Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 That's the only part of migration I don't like... knowing we're loosing our little feathered friends for a handful of months. Did you know that Dark Eyed Juncos have an amazing spatial memory that allows them the ability to return to both their breeding and wintering grounds (each year), right down the exact same yard they visited the year prior to? That is so amazing to me, because some travel (fly) hundreds and even thousands of miles during each voyage, yet to be able to pin-point their return down to a specific yard or place is truly magnificent. I envy you so much to be able to enjoy your little ones year-round. This is one thing that amazes me about birds in general. The geese. The hummers. The hawks. How do they know what they know? It's fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I have posted a lot of my bird photography here: https://www.facebook.com/pattyrebnephotography If you go to June 6, you will see the more typical shot and description. If you go to June 6, the Carpe Diem post, you will see my Bird Pride and Joy shot of 2014. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I need to put my feeders out again. Birds used to love to congregate around our big maple but the roots started to crack our foundation and we had to cut it down. (Boo hoo.) Some of my favorites: Towhees, nuthatches, chickadees. We have a chicken hawk that has a nest across the street in our neighbor's big Douglas Fir. I tell people, if you want birds around your home, plant a variety of shrubs and trees. Cedar trees are a particular favourite of little birds, as they roost and breed in them. At the height of the Summer months, I spend countless hours outside gardening, and our Dark Eyed Juncos never fail to provide me with all the entertainment I need. Rather than taking flight, they chase one another on foot, running! In and out of the shrubs and conifers they go. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 We had a feeder outside our window when we were homeschooling. I cannot tell you the number of times it provided complete distraction from the HS task at hand. And I'm not sorry. My dh and ds ended up taking birding trips together. The young man I bird with was homeschooled in his early years, but he was born in love with birds. It hasn't mattered one bit to him that he has gone to public school. He is in love with birds. He has no idea how special he is for his accomplishments in biology, geography, nature, photography because of this consuming interest. He still hangs out with me, a plain, middle-aged lady, and acts like it is a normal thing to do. God bless him. There have been days I had to shut the blinds to complete a math lesson! Love the story about your young friend. Birding truly is a life-long, inter-generational activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! Interesting fact to share with you re: Cow Birds. Dark Eyed Juncos are readily known to adopt baby Cow Birds. Now how neat is that! I had some photos from several years back in which a nest in our porch basket was supplanted by a parasitic baby. Maybe a Cowbird? I'm not sure. It was far bigger than the nest-mates. Another time, there was a nest with a few small eggs in it, then an invader egg, then all the eggs were exiled (i guess) from the nest. They were all smashed about the porch. I wondered if the would-be foster parents rejected all the eggs after the invader egg arrived, or if a different catastrophe happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 We were getting so many birds and then a sharp-shinned hawk started haunting our feeders and eating the songbirds. I used to fill the bird feeder once/week and now the same amount lasts 2-3 months. :( In our yard we get robins, oak titmice, morning doves, California towhees, Anna's hummingbirds, black phoebes, Nutall's woodpeckers, Townsend's warblers, western scrub jays,California quails, and white crowned sparrows. The latter are here for the season, the others are here year-round. We do live very close to saltwater, so if I walk a few minutes it's a whole new list of waterbirds: ducks, geese, scaups, buffleheads, cormorants, grebes, pelicans, gulls, terns, plovers, avocets, sandpipers, yellowlegs, whimbrels, sandpipers, herons, egrets, cranes, kingfishers, and coots. Many of these are only here Nov-Apr and then they return to Canada and the Arctic. They're not in my yard because they stick to the waterfront though. OK... here's a little tip for you when feathered predators move in, remove the feeder or feeders for a few days. Sometimes you'll have to remove the feeder or feeders for a week or two, but don't despair, your little ones will move right back onto your property again (in full force) just as soon as you set food out for them again. The purpose behind the removal of their food source, is it deters the predators from sticking around. Love all the bird varieties you have! Wish I could come for a visit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ok, this thread inspired me to put seeds in my feeder (large plastic saucer, attached to the top of a tree prop, completely out of reach of all cats, much to their dismay) and I have successfully identified a male house sparrow and a white crowned sparrow. I am so thrilled. We feed our little ones a variety of goodies. Everything from natural shelled sunflower seeds, crushed almonds, oats, pine nuts, cracked corn, walnut bits, and pecans (lightly crushed). Additionally, Dark Eyed Juncos love white millet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I have posted a lot of my bird photography here: https://www.facebook.com/pattyrebnephotography If you go to June 6, you will see the more typical shot and description. If you go to June 6, the Carpe Diem post, you will see my Bird Pride and Joy shot of 2014. :0) Beautiful pictures, Patty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 A "Big Year" for birders. I would suggest using it not as a competition, and not limiting the geographical area, but just a fun year-long count of individual species each of us sees in 2015. Love, love, love this! I'm in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Suggestion: get a bird book and start keeping track of the birds you spot. Note the date, the location. It is a wonderful memory book to build over the years. I recommend one for each active birder, as it can be a lifetime book. Note: I want everyone here to know that one day when my son and I were out with the Audubon Society (an activity I recommend), we saw an albino red-winged blackbird. Talk about a Life Bird!! :0) What an exciting experience that must have been! That's why birding is so fun, because you never know what you're going to come across or see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I thought you guys might like this article about a homeschooled teen who's a birder. He was going for a 460 bird Big Year. Not sure how it panned out. Homeschooling and birding, both relevant to this thread. It's like killing two...uh...never mind. Thanks for the link to the read! Will be sure to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 When I first came to the United States for college, I was so excited about the robins I would see. I would call out "Look, a robin"! and everyone around me would look at me strangely and shrug. I'm still excited to see robins (or more accurately American Robins which are a species of thrush). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I love the Bush Tits. I counted 18 of then on our suet feeder one day. My dh describes them as bird lollipops. I also like nuthatches that walk upside down and have sticking-up tails. Oh yes... between the Nuthatches and Juncos, they're definitely my two favourite species! I laugh every time I watch our Nuthatches hone-in on the feeding site, because they'll stop short, look side to side, up and around, then treat themselves, but the manner in which they shift their heads back and forth is so cartoon-like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Cedar waxwings allegedly live in this area and have been spotted by everyone but me. I have the worst luck with these supposedly common birds. One time I even rounded a corner and saw someone staring up. I asked her what she was looking at and she told me I had just missed a waxwing. It probably heard I was coming. :glare: LOL! Be patient, as your day will come. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 The hilarious part is that I thought I was doing HIM the favor, and his mom, being a chauffeur before he could drive. Now I have a new friend, and a new interest, and a new talent. Silly me. He is the nicest person, great sense of humor and super intelligent and intentional in his faith. He has overcome more than is my position to share, and has come through as a shining person, What a lovely story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Can we just make this the birding thread for 2015? Yes please! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Golden Fronted woodpeckers, Black chinned hummingbirds, inca doves, red bellied woodpeckers, Mockingbirds, Painted Buntings, Cardinals, Rock Pigeons, White Wing Doves, love them everyone. We are always watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I'm a bird nerd, but not a full-fledged ( ;)) birder, i.e., I haven't taken a vacation to coincide with some rare migration. I have a finch feeder, a hummingbird feeder (summer), and two other general feeders, plus I put out suet cakes. We get tons of woodpeckers. Mostly Downy, Hairy, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. We see a Piliated now and then; they are awesome. A Red-Headed from time to time. Tons of creepers and tits, Cardinals, Blue Jays. The finch feeder mostly gets Goldfinches and a few tanagers. We get sparrows and wrens; they nest in my porch baskets every year. Oh! I also keep two Bluebird houses, so we see them plenty in the summer. We also have a serious population of Red-Tailed and Red-Shouldered hawks. There are owls, too, but I hear them more often than I see them. One morning, while I ate breakfast, a Great Horned Owl landed in the tree outside my window! That was amazing! Fantastic! Dark Eyed Juncos are ground feeders, so if you want to draw the attention of these cute little guys, toss a little white millet around under the feeder and what them come! We have shallow trays that we use as Junco feeders, and they sit right inside the trays when eating. House Finches are also ground-foragers, so do keep that in mind if you want to attract more of them to your yard. In the fall it's not uncommon for me to spot 5 or 6 House Finches sharing the same feeding tray! So adorable seeing so many feeding together at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 There are some fields on the way to church that migrating trumpeter swans use every year as a stopping point. I was so sad last year when there were only about four or five birds there as opposed to the hundreds we've seen in the past. But just this last week I saw them again - not hundreds yet but I'd say there were about fifty or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 So how does the Big Bird Year work? Do you count every single sparrow you see? Or just the first sparrow that year? Or the first sparrow ever? I love birds but I think I now need to hand in my birder license for not knowing basic birder stuff. :leaving: As a rule you count each and every bird you see. Of course, counts will vary due to knowing you have X-number of this or that variety/species which frequent your property, but oh, surprise-surprise... today I had a so-and-so drop by. That sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 There are some fields on the way to church that migrating trumpeter swans use every year as a stopping point. I was so sad last year when there were only about four or five birds there as opposed to the hundreds we've seen in the past. But just this last week I saw them again - not hundreds yet but I'd say there were about fifty or so. My birder buddy notes when they are back, and they are back. But they haven't been as plentiful as they were last year at our local beach. I may see some this weekend...we are heading out again on Friday or Saturday depending on which is least rainy/cold. I am a fair weather....everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Well the FIRST thing you have to learn is that there are about 4 trillion kinds of sparrows so you have to be more specific than "sparrow!" The only thing more PITB-ish is gulls, who interbreed and make a mess of their markings (and your car). Right you are. Nice easy part about identifying Sparrows... they have big feet! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I don't know much either. It's actually DS who's into birding and I've learned all this stuff incidentally through him. It's sure going to be fun interacting with each other on this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Oh, wow! What an extensive variety you have. My weakness resides with the little ones, because they're so darned cute and playful. I really miss our Dark Eyed Juncos (3 or 4 varieties), and House Sparrows, along with a few others, but I know they'll all be back once Spring arrives, and how exciting it will be to hear them singing once again! So pretty their songs and calls are. As for Blue Jays, we have those, too, but I don't much care for their bully-like ways. We also have hawks, which of course I do not like, because I'm worrying over the little ones, but according to a really interesting article I read, success rate among the little ones feathered predators is less than 10%, which came as a big relief to me when I read that. We also get Downy Woodpeckers, too. So darling and cute they are. Little sweeties. I used to think blue jays were the most beautiful bird until I really got a chance to observe them, they are kind of mean and I don't like the sound they make at all. I think the bird I saw this morning is a type of junco, there were several playing in the backyard. Hopefully they will be back in the morning. Here is a neat sight for identifying birds: http://www.whatbird.com/Expert/Expert.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 If you have an iPhone or Android phone you should download the Cornell iBird app. It is super helpful in identifying birds. My buddy uses the app to "call" to birds to draw them out. He used one of the hawk calls to scare another hawk away from his chickens. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Yes, here too! A flock stops by our yard and finishes off the berries on some shrubs that line our driveway. We LOVE seeing them every year! Some bird friends we see: Cardinals, White-Breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, House Finches, Purple Finches (less often), Carolina Wrens, Gray Catbirds (perhaps this is the gray bird seen by a poster above?), Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Mourning Doves, Dark-Eyed Juncoes, Starlings and Grackles, American Goldfinches, Blue Jays and Killdeer. Out away from home we see Turkey Vultures (Buzzards!), Red-Tailed Hawks and some kind of Kestrals, a Great Blue Heron that spends each summer in a nearby pond, other waterfowl, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and we saw a beautiful blue and black bird species last year on a nature walk whose name I can't remember! I love seeing yellow and red House Finches! The red ones are males. This Fall we had 4 or 5 males visit our feeders, and what a show that was. So territorial and dominating they were with one another. You can learn so much just from sitting back and observing. And, I even witnessed several day old Finch Fledglings. Talk about cute! They were no bigger than my baby finger, and so curious. Babies first day out sort of thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 My birder buddy notes when they are back, and they are back. But they haven't been as plentiful as they were last year at our local beach. I may see some this weekend...we are heading out again on Friday or Saturday depending on which is least rainy/cold. I am a fair weather....everything. I've always wondered how that works. Do certain flocks have certain migratory routes with set "rest areas"? So are the swans I see out by the race track (which is where I see them) the same ones each year? Are those the same flock that you might see at the beach? Or are they separate groups flying separate flight plans? And I wonder what makes a rest area appealing to them? Since I always see them in the same fields I assume there is something there, vegetation, the presence of big puddly areas, that are appealing to them. Was the fact that there were so few last year because the population is down as a whole? Or just in that flock? Or did they not like the puddles last year and instead stopped somewhere else where I couldn't see? I wish I could get in there and interview those birds to get the "rest of the story"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 That's why you need a birder buddy, Jean. I have NO CLUE! But my buddy would tell you all about this, and were I a younger person I would remember the answers he gave me this time last year. But yes, they do come back, and leave again pretty soon, and some birds mate for life and others do not but show up at the same places at the same time. That's part of what one learns by keeping a journal/bird book. I actually anticipated the swans this year... That is a first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Cedar waxwings allegedly live in this area and have been spotted by everyone but me. I have the worst luck with these supposedly common birds. One time I even rounded a corner and saw someone staring up. I asked her what she was looking at and she told me I had just missed a waxwing. It probably heard I was coming. :glare: I have this same problem! My kids have seen one in our yard, once, but I missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 We have a huge variety. For some reason, we have more Mountain Chickadees than usual this year--we've had up to 3 at a time. We usually just have Black-capped. We have one that I swear is a cross--he has just ONE white feather at his eye. We have lots of various woodpeckers and unfortunately, a group of Magpies have found the feeders. We have lots of juncos, but the finches won't show up until later in the winter. We have nesting Bald Eagles just across the road and we did the happy dance when the Goldens moved out--they're rough on the lamb population. We have a pair of nesting Harriers that have been on the far side of the ranch for years and years. We have Sandhills every year and ONE year they had a Whooping Crane with them! We have ouzels just up the road, at the river (obviously). We'll get grosbeaks in in the spring. We actually had the only nesting population of Bobolinks on this side of the Divide, but they moved on after about 10 years. We'd wait to mow parts of fields and all sorts of folks came out to see them. We get Goldfinches and Yellow Warblers in the summer--we have had a pair of the Goldfinches down by the iron gate for years. We have HUNDREDS of Red-winged blackbirds and one year, had a Yellow-headed Blackbird. I've heard him a few times since, but never spotted him. We have one of the largest heron rookeries in CO just down the road, and we have Ibis, Bitterns and lots of Killdeer. We were glad when the Canada Geese moved on. We have Burrowing Owls at the airport (dh had to rewrite his storm-water management place for them). We have a nesting pair of Great-Horned Owls. We get both Mountain and Western Bluebirds and every kids of swallow you can imagine. We have robins, Towhees, cowbirds, Mourning Doves, crows and ravens. We Little Brown Creepers, along with flycatchers. When we remodeled the house, we left the old post for the electric wire as the flycatchers sit on it. We have mergansers, Ruddy Ducks and mallards. It's not unusual to see a whole flock of 20 Balds sitting around the ice fishermen. We have Kestrels, Grackles, Blue Grouse, lots of hummingbirds, Orioles (especially by the ski hill), Waxwings, wrens, Turkey Vultures, starlings, Chukar, Sandpipers, Barn Owls, Kingfishers, teal, and tanagers. The biggest problem we have is the Gunnison Sage Grouse. It's found only in a few places and it just got listed by the EPA--destroying the economic base for ranchers. Stay turned for more years of lawsuits. One thing I've found Re: many of the bird species that live in and around our home throughout the year, from Spring till Fall when small berries, fruit, and insects are plentiful, seeds make up a very small portion of their diet, hence why people tend to not see the large concentrations at this time as compared to when Autumn is in full-swing. All I can is wow! Love your list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I have this same problem! My kids have seen one in our yard, once, but I missed it. One of my favorite pictures is one I got of a bare branch, the caption being, "I SWEAR there was a scarlet tanager there a second ago!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Got it. So no one will blink an eye when I report that Dodo I saw? LOL! Mums the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 LOL! Mums the word. As in, "Mum, you're such a dodo!" Well, that explains THAT. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 This is one thing that amazes me about birds in general. The geese. The hummers. The hawks. How do they know what they know? It's fascinating. I know... so incredibly amazing isn't it. The wonders of nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I have posted a lot of my bird photography here: https://www.facebook.com/pattyrebnephotography If you go to June 6, you will see the more typical shot and description. If you go to June 6, the Carpe Diem post, you will see my Bird Pride and Joy shot of 2014. :0) This is wonderful! Will be checking it out. Thanks for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 This is wonderful! Will be checking it out. Thanks for it. Thank you for looking. My birder buddy outshines me by an order of magnitude. But I do what I can. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I had some photos from several years back in which a nest in our porch basket was supplanted by a parasitic baby. Maybe a Cowbird? I'm not sure. It was far bigger than the nest-mates. Another time, there was a nest with a few small eggs in it, then an invader egg, then all the eggs were exiled (i guess) from the nest. They were all smashed about the porch. I wondered if the would-be foster parents rejected all the eggs after the invader egg arrived, or if a different catastrophe happened. Sadly, a number of birds could be held responsible for such actions. The Blue Jay is infamous for doing such a thing, including eating the young, as is the House Sparrow. Nevertheless, always so sad and upsetting to see such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 When I first came to the United States for college, I was so excited about the robins I would see. I would call out "Look, a robin"! and everyone around me would look at me strangely and shrug. I'm still excited to see robins (or more accurately American Robins which are a species of thrush). Oh yes... in the Fall, we have literally hundreds of Robins that take up residence in our back yard and surrounding area, and their singing is deafening. One would never know they weren't parked smack-dab in the heart of a full-fledged wild bird sanctuary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Sadly, a number of birds could be held responsible for such actions. The Blue Jay is infamous for doing such a thing, including eating the young, as is the House Sparrow. Nevertheless, always so sad and upsetting to see such a thing. Don't get me started on the ____ unnamed bird who stole 6 eggs from my little junco's nest. ::::scowl:::: :::sad::: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Golden Fronted woodpeckers, Black chinned hummingbirds, inca doves, red bellied woodpeckers, Mockingbirds, Painted Buntings, Cardinals, Rock Pigeons, White Wing Doves, love them everyone. We are always watching. How lovely. What a pretty variety. I'm going to have to pull out my Birders Guide and lookup a few of the birds mentioned over the course of this thread, as there are some I am not familiar with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 There are some fields on the way to church that migrating trumpeter swans use every year as a stopping point. I was so sad last year when there were only about four or five birds there as opposed to the hundreds we've seen in the past. But just this last week I saw them again - not hundreds yet but I'd say there were about fifty or so. There's not a doubt in my mind that the environmental woes taking place due to the poor management of our planet, is having a negative and in some cases, catastrophic effect on many species. So sad indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Thanks. We're new to birding in the last year or so and we didn't know we would find hawks in our rather urbanized location, especially just hanging out in a yard. We were mostly concerned about cats. You should have seen my face when I looked up and a hawk watching me from 6-7 feet away through the window, perched on a princess flower tree of all things. We've since learned there are lots of hawks around although they tend to be on tall buildings downtown, looking down for prey. We did remove the feeders for a month but it's been months since and our population has not rebounded. I don't know why. It's possible the hawk still comes around but we have not seen him. I'm not putting in too much effort to lure the birds back because we're moving soon. The place we live now could be more bird-friendly and I plan to out my efforts into our new yard. Will be keeping my fingers-crossed for you in hopes your new move will reap a healthy harvest of feathered friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dawn Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I'm spending the winter learning bird songs! I bought a couple bird song CDs, and am finally placing some of the calls that have mystified me. If you're in the Midwest or eastern states, Bird Song Ear Training Guide: Who Cooks for Poor Sam Peabody? is my favorite. My kids are even picking up the calls. Lately we've been watching (among the million house sparrows) chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches, and juncos come to the feeder and the ground beneath it. It's amusing to watch the differences in how each bird eats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I used to think blue jays were the most beautiful bird until I really got a chance to observe them, they are kind of mean and I don't like the sound they make at all. I think the bird I saw this morning is a type of junco, there were several playing in the backyard. Hopefully they will be back in the morning. Here is a neat sight for identifying birds: http://www.whatbird.com/Expert/Expert.aspx There's a saying in the bird world that goes something like this, "Blue Jays, the bird that bird lovers love to hate". I don't live by hating them, but if they kept their distance from our place I would be forever grateful. Thank you for the link to the site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Most of the blue jays in this area are actually Steller's Jays. They have a black head and crest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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