Backyard birds over the last few days
Submitted by boriscleto on Thu, 04/07/2016 - 12:07pm
While I really have to get out of the house before I go insane, the backyard has been quite busy the last few days.
Yesterday was still a cold day, it even snowed a bit in the afternoon. Lots of House Sparrows making lots of noise.
There have been two Song Sparrows visiting the feeder.
FOY White-throated Sparrow
Lots of Juncos still hanging around. If it doesn't warm up soon they'll be here in June...
Today it is warmer, but raining.
FOY Fox Sparrow. This is the first time I've ever seen a Fox Sparrow in my yard.
House Sparrows still making noise...
FOY Northern Flicker. I'm sure she's as happy as the Robins that the snow melted...
Comments
Thank you for the itty bitty dinosaur pics!
Lovely birds - I hear they're friends of Bernie's.
Think off-center.
George Carlin
They are the only thing keeping me sane right now
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
Was the Fox Sparrow
scuffing up the leaves and litter? They can be noisy doing that.
No pix, but the phoebes are back and calling, at least until the snow and cold this past week. I hope they didn't freeze.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Yes
But I had to shoot at 1/500sec because it is so dark. So all the pics of that activity are blurry.
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
Wonderful pix!
Thanks for posting these.
The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. --Aesop
Nesting time here
Red-headed woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker
Wood duck
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown-headed nuthatch
Carolina chickadee
Carolina wren
It's wonderful that you've seen and photographed a Fox sparrow. I only see them every few years during migration.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Very cool pics
great selection. I've never seen a fox sparrow before - don't think we get them in our neck of the woods
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” -Voltaire
Most of the US only sees them during migration
They breed in northern Canada and the mountain west all the way to Alaska. They winter in the southern California, along the Mexican border and the southeast US. They are also highly variable in appearance. There are 4 main groups that range from the Foxy red here in the east to gray or dark brown.
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
ah right
We are at the bottom of Lake Michigan so could be on their migration route I guess
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” -Voltaire
Thank you, boriscleto, for the lovely bird photos! An avid
bird lover, here. We split our time more than one locale, and have a fairly well-established feeding area in all.
My favorite bird 'regulars' are our large Northern Cardinal family (as many as 16-18, going into winter months), and our smaller, but consistent Jay family when we're in the Mid-South. Usually, a (lone) gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker spends summers with us. And, of course, many sparrows, wrens, orioles, nuthatches, Ground Doves, various pigeons, etc.--and the dreaded Brown-headed Cowbirds (which come in flocks).
Now we've got family and neighbors feeding this crew while we're spending time on the Gulf Coast. We're hearing that the Cowbirds are really getting out-of-hand. Never bothered by them until mid-summer, last year. Can't figure out how to rid ourselves on them, while continuing to feed the other birds. (We did quit putting out suet last year, for a while--but it didn't discourage them from returning day-in, day-out.)
Again, thanks for sharing.
(Music City) Mollie, C99P & Daily Kos
elinkarlsson@WordPress
"The obstacle is the path."--Zen Proverb
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
The only thing I've found
That Grackles and Cowbirds won't eat is Safflower seed. It's supposed to discourage squirrels as well.
The Safflower Solution
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
Thanks! We like squirrels, but we're soon to
be overrun with them, as well. I'll check out the Safflower Solution.
We also have several rabbit 'regulars,' including one pair. They eat pellets, Timothy Hay, and seem to like the 'country mix' bird seed with corn/wheat. Some of them are quite tame--in the sense that they are not concerned in the least about us walking around the area while they feed, including when we're walking the dog.
(Couple summers ago, one very young rabbit ran up to me looking me in the eye, as I was putting out food--I almost passed out!)
BTW, cool avatar!
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
We have some kind of hawk living in or around the back yard
Have heard its cries every day for a month, and from time to time, the Blue jays sounding upset. This morning glimpsed something large and brownish briefly on the back fence before it dived away into the neighbor's shrubbery. Time to try and get a better look! Hoping for maybe a Cooper's, does that sound reasonable? (Northern Virginia.)
Euterpe2
You don't happen to have Stellar Jays, do you?
Because one thing that's rather amazing about them is that they mimic the cries of local Hawks. It's actually really funny to see if you catch one of them doing it, this little blue and black bird sounding as menacing as possible...
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Just heard the stellar here mimic the falcon for the first time
Really surprised me. We also have two scrubs, peregrine falcons rehabilitated here via UCSC, crows that *used* to sit above my bird feeder and eat the chickadees, lots of morning doves, a small shy woodpecker of some type, monarchs that are laying eggs on my butterfly bush and monarch caterpillars and gophers eating the butterfly bush with which I am at war now. And Wilson warblers that over wintered and nuthatches and wrens (I think).
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Scrubs are by far my favorite...
Just everything about them makes me happy. They have a really fun sounding call, and are really smart little birds. Course, I also think they're pretty empathic, but that's based off a few personal incidents that sound silly unless you were there.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Have seen Scrub jays in Florida
where my Dad and I used to go birding back in the day. They were so curious and friendly as well as gorgeous.
Euterpe2
Just Blue jays
We do have mockingbird and catbirds, which can mimic anything, often one thing right after aniither for hours, but I'm pretty sure this "hawk" is a hawk.
Euterpe2
I think they are western birds (n/t)
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
My guess
Red-shouldered hawk
They seem to be comfortable around people and often fly under the canopy and pick their prey off the ground.
They are quite vocal also.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
our buddies
This time of year in north Alabama on our feeder we have our loyal titmouse, chickadee, nuthatch, cardinals, and doves. Wrens and bluebirds reside but don't feed with us. The gold finch are here in their winter garb. The first of the neotropicals came in last week, vireo. Tanagers are soon to arrive, the scarlets pass through but the summers nest with us. The rose breasted grossbeaks, blue grossbeak, and indigo buntings will pass through soon too. Spring is a fun birding time.
Loved your pictures. We have lots of flickers, it's our state bird, but loved seeing your Northern variety. Ours are nicknamed the yellow hammer. Thanks for the lovely non political nature post!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Northern Flicker used to be called Common Flicker
There are just the two varieties, red shafted and yellow shafted. Red if you're in the west and yellow in the east.
We'll have Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings next month. And all the Warblers too. We don't get Blue Grosbeaks though, too far north. I haven't had any Goldfinches or Titmice yet this year, it's just a matter of time before they show up. I don't put out suet anymore so no woodpeckers or nuthatches. My aunt next door gets those.
If I can make it through this month it will finally warm up and dry out. Then I can start hitting the woods. May is my favorite time of year.
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
Rose breasted grosbeaks
are among my favorite birds. I only see them as they pass through on their way north, but they are beautiful birds, both the spectacular males and the beautifully marked females.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
We have a female robin
who has spent the last three days trying to get into our "Florida" room. She flies to the screens over the windows and then flies back to a tree and then repeats the same thing over and over, all day long. We have no idea why she is trying to do this unless she thinks it would be a good place to build a nest. We have lots of cover in our yard that make for great nesting areas.
I love your photographs. I have never seen a fox sparrow so I am glad you shared that one with us.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
The robins we had in canada would fly at their reflection
in the windows because they thought it was another robin challenging their territory. Made a mess of the window.
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Wow, just saw a robin doing the same thing
this afternoon, attacking his reflection in the window of our parked car!
Euterpe2
Great pics boris
Saw a bluejay collecting sticks this morning and later at home I was working on the lawn mower over in the shop and saw that Carolina wrens had again nested in there. Had one in there just about every year since I built it thirty years ago. Almost always have a pair of Eastern Phoebes nest in there too but haven't seen them in there this year yet, although they are around now.
All I want is the truth. Just give me some truth. John Lennon
Thanks for sharing the lovely birds!
And the safflower advice, too.
"As long as there is a lower class, I am in it.
"As long as there is a criminal element, I am of it.
"As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free." Eugene V. Debs