I love to see all the pictures. I was so excited to see the Oriole come back tonight. He showed up 2 weeks earlier than last year. Seeing the Oriole for the first time two years ago is what got me hooked on bird watching. Now I just need to practice taking pics.
Hey Elph, don't forget you can look them up in bird files. Last year I was dying to see them and they were here for about a week. I took pictures every time they came! Now they are like an old friend that I haven't seen for a year.
What a treat checking in! Especially love the Turkey, nesting Great Blue Herons, and that precious Owl is just too-cute.
Here's a pair of American Goldfinches today at my newly planted veggie garden. Mom's on the string where my cucumbers are planted and Dad's feasting on dandelions.
Great feeding tips for Bluejays. I've also fed them peanuts in the shell, keeps them busy for a while before they return to my feeders, such hogs and bully our songbirds away. I always give a silent cheer to the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers who in turn chase the Jays away.
Somebody send your Indigo Buntings my way. They're such bright spots. We don't see them here until June.
Oh My such wondful shots already!! So hard to keep up here with so much yard work to get done!
Here is a lucky shot from last week..the right place at the right time!
Bathing Redtail...
how cool is that redtail... nice!!
He spied me but didn't fly away.
Thanks Onewish!! I was lucky that day!
42 great posts already!!! Great start with the wild Turkey, Red. Thanks.
Josh, what a treat, lovely little Owl family.
Oh man...........I'll have to rush to the store again, to get some feed. Rose is sending more Siskens.:) I'M NOW ACCEPTING DONATION................ But love the little buggers.
Duc this one's for you. I know how much you love them.
real nice.... wish we would have more days like that
We cross post Luv. Nice catch of the Hawk.
White-throated Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Thanks Burn...great Grackle shot!
Wow, Red Headed Woodpeckers are one of my favorites. They're pretty rare up here. We're lucky if we see one a year when we're out hiking somewhere. The bathing Red Tail pictures are great too. It's always a thrill to stumble upon something like that.
Thanks Jec and welcome!! Where's your photos! ^_^
ummm about 20 posts further up.... ;) Thanks for the welcome, it's nice to be here.
Oh that bathing redtail IS cool!!!
The orioles are very shy. Now If I am already out there and stay very still up on the deck they will come. But the other day I working in another corner of the yard and they were up in the tree singing right behind me. They get a little better over time but not much. So the majority of my oriole pics are thru the window. Such as this one.
However, since we so many around here I do spot them out on my walks. But that doesn't necessarily mean a better pic. This one was down the street up in a tree and not going to face my direction!
Welcome jec6, This is a great group and a neat place be. I'm new too and look, we're practically neighbors!
luvsgrtdanes, What a Magnificent Redtail! Just awesome, thanks so much for sharing.
nanny_56, I'm definitely in the Oriole range but rarely see them. Any tips on how I can attract or feed them? These pages go by so quickly. Did I read they love oranges? What else? I'd certainly appreciate any advice.
Bank Swallow
Who's got a really neat neighbor and one that's just as happy being messy? Abandoned House Wren nest on the right, Bank Swallow nest on the left.
How can we differentiate b/w a Bank Swallow and an Eastern Phoebe? Their nests look very nice and neat. And almost idential to moi.
So are the birds, at least from what I've seen. (Newbie here).
Oh wait, wait, don't tell me. The Pheobe wags their tails, whereas others do not. Is that a different characteristic that we will be looking for?
Jec, So sorry I didn't welcome you earlier. In my rush I wasn't sure if you had been here before. Anyway; Welcome to the forum!
Fruit, Cute Goldfinch pair!
Janeen, Welcome to the forum!! We love seeing the Orioles!
OMG Luvs, Such a great sighting!! Pics are wonderful!
Nice catch on the Grackle displaying burn!!
Nanny, Beautiful Orioles!
Fruit, That is too cool. Thanks for showing the nests!
Lily_love, I'm always so eager to learn from you and take a peek at your fascinating birds.
Eastern Phoebes do love to wag their tails. They're rather large birds about 7" long and are almost tame when you approach their nests made of mud and grass. They Winter in Mexico and migrate from Western Texas into NW Canada and into the entire US East Coast, but their primary breeding range is a small tight band in the Deep South ranging from the Heart of TX that sweeps into Virginia's and Maryland's coasts.
Bank Swallows are smaller about 5" long. They're very skiddish and build a nest with an exterior of moss or grass lined with small twigs and feathers. Bank Swallows also have a brown cross on their breasts, have a distinct notched tail, and raised feathers on their heads similar to a comb on a Titmouse but much shorter and not nearly as pronounced.
Hope this helps.
Would someone please give me tips on how to attract and properly feed Orioles? I'm in their range but rarely see them.
Perhaps Resin will contribute and correct me if I'm wrong about the about the Phoebes and Bank Swallows. Would also love to hear his Oriole advice.
Night all, will check in tomorrow.
FruitOfTheVine, Thanks for the welcome.
We got Orioles at our hummingbird feeders this year for the first time. I've put out oranges and grape jelly in the past, with no luck. Even this year, the oranges are within 10 feet of the hb feeder, but they seem to like the sugar water better. What is your yard habitat like? Orioles need a combination of a few large trees with some open field/lawn. Plants like Red Hot Pokers and bright colored nectar producers will help as well. They prefer water of some sort relatively close by when they are nesting.
During migration, keep your oranges and HB feeders out in the open where they are easily visible to a passing bird. They may stop for a quick snack to refuel. The other challenge is being there to see them when you do. I can just imagine how many migrants I miss because I have this silly thing called work everyday.
-Josh
I really can't add much more to the above. I just happen to be in area where thye are very abundant. So it really took no effort on my part aside from putting the food out there for them to get them to come. As you can see I have a little table and a Oriole Nectar feeder right next to it for them. All you can do is put out and try. The most important tip is to already have it when the show up or ASAP after you see/hear them.
American Robin
Burn, I feel you pain - taking donations indeed! I'm now obsessed with feeders. I don't understand why the local stores don't sell feeders that are worth a darn. Now, that I've started looking online, I want a woodpecker feeder and/or a clinging feeder, and next fall, I have to have an oriole feeder, and that's just the beginning!
I think you're right Nanny. If you feed them, they will come provided that they hang in your area. The same does not seem to be true for nest boxes though. The darn wrens built their nest behind the bromiliad again even though I put a perfect nest box for them right above it.
Luvs, LOVED the bathing redtail. What fabulous shots. I've only seen a hawk bathing once and the water vegetation was too high to get any kind of picture. I wasn't even sure that's what he was doing. Those shots are amazing.
Let me see if I have a pic to share. This one is a few days old, a Summer Tanager. I didn't share it b/c lighting is off. The pic where the focus and lighting are perfect, a stick was covering her eye. Isn't that just always the case? No, it's just me?
I think today I'll stick with the owl theme, but something a little bigger. We found this guy in Valley Forge National Historic Park. He was just off trail and hooting like crazy. We didn't find him until one of my step daughters was standing about 15 feet below. He and his mate wound up nesting in some nearby pines later that year.
Here's a second picture of the same individual
and lastly my flash inadvertently went off and I got this red eye one
Oh...save the red eye on for our Halloween thread!!! Owls are so cool!
Good ones jec!!
Wow, wow, great pictures everyone. Josh what a treat to see those owls!
I guess this is a Brown Thrasher?
FOTV, thanks for your info. on Phoebe vs Swallows.
The pair, working on bringing home the bread. :-)
Very cute Lily!!
Thanks for the compliments on my redtail bath!
Nanny love the Orioles~
Love the owls Jec
Great capture on the Thrashers Lily~
OMG luvs, I've never seen a pic of a hawk bathing before. you are SO lucky!! I'd be telling grandkids about that :)
Very overcast today with rain off and on. I walked the yard for a few minutes when this male Red-winged Blackbird came in.
Rainy here as well. A pic of the Great Egret that hangs out at the ponds.
Beautiful Egret by the Pond Red! Egrets are abundant here, but they appear to by more shy than these Great blue Herons. Herons come here quite frequent dispite our dogs will chase them off from time to time.
These Canadian Geese and their youngs. I love watching the pair, so protective of their offsprings.
