Today at the feeder (8 Viewers)

[dianeh]

We're having more rain and my already flooded backyard is sinking fast!

 

[marianna]

So glad to hear you are sort-of-up-and-about and at home, Sara! Good for you!

Made a valiant attempt at my first participation in the PFW count today.....however, there was one 30 minute period with not one feathered critter in sight! Had to have been a hawk somewhere close, but I didn't go outside to track it down. Would have been cool to add it to the count though!

The pine siskins presented themselves, 8 of them, early this morning, and then, late this afternoon, TWO pileated woodies flew by! Wow! All the regulars showed up, in respectable numbers, and even the little Carolina wren put in an appearance about dusk.

So I am feeling good about today's results. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

 

[Nancy]

Gee, I'm getting itchy feet reading all about those lovely birds. Makes me think it is time to go overseas birding again. I,ve never been birding in the States or Canada so would have great time. Don't think I would like the cold though, but guess if I want to see a bear I have to go in winter.
I've had a wearning to see a Roadrunner ever since my kids were little and watching the Disney Cartoons. Are they easy to find? And I love the sound of a "Grackle" but I gather it is a very common bird.

 

[snowyowl]

I'm back!! Been home since Monday 8th but just got the courage to navigate the stairs to get to the computer. I'm having a dizzy problem and catching up on 75 emails plus site postings doesn't help. I was greeted by a new bird for me on my 1st day home - kept thinking I was hearing a warbler and sure enough the yellow-rump or myrtle appeared on a roof section I could see from my chair!! Nice welcome home!! Think I'd better hit the bed again - doing fine with walking etc. Snow due here tonight - hope to see many birds!

Welcome back!

 

[Larry Lade]

Hi Nancy,

Greater Roadrunners are found in the southwestern USA and are not too hard to find.

Grackles are pretty much all over. Great-tailed Grackles in the southwest, (similar) Boat-tailed Grackles in the southeast and Common Grackles everywhere! One usually finds all of these in flocks.

 

[Tammie]

Larry, I see you're still looking for evening grosbeaks.... when you coming up here to see them??

 

[Larry Lade]

Tammie, "put another log on the fire" and "warm up the hot chocolate"! I may run up there one of these days. I have quite a few "irons in the fire" right now with Christmas Bird Counts and going to Kenya in February.

How far north are you in Ontario? Several years ago we did go on a fishing trip to Lake of the Woods but that was just over the border. But the bears, moose, loons and mergansers were fun to watch. The fishing was good also.

 

[Tammie]

Larry, I'm only a couple of hours from Lake Superior, about 450 kms east of Thunder Bay.
If you come up in the summer, you won't have to worry about more 'logs on the fire' or hot chocolate and you'll see some bears, loons and mergansers , all right. Moose, you can all year 'round.
Then again, if you come up in the summer, bring LOTS of bug spray and mosquito netting! They are pretty much a national 'bird' after all!

 

[Larry Lade]

Larry, I'm only a couple of hours from Lake Superior, about 450 kms east of Thunder Bay.
If you come up in the summer, you won't have to worry about more 'logs on the fire' or hot chocolate and you'll see some bears, loons and mergansers , all right. Moose, you can all year 'round.
Then again, if you come up in the summer, bring LOTS of bug spray and mosquito netting! They are pretty much a national 'bird' after all!

Don't be surprised if one day I show up on your doorstep!
How about Bohemian Waxwing? Winter only?

 

[Tammie]

I don't know anything about waxwings, unfortunately. I've only ever caught a glimpse of two cedars.... never seen bohemian waxwings before.

 

[Larry Lade]

Hi Tammie, I guess I just assumed there were quite a few Bohemian Waxwings up in Canada. Looking at my "Sibley's" it seemed they were pretty wide spead, expecially in winter. I guess I do not feel quite so bad at not seeing any yet, if you haven't either! Oh well, you get all that other "neat stuff"!

 

[dianeh]

Lots of birds in the back yard today. Cardinals, blue jays, grackles, rw backbirds, juncos, carolina wren, carolina chickadees, tufted titmouse, and house finches.

 

[Tammie]

Hi Tammie, I guess I just assumed there were quite a few Bohemian Waxwings up in Canada. Looking at my "Sibley's" it seemed they were pretty wide spead, expecially in winter. I guess I do not feel quite so bad at not seeing any yet, if you haven't either! Oh well, you get all that other "neat stuff"!

Hi Larry,
B. Waxwings may very well be here....I know the cedars are... I just haven't been anywhere to see them and also haven't been able to coax them into the yard yet. I'm working on that, planting things that produce berries and such. It's such a slow process tho'!

And I'm sure you get a lot of 'neat stuff' that I don't so it all normally equals out in the end, right?

 

[Larry Lade]

That is another thing that makes this Bird Forum so exciting. Birds that are common here are very much sought after in the UK, and visa versa. Very much the case with you and me, you would like a Northern Cardinal and I could sure use that Evening Grosbeak!

I am going to miss the Christmas Bird Count at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge due to a terrible head cold. "First I thought I was going to die, and now and an afraid I might not." I am miserable! I just hope I am better and able to go on our Christmas Count here in Saint Joseph. Do you do any "counts"?

 

[Tammie]

I'm doing the Project Feeder Watch this winter and it's my first time participating in something like this. It's quite a lot of fun, actually, and I'm curious to see the final results in April.
One bird in the UK I would love to see is the green woodpecker they have. That bird just fascinates me to no end!! That and their great spotted woodpecker. Such cool birds!!

 

[Tammie]

That is another thing that makes this Bird Forum so exciting. Birds that are common here are very much sought after in the UK, and visa versa. Very much the case with you and me, you would like a Northern Cardinal and I could sure use that Evening Grosbeak!

By the way, I had a couple of extra evening grosbeaks for my count today... 7 instead of the usual 5. For some odd reason though, the past couple of weeks, I'm only seeing males and no females. I can't figure out why. Never saw that happen before. Lots of female pine grosbeaks around but no female evening grosbeaks in sight. Strange.

 

[Nancy]

Can I come too? It sounds so exciting with moose, bears and loons AND good fishing. Time to get moving again me thinks.

 

[Michael Frankis]

One bird in the UK I would love to see is the green woodpecker they have. That bird just fascinates me to no end!! That and their great spotted woodpecker. Such cool birds!!

If it helps any - Great Spotted Wp is very like Hairy Wp, and Green Wp behaves in a similar manner to Northern Flicker (though it doesn't look too similar!)

Michael

 

[snowyowl]

Hi Larry,
B. Waxwings may very well be here....I know the cedars are... I just haven't been anywhere to see them and also haven't been able to coax them into the yard yet. I'm working on that, planting things that produce berries and such. It's such a slow process tho'!

And I'm sure you get a lot of 'neat stuff' that I don't so it all normally equals out in the end, right?

We get both types of waxwing here, although it's Cedars that are more common year round but with an increase in Bohemians in Fall an Winter. We usually get lots of Evening Grosbeaks in Winter. This year, with the failed berry crop and a shortage of cones in some areas, I don't know where all the Winter birds are.

 

[Tammie]

We get both types of waxwing here, although it's Cedars that are more common year round but with an increase in Bohemians in Fall an Winter. We usually get lots of Evening Grosbeaks in Winter. This year, with the failed berry crop and a shortage of cones in some areas, I don't know where all the Winter birds are.

I have MOST of my usual winter birds. I had an early season treat with about 30 or so snow buntings hanging out in the yard for a few weeks. They vanished as fast as they showed up! They are wonderful little birds tho'. I've only counted 7 redpolls this season so far. I had many more evening grosbeaks in the summer than I do now but last winter, I had all kinds!! They've been hanging around the yard now for close to 2 years without fail. The pine grosbeaks appear to be at regular numbers this year.

Nancy, come on over! We're bound to find a moose or a bear for you!