A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2004 BIRD WATCHING???

BIRD WATCHING ANYONE???

Hi,

Bird watching,YES.I do a little .One morning in the spring I sat having breakfast on the deck and counted 49 speices of birds in the garden.Not bad for an hour

Limey

Limey,
Holey smokes, that's alot of different birds!!
Wow!!!
My father and mother loved to have birds, they always made sure the feeder was full of seeds, and they got suet and all the goodies they love.
I think it is so much fun to have them.
(my neighbors have 3 cats, and as much as I love cats, these cats are let out doors and I swear they never eat, although, whether fed or not I know it's instinct in cats to go after birds and such, but I just can't stand feeding the birds to have a cat stalk them and eat 'em.)

I have done a bit of research into some ways to keep them out, I'm thinking of an idea all my own to keep them out, but with kids and always needing new shoes, and jeans and such, I'm a gonna have to wait a bit on it........

We had a baby blue jay that seemed to adopt my yard a few years in a row, and came close all the time, I haven't seen it this year, but who knows what may of happened to him. But he was so cute, and we liked to watch him....

We also have a bush in our yard, that at a certain time of year when the berries on it just start to turn a certain color, the robins strip that bush clean with in 5~9 days!! Just striped clean!! And that is a scream to watch how they come dashing in, shovel a few in their gullet, fly off, some try to eat them there, some fly away with them in their beak. The boys like to watch them.

I also have a cherry "pit" tree, that gets stripped even faster than than the other one..... They just scramble around in there, grab parts of the cherry and it's eaten, except for the pit, that's why I joke, it's a cherry "pit" tree!!

I also grow flowers that the seeds the birds like, like Coneflower, Queen Anne's Lace, zinnia's, sunflowers (*we were going to save some heads for winter this year and those birds stripped them so fast this year it was unbelievabable), & Elderberries.

I let some of my property, much to the dismay of my former neighbors and my husband go wild, for some additional wild seeds and nesting area....
They have to go somewhere's and if everything is so clean and tidy they won't come and live around you!!!
Besides, it's easier not mowing it!!!!

And we have alot of pine trees for nesting in...

I do have to know what kind you have seen?
Do you feed them?
Or any birdhouses???

Weezie

no bird houses,but had a tit mouse have baies in a trash can in my shed with a pair of pruners in it,i actually went& bought some pruners so as not to disturb,she ate some seed drying out in there so do that indoors now(yes i have assorted containers drying out on dresser in bedroom.hubby reminds me all the time they are there.he really wishes i'd clean it off completely.....he has GOT to be nuts)have woodpeckers,finches,red birds bluejays eastern bluejays martins,mockingbirds.I need to know what birdbook to have for MY SETX area.i have a "national audubon society feild guide to birds eastern region" i got birds that ain't in ths book
I got a bird i hear out in woods at night & cannot locate so need somewhere to go where can hear BIRD SOUNDS.i got an endagered specias red headed woodpecker.he is loud,you KNOW when he is in yard.i know now who woodywoodpecker was done after,,,this bird.he's big but have yet to get a photo of him.hes flighty.got bird feeders out but they emptey pretty fast in winter.they don't go much in summer.oranges& apples do.the birds will eat them i put those out in the spring.got hawks got golden eagles.in fall/winter they roost up in tree down at bottom of hill.if know what they would eat(but did see a rabbit diappear from road one day,,,he was dead,so he didn't run off) could probably coax them down for a photo and sit in woods and wait on them.i know there hunting times..LOLI've got some nuthatches everywhere in yard right now.i have never seen this many at once.sparrows wax wings warblers are here alot in june july,they'll fly at you when feeder is empty.orioles,they eat most the fruit but blue jay will too but he runs everyone off& crows.they steele corn cobs out of my compost

I love bird watching - have been doing it for many years in all parts of the country - first NY, then Alaska, then Nevada, now back in NY! I hang a few suet feeders by my windows and have a long tube feeder hanging over my deck by my kitchen sliding doors.

I like all birds EXCEPT for the noisy grackles and crows. :p I CANNOT STAND THE NOISE THEY MAKE - it goes right to my nerves!!! One summer day I awoke to a racket of crows in the trees at the base of our backyard. Took a look and there must have been about 100 of them cheering on a "[BLEEP]" fight between 2 crows on the ground! Never saw or heard such a thing in my life - HORRIBLE!

On the bright side, I get 3 different kinds of woodpeckers - downy, red bellied, and northern flickers; many titmice, nuthatches, juncos, bluejays, goldfinches, cardinals,mockingbirds, assorted sparrows, wrens, hawks, hummingbirds in spring and summer - my favorites , and last summer I was happy so see a rare grosbeek and baltimore oriole.

My cats join me in my joy of birdwatching - for them it is "live TV"! They growl and chirp back at the birds and swish their bottoms and tails faster than you can blink - it's the most exercise they get all day - LOL Lynne

Hi Folks,
njoynit The bird you hear in the woods at night might be a tree FROG. They make some great noises.
Are birds seen'from my garden'the same as'in my garden'?( I think so)I live very close to a lake, so i see a lot of ducks and gulls through my scope and bins We have a few resident hawks,red tails, sharpies, ospreys.differant kinds of woodpeckers downy hairy pileated flickers.Only one kind of hummer a ruby throated that goes from feeder to flower all the time. Nests found in the yard this year are tree swallows mourning doves chick a dee house wren robins chipping sparrow grackles orioles goldfinch and sitting on a big pole is a 12 hole purple martin nest.The neighbour next door has blue birds i'm still waiting for them to come over the fence to my nest boxes.spring brings migrating nuthatches flycatchers vireos warblers L B J/sparrows (little brown jobies)do you know how many there are?.
Yes we do feed the bird but only in the winter with niger seeds for the finches peanut butter and lard for the woodpeckers peanuts for jays and black sunflower seeds for the rest I think split corn attracts too many squirrels and doves
Limey

BIED WATCHING? No, not exactly..
My housemate and gardening partner, JG, has this thing with bluejays.

Here at home, in our little garden, or on vacation,, JG seems to make fast friends with the local bird life. We have unsalted peanuts from the pet store that we keep in a little canister in the kitchen. Every time JG goes out the back door, a handfull of peanuts go, too. Our resident bluejay will land on her hand and select the largest nut, fly to a neighboring yard, and bury it. Check out our photo site and see one of her friends shot during our vacation this year... http://community.webshots.com/album/98729331lbCwNn

Wow, jc2weho! The only time I've been able to feed wildbirds, was about 25 years ago while cross country skiing at Lake Tahoe. We were having lunch, and the chickadees flew down to our hands to help themselves to bites of the bread on our sandwhiches! What a great experience that was

Lynne

Yes...there's something really touching about a wild bird taking food that you offer. The only drawback to attracting bluejays to our garden is that they like to steal our multi-colored marble top-dressing from our pots. We also have a fat little squirrel who takes our yellow marbles...no other color. He must have 100 of them by now. Poor thing, when he goes to dine this winter, he might wind up toothless! JG made up for it by buying "Critter Food" at the pet store and we have it up on the hillside in a gravity cat food feeder. Hoping he'll get SOME nutrients when it turnes cold

Bill!!!! <img border="0" alt="[tongue]" title="" src="graemlins/tongue.gif" />

Hey... there are your blue marbles....want them back now Hollywood????ROFL
Would those birds actually be stupid enough to swallow them....it could cause bowel obstruction and they could die!

There they are! Send that bird over here....My marbles are back!!!!!

Jillie will simply kill me, but I cound't help myself! I have published some shots of Jillie feeding the blue birdies in Cambria, CA. This is where she learned that the blue birdies would take peanuts from her hand. She also got me to feed them, but at home I just put the peanuts on an outdoor table. There are two shots of our Hollywood Hills Ollie, this bird will only dive off our neighbors roof when Jillie throws peanuts on the ground.

Look In Jillie and the Blue Birdies

jc2weho

How neat!!
Those birds are in your hands!!
How awesome to have a birdie
trust you that much to come in
to your hand!!!


A big purple bush in the background
caught my eye, what is it????
It's like right in the middle in the back!

Weezie

Hi Weezie,

Not too sure what that purple plant is. We rent this beautiful 1929 house in the woods when we go up to Cambria. The whole property is beautifully landscaped. See if this shot helps anyone identify it.



jc2weho

Well!

Thought that pic would have been full size here! Go to our webshots page to see the large one. Sorry!

Purple plant is last shot in Jill and the Blue Birdies

jc2weho

We don't have any shots of "Blue" yet (my granddaughter named him). He's the brave one here at the house that will land on my hand, my head, my shoulder...wherever I place a peanut. Ollie is his shy groupie that follows him wherever he goes, hoping for leftovers. Blue will chase him away if her gets too close to the peanut bounty (that's why he stays on the neighbor's roof, waiting for me to toss one while Blue's busy burying). We'll post Blue this weekend.

Here's "Blue" almost being too quick for the camera. He's not quite as relaxed and trusting as the Blujay in Cambria, but, we're working on him...

Check out "Blue"

Great pictures, Jillie!
I love all the colors in your yard - including the birds!!!

Thanks, plants!

Wow Jillie that is fantastic....been checking into digital cameras and some have a setting where you can do a rapid fire of 3. Have you tried that or is that what you are doing already! I know they are fast!

Feeding them right out of your hand must give you a major rush of adrenaline!

Cat, Hollywood just ordered a new digital (a self-Christmas gift!) that will do rapid-fire shots. Then, we'll be able to catch that quick little booger. I gotta tell you, those birds ARE thrilling....My heart pounds like mad when Blue comes in for a peanut. He watches our back door every morning and as soon as I go out to do a morning garden walk he's flapping around my hands looking for his snack. My face starts to hurt from grinning.

Wow!!
That is so neat...
I would imagine the thrill of it!!!
That'll keep your soul in good shape!!!
And laughing and smiling are very therapeutic!!!
Right>?>?

Weezie

Those are great pictures!!!

Sheeeeeeeesh!!! :rolleyes:

Mr. & Mrs. Downy Woodpecker are in the white birch tree just outside my window chirping up a storm today!!! They are all ruffled up because of the cold, and I have lots of suet cakes and seeds out there for them and their friends - wish I could let them inside to warm up for a spell!

We seem to get a lot of birds that I never saw in my old neighborhood.

Once while taking a cozy nap on the sofa I looked out of the window and to my surprise saw what I thought was a large owl....when it turned and flew away I realized it was some kind of hawk!!!! It was huge! And gorgeous. I've been seeing goldfinches (past spring/summer) and all sorts of birds....woodpeckers...

It's a lot different here then where we used to live all we ever saw there were starlings and the common brown birds. I enjoy feeding them.....and have made the acquaintence of some very determinded squirrels!! In fact, whenever my fat squirrel friend sees me come out the back door he is right there hoping for a snack! When we first moved here the squirrels used to dig in our trash...so I started throwing out bread crust, p, b and j sandwich remnants and now they don't get in the trash....but wait by the back door for me to bring them deliveries!!!!

Beware those #$^&#@ squirrels - they'll eat you out of house and home!!! They have managed to get into every feeder I have, and have taken whole suet cakes out of their holders and run off with them!!! The only thing they are good for, is entertaining my cats through the sliding glass doors.

plants & pots,

I know...I know squirrels are very determined!!! The reason I feed them the table scraps is because they were chewing into my trashcans~! So, I decided to save them the trouble and feed them!! It seems to work...only now whenever I open the back door my fat little *friends* are waiting for me!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Last summer we had something funny happen. A male cardinal kept dive bombing one certain squirrel. No matter what, when this ONE squirrel was out and about in my yard, the cardinal kept going after it, ignoring the other squirrels! I almost felt sorry for the squirrel! Not!

Barbara

Wish I could have seen that, Barbara!!! Cardinals are one of my favorite birds - can always tell when they are about because of their distinctive chirp. That must have been something to watch!!!

Lynne, after I read your post about the squirrels taking your suet cakes, I went out this morning to check on mine (a few days ago, I put one on our wooden steps leading to our "upper" yard)... It's GONE!!!! Dang!
I'm going to unwrap another one & put it where I can watch from the window...what a hoot!

We've become backyard bird-watchers....Two books: "An Introduction to Southern California Birds," and "Birds of Los Angeles" have been great reference sources. We put bird feeders on the crest of our backyard hill within sight of the kitchen window. We're having the best time identifying the little guys that visit. Sightings so far: California Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, House Finch, tiny little Bushtits, and of course, the ever-present Scrub-Jay (the peanut-eating birds I mistakenly labled "Bluejay") and Cooper's Hawks circling above it all.

We got one of those fancy suet-cake holders & put it on a garden hook...so far, no takers....we might have it hanging in the wrong spot. At least it's out of reach of the squirrels...

Jillie - so glad you are enjoying your feathered friends! This year has been a great one for birdwatching here - my indoor cats would agree too!

Just curious as to what kind of "fancy" suet holder you got? Is it the cage type? or something different? Also, what kind of hook are you hanging it from? You'd be surprised how easily the squirrels climb up my shepard's hooks, etc... I have tried greasing the poles with vasoline - had read about that, and also put a slinky stretched out on the pole - also read about that - NOTHING DETERS THOSE PESTY VARMITS!!!

Oh, Lynne, I've seen our little squirrels doing that "hand-over-hand" climb up our shepherd's hooks...the hooks are still new-ish, so they're very slick...they can't quite get to the top; they keep sliding down. It's such a hoot to watch. The suet-cake holder is a cage with a little copper roof (got it from Tar-jay) with a hanger on one corner. It's on a shepherd's hook, too. It might be a little too close to the ground, or too near the other bird feeders....

Hey, try Armorall on yer poles!!!!!! NOTHING can climb on that stuff!

hmmmmmmmmmmm... Armoral - will have to give it a try!

Your suet holder sounds very nice - don't ya just love Tar-jay?!? I just have the plain ol' 99cent cages from Christmas tree shops - but they had their suet really reasonably priced all winter - 3 cakes for $2! I think they are at the end of their stock though... I'll have to make another trip over there and stock up! :rolleyes:

.....still no action with the suet holder, except I saw a squirrel swinging from it this morning, tail twitching like mad for balance....trying to get at the little corn kernels imbedded in the suet.....

Hello again and I love to watch the birds too! My favorite is the humming birds that I feed during the summer months they are so much fun watching them fight over their food. Their size is so neat,also see the blue jays beautiful in color but very loud birds,we have so many robins and they push their orange chest out like they own the world,I have right now a lot of american finches that are changing the colors now to a pale yellow and soon be be a bright yellow? Wrens are out here too but have not seen any chick a dees or red cardinals either. Lots of starlings or black birds we have a dairy farmer across the road from us so we have in the summer time some different kind of smells if you know what I mean. Well hope to see everyone around and remember keep those hands of yours dirty bye

Seems we have hundreds of blue jays here, no problem, cept they are bullies and every year they chase my cardinals off! Gold, purple finches abound, and a host of sparrows. I think my faves tho are the ruby breasted grosbeaks and the cedar wax wings And I have some farmers around here that do things to MY liking, they use TURKEY doodle for fertilizer! Ummmm, smells soooo good!

I really don't know why but one of my favorites [besides watching the hummers] is hearing the old basic Chicka dee dee dees. And they are just so cute! Short and fat and round[like me after a Minnestoa winter] . But my favorite sighting is when we had an Pilleated Woodpecker in the back yard, they are just so huge and I love their punk hairdo.

Gosh, Sham, you guys have "real" bird-sightings....all the stuff I've seen in bird books, but aren't indigenous to Calif....
I'd love to see a cardinal...or a chickadee...

Wooooohooooooooo!! spring has arrived on the wings of "Anthony's Robin" again this year. He (my oldest monsterboy) says spring is not here until "Mr. Robin" arrives. Since he was old enough to walk around in the yard he has had a little guardian (we think it's the same Robin every year--and REFUSE to think otherwise..hahah) following him around.

I first noticed "Mr. Robin" as I said when he was three. That was 7 years ago (Yikes!! I'm gettin' old!) That spring as I was cleaning out some beds I noticed that a Robin was just following him around as he played in the yard. It stayed about 3ft away from him at all times, but went everywhere he did. Anthony never tried to catch it, or harass it in any way and they both seemed happy to keep each other company while enjoying the sunshine. I wondered if this would continue through the spring. It did...and has continued every year since then.

Normally when I see a robin in someone's yard...I see several. We only have 1 every year..."Mr. Robin". It is just the most amazing thing to me!

We have thousands of sparrows, and tons of cardinals, chickadees, mockingbirds, blue birds, blue jays, cow birds, and so many others that I don't know the names of...but only 1 robin... and he only likes Anthony...hahaha...he flies away when anyone else is in the yard, and sits in a tree across the road from our yard watching...waiting for "his boy" to return so that he can keep him company. I don't understand it!

Like Anthony said...spring is here in Louisiana because "Mr. Robin" has returned yet again, and we are overjoyed at his safe arrival.

P.S. Last year some mean little brat (hahaha) at school told him that it was not the same bird, that "his bird" was probably dead..to which my amazing son replied..."I doubt it...birds don't lie like some people do, and try to be something they're not, they're happy just bein' birds...and besides he's my friend and I would know the difference." Talk about out of the mouths of children!!! Sorry...but my eyes water everytime I think of that moment!! Someone hand me a kleenex, will ya?

Ahhhh Angelia.....your story touched my heart!!!

Angelia.....
That is such a cute story!!
Must be a soul mate!!
Thanks for sharing!!


Jillie and JC have a bluebird that eats
peanuts out of their hand.....

Weezie

What looks like a small cardinal, but is a grey color..even the "top knot"? We have attracted some type of seed eating bird that no one seems to know what is!! We have about 5-6 of 'em, and they spend alot of time at the bird feeders, but for the life of me I don't know what they are!! I recognize our local birds, and even most of the ones that pass through this time of year, but this one has me stumped. It looks like a cardinal, but is the wrong color! Any ideas?

Looks like a tufted titmouse. Does it look like the bird in this picture

I am pretty new to bird watching/hosting. I have had a couple of birds come to my yard & hang around most of the day for the last week non-stop. They always travel together & it seems to be the same two birds each day. Can someone tell me what kind of bird they are? The look kind of like doves, only not white. Here is a photo I snapped today of them. Thanks Chrissy

Chrissy, those are Mourning Doves. They're named for their somewhat mournful call, although if one looses a mate, the survivor really does seem to mourn for a while as they mate for life.

Thank you Terry:) How wonderful...I am so glad to know what type of bird they are & I am so happy they seem to have chosen my yard as home

When we first moved into our house, I kept thinking that I was hearing owls during the daytime

I just went back and read the original posts in this string. Ladystressout was talking about american finches, I think she meant goldfinches. Anyhow, I have 2 birdfeeders hanging outside my dining room window. One is a thistle feeder, and the other is tower feeder with 6 ports that I have black oil sunflower seed in. The goldfinches seem to like the tower feeders better for some reason.

I usually have a few goldfinches hanging around, but the other day, I counted about 50 goldfinches on the feeders, and on the ground beneath. A sight to see.

I would love to have goldfinches come to my yard. I will have to try the tower feeders & thistle to see if I can draw a few this way. They are beautiful...I bet you really did have a beautiful sight to see

Hi!

I'm an avid bird watcher and have 10 different feeders in my yard. Right now I have a Chick-a-dee family in one of my bird houses. They have been fascinating to watch and hear. The babies are now sticking there little heads out of the hole, they sit there in the hole with their beaks open waiting for mom and dad to drop off their next meal{almost like my kids at the drive thru}
We have many different birds in our area, here is a partial list of the ones Ive seen

pileated woodpeckers
red bellied woodpeckers
downy woodpeckers
tree swallows
whip-poor-will
ruby throated hummingbird
mourning doves
red tailed hawk
great crested flycatchers
blue jays
titmouse
carolina wrens{they have actually gone into my house and looked around}
eastern bluebirds
robins
cedar waxwings
myrtle warblers
rufous sided towhees
pine warbler
cowbirds
goldfinches
chipping sparrow

I am in the process now of learning to identify the birds by their calls.


"A bird in flight is a soul set free"

karen

How wonderful...bird watching/hosting is my newest hobby. I have yet to learn what types of birds are visiting my yard & making it home. I try to snap photos when I can get them & then do a search online or post here to find out what I have:) Birds are so beautiful & fascinating. I would love to have the large variety of birds in my yard that you do. So far I have identified:

mourning doves
chickadees
wrens
bluebirds
bluejays
robins
sparrows
cow birds
seagulls (I live in the 101 lake district of my county. We have 101 lakes within my area, so we get a lot of gulls looking for food...they don't mess with my feeders, but they love bacon grease & kitchen scraps...I often find them eating out of my compost pile)

Hi Chrissy,

I have a book that has been invaluable to me in identifying the birds around here. It's put out by Readers Digest. It's called North American Wildlife. I dont know if its still in publication, I found mine at a flea market for $2.00. You might check your local library also.


Karen

Thanks for the tip Karen...I will check into finding that book...if not at the library, maybe ebay!! Thanks so much

I've been considering buying an oriole feeder. The one I like the best has nectar reservoirs, spikes for chunks of oranges and depressions for grape jam!
Has anybody tried any of these feeders?

I haven't been on here much in the last week and was trying to catch up a little, reading the posts. I was reading back through this one again, and angelia's robin story reminded me of my little brother (well, he's 41 years old, but still my little brother!). Year before last he made friends with a robin. He was walking in town and saw some kids trying to catch it, because it couldn't fly. It had an injured wing. He scooped it up and took it home, and in a few days it was well enough to fly. He lived in the boonies on my mom's farm, so he figured he'd just turn it loose outside (woods). It wouldn't fly away, and every time his door was open, it would fly inside. It spent more time inside than out, roosting on a shelf at night in his bedroom. In the mornings, it would wake him up by sitting on his chest pulling his chest hairs!

gardenmom... I bought Lola one of those nice clocks from the Audobon Society that has actual recordings of bird calls on it. That's how I learned my bird calls! We have so many different kinds of birds out here all the time, so it was hard to tell which one was making a certain noise, and that clock really did the trick! Lola's newest call is the crow. I have an almost tame crow outside that starts calling as soon as he sees me filling the feeders in the morning. He gets something special every morning just for him, and he knows it! He's right outside in the front bird garden several times a day, and every time Lola sees him she starts her "cawww cawww cawww" right in my ear! (For those who don't know, Lola is a parrot that is permanently attached to my left shoulder.)

Yep...that's it...a tufted titmouse...thanks!! I guess I need to go and buy a book so I can identify the birds, huh? I don't know why they are here this year. This is the first time I've seen them! We normally just have the cardinals, sparrows, wrens, mockingbirds, bluebirds, mourning doves, woodpeckers, blue jays, crows and the one robin. Perhaps they're just passing through.
Their visit has sparked quite a conversation at the breakfast table, though. My monsterboys have been watching them avidly for the past several weeks with their new binoculars (bought expressly for the purpose of birdwatching ) and have offerred several ummmm creative(??)opinions as to their existance. My personal favorite was my youngest son's explanation. He came home from school one day all excited because he "knew" what happened to the cardinals (he insists they are cardinals because of the topknot). He decided that they had "mixed" with an Ostrich (don't ask...I don't know why...lol) and would eventually be big enough to chase him around the yard. He was seriously worried that they would peck him eventually and took to wearing a Bob the Builder hard hat around in the yard. He was certain of it. .
Finally his much "wiser" older brother convinced him that they were mutant ant-eating birds and would do well in our yard becase of the many fireant beds we have. He even went so far as to suggest that they would be firebreathing dragons at the finish of their mutation...which was for some reason "cool" to my youngest, and they began to map the evolution those birds have gone through, and will go through to reach the ultimate back yard bird.

I think I'll wait to tell them what they really are, though. They're having so much fun with this, and they'll eventually reach the right conclusion...and be able to "teach Mom"...

That is so cute Your boys sound adorable. I just love the way kids come up with their little stories. My daughter does that too, so did my older kids when they were young. My 7 yr. old's new theory is that because rubbing dandilions on her skin causes her skin to turn yellow it means that she is "part" lion lol I didn't have the heart to tell her differntly either...she is having a ball with it:)

I saw my first hummingbird of the year on Sunday, so Monday night I bought my first ever hummingbird feeder. I hung it outside my dining room window and it only took a few hours for a hummingbird to find it

That's awesome Terry, they are so fun to watch...I hope they start showing up here soon...I can't wait:)

angelia !

oh and pass the tissues!! I LOVED your story.

Loved both your stories. Do you write? Because you have such rich material and they would make wonderful stories! ni

LOL!

I was so enchanted by angelia's story, I forgot what I was going to post!?

Here on my little corner of the lake there is a large flock of white pelicans. They are the most amazing birds! I saw many brown pelicans when I lived at Muir beach. Bit I had never seen white ones.

They are amazing to see in flight, very different from any bird I have seen. What I thought wewre flocks of 13 to 20 birds, I have discovered are about 150 birds. I am so excited by them and I am afraid they are only here for a few more weeks. I cannot find a way to get near enough to take some pictures and I soooo want to.

Birds are a passion of mine. A flock of Albatross camped next to me on the beach in Kauai one summer, while they taught the kids to fly. That was an unbelievable experience.

Does anybody know about White Pelicans?

~de~ni

Hey de~ni...I found this online & I thought you might want to take a look: The White Pelican

Chrissy~

Thanks!

I had no idea they had pelicans at the Ft. Worth Zoo. Although only 3. They must be lonesome. cause these guys are very group oriented!

But I bet I can call the zoo and they will tell me, when they migrate away from here.

I am going to Oshman's this weekend and look at little inflatable boats. Then I can get close enough to watch them better. I want to take some pics, but my LOL camera is an old nikon F3 and I'll prolly drop it in the water!

de ni

You're welcome de~ni My son & husband got a great little inflatable boat for 200 bucks at the bass pro shop online a few years ago. They of course used it for fishing in the swamps & creeks around here, but I loved it to go out on the lakes & get a closer look at the loons:)

I was so excited tonight.....I filled all of my 3 birdfeeders, and birdbath and sat and watched as 2 blue birds appeard, and a woodpecker!!! I called my hubby and said what the heck is that....when he told me a woodpecker I couldn't believe it......we have lots around here, but I've never saw one feed in my yard before....plus I don't usually get blue birds......I get a few red ones, but mostly just sparrows......

This evening I saw an indigo bunting at my tower sunflower feeder. I've had them before on the ground, but don't remember seeing them at the feeder. It was a gorgeous sight what with the other 5 feeding ports filled with goldfinches!

Maybe that's what I saw at one of my feeders the other day. Very small, and the most beautiful iridescent blue! You think so?
I wish my bird ID book wasn't packed up. There was another bird out there yesterday that I had NEVER seen before. It was a medium size bird, with snow white on the underside and head, and jet black on top, with red on it's throat.

Yup, sounds like indigo bunting . The ones I have are a deeper blue than this. The other bird you mentioned is a rose-breasted grosbeak . I don't have any, but my mom has been seeing some at her feeders.

You were right on both!
Thank you!
It's hard to describe a bird on "google"!
I need to unpack my bird books!
Hope I see them again. Now that they know the MotherLoad of bird food is at my house, maybe they'll come and bring the rest of the clan (Kentucky word for "family"!!!).

I thought I'd also share my joy about seeing an indigo bunting when I came home this afternoon. I've never seen one before, and didn't even know they came here. What a gorgeous color!

Unfortunately, the feeder he was on is broken and he was finishing up the seeds on the bottom.
Guess I'll have to run out and get a new feeder soon!

I have been experiencing the unfortunate situation of a robin REPEATEDLY hours at a time slamming into my windows all accross the front of my house. When I told my mom about it, they had the same problem once too and it did it untill it was bloody and half dead. Well my first thought was that it was trying to get inside the house, not understanding that theres glass between us. But then I called my son "the bird expert" and said it was seeing its own reflection and is a male and is defending its territory. He said to try and cover the windows,,,,,,,,,?????? Or put
alot of stuff around to scare him off and hopefully he'll forget or leave. It is just sooo sad to watch!!!!!! He does it constantly all morning and I keep scareing him away, has anyone else ever witnessed this?

O.K., here's where the knowledge of being the neighborhood's "Crazy Bird Lady" comes in!

Your window, to a bird, is like a mirror. It reflects everything OUTSIDE, so it just seems like an extension to the outdoors to them.
Here's a good place to start finding out what you can do about it.
Window Crashing

(After you read this you will know why I don't keep my windows very clean!!!)

Thanks Cindy for more info. But I just can't believe the bird thinks my windows are clean .
And all the windows on the front of the house face a high traffic street. The neighbors will be certain I'm losing it.........again

Hey, I'm the only entertainment my neighbors have!

I saw this in one of my gardening books.
You can purchase a glass etching kit and etch attractive designs on your windows(you will still get light through them),it will stop birds from flying into them. You can also get glass paint and liquid leading to create your own faux stained glass design on the windows(I did this one and it looks sooo pretty). Both ideas add an umph to the home and saves the birdies

The last couple of years I haven't had any bluebirds in my bluebird house outside my dining room window. A little red squirrel had chewed the entrance hole too wide. The bluebirds attempted a second nesting both years but were evicted by the wrens!

I finally got around to cutting a piece of flashing to put over the hole, but it was too late for the bluebirds. However, I now have a pair of tree swallows building a nest in the bluebird box. I'd heard treeswallows would use bluebird boxes, but had never seen any before.

Now I'll just put up another bluebird box to see if I can entice the bluebirds to use it for their second nesting. I'll try to get a wren guard installed over the hole first.

I know birds like fruit, and I had some over ripe bananas to throw out and I was wondering if it's okay to feed them to the birds, and if they'll even eat them.....I mean, I know they eat berries and such but bananas????? My theory is they have to get tired of eating the same old birdseed over and over and over again.....I know I would....lol I'd rather the birds eat them than they just go to waste.....

The birds that feed in my yard seem to be getting used to me......when I'm walking around they'll just keep eating away.....must be getting kind of tame or something.......either that or they are so starving they don't care.....lol We always sit out at night on the back and watch them.....it's tradition.....My birdbath was one of my fav. gifts.....I love watching them splashing around......

I know Orioles are supposed to be attracted to oranges and the thrushes and other birds kept getting into my blueberries last year. One of them was acting kind of strange. I could get within about 2 or 3 feet of him before he would start to hop away. He wouldn't fly. I finally decided he was drunk from eating fallen blueberries that had fermented.

P.S. I throw out apple cores for the squirrels.