Pink Elephant Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 This will be The Year of the Hummingbird. I can see the feeder from my bed and as I opened my lazy eyes at 8:00 this morning I saw a sweet little hummer at the feeder. How about maintenance of the Hummingbird feeder, Krissi? We've never owned a Hummingbird feeder, but from everything I have read about them, one has to be extra careful about boiling the sugar mix before filling the feeder, and being dedicated in the proper disinfecting of the feeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Elephant Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 The most fun I had watching birds was at my mom's house. She'd just turned off the lawn sprinklers and there was a puddle and there was at least 8 or 9 little birds just splashing and drinking and fluffing their feathers in this puddle. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. You took the words right out of my mouth! Me, too! I think a little birdbath would ideal for such, though it's my understanding birds are more attracted to running, trickling, or moving water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 How about maintenance of the Hummingbird feeder, Krissi? We've never owned a Hummingbird feeder, but from everything I have read about them, one has to be extra careful about boiling the sugar mix before filling the feeder, and being dedicated in the proper disinfecting of the feeder. I make the nectar by boiling water and adding the sugar. Helps the sugar dissolve better anyway. Since we have a lot of hummers I do have the maintain the feeder often. I don't know, my feeder is for easy to clean. It doesn't have all those fake red flowers and tubes and stuff, which can harbor mold. It's pretty simple. There's just a bunch of holes around the top that they stick their little beaks into. I take it apart, and clean it really good with hot, soapy water and rinse well. I haven't seen any dead hummingbirds, so I guess I'm not poisoning them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Before heading to bed last night, Mr. M-mv ensured that all of the feeders were topped off and scattered corn and nuts for the squirrels. (As any seasoned backyard birder knows, there are no squirrel-proof feeders. Cheap feed scattered away from the feeders will keep those furry nuisances away from the birds and the more expensive seed, though.) Then I hung a Post-It on the big window to remind all of us to note our first bird in the morning. Each of us espied an American goldfinch first, although it was a tight race between them, the dark-eyed juncos, a white-breasted nuthatch, and a red-bellied woodpecker. So. The Year of the American Goldfinch. Let’s see what it brings. (That's an old pic, from our old house.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 My calendar for the refrigerator calendar is a Backyard Bird calendar this year because of this thread. January's picture is a Northern Flicker. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love their plumage but hate it when they wake me up "knocking" on our shingle roof! Though I love that they are eating potentially harmful bugs too. . . :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hmmm, could it be the first bird I talked about on Jan 1st? That was a Wilson's Snipe :) I'm not sure what the 1st bird was that I saw...probably a Dark-eyed Junco. I personally like Year of the Snipe. As for juncos, I worked with them for my PhD dissertation, so they've had their turn!! My first pair of binos were Bushnell's as well! Laura Corin - love hearing about your birds :) Slow going for birding so far, but I did stop a few places yesterday and today. Favorites so far were Buffleheads and Hooded Mergansers. I let my DD start entering the birds in e-bird (birdlog app) and she took a much greater interest in it! I'll teach her the 4-letter alpha codes that banders use before all is said and done ;) She actually spotted a few birds before I did today, so I was proud of her for that. I still remember her little 2.5-yr-old voice saying 'Mommy, there's a Brown Thrasher in the mulberry tree'. I was SO SURPRISED she knew the name of the bird and the tree. It's always startling how much information little ones absorb and retain. Most people wouldn't have known either of those things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 A number if years ago I found a Hummingbird just sitting out on the grass, not moving, so I went out and picked it up and just held it in my hands for a while, talking to it, petting it, and as I was observing all of it's delight, I noticed how small it's feet were. They were just like human eyelashes. So dainty. I'm assuming it had stunned itself and once it rested and recalculated it's bearings, away it went. An acquaintance of mine rehabs hummingbirds. They are gems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Laura Corin - love hearing about your birds :) It's sad that one's own local birds seem very ordinary, but exotic from the outside. I will say that I was astonished the first time I saw a flock of goldfinches. I was convinced that they must be escaped exotics - it seemed so unlikely that they were native to the UK. I lived in California for two years, and whilst I was studying for my MBA, I watched a couple of hummingbirds raise their chicks. Witnessing the fledglings take their first flights was amongst the best moments of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 On the subject of the dark-eyed junco, I offer the following.... In her paean to birding, Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds, Lyanda Lynn Haupt writes: There is a game birders play on New Year’s Day called “Bird of the Year.†The very first bird you see on the first day of the new year is your theme bird for the next 365 days. It might seem a curious custom, but people who watch birds regularly are always contriving ways to keep themselves interested. This is one of those ways. You are given the possibility of creating something extraordinary — a Year of the Osprey, Year of the Pileated Woodpecker, Year of the Trumpeter Swan. This game is an inspiration to place yourself in natural circumstances that will yield a heavenly bird, blessing your year, your perspective, your imagination, your spirit. New year, new bird. After her breathless anticipation, Haupt is confronted with… an Eastern Starling, or “sky-rat.†Year of the Eastern Starling. Inauspicious, yes, but not without its charms, according to Haupt. When I first read about Haupt’s charming birding game, what, seven? nine? eleven? years ago, I resolved to play on every January 1 remaining to me. Imagine my delight at espying a dozen of our dark-eyed junco friends beneath the feeders last New Year's Day. I hope for the same again tomorrow. And on the subject of backyard birding, here is my list: American Crow American Goldfinch American Robin Baltimore Oriole Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Chipping Sparrow Common Grackle Cooper’s Hawk Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Wild Turkey European Starling Hairy Woodpecker Hermit Thrush House Sparrow House Wren House Finch Indigo Bunting Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-tailed Hawk Rose-breasted Grosbeak Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sharp-shinned Hawk White-breasted Nuthatch My middle child taught herself to read using / memorizing bird identification guides and birding texts, and when we moved from Chicago to this tiny town on the prairie in 2004, it was largely because she and her sister wanted birds and trees in their own backyard. One of my goals for 2015 is to (finally!) complete the home study course I began through Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Speaking of the Lab, the same daughter and I are registered for the "Understanding Bird Behavior" webinar next week. Anyone else? Love this! Thanks, MMV! I was indoors under the weather all day yesterday, but I will pop out this afternoon. Y'all please say a prayer that the first bird I see isn't a crow. My Big Year will have to be low budget, but I am looking at an app for my iphone - Big Year Birding (by PVC Maine LL ?). It costs about $10 but there are no reviews. By chance does anyone here use that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 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! We use this to call out owls. It usually works! Sorry I am bombing this thread but the multiquote doesn't seem to be working. I am fine with this thread in lieu of a social group, it's already here and no new place to look! Generally speaking, I'm going to try to cut down on board time this spring - too much happening on the home front - but I will look forward to popping back in on this thread and (hopefully!) updating my bird counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 FYI - Pink Elephant contacted me and has decided to not continue her involvement in this forum. She had not realized the overarching homeschooling/education theme of the site. I hope she knows she's welcome here if she changes her mind but did want to put this out here since she started this big thread. I really appreciated her enthusiasm for birding. She as well as the rest of you have renewed my own enthusiasm for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 FYI - Pink Elephant contacted me and has decided to not continue her involvement in this forum. She had not realized the overarching homeschooling/education theme of the site. I hope she knows she's welcome here if she changes her mind but did want to put this out here since she started this big thread. I really appreciated her enthusiasm for birding. She as well as the rest of you have renewed my own enthusiasm for it. DANG IT. I was enjoying her presence a lot. And I'm not homeschooling anymore. Well, Pink Elephant, come back if you wish, even if it is just to follow and add your lovely comments to this thread!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 FYI - Pink Elephant contacted me and has decided to not continue her involvement in this forum. She had not realized the overarching homeschooling/education theme of the site. I hope she knows she's welcome here if she changes her mind but did want to put this out here since she started this big thread. I really appreciated her enthusiasm for birding. She as well as the rest of you have renewed my own enthusiasm for it. Oh my, Pink Elephant, you are surely welcome here! Thank you for starting this topic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 One of my favorite birding memories is during a snowstorm (I live in SC so it's likely these birds had never seen snow). More birds than I had ever seen came to the feeders. One of the feeders is on a slight hill, and I threw seed out onto the snow/ice--I think it must have rained on top of the snow and so there was a sheet of ice. The birds flew into get the seed, landed on the ice, and slid down the hill. Poor things!! I am sure they were as bewildered as the rest of us South Carolinians were with all the white stuff. My chickens refuse to come outside when it's snowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 That's too bad about Pink Elephant. The chat board would have been a fine place for her to hangout regardless of her lack of any homeschooling connection. This thread that she started brought out the WTM bird watchers of all levels, from serious ones with life lists to casual backyard birders. We can thank her for bringing us together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Oh dear! And this thread has been so inspirational for me! Don't go, Pink Elephant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 The Year of the Towhee. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnG in Arizona Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I will timidly jump in, as a new/wannabe birder. We moved from Hawaii to Arizona this year, and happened to buy a house with a few birdfeeders, and even some leftover bags of birdseed. Our house is located at the base of a Sonoran desert mountain preserve. So . . . slowly but surely, we have been drawn into the world of birds. We bought our Arizona bird guidebooks, brought out the binoculars, and have spent a fair amount of money at our local wild bird store, buying feed and other supplies. Our highlights are: Hummingbirds, many varieties and year round Goldfinches Cardinals Gambel's Quail Greater Roadrunner Gila woodpecker and other woodpeckers Kestrel We worked hard to attract the wild rosy-faced lovebirds that are unique to the Phoenix area, and finally succeeded! :) And our most exciting visitor has been . . . a great horned owl that has taken up sporadic daytime roost in one of our palm trees. He occasionally drops scary looking owl pellets (complete with visible bones) on our front sidewalk! And my kids have named him Hoot, naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Well it's pretty glamorous for me. It will be... The Year of the Canada Goose At least it's not a crow. I went out walking yesterday and it was the strangest thing - not a songbird in sight. I suppose they were hunkering down in preparation for the incoming low pressure system. But the lake, full of Canada geese. I really need to get on to stocking my backyard feeders. We had such a lush spring, I didn't set out summer seed, but focused on the hummingbirds instead. Time to set out the viewing bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Well it's pretty glamorous for me. It will be... The Year of the Canada Goose At least it's not a crow. . I was a little nervous myself. I didn't want it to be the Year of the House Sparrow. But, I can see the hummingbird feeder from my bed and I opened my eyes and there was a sweet little hummer, much to my delight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I was a little nervous myself. I didn't want it to be the Year of the House Sparrow. But, I can see the hummingbird feeder from my bed and I opened my eyes and there was a sweet little hummer, much to my delight! I obviously brought in my nectar feeders too early this season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Sigh. This year is indeed the Year of the Crow for me. Not fair! Though I remind myself that crows are intelligent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The first bird I saw this year was a Mountain Bluebird. The second bird I saw this year was a raven. I have seen crows before and knew they were large and wondered if they were ravens but after seeing five ravens in the back yard this morning, I now know. These birds were much bigger. The dog was woofing at them; she generally lets the cat get worked up about sparrows and small fry, but these were worthy of her woof. I love bird watching and used to do it a lot. In the spring, barn swallows nest in our alcove. What a mess, but we do love birds. We finally tore down their nests (2) at the end of the season this year, but I'm sure they'll be back again next year, fifth year in a row for us, and this is not a new nesting spot. I saved one of the babies overnight last year. The cats come around and I knew he would be toast so we kept him overnight and let him go next morning. It is fun to watch the concerned parents and siblings encourage the new fledglings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I heard a Great Horned Owl last night. We have a lot of those around, but I thrill every time I hear them. And a scrub Jay came to my feeder this morning. That was fun. I haven't seen one of them since summer. I got a Merlin bird ID app for my iPad. That is very handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I heard a Great Horned Owl last night. We have a lot of those around, but I thrill every time I hear them. And a scrub Jay came to my feeder this morning. That was fun. I haven't seen one of them since summer. I got a Merlin bird ID app for my iPad. That is very handy. Oooh, where do you see scrub jays? (It's okay if you don't want to say where you are.) I see them occasionally near one of the libraries I used to frequent, and see them often at the Canaveral National Seashore. I love seeing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I'm sorry to hear Pink Elephant had left the board, I hope she visits this thread. Because of her I learned what a dark eyed Junco looks like, turns out they have been visiting my yard all along and I didn't notice. So far in 2015 I have seen: Red shouldered hawks Crows Turkey vultures (about a dozen in a tree, so creepy) Robins Canada geese Mallards Song sparrows Dark eyed juncos Northern cardinals Blue jays Those were all within a mile of my home and without really even trying. There was a great blue heron frequenting the pond in our neighborhood but I haven't seen him since the 31st. I don't know if he moved on or if he moved to the side of the pond closer to the road where I can't see when driving past. I have also seen what I think is a northern mockingbird but the pictures don't look exactly like what I saw. This particular bird loves to dive bomb the neighbors cat. This weekend I am going hiking so hopefully I'll see some more birds. The area where I am going has a bird blind which usually means there is more variety than I see at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Oooh, where do you see scrub jays? (It's okay if you don't want to say where you are.) I see them occasionally near one of the libraries I used to frequent, and see them often at the Canaveral National Seashore. I love seeing them. You might find this interesting. https://brevardzoo.org/assets/uploads/files/FOR%20RELEASE%202013%20Feb%207%20Team%20completes%20Florida%20Scrub-Jay%20Translocation.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 You might find this interesting. https://brevardzoo.org/assets/uploads/files/FOR%20RELEASE%202013%20Feb%207%20Team%20completes%20Florida%20Scrub-Jay%20Translocation.pdf Cool. We love the Brevard Zoo. The birds I've seen off the wildlife refuge (Merritt Island) are near the library in Port St. John - pretty far north of Palm Bay but in the same county. The first time I saw one I did a double take. I knew it wasn't a blue jay but had never seen any scrub jays except on the refuge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Oooh, where do you see scrub jays? (It's okay if you don't want to say where you are.) I see them occasionally near one of the libraries I used to frequent, and see them often at the Canaveral National Seashore. I love seeing them.I'm in the Central Valley in California. During the summer, they are quite common, but I've never really seen one in the winter around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I'm in the Central Valley in California. During the summer, they are quite common, but I've never really seen one in the winter around here. Oh, western scrub jay. I was thinking of the Florida scrub jay and thought you were here in Central Florida. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 The Year of the Towhee. :0) THAT's the one I couldn't think of!! I have a picture on my pinterest board of a bird and when I was making my list I couldn't think of what it was. :laugh: We live in bear country, and have fairly frequent visitors so we have to be very careful about bird feeders. We put out suet cakes, and the little thistle seed in a feeder, but the rest we just spread out on an old stone fireplace that sits in the middle of our yard. We live on a river and we have a lot of dead brush and trees between the flat part of our yard and the river (on a hill). The birds love it down there because it's protected. We could get our backyard declared a Wildlife habitat without doing anything at all. We have three birdhouses and had bluebirds, house wrens and sparrows nesting last year. We have a robin that likes building her (his?) nest in a holly bush around the back side of our house (quiet side), woodpeckers that nest in some of the dead trees. The kids just received one of those bird houses to put on a window with the one way mirror for Christmas. I'm hoping we get something nesting in there this year so we can see close up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I finally saw a yellow-rumped warbler (aka butter butt) today. Two actually. I've been hearing them lately but haven't seen any until this morning. I love seeing their little yellow rumps as they fly around our yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I've seen 33 species so far in 2015. My favorite so far was a Red Crossbill unexpectedly outside my office in a spruce tree on Monday. Have you seen where this guy is doing a Big Year around the world called Birding Without Borders? You can read the posts in order from this page: http://mag.audubon.org/articles/blog. It's been fun to read his postings. He started out Jan 1 in Antarctica leading a tour. I love that he is an active and knowledgeable participant, not just going around waiting for someone else to point birds out to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Much of my free time this week has been used entering my historic bird lists. It's fun to watch my life list grow again from scratch and even remember specific birds from all around the country almost 20 years ago. Good times! My growing 'life list' on e-bird is currently at 386. Woohoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I saw a mockingbird today. I haven't noticed them much during the winter, but I guess they are around. They aren't noisy like they are in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dawn Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 All right ladies, I am ready to go! I got a little $ for Christmas and just placed my order on Amazon for a Bushnell birding binoculars and Sibley's book for the Western United States. Woohoo! I am excited! KrissiK, have you gotten your binoculars yet? I'm waiting on a 7x35 pair that I hope works out well. We will eventually have to replace our cheap feeder - does anyone have suggestions for a feeder that the birds like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 KrissiK, have you gotten your binoculars yet? I'm waiting on a 7x35 pair that I hope works out well. We will eventually have to replace our cheap feeder - does anyone have suggestions for a feeder that the birds like? I did and I like them very much! They take a little while to get used to, but I like them. I was able to closely examine the mockingbird today. Especially since he sat so still in the tree. I like my feeder, but it only works in good weather because it doesn't have a roof. I need to work on that. I actually got the idea from our A Beka science book chapter on birds. I got a tree prop, put it in the ground and dh screwed a plastic plant saucer (12", I think) on top. So, it has a nice broad area for the birds and they just stand in the feeder and eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 We need a new feeder too. We need one with a roof because when it rains the seed can get moldy pretty fast. I've given up on finding a squirrel proof one, so the best I can do is look for one that deters them a bit. I wouldn't mind feeding them if they were willing to leave some for the birds. Sadly, they prefer to eat until all the birdseed is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm up to 42 species. My favorite new birds this week.....Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Canvasback, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-shouldered Hawk. I've been enjoying getting outside more. I joined up with the local birding club on a field trip on Sunday. I am always the youngest person on those trips, but I enjoy the wealth of life knowledge they share with me. I'm really looking forward to some good hard-core birding in south Texas next week. I'm going 2 days early before the meeting starts. Should be fun times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Sunday driving down the freeway I saw three red tailed hawks in a row (though separated by quite a bit of space!) sitting on posts and drying out their very bedraggled feathers. I often think of the birds when it is wet and stormy or even that relentless drizzle we get here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Bakpak- where do you go in Texas? My great grandma used to have a beach house at High Island, I never knew it was a place that drew birders until I saw the movie. "The Big Year". I've been seeing many red shouldered hawks too. I'm only up to 17 species for the year, but I've seen all but one in my backyard. I was especially excited to realize the flocks of sparrows were really 8-10 different species and I just had never noticed. This weekend I'm headed to local nature preserve and expect to add a few more to my list. I went hiking last weekend and only saw two birds the whole time, it was unusually cold that day though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm going to Padre Island National Seashore for my meeting, flying into Brownsville, TX. Brownsville is right on the Mexican border where the Rio Grande River meets the Gulf of Mexico, so there are often lots of exciting species you can't find many other places in the US. Haha, and of course any trip to Brownsville includes a trip to the town dump, where there are often Chihuahuan Ravens and possibly Tamaulipas Crows ;) Exciting event in my yard today....I was chatting on the phone with a friend, absentmindedly watching my feeders when a Merlin swooped in after the House Finches. A very acrobatic and unexpected visitor!! Yay!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My Great Horned Owl was back this morning. Although I hear it frequently, I haven't seen it in over a year. This morning it was in our tree and since the sun was rising I grabbed my binoculars to get a good view. My husband stepped onto our patio before I spotted it which frightened it and the bird flew into our neighbors yard. We were maybe 15 feet away, those birds are huge! I never did get a good view in the binoculars but it was neat seeing it fly from so close. I also got to see a Great Blue Heron in flight yesterday. I was on the treadmill at the gym so it was really random sighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My Great Horned Owl was back this morning. Although I hear it frequently, I haven't seen it in over a year. This morning it was in our tree and since the sun was rising I grabbed my binoculars to get a good view. My husband stepped onto our patio before I spotted it which frightened it and the bird flew into our neighbors yard. We were maybe 15 feet away, those birds are huge! I never did get a good view in the binoculars but it was neat seeing it fly from so close. I also got to see a Great Blue Heron in flight yesterday. I was on the treadmill at the gym so it was really random sighting. We have Great Horned Owls, too. One evening several years ago I was out walking and I heard one calling, so I knew it was around and all of the sudden it just swooped in front of me and then flew off. I don't know what it was after, but it scared me to death. It was huge and indeed a silent flyer. I'll never forget that experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 We have Great Horned Owls, too. One evening several years ago I was out walking and I heard one calling, so I knew it was around and all of the sudden it just swooped in front of me and then flew off. I don't know what it was after, but it scared me to death. It was huge and indeed a silent flyer. I'll never forget that experience. That would have scared me too! It was just dark enough this morning that I couldn't see it until it flew, but I knew it was close so I wasn't too startled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnG in Arizona Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My Great Horned Owl was back this morning. Although I hear it frequently, I haven't seen it in over a year. This morning it was in our tree and since the sun was rising I grabbed my binoculars to get a good view. My husband stepped onto our patio before I spotted it which frightened it and the bird flew into our neighbors yard. We were maybe 15 feet away, those birds are huge! I never did get a good view in the binoculars but it was neat seeing it fly from so close. I also got to see a Great Blue Heron in flight yesterday. I was on the treadmill at the gym so it was really random sighting. I just love our great horned owl. I never, ever dreamed we would have one in our yard! He periodically takes up his daytime roost in one of our very tall palm trees. He is tucked away up there and quite hidden. The only reason we initially spotted him is that he left a very large bird dropping on the sidewalk below, and it gave his presence away. Otherwise, I'm not sure if we would have ever spotted him! His presence is sporadic and unpredictable; he seems to be there maybe 10-20% of the time. We won't see him for weeks, and then he'll spend three days in a row up there. He doesn't especially like us to spot him; he'll open a weary eye and look pointedly at us if we stand beneath him and point him out to one another. :) We can never figure out when he'll be there, or not . . . but he did show up on Thanksgiving Day and give us quite an interesting conversation piece for our arriving guests, as he was perched high above the entrance sidewalk to our front door! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Wood, teal, mallard, buffleheads ducks Hooded and common merganser Pie-billed grebe Trumpeter swans x~10 Heron--saw him catch a fish. Gulls, crows. All of these in one walk. Even more amazing, all of them caught in only 2 pictures, taken from one spot. What a day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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