharing story what's going on.
Here from my backyard. There are Mallards seeking nesting ground. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will choose one of my flower pots as a pair has done so in years past.
Chillybean ID'd this bird for me. I should have figured that out, seeing how I've been visited by so many males lately - real pretty. Chilly said it was a female Red-breasted grosbeak. I researched Red-breasted grosbeak and got a ton of Rose-breasted grosbeaks. Which is the proper name for this species - Red-beasted or Rose-breasted?
Kim ~ I do Hope your Mallards find your flower pots!
Hack ~ Great shots of the Red-headed WP & the Downy WPs. The bird in the 4th & 5th pics is interesting. It reminds me of a Grosbeak.
Re: Your last post - The proper name is "Rose-breasted Grosbeak". The female is very easily Identified by the stripes on her head. There will usually be a male in the same vicinity as the female. In fact, I'll frequently see a male and female sharing a feeder.
Here's a link to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak info on one of my favorite websites for bird IDs and info.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak/id
nuts, you are correct in your observation of pics 4 and 5. I went back and edited the original post. Thanks for pointing out the female grosbeak.
I couldn't believe my eyes! I have not seen one Red-bellied, nor Redheaded Woodpeckers all winter. Here, just moments ago, I saw the former, and the latter arrived. The Redheaded, was much to quick, I couldn't capture its pix. Ahhhh. But here is the Red-bellied and the T.T.
Whoops, did I say Red-breasted? Sorry about that, lately my fingers seem to type something other than what I know in my head. I'll correct that.
I've no new pictures on the computer yet, but the Barn Swallows have returned, and so have the House Wrens. Not excited at all about the latter, but thrilled with the swallows.
Cute bird combination at the feeder, Kim!
Assorted birds have been trickling in. Some will stay and others are just passing through on their way to somewhere else. Of course we have our year 'round birds as well.
This morning a small flock of Purple Finches dropped in, which is interesting since we didn't have any all winter. Hopefully they'll stick around for a little bit before heading north.
The pair of Downy Woodpeckers in the pics were having a wonderful time playing "Hide-and-Seek" on the Nyger feeder by my kitchen window...(I really have to wash that window).
Cute little Downys, nuts. :) And so nice you have Purple Finches, we hardly ever get any. Just a male came by once.
I wouldn't bother cleaning the windows, it helps keep the birds from seeing the reflection and crashing. I tend to dirty my windows with muddy water which breaks the reflection even more. I cannot convince too many people to do that, though.
Those combo of birds you're getting are cool, N.A.N. I love those woodpeckers. My Red-headed wp returned, but it was still very skittish once it spotted me on the other side of the window. Hah, Chillybean, cool idea. I could really skip the window washing I meant to get done. This time I've a good excuse. lol
I hung up a new bird feeder. It took the birds a few days to find it. But once they've found the feeder. I think they love it.
Thanks Chilly and Kim!
Chilly, these are the first Purple Finches I've seen in a very long time. We used to get them a lot more.
This window hasn't been much of a problem as far as birds crashing into it because the feeders are close. The rare time one bumps into it they don't have enough speed to get hurt.
Love your new feeder, Kim. It also looks like it would offer the birds some protection while they eat.
That's a neat feeder, Lily_Love.
We had a Merlin crash into the window by the feeders, so I'm a little touchy about windows. We think it was trying to catch something, but the little bird diverted at just the right time, causing the Merlin to hit. The little falcon flew off after a bit, the flight looked strong, so I hope it made it.
We have bird tape going both up and down & across on that window, plus bird tape in vertical stripes on problem windows, but the others that we've had no known hits, we muddy up, just as a precaution. It makes photo taking interesting, but I do not want to risk any loss just so I can get a clear shot. The auto white balance on my editing program actually does pretty good at sharpening the photos I take from the windows.
These photos are of one of the oddest places the Robins nest around here. This is an old fence post across the road from our yard. They usually nest in evergreens. At least this post is further from the corner than last year, where a feral cat keeper lives. I want to get wolf urine or orange peels around this to keep cats away, but not sure how to do so without disrupting the little family. I also wonder about the predicted rains and storms. That possibly could fill up the post with water. Maybe it is decayed enough the water can drain out.
We were short on rain for awhile, so the Robins couldn't find mud. I think some settled on locations like this. Others began nests but abandoned those efforts when mud was available for a short time.
The Papa is in the second photo. The males never sit on the nest, but stand guard while their mates get a snack. I thought it was cute how often he looked in, like he wanted to see if any babies hatched.
Thanks CB for sharing those sweet moments of the Robin couple. :) Things we do for our feathered friends. Way to go!
Cool Chilly, I've seen lots of Robins, but never any nesting.
We have a pair of Robins nest in one of our River Birch trees every year. They really hide it well in a "V" between two branches. Their nests are amazing, intricate structures. I don't know if it's the same pair every year, but the nest is rebuilt each year.
Chilly, I understand the concern with the location your pair chose. I don't think a temporary disturbance would be an issue if you wanted to spread something around the area. My husband mows the lawn all around the Birch tree ours nest in. Mom and Dad get upset, but settle down once he's gone. As far as rain, though, unless you can put something over it to protect it, you might have to wait till it rains and check it right away.
Years ago we lived in an apartment with a very large covered balcony. I used to grow veggies and flowers every year. In winter I stacked all my planters in one corner.
One year a Mourning Dove built a nest in a large flower pot tray...in March. I left her there because I knew it was safe since we were on the second floor. She even sat on that nest through snow at times, but the babies hatched and one-by-one launched themselves off the balcony railing. They came back for the first couple of nights until they built some confidence.
I let her raise a second family right afterward, but after that I needed to use the pots or she probably would have used it again (Doves nest several times a year).
RE: Robins nests and weather: years ago I had a Robin nest in plain sight of window. I got to see it go through a severe thunderstorm with hail. The Robin stuck her bill and body upright to make a more-or-less cone shape over the nest and toughed it out - including the branch rocking about in the wind. My mother says she has seen other birds do the bill straight up during storms - including a ground-nesting bird in a hail storm that leveled the vegatation hiding the nest. The bird and nest were exposed but undamaged.
That post looks like it would leak.
