Turtle Posted January 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Maybe I'll hang some birdfeeders here in Ohio and see what flies by. Bill ___Sweet! In the time it took from my last new sighting to reading your post Bill, I sighted yet another new bird! Scratching around on the ground & feeding with Towhees & Juncos, a pair of Fox Sparrows! Ace photographed them & agreed on the ID. The photo is in the Gallery here:http://hypography.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=677&c=3 ___On starting feeders in general, I have found good utility in reusing coffee cans & plastic bottles for seed feeders. Bits of this & that wood sticks, string, wire, screws, etc. from the galimaufry on my table then finishes of very servicable feeders. For the not so crafty, I see a lot of commercial feeders reasonably priced with well thought features. ___On the red-hot-pepper suet, Ace tells me it is meant as a Squirrel deterent & that the "hottness" has no burning effect on birds. The Chickadees & Bushtits seem to like it just fine.:xparty: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Things have been slow around the feeder, even after the snows. I was told last year more of my neighbors have taken up feeding (and have been amazed at how many birds there are!) So maybe the birds just have more choices. The hawk may have been around more too. I thought I caught a glimpse yesterday but I cannot be sure. Another sign was the juncos under my truck. They stayed there for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted January 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Things have been slow around the feeder, even after the snows. I was told last year more of my neighbors have taken up feeding (and have been amazed at how many birds there are!) So maybe the birds just have more choices. ___Nice insight Cedars; I never gave much thought to how many others in my neighborhood feed the birds. In retrospect, I bet quite a few! That is a reassuring thought.:) ___Yesterday I spotted two new species feeding on the seed I throw out on the ground. Today I plan to put my camera in the weather-proof box I made & lower it onto the ground with a pile of seed right in front of it & try & capture some suitable photographs of White-crowned Sparrows & also Golden-crowned Sparrows.___I have also taken my mortor & pestle & started grinding up some hot pepper powder to add to the feeders. I don't mind the Squirrels feeding from the ground seed, but I do want to disuade them from gnawing apart the hanging feeders.___Off I go to get those photos. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted January 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 ___I have a bit more tape to review, then return the camera to the box for another hour of taping & watching. I didn't see the White-crowned Sparrow yet, but besides the Golden-crowned I taped Steller's Jays, a Scrub Jay, Juncos, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow & Towhees all in the same hour.___Happy birding.:) PS Here is a photo of a bird Ace has seen that I haven't; a White-breasted Nuthatch among the dead Ivy on a Doug Fir in our backyard.http://hypography.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=683&c=3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarantism Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 i was walking to get some hot chocolate from starbucks the other day and i noticed an albatross flying over my head. i didnt know that they came as far in as san jose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 ___Here is a fair photo of the Male Golden-crowned Sparrow; do you spot the Female behind him?___I have a bit more tape to review, then return the camera to the box for another hour of taping & watching. I didn't see the White-crowned Sparrow yet, but besides the Golden-crowned I taped Steller's Jays, a Scrub Jay, Juncos, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow & Towhees all in the same hour.___Happy birding.:evil: PS Here is a photo of a bird Ace has seen that I haven't; a White-breasted Nuthatch among the dead Ivy on a Doug Fir in our backyard.http://hypography.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=683&c=3 You make me yearn for the comming months of spring when those sparrows you mention will come back here as they return to their breeding grounds! We have a mild cold front moving in now. The warm weather was very nice and unexpected. This morn, I had more attendants on the ground looking for seed. Maybe the lack of activity was just because of the unseasonably warm weather. Seems that now that the temps have dropped back below freezing, the birds are returning again, just to make sure things have not changed here. I am getting a good number of woodpeckers at the suet feeder. Pileated, Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy. Multiple pairs of all but the Pileated. I had about 7 American Goldfinches yesterday. They often leave me in the winter. Then they appear again. Seems they are starting to yellow up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Today I had a male Common Flicker (eastern). They are rare at my suet feeder in the winter, tending to spend their time further south during the winter months. I have had several male Pheasants but now a hen has showed up. The Tree Sparrows are back in numbers again and I am still getting the Goldfinches. Notable absence is the Cardinals. Zip, zero, none. This seems to indicate that someone is offering a more desireable food supply. There were just too many of them around here for them to have all met an untimely demise. Non Bird (but attracted to my feeding areas) Sightings:The raccoons have been raiding my suet feeders at night so I have been taking them in for the night hours. I am hoping the cooler weather will inspire them to go back to sleep now. I toss out most of my table scraps for the more omnivorous and carnivorous animals who frequent my yard at night (which is why I have so many 'coons.) A few years ago I had my first opossum. They used to be very uncommon around here, but during the drought of the late 80s, the hay that was brought in from more southern areas tended to include these critters in the loads. Now we have had a resurgence in the population. So last night the big one was out there munching stuff. But the cool part was, a few hours later, two baby ones were out there. They were half the size of the big one, so I assume its the brood from this past summer. But the peak of the nighttime watch was the pair of Grey Foxes that were out there! This pair has been hanging around for three years now. They will disappear for months at a time. I am getting used to that now. But they are back! Survived another hunting season! Survived another summer of fast cars and big trucks! Sad sighting of the day- I saw my buck. Usually he is a fleeting flash of movement in the moonlight as he runs away each time I appear in my window at night. He is only about 3 years old. Last winter I found one of his shed antlers. Anyways, I had seen blood drippings for the last week. There is usually one animal each winter that does this, and its usually a deer. I saw him in my back yard. He has a terrible wound on his right rear leg, right at the knee joint. If he is walking slowly he can use it. If he is trying to move at a faster walk, he cannot use this leg. He is hurt and did not even attempt to run and I was only about 60 feet from him when I first saw him. I have seen them (deer) survive traumatic injury in the past, including gunshot wounds so it remains to be seen if this animal will recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarantism Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 that is unfortunite, ceders, about the buck. hopefully he will recover before any predators catch on. regards,tartantism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Mid afternoon I saw a Brown Creeper on my feeding oak in the front yard. I do not see many of these birds, even in the fall and I think this is the first time I have ever seen one in January. As it moved along a thick oak branch, it went underneath and hopped along. Completly upside down for around 4 feet of this branch. I do not know how they can do this! http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/BROCRE/ Picture only:http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/photo_htm/Images/h7260pi.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Today, after a stressful day on the job, my mood was lifted by a familiar sight. For the better part of a week, one bird of the pair of bald eagles who have a nest along my drive home was missing. One bird roosted alone against the morning light. One bird roosted alone in the evening sun. Today on my drive home, the pair of birds was together again. One on the nest tree, the other on a branch overlooking the stream that passes under the freeway. The ice is beginning to give way to the waters underneath. With all the things that can go wrong for a bird of prey, it brings me relief to see all is still well with these two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 ______I have seen no birds of prey hunting the feeders on my slope, although I see the Osprey wheeling 'round the updrafts overt the swollen Columbia River. The weather is dark, the river is dark, & the mood is dark. A quartet of Red-wing Blackbirds has frequented the feeder of late; dark as well. Up close however, they aren't black. Their backs have a mottled brown ladder-back pattern, & they keep their red hidden except when posturing, showing only a thin bar of yellowish-tan. I have watched them face off with the Jays, throwing their wings forward & up to reveal their bright red-orange "elbows" looking like great eyes & very effectively so. ___With over 17" inches of rain in the month of January from my rain gauge, my slope isn't visibly sliding like so many in the region; however cracks have appeared in the sheetrock of my Columbia Bluff House & I may have to evacuate. Who will feed the birds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racoon Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 How freaky cool! He looks like Woody Woodpecker...:cup: I wish I could post photos. Before my cat died, his parting salvo towards the "prey" side of the animal kingdom was the killing of an orange and black striped 'Varied Thrush'. It was striking in its color, and a nice size 'perching' bird.I looked it up in my Audobon Society field guide of N.A. birds.Its similar to a robin and occupies shaded floors of coniferous forests. Its song is not melodious, but it is remarkable. It whistles 2 or 3 buzzy notes that fade away. Its calls are a low "took" sound. When I found the Varied Thrush i had mixed emotions. 1) What a pretty bird, too bad it's dead. :singer: and 2) Wow, my cat has gotten older, but he must really be strutting his stuff after this latest kill. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 How freaky cool! He looks like Woody Woodpecker...:singer: I wish I could post photos. Before my cat died, his parting salvo towards the "prey" side of the animal kingdom was the killing of an orange and black striped 'Varied Thrush'. It was striking in its color, and a nice size 'perching' bird.I looked it up in my Audobon Society field guide of N.A. birds.Its similar to a robin and occupies shaded floors of coniferous forests. Its song is not melodious, but it is remarkable. It whistles 2 or 3 buzzy notes that fade away. Its calls are a low "took" sound.... ___Here is my Gallery photo of the Varied Thrush. I don't care to see the cats hunt my birds, but I do want to see the raptors do so. Looks like I won't have much time for it now. http://hypography.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=563&c=3&userid=796___Psshhhht. Turtle Out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 ___With over 17" inches of rain in the month of January from my rain gauge, my slope isn't visibly sliding like so many in the region; however cracks have appeared in the sheetrock of my Columbia Bluff House & I may have to evacuate. Who will feed the birds? OH no! I cant imagine the stress of worrying about my house sliding down the hill would be. I hope things are ok for you and the cracks in the sheetrock stop. Racoon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racoon Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 What a terrific thread! :Waldo: Birds are the eyes and voices of God. (in my humble opinion) There is a hive of Chickadees within the Blue Spruce near the deck at my residence. They can make such a chatter.. Kinda' like a Coffee Klatch. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 What a terrific thread! :) Birds are the eyes and voices of God. (in my humble opinion) There is a hive of Chickadees within the Blue Spruce near the deck at my residence. They can make such a chatter.. Kinda' like a Coffee Klatch. :hihi: A fun thread! Hive of Chickadees! Very good description! http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8333601/from/RL.1/ Mine usually give three or four dee dee dees. I guess I am low on the threat list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarantism Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 birding on my side of town is slow.i see many birds of course, but nothing beyond anything common(thoungh, :hihi: a large amount of crows) and a few of snowy eagrets. i look forewards to posting back here when i have something interesting., happy birding,:) Turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.