Thanks Pete! I've saved that site for future reference. Looks interesting! I was able to get a great look at a kestrel yesterday doing the hover thing in a field where it was hunting..... wings spread, tail feathers spread..... and staring straight down. How cool!pduxon said:
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Today at the feeder (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter dianeh
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I am still seeing a healthy little bunch of white throated and white crowned sparrows under my feeders....also have a little swamp sparrow (He's a cutie!)....today brought the first catbird of the season, as well as a brown thrasher and eastern towhee (both of whom have been around for about a week).
Still seeing male and female purple finches on the feeders....pine siskins still here....but no hummer! No red breasted grosbeaks! No warblers! .....yet! Ha! I am impatient, and they probably are all close by, but not in the yard yet. There are many reports of these summer birds all around me....perhaps I need to get out and 'beat the bushes'!
Well, it's always sweet when DO arrive here.
)
Still seeing male and female purple finches on the feeders....pine siskins still here....but no hummer! No red breasted grosbeaks! No warblers! .....yet! Ha! I am impatient, and they probably are all close by, but not in the yard yet. There are many reports of these summer birds all around me....perhaps I need to get out and 'beat the bushes'!
Well, it's always sweet when DO arrive here.
)Finally spotted the first female purple finch 2 days ago and this morning brought the season's first pine siskin! Things are looking up. I've seen a few sparrows lately too....... American Tree sparrows and song sparrows.
Today is pretty nasty outside (3C with snow/rain and breezy) so the birds are pretty quiet.
Things are looking up. I've seen a few sparrows lately too....... American Tree sparrows and song sparrows. Today is pretty nasty outside (3C with snow/rain and breezy) so the birds are pretty quiet.
Glad to see my birds finally made it up your way, Tammie. I look forward to seeing them again next winter. I am waiting to see a rose-breasted grosbeak, but without my feeders, I don't know. I have to look the song up..... I still have a few juncos hanging around. The chipping sparrows here and they are noisy-I'm glad.
I was dozing in the recliner by the feeder window, opened my eyes to a gorgeous rose-breasted grosbeak! First of the season. What a delightful surprise! He came back several times throughout the afternoon....the past several summers there have been several pairs who nested nearby, and then brought 'kids' to the feeders later in the summer.
Also had three deer at their pan for the first time in several weeks...I have been putting horse feed in it for the raccoons...it's cheaper than birdseed, and they tend to go easier on the feeders when they have their own pan! The deer came about 6:30, 3 females, and ate and browsed around for 20 minutes or so. That's a first for this time of the year. It would be cool to see a fawn.....ah well....won't hope too hard for that...not sure it would be the safest thing for a baby to be up in the yard.
Also had three deer at their pan for the first time in several weeks...I have been putting horse feed in it for the raccoons...it's cheaper than birdseed, and they tend to go easier on the feeders when they have their own pan! The deer came about 6:30, 3 females, and ate and browsed around for 20 minutes or so. That's a first for this time of the year. It would be cool to see a fawn.....ah well....won't hope too hard for that...not sure it would be the safest thing for a baby to be up in the yard.
Hi Celeste, I'm glad they're here too!Celeste said:
Unfortunately, I'm now stuck with grackles until around the end of May. I wouldn't mind them so much if they were a little quieter and didn't just raid the feeders all day!!I too am hoping for rose breasted grosbeaks this spring. I normally only see them durning spring migration (seldom during fall migration for some reason) but they don't normally stay around for long. I'm moving to town next weekend tho' so maybe I'll have better luck there! :h?:
Sara, great shots!! I spotted the lone dove in with your jays too... almost looks like it's trying to hide in the higher grass! I miss my bluejays... my pair seems to have vanished for a while. Hope they return! It was so rare to have them hanging around all winter.
I've been watching for the rose breasted grosbeaks but no luck yet.
I've been watching for the rose breasted grosbeaks but no luck yet.
Another window hit - wish it would get warmer so we can put up screens.
Anyway found femal rb woodpecker - dazed - brought her inside - did the Audubon recommendation - shoebox w/ holes - took photos quickly before she got undazed and left her quiet for 1 hr. Fought off cats wondering why Mom has a bird in a box? Peeked inside - she hopped to edge of box - took her outside - opened lid and off she flew to her favorite tree! Rescued her mate last year - different window! Took him 2hrs to fly off.
Anyway found femal rb woodpecker - dazed - brought her inside - did the Audubon recommendation - shoebox w/ holes - took photos quickly before she got undazed and left her quiet for 1 hr. Fought off cats wondering why Mom has a bird in a box? Peeked inside - she hopped to edge of box - took her outside - opened lid and off she flew to her favorite tree! Rescued her mate last year - different window! Took him 2hrs to fly off.
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packerbacker
Member
Before I left for work this morning I looked out in the backyard and got a big surprise. There were hundreds, I mean HUNDREDS, of goldfinches by the 2 feeders I have. They were on the powerlines, the feeder roofs, the feeders, the ground, the clothesline....just everywhere. I'm in Northern California; is this a migration thing I saw?? Not being a bird expert, I'm guessing goldfinches. They were yellow with black and about the size of a canary or parakeet.
I agree that Spring is slow - but maybe we're just overanxious. Noted on another thread that h.birds are few and far between even in the southern states. We had a freeze warning last night here in s.Ohio. Guess the birds know best. I think I found an answer to my window reflection problem - I have inside blinds that I've dropped down 1/2 way to cut the reflection - it's too cold for the screens yet and I'm tired of rescuing or finding dead birds!
Even though I have no feeders up this spring, and I can't see my regulars "up close and personal", I have really been appreciating the wonderful natural habitat my yard offers to the birds. For the first time, carolina wrens are nesting in one of my boxes and I have discovered that just spending more time in the yard quietly watching and listening has been so rewarding. Today I saw a sharpie(not my favorite but always exciting to see a hawk), RC kinglet, and my first ruby-throated hummer of the year. I was looking for the kinglet with my bins and the hummer popped into view-what a beauty. He just sat there, 10 feet away, and let me get a good look.
What an amazing sight, Packerbacker! That must have really been something to see. I sometimes have 30-40 goldfinches at several feeders in the winter, but nothing like hundreds! Wow!
That certainly does sound like some kind of migration thing....although I have goldfinches all year round here in Indiana. Perhaps some of them DO move around, but I have never been aware of any true migration activity.
I still have some pine siskins at my thistle feeders.....they've never stayed around this late into the spring before.
Enjoy those goldies....they're just gorgeous!
That certainly does sound like some kind of migration thing....although I have goldfinches all year round here in Indiana. Perhaps some of them DO move around, but I have never been aware of any true migration activity.
I still have some pine siskins at my thistle feeders.....they've never stayed around this late into the spring before.
Enjoy those goldies....they're just gorgeous!
snowyowl
Well-known member
I'm happy to say that I"m back after not being able to access the forum for a couple of days. I have no idea why but would get >Page cannot be displayed< whenever I tried to get tot he forum. All of my other sites worked ok. The parent company of my service provider is on strike at present and I suspect a connection between that and my problems. :storm:
On the subject of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, I'm another one who only gets one or two in the Spring. My records show that my sightings have all been after mid-May so hopefully they will show up again this year.
I still haven't had any Evening Grosbeaks and have only seen a few reports of them here on the Island this year.
I did have 8 Purple finches at the feeders yesterday. That's still a pretty small number but it's a start.
It's supposed to hit 10C here today and 17 tomorrow si I will be going birding.
On the subject of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, I'm another one who only gets one or two in the Spring. My records show that my sightings have all been after mid-May so hopefully they will show up again this year.
I still haven't had any Evening Grosbeaks and have only seen a few reports of them here on the Island this year.
I did have 8 Purple finches at the feeders yesterday. That's still a pretty small number but it's a start.
It's supposed to hit 10C here today and 17 tomorrow si I will be going birding.
Dan, I have some of your purple finches and you're not getting them back! I don't have too many evening grosbeaks now either. I hear them in the trees once in a while and see the odd 2 or 3 on the feeders but their appearances are not constant.
Right now, I have lots of grackles, red winged blackbirds, starlings and rusty blackbirds. I've seen a few siskins hanging around the feeders. Still quite a few redpolls here which seems pretty late. And also still about a dozen pine grosbeaks. Seems late for them too. No sign of rose breasted grosbeaks yet. Not too many sparrows yet either.
We're moving into town this weekend (an hour from here.... this will be our cottage from now on). The property there isn't large but does have some nice trees and it also backs onto bush so it should be pretty good for birds. I'll likely be offline for at least a few days starting tomorrow night.
It's raining and cold (+2C) right now so I hope the weather improves for our move this weekend!!
I don't have too many evening grosbeaks now either. I hear them in the trees once in a while and see the odd 2 or 3 on the feeders but their appearances are not constant. Right now, I have lots of grackles, red winged blackbirds, starlings and rusty blackbirds. I've seen a few siskins hanging around the feeders. Still quite a few redpolls here which seems pretty late. And also still about a dozen pine grosbeaks. Seems late for them too. No sign of rose breasted grosbeaks yet. Not too many sparrows yet either.
We're moving into town this weekend (an hour from here.... this will be our cottage from now on). The property there isn't large but does have some nice trees and it also backs onto bush so it should be pretty good for birds. I'll likely be offline for at least a few days starting tomorrow night.
It's raining and cold (+2C) right now so I hope the weather improves for our move this weekend!!
Welcome back Dan ! I reported your problem to Ian yesterday. Hope the grosbeaks head up your way soon. I'm still watching a battle for my "Martin" house between starlings and 3 male tree swallow scouts. It's been going on for 2 wks now - the swallow are very feisty - hope they win! I love watching them soar around the house!
I keep forgetting to thank whoever I read re: red wing bb phone ringing - my husband and I were on the patio one Sun. and heard a phone ringing in the woods - I knew exactly who it was!! Never heard that before - must get outside more often.
Good luck on your move Tammie - we'll miss you online. I'm ignorant re: temps. You both (Canadians) speak of 10C and that sounds cold to me - what is the F equivalent? (32F is freezing)
I keep forgetting to thank whoever I read re: red wing bb phone ringing - my husband and I were on the patio one Sun. and heard a phone ringing in the woods - I knew exactly who it was!! Never heard that before - must get outside more often.
Good luck on your move Tammie - we'll miss you online. I'm ignorant re: temps. You both (Canadians) speak of 10C and that sounds cold to me - what is the F equivalent? (32F is freezing)
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