Some Interesting Sights Today! :) (1 Viewer)

Tammie · Mar 5, 2004

Hello Forum!

All winter, I've had a total of one bluejay in my yard, coming to the platform feeder and scaring all the grosbeaks away momentarily. Well, the other day, I was in my driveway when I hear the distinct call of the bluejay.... coming from 4 different directions!! One was flying overhead, one was in the backyard and two were in the trees in front. This morning, I finally got to see 2 at the same time!
While watching this morning, I also saw a big beautiful pileated fly across the road... second time in less than 2 weeks! What a sight that was! I only ever seem to see him when spring is coming. He's been working on a tree in my backyard this winter but I haven't seen him doing it. Once in a blue moon, I get to see him with his wife but that's only happened a handful of times. Maybe soon!
I've also noticed that I now have at least 5 hoary redpolls instead of the 3 I thought I had.

This winter just keeps getting more and more interesting!

gthang · Mar 5, 2004

wow, four blue jays? i've still only seen one at any single second...

We have a pileated somewhere in the neighborhood. dad actually got a shot of him on a tree, but it was so far away that he couldn't get any good shots. huge bird BTW. once, dad went to the pond at the end of our street to see the GBH that live there, and something was pecking at a tree, and dad couldn't find him. however, the pecking "sounded like a f***ing jackhammer!" (His words, not mine, lol)

Anyway, you never know when you'll see something like four jays (or two), so my dad always takes his camera whereever he goes.

pauco · Mar 5, 2004

Hi Tammie.
nice lot of visiters you are getting, as you say things are becoming more & more interesting. hope it keeps up, by the way like the change under your name.
bert.

pburgers · Mar 5, 2004

Last summer we had as many as seven blue jays in our yard at one time, but I'd trade 'em all for a Pileated in a second!
Paul
SD

Tammie · Mar 5, 2004

gthang... your dad is right. Pileateds DO sound like bleeping jackhammers!! I watched one once working on a tree just outside of my yard. 6" chunks of wood were flying! Amazing. Luckily for us, we've had a pair hanging around here for at least 4 years, that we know of. Not much can compare to the thrill of seeing them, except maybe seeing them together, which is very rare!

Bert... that has actually become my new nickname in town! I found out last year when we stopped for gas (petrol to you, I guess!) and that's what the owner called me! It's been that way ever since. I don't mind!

Paul... like I said before, not much compares to the thrill of seeing a pileated. I'm lucky here, they actually come right into my yard and once the snow melts, I'll be able to take a photo of the tree hole to prove it!

The one thing I forgot to mention too was that, while walking around the yard right at dark last night... I could here an owl not too far in the distance. I'm assuming it was a great horned as we've had them in the yard once before and the call was awfully familiar.
It may not look like spring out there, but it sure is starting to feel like it in the birdie community!

pburgers · Mar 5, 2004

Tammie, you are so right. I heard (and saw) a calling eastern screech owl in our backyard a week or so ago, and another called back from the neighbor's yard. I saw my first robin of the season this week, and the cardinals are singing their heads off. It can't be long now!

Tammie · Mar 5, 2004

pburgers said:
Tammie, you are so right. I heard (and saw) a calling eastern screech owl in our backyard a week or so ago, and another called back from the neighbor's yard. I saw my first robin of the season this week, and the cardinals are singing their heads off. It can't be long now!

Cardinals!!! THE bird at the very top of my wish list! Uh oh, my desperation is showing again! :eek!:

pburgers · Mar 5, 2004

I guess it just goes to prove the old saw about one man's trash being another man's treasure. Pileated is very near the top of my wish list, and cardinals are very common here, so much that I generally don't even bother to raise my binoculars when I see one. They are daily visitors at our feeders. They used to be very scarce around Sioux Falls years ago, I very rarely saw them while growing up here. I have no idea how or why they expanded their range to become so regular here, unless it is in fact the popularity of bird feeding.
Paul
SD

crazybirdlady · Mar 8, 2004

Tammie said:
Cardinals!!! THE bird at the very top of my wish list! Uh oh, my desperation is showing again! :eek!:

Tammie...Mine too!!! It makes me sooooo upset...about a half a mile from my house I see Cardinals all over the place..(when I drive by there on my way to town)I have tried everything and have only seen 1 of them 2 times at my feeders this winter!! But I am glad that it is starting to seem like spring at your house...It is here too ...raining here well some snow showers here today and windy but nothing like a few weeks ago!!! The black birds are here and lots of robins...more little birds around too!! I put out some string for nesting this weekend...
Hope you have a great day!!
Bobbi

Tammie · Mar 8, 2004

pburgers said:
I guess it just goes to prove the old saw about one man's trash being another man's treasure. Pileated is very near the top of my wish list, and cardinals are very common here, so much that I generally don't even bother to raise my binoculars when I see one. They are daily visitors at our feeders. They used to be very scarce around Sioux Falls years ago, I very rarely saw them while growing up here. I have no idea how or why they expanded their range to become so regular here, unless it is in fact the popularity of bird feeding.
Paul
SD

Hi Paul,
I've heard that cardinals are expanding their range northward so I have hope that I may see one in my lifetime.

Spring must be near because I've now seen the pileated twice in less than 3 weeks and heard him calling yesterday. No mistaking that sound! Hope you get to see one soon.

Tammie · Mar 8, 2004

crazybirdlady said:
Tammie...Mine too!!! It makes me sooooo upset...about a half a mile from my house I see Cardinals all over the place..(when I drive by there on my way to town)I have tried everything and have only seen 1 of them 2 times at my feeders this winter!! But I am glad that it is starting to seem like spring at your house...It is here too ...raining here well some snow showers here today and windy but nothing like a few weeks ago!!! The black birds are here and lots of robins...more little birds around too!! I put out some string for nesting this weekend...
Hope you have a great day!!
Bobbi

Hi Bobbi,
At least you've been able to SEE a cardinal. I've only ever seen them in photos. I watch and watch whenever I go to southern Ontario but no luck. Haven't seen a titmouse either and it's pretty high up on the list as well.
Seems we dropped back into winter this morning... -23°C!! I'll be so glad when it's warm in the morning as well as the afternoon!
You reminded me too.... I'll have to get ready to put nesting stuff out soon too. Thanks!
Hope you have a great day too!

snowyowl · Mar 18, 2004

Hi Tammie!
I'm just catching up on some of the topics that I've missed, so there is a gap between your posts and my reply.
It's hard to think of the Blue Jay only being around in small numbers. It's slowed down a bit in the last week or so but before that I was getting as many as 50 at a time hitting the feeders, Boy, can they go through sunflower seed.
My best Cardinals (most numerous) were while I was visiting in southern Ontario but there are a few sightings here every year. I've chased most of them but without success. do you belong to any kind of Bird Alert or Rare Bird Hotline? I would be surprised if there weren't occasional Cardinals in your area because they definitely are expanding their range.

snowyowl · Mar 18, 2004

Cats

Talking about interesting sights, this morning when I got downstairs I let our dog and oldest cat out. I watched the cat walk around to the feeders and sit down directly under the niger feeder. I estimate that there were close to 100 Common Redpolls at the feeders. They virtually ignored her, buzzing back and forth to the feeder 18" above her head and she sat there looking at the world and ignored them. A few extra bold souls landed within 3 ' of her and she still took no obvious notice. Then she left and followed me towards the barn as she always does and when I came back to the hopuse she was ready to come in for the day. It's as if the birds know that she isn't a threat and she has become so civilized and regal that she won't lower her self to chase a bird.
Now if I could convice out other cat (the daughter of cat number one) to leave the house once in a while. This one pees all over me every time I try to force her out for some fresh air. Oh well!
Two cats in the house and I still have to set mouse traps! Geez!

Tammie · Mar 23, 2004

snowyowl said:
Hi Tammie!
I'm just catching up on some of the topics that I've missed, so there is a gap between your posts and my reply.
It's hard to think of the Blue Jay only being around in small numbers. It's slowed down a bit in the last week or so but before that I was getting as many as 50 at a time hitting the feeders, Boy, can they go through sunflower seed.
My best Cardinals (most numerous) were while I was visiting in southern Ontario but there are a few sightings here every year. I've chased most of them but without success. do you belong to any kind of Bird Alert or Rare Bird Hotline? I would be surprised if there weren't occasional Cardinals in your area because they definitely are expanding their range.

Hi Dan,
I'm a little behind lately too but it's due to heart surgery so I think that's a good excuse!!

I don't belong to any hotlines or anything and have yet to see a cardinal even when I go down south. I know they are expanding their range so I'm just (not so) patiently waiting for them to come this far north. Someday!

snowyowl · Mar 23, 2004

Tammie said:
Hi Dan,
I'm a little behind lately too but it's due to heart surgery so I think that's a good excuse!!
I don't belong to any hotlines or anything and have yet to see a cardinal even when I go down south. I know they are expanding their range so I'm just (not so) patiently waiting for them to come this far north. Someday!

I think that's an excellent excuse for being a bit behind. I hope everything is ok for you.

Tammie · Mar 23, 2004

snowyowl said:
I think that's an excellent excuse for being a bit behind. I hope everything is ok for you.

Thanks. Everything is going quite well, actually. By the end of the week, I should be almost back to my old self!

christineredgate · Mar 23, 2004

Hi,Tammie,welcome back,hope everything went okay.I have seen my first young Heron of the season this evening,so Spring has arrived,even though there is snow on the hills.

Tammie · Mar 24, 2004

christineredgat said:
Hi,Tammie,welcome back,hope everything went okay.I have seen my first young Heron of the season this evening,so Spring has arrived,even though there is snow on the hills.

Hi Christine and thanks.... absolutely no sign of spring here. Just came back from a walk with hubby (haven't been able to do that since October!!!) and it's chilly out there! Almost -10C again and dropping. It'll likely change overnight (that quickly)... all of a sudden, it'll be +15C and all the spring birds will show up at once. I hope it's soon!!

samuel walker · Mar 24, 2004

blue jays

Tammie said:
Hello Forum!

All winter, I've had a total of one bluejay in my yard, coming to the platform feeder and scaring all the grosbeaks away momentarily. Well, the other day, I was in my driveway when I hear the distinct call of the bluejay.... coming from 4 different directions!! One was flying overhead, one was in the backyard and two were in the trees in front. This morning, I finally got to see 2 at the same time!
While watching this morning, I also saw a big beautiful pileated fly across the road... second time in less than 2 weeks! What a sight that was! I only ever seem to see him when spring is coming. He's been working on a tree in my backyard this winter but I haven't seen him doing it. Once in a blue moon, I get to see him with his wife but that's only happened a handful of times. Maybe soon!
I've also noticed that I now have at least 5 hoary redpolls instead of the 3 I thought I had.
This winter just keeps getting more and more interesting!

i found out from a fellow birder how careful you have to be with bJays.As we were walking a wetland I heard a call and said to Mark Redtailed hawk.He replied no Blue tailed hawk.Dumbfounded I again said rt hawk Are you certain? blue jays can do a perfect mimic of a redtail.I did find the jay sitting above going off like a redtail.
Sam

Tammie · Mar 24, 2004

samuel walker said:
i found out from a fellow birder how careful you have to be with bJays.As we were walking a wetland I heard a call and said to Mark Redtailed hawk.He replied no Blue tailed hawk.Dumbfounded I again said rt hawk Are you certain? blue jays can do a perfect mimic of a redtail.I did find the jay sitting above going off like a redtail.
Sam

Sam, my husband and I have this conversation all the time. He comes running in saying he hears a hawk screaming in the treetops but it turns out to be Mr. Blue every time!!!
I know most people find the call of the bluejay annoying but I get a kick out of it. They are so rare in my yard that they don't bother me in the least. I can always hear them from a great distance. I think they're fabulous birds.

Some Interesting Sights Today! :) (1 Viewer)

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