Today at the feeder (6 Viewers)

[Tammie]

I'm glad we're not the only ones staring out the kitchen window.

Hi Ruthless,
I've been having trouble the past couple of days here in my new house trying to get painting and stuff done because I'm always distracted with what's going on at the feeders! Kitchen window, French doors, living room window, bedroom window....doesn't matter which one, I'm distracted!
Welcome to the Forum, by the way!

 

[Tammie]

Here's a shot of part of my new set up. I'm hoping to get more photos in the near future.

 

[amasara]

Nice setup Tammie - love seeing the grosebeaks - never have seen one! The evergreen is a perfect spot for feeders!

 

[prairiemerlin]

Wow! You have a lot of Purple Finches up there!

 

[Tammie]

Wow! You have a lot of Purple Finches up there!

Oh, that's not even 10% of them! I believe there are over 100 of them out there most times during the day. Hiding in there somewhere are also:

a pair of downy woodpeckers
white crowned sparrows
white throated sparrows
evening grosbeaks
grackles
cowbirds
starlings
chickadees
1 lone butter butt!
pine siskins
a dove
and one resident squirrel that I see regularly running across everyone's fence tops!

And to think I had my doubts that anything would really be out there right away!

 

[marianna]

I love your new setup, Tammie! That's a wonderful backyard you have there. I love evening grosbeaks and haven't seen one for several years.

I have good news today with regard to 'my' Carolina wrens. They are finally laying some eggs in their lovely new nest in the fuschia! Whee! I am so hoping that things go well this time....I have cleared away any branches from an azalea below the basket that a chipmunk might use as a springboard to the basket....although I really think a bluejay might have been the predator that got the other babies.

I will refrain (and it will be hard!!!) from peeking into the nest.....my daughter tells me that other birds are aware when a human inspects a nest site or a birdhouse etc. So I am determined to support this cute little pair as much as I possibly can!

I can keep watch from inside the house by the window, I think, without disturbing them or calling attention to their nest, which is quite well hidden in the plant foliage.

 

[amasara]

That's interesting info Marianna re: looking into nests - makes sense! I think my pair have sent the "kids" on and are getting ready to start again. The fact that they are bold enough to use the nestbox on our patio- probably discourages nest invaders (esp with a cat or two sitting in the window directly under the birdhouse!).

 

[marianna]

My cats sit in the window under the fuschia basket, and the chipmunks literally thumb their noses at them!!! Somehow, they've figured out there's a barrier that the cats can't cross! Little rascals!

Again, however, I watched one of the wrens swoop down repeatedly and peck a chipmunk on the head (or rump) when he was scurrying around on the ground under the basket with the nest! Poor little chipmunk (yeah, right!) buried his head in the ivy, apparently thinking he was safe if HE couldn't see the bird....but his posterior was high and visible! ;o)

 

[amasara]

I read a book re: chipmunks "cute brown DUMB little furry things" - apt description!!
Happened to look my window and see the tree swallow swoop down and send a squirrel scurrying - actually hit him on the back!

 

[shar]

Tammie, love your evening grosbeaks and purple finches! I've never seen an evening grosbeak around here or any purple finches. Want to trade some purple finches for some house finches?

Here's a pic of Mr. & Mrs. r-breasted grosbeak. They've been coming to this feeder for a couple of weeks now. I think there are two pair of them. I have a pic of two males in the tree in my front yard. So far I've only seen one female at a time so I don't know if I'm seeing the same one each time or not. I did have two pair last yr.

Yes, that is a snowman feeder theyre using (not that they care) and it's going to stay up til I get my other one fixed!

 

[Tammie]

Tammie, love your evening grosbeaks and purple finches! I've never seen an evening grosbeak around here or any purple finches. Want to trade some purple finches for some house finches?

Here's a pic of Mr. & Mrs. r-breasted grosbeak. They've been coming to this feeder for a couple of weeks now. I think there are two pair of them. I have a pic of two males in the tree in my front yard. So far I've only seen one female at a time so I don't know if I'm seeing the same one each time or not. I did have two pair last yr.

Yes, that is a snowman feeder theyre using (not that they care) and it's going to stay up til I get my other one fixed!

Hi Shar,
I love my evening grosbeaks and purple finches too! I just moved here two weeks ago (after living only an hour away) and I can't believe how many more of these birds I have here than the other place! I think I easily have 150 purple finches. The flock of evening grosbeaks isn't large but it is constant.
On an exciting note today, my husband and I stood there and watched a kestrel attack the songbirds in my backyard trees today...... and he missed! :eek!: It sure was close tho'. When he came out of those trees, he was only a foot behind a purple finch but the finch veered at the last second and the kestrel missed it! My husband said it attacked again while I was at the hardware store but he didn't watch close enough to see if anything got caught. :C I knew I had some kestrels hanging around but that's the first real attack I've seen since I've been here. My poor birdies!!!
It's been awfully quiet at the feeders for the past hour or so..............

 

[Tammie]

Another new spring sighting today.... a bright, beautiful, male American goldfinch! What a splash of color he is against the dreary, rainy cold day!
This is the earliest I've ever seen a goldie here. I don't normally see them until mid-June. With high hopes, I hung out the hummer feeders yesterday. We've got to get summer SOMEday! At this point, I would be happy to see any weather that is over 10°C!! Brrrrrr!!

 

[amasara]

While visiting my daughter in Cols. Oh this past weekend - we saw her cat intent on something in the blue spruce - this nest of baby robins! My daughter called awhile ago to say they were leaving the nest - knew they looked pretty big - love the mohawks! Are robins the only birds that eat worms?

 

[Tammie]

While visiting my daughter in Cols. Oh this past weekend - we saw her cat intent on something in the blue spruce - this nest of baby robins! My daughter called awhile ago to say they were leaving the nest - knew they looked pretty big - love the mohawks! Are robins the only birds that eat worms?

I remember watching the robins fledge on my mom's deck last spring... 4, just like this group. They sure do look crowded in there by the time they're ready to go, don't they!
Cute shot, Sara.

 

[shar]

I'm so excited! I had a new bird at my feeder tonight, an indigo bunting! I've never seen one before except in my bird book. Here's a couple of pics!
Hope he comes back, maybe i'll get a better pic.

Sara, love your baby robins!

Tammie, glad your finch got away! Do you live in the country in a wooded area? You sure have a lot of birds!

 

[snowyowl]

I'm so excited! I had a new bird at my feeder tonight, an indigo bunting! I've never seen one before except in my bird book. Here's a couple of pics!
Hope he comes back, maybe i'll get a better pic./QUOTE]
Great bird! I'm very jealous!

 

[Tammie]

I'm so excited! I had a new bird at my feeder tonight, an indigo bunting! I've never seen one before except in my bird book. Here's a couple of pics!
Hope he comes back, maybe i'll get a better pic.

Sara, love your baby robins!

Tammie, glad your finch got away! Do you live in the country in a wooded area? You sure have a lot of birds!

Hi Shar,
Congratulations on your new sighting! I'd be excited too if I saw an indigo bunting! They are truly stunning birds. Hope he returns for a photo op!
I live on the outer edge of town. You have to go all the way through town to reach my place (Unless you come in on the back road... then you don't go through town at all). I have a stand of 6 or so 20 foot trees in my back yard and a 20 foot birch in the front. Just outside of the back fence is the bush and a small pond (that will likely dry up over the summer). It's pretty good habitat for certain species. Not great for woodpeckers tho' so I miss them. I have a downy hanging around once in a while, that's it. I haven't seen a single whiskey jack (gray jay) since we've been here and I miss them!! It's prime nesting season tho' so maybe once that settles down, I'll see some here. I'm hoping!

 

[snowyowl]

I'm so excited! I had a new bird at my feeder tonight, an indigo bunting! I've never seen one before except in my bird book. Here's a couple of pics!
Hope he comes back, maybe i'll get a better pic./QUOTE]
Great bird! I'm very jealous![/QUOTE
Guess what? We were just getting supper ready yesterday when the phone rang. It was birder friend to tell me that he had just finished checking out a report of an Indigo Bunting at some feeders and the report was correct. He had seen and even photographed the bird. Supper got put on hold and I was out the door within 5 minutes. The location was only about 20 minutes from my place.
There was no sign of the bunting when I arrived, just lots of A. Goldfinches Purple Finches and a couple Chipping Sparrows. I talked to the householder and generally hung out for a while, then I walked around the area a little. No luck! I went back to the feeders and did some more waiting, then took another stroll around. That's when I saw it, just a flash of brilliant blue in a tree. I put my binos on it and there it was, my first Indigo Bunting.
After watching it for a few minutes it flew so I headed back to the feeders and sure enough it had got there ahead of me. :bounce: :clap: a really striking little bird especially when surrounded by the Goldfinches and the Purples. Talk about a colourful scene. Wow! I'm still excited.
That's my second lifer so far this year. The first was the Glossy Ibis.

 

[amasara]

Congrats Dan - aren't they a special bird? Haven't seen one yet this year - but a friend saw one in the field below us! You do know that their "official color" is black - the blue is "reflected light" - a mystery to me!!

 

[Tammie]

**Sigh*..... wish I could see one here!
I'll have to make do with my little goldies (finally spotted a female two days ago) and I now have two doves instead of one.
I had the windows open yesterday while I was painting in here and I could hear this little bird in the backyard trees just singing away for all he was worth. When I checked it out to see who the songster was, there was one lone male American Goldfinch right in the middle of the tree, singing away! It was lovely to listen to.
I hear evening grosbeaks right now.... that's the new morning routine!
Congratulations on your sighting, Dan. Now I'M jealous!!