-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Today at the feeder (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter dianeh
- Start date
snowyowl
Well-known member
Back Home
I'm back from Ontario. Now to deal with an ovegrwon lawn, weedy flower beds and empty feeders.
I visited Point Pelee, Hillman Marsh and Wheatley Provincial Park but the birding was very slow. Temperatures were in the low 30's C. so I cut my time in that area short and went back to Cambridge and an air conditioned house rather than my very hot little tent. Despite the heat, I did get a very satisfactory list of birds. I'll post the list plus some pictures once I get sorted out. I got about 4 lifers, I believe. Back here in PEI, it's cool and dark. Quite a contrast to Ontario heat and humidity.
I'm back from Ontario. Now to deal with an ovegrwon lawn, weedy flower beds and empty feeders.
I visited Point Pelee, Hillman Marsh and Wheatley Provincial Park but the birding was very slow. Temperatures were in the low 30's C. so I cut my time in that area short and went back to Cambridge and an air conditioned house rather than my very hot little tent. Despite the heat, I did get a very satisfactory list of birds. I'll post the list plus some pictures once I get sorted out. I got about 4 lifers, I believe. Back here in PEI, it's cool and dark. Quite a contrast to Ontario heat and humidity.
Mary Evelyn
New member
Hope you had a great time and look forward to seeing the results Snowyowl.snowyowl said:
cavan wood
Well-known member
The chickadees have fledged, the orioles left, the buntings were only here for a day, but the house finches, r-b grosbeaks, chickadees, a few goldfinches, and the hummingbirds are still coming to the feeders. Meanwhile house wrens have filled two boxes with twigs, including one the swallows were starting to use, and they sing all the time, non-stop, dawn to dusk. Where do they get all that energy?
Sounds like you had a great, but hot, trip Dan. It's been 30 C or above every day for a week here. I'll be heading in your general vacinity in July, as we've planned a trip to Newfoundland. Hope to see some new sea birds there.
Scott
Sounds like you had a great, but hot, trip Dan. It's been 30 C or above every day for a week here. I'll be heading in your general vacinity in July, as we've planned a trip to Newfoundland. Hope to see some new sea birds there.
Scott
Katy Penland
Well-known member
I can hear three, possibly four, distinct little raspy voices coming from the Lewis's Woodpecker nest cavity, and both adults are flying non-stop all day long bringing food back for them. Have seen one new Hairy Woodpecker at the peanut butter/suet, with mom joining it soon afterward and starting to feed it bits herself (not that the fledge needed any help up 'til then, s/he was greedily chowing down just fine). The Pygmy Nuthatches have fledged 4-5 kids, all of whom noisily follow the adults around from tree to tree to tree. And we have some new "punk rocker" House Finch fledges at the feeders, complete with downy tufts sticking straight up like ears or mohawks. They are just too funny. Have seen Mom and Pop Western Bluebird feeding a couple of very nondescript little mouths, but haven't gotten a close look at them yet. The 2 Dark-eyed Junco pairs (red-backeds) have both fledged 1-2 young and are already gone. Still waiting for new fledges from several other breeding species. Had a huge thunderstorm and downpour last night, unusual for this time of year, and it's supposed to calm down wind-wise and heat up (low 80s) next week, so should bring some shiny new faces into the yard. Maybe even a raucous Lewis's baby! LOL!
Oooo, hearing our Spotted Towhee calling. Wonder if he's bringing someone new into the yard? Later!...... :flyaway:
Oooo, hearing our Spotted Towhee calling. Wonder if he's bringing someone new into the yard? Later!...... :flyaway:
I was just thinking sitting on my screen porch - watching for orioles etc. how quick this nesting season is - I think they've already gone!! But then a tree swallow returned to its nest - they've been there for ages - I did read that they incubate up to 19 days!! Also a pair of bluebirds keep inspecting a box last occupied by chickadees. I compromised and took out the top half of the chickadee nest - thus the bbs have room to do they own builing? Note to self - CLEAN OUT the nest box this fall!!
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Come on down, T! 2 1/2 acres of pine trees and birdies! LOL!
I could SWEAR I've got a pair of wrens hanging around but I don't know anything about them as I've never seen any before. I get two little birds sitting in the backyard trees singing for all they're worth on a daily basis. The lighting is always behind them so I've never been able to get a good look. They are quite loud tho'! And they are brown, maybe 5" long total, from beak to tail tip. And they're quick too.
It's just suspicion at this point but if I'm right, it'll be a yard first AND a lifer for me!
Maybe THEY'LL use the birdhouse... nothing else is all that interested now.
It's just suspicion at this point but if I'm right, it'll be a yard first AND a lifer for me!
Maybe THEY'LL use the birdhouse... nothing else is all that interested now.
prairiemerlin
registered guy
I haven't posted here in ages... but not too much going on here.
Tammie, your birds sound like House Wrens. They have loud songs like that, and they do sing a lot!
Speaking of wrens, a male filled up my backyard box with twigs. After a couple days, a neat grass cup appeared and now there's a female wren sitting on about 5-6 eggs! The male just sings like crazy. I also found a Carolina Wren hanging around this morning.
However, the biggest news is that I have a nesting hummingbird! A darling female Ruby-throat is picking spiderwebs off bushes for her nest. I can't find it, and I doubt I will. I do have a feeder, but sadly they haven't found it... : (
The cardinals have at least one fledgling, but I haven't seen much of them this summer.
Our RB woodpeckers now have a wingful of noisy, lively fledglings flying around! Sometimes the babies will get impatient and chase the adult if its taking too long for the food to arrive... very pushy. The male Red-belly is starting a new nest hole in a different tree.
Tammie, your birds sound like House Wrens. They have loud songs like that, and they do sing a lot!
Speaking of wrens, a male filled up my backyard box with twigs. After a couple days, a neat grass cup appeared and now there's a female wren sitting on about 5-6 eggs! The male just sings like crazy. I also found a Carolina Wren hanging around this morning.
However, the biggest news is that I have a nesting hummingbird! A darling female Ruby-throat is picking spiderwebs off bushes for her nest. I can't find it, and I doubt I will. I do have a feeder, but sadly they haven't found it... : (
The cardinals have at least one fledgling, but I haven't seen much of them this summer.
Our RB woodpeckers now have a wingful of noisy, lively fledglings flying around! Sometimes the babies will get impatient and chase the adult if its taking too long for the food to arrive... very pushy. The male Red-belly is starting a new nest hole in a different tree.
2aperegrine
Fly baby, fly--
Katy Penland
Well-known member
It's been so busy around here, just not a whole lot of time to be at the computer. But today was a first: a BLACK BEAR! Well, technically, tonight. Trying to get inside our chainlink fence's gate I assume to get to the small bird pond inside the yard. WOW! First time I've ever seen a wild bear with nothing between us and it but glass windows! After it tipped over our garbage bin and rifled through the (thank God) one bag of kitchen trash, it tried to dig under the gate, then eventually ambled off to the back of the property. When the neighbors' dogs behind us started howling, we knew where he went. Wowzers! And me without a flash for my camera! Jeesh.
Oh, yeah, we have tons of new birdies floating around, but I'll get to those at the end of the week. Have to start my 2nd round of forest bird surveys tomorrow at 4 a.m. so probably won't be online much until then.
Still recovering from seeing the bear. Way cool..... Tammie, you sure you want to come for a visit now, or are bears commonplace where you are?
Oh, yeah, we have tons of new birdies floating around, but I'll get to those at the end of the week. Have to start my 2nd round of forest bird surveys tomorrow at 4 a.m. so probably won't be online much until then.
Still recovering from seeing the bear. Way cool..... Tammie, you sure you want to come for a visit now, or are bears commonplace where you are?
Lots of Rooks at the lil wooden feeder as I write this now
Katy - you've just lived MY dream - dying to see a black bear walk thru my backyard - lived here 25 yrs today and saw large paw prints 1st day we were here - got excited and called forest ranger friend who declared after viewing that they were coon dog prints!! The black bears have been spotted swimming the Ohio River but haven't hit our spot yet!!Katy Penland said:
Wow, Katy! Exciting, huh?? They sure do spice things up, don't they?
I wouldn't say they are commonplace here but we sure have had enough troubles with them this summer. I'm hoping we're coming to the end of it now that plants and berries are finally maturing.
I wouldn't say they are commonplace here but we sure have had enough troubles with them this summer. I'm hoping we're coming to the end of it now that plants and berries are finally maturing.
Katy Penland said:
Starzz said:
Sue, they're likely off having babies!
'Tis the season, you know! I've had a female hairy woodpecker in the yard recently but no sign just yet of her family.
On the brighter side, I finally spotted the chipping sparrows feeding a young one tonight! They've been nesting in my neighbour's yard and hopping the fence to feed in my yard. o
Since I finally put one feeder back out, I now have goldfinches, purple finches, one or two chickadees, some evening grosbeaks and a few pine siskins coming around. The yard isn't quite so quiet anymore!
:bounce:
snowyowl
Well-known member
Wow, but it's quiet on here lately. I guess it's not feeder season?
A while back,I put out some crushed oyster shell for the birds. It's the same stuff used for poultry. To me this is a better way than putting out egg shells, less risk of transfering disease, I would think. The catch has been that the birds have ignored the shell until today when I noticed a Blue Jay picking at it. Maybe it just took time for them to recognise it?
A while back,I put out some crushed oyster shell for the birds. It's the same stuff used for poultry. To me this is a better way than putting out egg shells, less risk of transfering disease, I would think. The catch has been that the birds have ignored the shell until today when I noticed a Blue Jay picking at it. Maybe it just took time for them to recognise it?
Similar threads
