Very busy at the bird feeder today! (5 Viewers)

[JeffMoh]

I won't be posting for at least a week because tomorrow we're going on holiday to Utah. We'll be camping at 10,200 feet in the Uinta Mountains. It should be a real change of environment and climate from what we're used to here, plus very different wildlife (chipmunks, moose, etc.). I'm hoping for some interesting birds, too, perhaps even a couple of lifers.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Have a good trip Jeff!

CB

 

[michael23]

Sounds great Jeff, have a good trip!

Feederes been bombarded by loads of birds today, in the trees were house sparrow with 2 juveniles begging for food, only one of which got fed, the other just watched as this happened around 6 times! In the trees and around feeders were roughly 4 great tits (juvs) and around 15 blue tit, which were mostly juveniles, they were fighting over whos getting the last bit of food out of the feeders, quite amusing to watch really. Also joined by COAL TIT which was feeding well, hopefully they will be back as regular visitors now. Also a desperate squirrel gave feeders a good bashing, Dunnocks, green finches gold finches too, starlings around the trees. Oh and a magpie calling at around 2am this morning, just before i fell asleep he started up!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Neighbour called me over last night to let me know that we had an injured bird. It was a juvenile Carrion crow that was lay on the lawn. It looked to have an injured wing, we decided to let nature do its bit and this afternoon it had died on my lawn. Looks like it was untouched by preditors..... a very handsome and strong bird that unfortunatly didnt make it out of the summer:-C

 

[earleybird]

Neighbour called me over last night to let me know that we had an injured bird. It was a juvenile Carrion crow that was lay on the lawn. It looked to have an injured wing, we decided to let nature do its bit and this afternoon it had died on my lawn. Looks like it was untouched by preditors..... a very handsome and strong bird that unfortunatly didnt make it out of the summer:-C

its a tough decision to make Dave isn't it. 'it might have eaten something toxic or was just sickly. Parents can usually tell a sickly offspring and leave them to die.
Kathy is very much against using slug pellets around our flowers because they can poison birds that eat the slugs.:eek!: you can tell our flower beds cos they are bare earth.:-O

 

[karpman]

Hi guys!


The birds in my garden are also eating like maniacs with many juveniles now showing also, My feeding has been a bit sporadic with the latest arrival but the birds still respond well to every top up.:-O

Round here the starlings are grouping up big style now and putting on a nice show as well, Had a hobby hawking over the garden and juvenile pigeons and robins moulting into there adult plumage.

Paternity leave is nice if not a little tiring lol:-OB

Heres some pictures to mull over.

karpy

 

[longbow]

Where in Heck are my birds.

Yes, I know I should know this after three years of real birding, but I just can't seem to get the straight skinny.

Both my feeders and the woods behind my house are deserted, but for a few siskins, robins and chickadees.

I had at least a dozen species as regular visitors to my feeders as well as many warblers and such in the woods this Spring and early summer.

I gather that things are supposed to get quiet this time of year due to molting and all, but this situation is like the Sahara in a dust storm.

Migration already? Molting? Armageddon?

Aside from feeling sad, abandoned and dumb, I'm just plain flumoxed and would really like to know.

Thanks eh?

 

[Azzy]

Love the photos Karpman, especially that cat, mine was doing the exact same thing a day or two ago

I'm currently sitting inside, out of the drizzle waiting for the battery on my newly purchased 550D to charge so I can go outside and photograph the firetail finches that are currently feasting on our lawn! Why does it have to be raining?! Here's hoping they stick around until after the battery is charged, hehe. Otherwise, just the usuals in the yard, plenty of magpies chasing each other around, I guess that's probably pretty typical in the lead up to breeding season.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Sounds great Jeff, have a good trip!

Feederes been bombarded by loads of birds today, in the trees were house sparrow with 2 juveniles begging for food, only one of which got fed, the other just watched as this happened around 6 times!

Intresting....

I watched two juvenile Jackdaw beggingto be fed when the adult attacked one of them and fed the other, this happened a few times. The attack was vicious and deliberate.

2 Mallards over very early this morning

 

[karpman]

Intresting....

I watched two juvenile Jackdaw beggingto be fed when the adult attacked one of them and fed the other, this happened a few times. The attack was vicious and deliberate.

2 Mallards over very early this morning

Crazy birds, Guess the other one is getting a little greedy and pushing his luck:-OB

The juv robins over here would beg for food off anything including birds much larger like starlings, They never had any success of course but was funny as hell to watch.

Had the sparrow hawk over for some breakfast this morning, He is feeling a little hungry right now though!

Karpman

P.s Cannot wait to see the finches Azz!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Exceptional images Karps with a nice variety, especially like the catbird!


Another brood of Housesparrows fledged this morning.... they are everywhere, its very busy but I will try to get a count of young and adults.

 

[Azzy]

Quite a bit of activity in the garden this afternoon. 1 of the diamond finches was around, spent a bit of time calling (I'm assuming for it's mate) and flew off afterwards. The willy wagtail was out on the lawn, two red wattlebirds stopped by briefly. There was a flock of around 30 little corellas that flew overhead. A galah or two. Magpies chasing each other around and plenty of new holland honeyeaters, making noise, launching themselves pell mell of the top branches after passing insects, and one even spent a bit of time bathing in the gutter of the house.

 

[ilbirdwatch1]

I’m thinking a new male goldfinch has found my feeder. Usually we have one male which shows up every night and sometimes a female will come with him. Last night I had two males visiting on a regular basis. I then had one more show up, but he would only eat from the sunflower feeder and watched the other males eat from the thistle. I’m not sure if this is a territory issue or something to do with hierarchy? None the less it will be interesting to watch and I always enjoy the color!
I also had a very small brown bird hopping all around the fence yesterday. I’m thinking it’s a house wren because of the size and color. Hopefully, I will be able to get some pictures of it this evening.
Had my regular hoard of cardinals and Mourning Doves and a few House Finches.
I’m mowing our back lot tonight, so it should bring in the robins and thrashers for feeding.

 

[longbow]

Is my question irredeemably dumb, or is this a mystery to all? I've asked all around and nobody can give me an answer. I figured with the number of well-studied and experienced ornithologists on this board, I'd get an answer or two. If it is a stupid question or unanswerable, could somebody just tell me so I won't keep driving myself and others mad asking about it?

Thanks.

 

[Azzy]

Is my question irredeemably dumb, or is this a mystery to all? I've asked all around and nobody can give me an answer. I figured with the number of well-studied and experienced ornithologists on this board, I'd get an answer or two. If it is a stupid question or unanswerable, could somebody just tell me so I won't keep driving myself and others mad asking about it?

Thanks.

Your question is a tough one, there are endless possibilities for why the birds aren't there at the moment. It could be that the area just isn't as abundant with food this year as it is other years and so they've moved to an area that is, or maybe something is disturbing them etc. It would be hard to know an answer to that.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Yes, I know I should know this after three years of real birding, but I just can't seem to get the straight skinny.

Both my feeders and the woods behind my house are deserted, but for a few siskins, robins and chickadees.

I had at least a dozen species as regular visitors to my feeders as well as many warblers and such in the woods this Spring and early summer.

I gather that things are supposed to get quiet this time of year due to molting and all, but this situation is like the Sahara in a dust storm.

Migration already? Molting? Armageddon?

Aside from feeling sad, abandoned and dumb, I'm just plain flumoxed and would really like to know.

Thanks eh?

Longbow, if you still have 3 or 4 species visiting regularly you can probably discount major Raptor movements, I guess the woodland should have an abundance of food. Have your neighbours close-by started to feed, or have they noticed the same sort of decline?

When you are out and about in the town are you noticing the same decline of birds or is it just localised to you and the woodland nearby?

Pretty hard to get answers on this one without a bit more local knowledge.

I keep garden records year on year just for a bit of fun, however it is ideal for some things such as noticing fall or rise in numbers against previous months or years, you can then predict when birds arrive and leave etc.

Be carefull it can become a bit addictive

Dave

 

[Cheshire Birder]

I had at least a dozen species as regular visitors to my feeders as well as many warblers and such in the woods this Spring and early summer.

I gather that things are supposed to get quiet this time of year due to molting and all, but this situation is like the Sahara in a dust storm.

Migration already? Molting? Armageddon?

Aside from feeling sad, abandoned and dumb, I'm just plain flumoxed and would really like to know.

Thanks eh?

Many of your local breeding birds will now have young. Once the young are fledged the parents will show the young all the different feeding areas locally so when they come back next summer they will be better prepared. Just remember late summer is the lull before the autumn migration starts. Hopefully your garden will be flooded with birds.

CB

 

[longbow]

Thanks all of you for your replies.

I have in fact noticed this situation in other parts of town and throughout the valley. There is actually some behavior that would hint of autumn if it weren't the middle of summer, such as herding starlings and waxwings.

I haven't spotted a warbler or finch or grossbeak or any of the more "birdy" birds anywhere at all for at least two to three weeks.

I agree that the preponderance of siskins and the few chickadees and robins tends to discount a raptor in the area, and it is the chickadees and siskins that are my usual all-winter birds.

Even the various species of sparrows have completely disappeared.

I'd like to perhaps chalk it up to molt, or dwindling feed or very early migration, perhaps it is just one of or a combination of these. But I don't recall this situation from other years. I could blame it on the forest fires that have broken out in the area, but this situation was extant before fire season. I usually only keep records of my forays out and away, especially for lifers and the more beguiling birds. Looks like a daily journal of garden visitors would be equally or even more useful.

I also noticed, beginning a month ago, that not a single male rufous or calliope hummer has been around but that the females and juveniles are.
This is also very curious.

Guess I'll just keep my eyes open and my nose in the wind and see what develops, and accept that birding is not an exact science.

Thanks again.

 

[Disneynut1973]

Great start to the day here

4 Young Dunnocks
Blue Tits - Adult and young
Great Tits -Adult and young
2 Robins -young and adult
House Sparrows
Starlings
Collared Doves
M & F Greenfinch (occasional visitors)
Coal Tit (rare visit)

Managed a few photos through the window and have now just managed some from out on the patio - some lovely shots of the Great Tits and Robins, which i'll have to upload later. Fairburn Ings this afternoon too so it's shaping up to be a very good day (really need to stop looking out the window and clean up though!).

 

[Bananafishbones]

Enjoy fairburn Pam..... do you know of anything intresting there at the mo?

Here in the garden a female Chaffinch has just arrived so they are starting to become more constant now, the usual Green and Gold finch in large numbers. I said I would count the Housesparrows the other day. It is extremely hard as they tuck themselves into a large bush to feed the juves and flutter back to our roof. The best I can get is 9 in one go but there are more.

Not seen the Coal tits for a while, but they do tend to dissapear for periods, a Rook came in yesterday and the Blackbirds are roving around the border edges, although a single male has found a way of eating the suet block hanging on the patio and is halfway through it so he should be a fat bird shortly...

Feral pigeons are eating the seed put down for the Housesparrows so a rethink is needed on how to safely feed the Housesparrow residents.

Dave