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Today at the feeder (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter dianeh
- Start date
snowyowl
Well-known member
I agree that it's definitely a Downy. I see them at my feeders all the time and we have even banded a couple. I also have a Hairy that comes everyday.
I'm still interested in the Cooper's. They are rare here and when we do see a possible Cooper's one there is always an arguement Cooper's vs female sharpie.
I'm still interested in the Cooper's. They are rare here and when we do see a possible Cooper's one there is always an arguement Cooper's vs female sharpie.
Day 1 of GBBC
On Friday, I didn't have time to go to one of my local patches for the first day of the GBBC. However, I managed to get 30 minutes to watch the birds in my yard. No surprises but a nice number and variety.
American Goldfinch 36
Chipping Sparrow 10
White-winged Dove 15
Blue Jay 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
House Finch 2
Pine Warbler 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Mourning Dove 2
House Sparrow 1.
My year list for the USA is almost 90 and yet I still haven't seen a Tufted Titmouse (since November), which is normally one of the most reliable of all of our yardbirds!
Jeff
On Friday, I didn't have time to go to one of my local patches for the first day of the GBBC. However, I managed to get 30 minutes to watch the birds in my yard. No surprises but a nice number and variety.
American Goldfinch 36
Chipping Sparrow 10
White-winged Dove 15
Blue Jay 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
House Finch 2
Pine Warbler 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Mourning Dove 2
House Sparrow 1.
My year list for the USA is almost 90 and yet I still haven't seen a Tufted Titmouse (since November), which is normally one of the most reliable of all of our yardbirds!
Jeff
Nice pics of your ducks - did they like birdseed? I saw 3 mallards on a recent vacation to the Smokies - also THOUGHT I saw out of the corner of my eye with camera in hand 2 bald eagles take off? but never could confirm!amkid247 said:
Re: the downy controversy - I have both at my feeders regularily and the hairy is about 3x the size of the downy and has a much bigger beak. Once I saw them together I was amazed at the difference!
amkid247
Chickadee Wisperer
the mallards were eating my squirrel food which i threw on the floor for them when i saw them. the bag says it attracts squirrels, ducks, geese, rabbits, deer, and raccoons, but i usually only use it for squirrels. anyway last year i had group of about 8 tufted titmice, this year none. they used to come in there mixed flock of 4 chickadees, 2 downies, and 2 white breasted nuthatch. this year i see one nuthatch every once and a while, 2 downies, about 3 chickadees, and 1 nuthatch. the populations seem to be shrinking where i live. =[
EDIT: they just came back and brought a friend!
EDIT: they just came back and brought a friend!
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markellisonart
What, me worry?! I watch birds!
This quote and the comment above by amkid has me wondering if anyone else has noticed a lack of Tufted Titmice in their area. In my case they were very regular visitors until the West Nile virus swept through this area a few years ago. Now, along with Blue Jays and Crows, they are rarely seen in my yard. I do miss the Titmice.JeffMoh said:
The Black-capped Chickadee visits dropped off around the same time but they came back after about 6 months or so.
amkid247
Chickadee Wisperer
well i only started feeding the birds 2 summers ago and i only saw the titmice last winter into spring, then they dissapeared and sadly never came back. i go upstate into the hudson river valley in the catskills (NY) and ive never seen a titmouse there, but i have seen chickadees at my uncles feeder. my chickadees here are daily visitors.
PS the ducks didnt show up 2 days ago but yesterday were here for a short while, and today they were here at 3 oclock. should i stop feeding them if they get too dependent? i keep thinking that when my dad opens the pool in the spring they are just gonna bring all there friends to come swim in the clean water =O
PS the ducks didnt show up 2 days ago but yesterday were here for a short while, and today they were here at 3 oclock. should i stop feeding them if they get too dependent? i keep thinking that when my dad opens the pool in the spring they are just gonna bring all there friends to come swim in the clean water =O
PeterinGill
Who Is That Masked Boobie?
No shortage of the tufted titmice here either. We always have up to 4 per day. This week I saw the titmice, chickadees, a flock of about 20 goldfinches, juncos, mourning doves (first year they've shown up), 3 downy woodpeckers, a blue jay, white breasted nuthatch. No red breasted nuthatches this year although last year we had two most of the time. Passing through the yard earlier in the week was a spectacular pileated woodpecker.
prairiemerlin
registered guy
Markellisonart,
Since you live just a few miles from me, I thought it was interesting to hear that you don't have reliable titmice. When WNV struck, I lost all my titmice and chickadees. After about a year the chickadees came back, followed by the titmice. I now get 3+ a day.
The other day I started putting peanuts (unshelled) out. Boy, do those Blue Jays love em!! Otherwise just the usuals.
--Neil G.
Since you live just a few miles from me, I thought it was interesting to hear that you don't have reliable titmice. When WNV struck, I lost all my titmice and chickadees. After about a year the chickadees came back, followed by the titmice. I now get 3+ a day.
The other day I started putting peanuts (unshelled) out. Boy, do those Blue Jays love em!! Otherwise just the usuals.
--Neil G.
markellisonart
What, me worry?! I watch birds!
Well, it's good to know that the Titmice are around, so I'll just have to keep my eye out for them. I have a homemade whole peanut vertical grid feeder that the Downies and White-breasted Nuthatches love and I know the Titmice have peanuts on their favorite food list as well, so maybe some of those nearby Michigan or even South Ohio birds will get the word and show up here soon.
The Red-breasted Nuthatches that PeterinGill mentioned - same pattern here.
Also, since West Nile reduced the Crow count here, the hawks, which would usually be seriously harried by the crows, pretty much rule the skies these days and today there was not the usual one, but two Red-tailed Hawks circling the neighborhood this morning.
That didn't keep a pair of Robins from foraging under the leaf litter along the sun-warmed South side of the house, later joined by a second male. A Carolina Wren stopped in for a quick drink as well.
The Red-breasted Nuthatches that PeterinGill mentioned - same pattern here.
Also, since West Nile reduced the Crow count here, the hawks, which would usually be seriously harried by the crows, pretty much rule the skies these days and today there was not the usual one, but two Red-tailed Hawks circling the neighborhood this morning.
That didn't keep a pair of Robins from foraging under the leaf litter along the sun-warmed South side of the house, later joined by a second male. A Carolina Wren stopped in for a quick drink as well.
snowyowl
Well-known member
Yesterday we were one of the stops for a group touring around looking at some of the better feeder locations. It was pretty routine while the group was here, only the basic feeder birds that would be expected at his time of year. the group left and a shortly aftetrwards a sharpie came roaring in. Next, a couple of Northern flickers arrived. A little later approx. 50 Bohemian Waxwings arrived quickly followed by about 20 A. Robins.
Too bad the feeder tour group had left but I got to enjoy the feathered visitors.
Too bad the feeder tour group had left but I got to enjoy the feathered visitors.
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keith richter
Well-known member
Well i can say i didnt have much today. 3 cardinals, starlings, blue jays, and 15 house sparrows. :C :-C
amkid247
Chickadee Wisperer
oh i had a female downy, 4 cardinals, a bunch of white-throated sparrows & dark eyed juncos, some tree sparrows, some chickadees, killer the mockingbird, a bunch of house sparrows, some squirrels at their feeder, and a bunch of mourning does. =] a good day i guess, and now we're expecting about 4 inches of snow and sleet so they're gonna be all cold and need lots of food! so tmrw its gonna be busy.
Location Ohio River valley at the northern tip of Kentucky.
Rural, farms and gravel mines. River and forested flood plain are 1/4 mile from feeders.
New to my feeders today, 50 redwing blackbirds and a couple of purple grackles.
I don't remember the redwings arriving so early in past.
The usual suspects come most every day. Many just ground feed under the feeders.
Whitebreasted Nuthatch, house finches, goldfinches, titmice, downey, hairy, rosebelly and flicker woodpeckers, carolina wrens, bluejays, starlings, dark eyed juncos,
cardinals, mourning doves and various sparrows(I have difficulty telling them apart).
The crows and squirrels lurk nearby but thank goodness haven't decided to dine.
The redwing blackbirds have full color on and are quite a sight
The local sweet corn farmers don't share my enthusiasm but they do use propane scare cannons instead of buckshot. Need I say that July and August are keep the windows shut and put in the earplugs months. We use nets in the garden but that is not practical for commercial growers.
I can recall when we first bought property here in the 60's the redwing blackbird flocks would darken the sky when going to roost in the tree lines nearby. You literally could not carry on a normal conversation over the din they created. Not so anymore.
Rural, farms and gravel mines. River and forested flood plain are 1/4 mile from feeders.
New to my feeders today, 50 redwing blackbirds and a couple of purple grackles.
I don't remember the redwings arriving so early in past.
The usual suspects come most every day. Many just ground feed under the feeders.
Whitebreasted Nuthatch, house finches, goldfinches, titmice, downey, hairy, rosebelly and flicker woodpeckers, carolina wrens, bluejays, starlings, dark eyed juncos,
cardinals, mourning doves and various sparrows(I have difficulty telling them apart).
The crows and squirrels lurk nearby but thank goodness haven't decided to dine.
The redwing blackbirds have full color on and are quite a sight
The local sweet corn farmers don't share my enthusiasm but they do use propane scare cannons instead of buckshot. Need I say that July and August are keep the windows shut and put in the earplugs months. We use nets in the garden but that is not practical for commercial growers.
I can recall when we first bought property here in the 60's the redwing blackbird flocks would darken the sky when going to roost in the tree lines nearby. You literally could not carry on a normal conversation over the din they created. Not so anymore.
amkid247
Chickadee Wisperer
hey last night a cat came by and left some prints in the new snow and left some yellow snow too. i know cats dont count, but on another theres tonnes of bird prints all over the snow today and to my surprise the ducks were back and left 2 sets of prints, and a rabbit was here and left prints too!
wow what goes on outside my house! i closed my blinds then went out tonight to fill the feeders. and to my surprise there we're new prints in my garden! im pretty sure they are opossum! and this little crittur wasnt just in my garden he was on my fron stoop right outside my door!!!! ive uploaded some pics can someone confirm that they are opossum?
wow what goes on outside my house! i closed my blinds then went out tonight to fill the feeders. and to my surprise there we're new prints in my garden! im pretty sure they are opossum! and this little crittur wasnt just in my garden he was on my fron stoop right outside my door!!!! ive uploaded some pics can someone confirm that they are opossum?
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