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Post by mbrown on Apr 5, 2007 15:32:57 GMT -5
I'm not really a bird watcher, but I do love to sit out back after a hard days work (preferably in the garden) with an adult beverage and watch the birds at the feeders.
The hummingbirds will return to our area in late April. I saw a gold finch in full color today, proving Spring is truly here. Soon the Painted Buntings will arrive.
This is truly a wonderful time of year.
Mike
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Post by houseodessey on Apr 5, 2007 16:29:38 GMT -5
I'm with you on the adult beverages and the birds. We see, on a daily basis: wrens, bluejays, cardinals, robins and hummingbirds(spring), all varieties of blackbirds, including those giant crows, falcons both large and small, sparrows, woodpecker and tufted titmice. In the summer, buzzards frequently land on our chimney and watch us swim (yes, it's really creepy). At night we see both bats and owls.
I don't catalogue what I see, I just enjoy it. Nature is a wonderful thing and I think people are doing themselves a huge disfavor by being so far removed from it.
Here's to the birds! *clinks Mike's glass with my own*
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Post by downinmyback on Apr 5, 2007 17:14:25 GMT -5
Monday before it got cold i watched a Tom Cat try to catch a mockinbird lol. I have been watching for our marlins to return to their house but i havenot notice them yet. Last year a barn swallow made a nest under our carport and raised 4 young baby. They were such a pretty bird but after the young birds learned how to fly you had to run for cover when you got close to the carport lol.
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Post by houseodessey on Apr 17, 2007 20:04:09 GMT -5
Down, my cat has made "friends" with the mockingbirds in my garden. They taunt him into doing the stupidest things. It's hilarious.
Today I saw a large red headed woodpecker and a few small ones that were black and white. Woodpeckers seem to like rainy days as they always show up then, kind of like robins do in the early spring, just after a rain. Do the grubs and such come to the surface of trees after a rain too? I don't expect an answer. Just thinking out loud.
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Post by johno on Apr 17, 2007 20:21:22 GMT -5
I like watching them, too. We have lots of woodpeckers and goldfinches (in the summer) and many others.
Last week when I was mixing up a wheelbarrow full of potting mix, I included blood meal and bone meal for organic fertilizer. There were no less than half a dozen buzzards circling overhead...
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Post by downinmyback on Apr 18, 2007 18:38:59 GMT -5
I saw a pair of Hawks flying around today. I figger they built ed a nest in the woodlot nearby. As long as they leave my Purple Marlin alone. The marlin were busy today i do not know if it was because it was warm with little wind today but i donot think they liked me being so close.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Apr 19, 2007 7:21:30 GMT -5
I had an absolutely huge sapsucker out back yesterday - thought it was a small hawk for a moment, when it first caught my eye. We have a mockingbird who imitates the noise of a truck backing up that lives in the neighborhood - funniest thing I ever heard in the garden! Tons of goldfinches, wrens and robins, cardinals, bluejays, and the ubiquitous starlings. Grackles and mourning doves too. Every once in awhile I see a thrasher, but we don't really have the kind of underbrush to make it happy. The finches and the swallows are arguing over who gets to nest on my front porch, as though I don't have a say. Generally the finches decide they don't like the traffic, but the swallows will dive bomb the mail lady to try to get rid of her, so I will have to discourage the spot over the door that they seem to favor.
By the way - can you guys think of a bird that makes a noise a little like a slide whistle? I can't see it when it's calling, so I can't be sure it isn't the mockingbird. It's kind of low in tone, but definitely like a slide whistle. Just curious...
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Post by downinmyback on Apr 19, 2007 13:43:30 GMT -5
I was sitting under the carport resting from working in the garden and started watching two different pairs of barn swallows fighting to own the right to use last year nest. We had a pair of Barn Swallows raise 4 babies last year and i was wondering if it was one of the youngest trying to take the nest from their parents lol.
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Post by downinmyback on Apr 22, 2007 18:57:17 GMT -5
It was so funny watching the Purple Martins battle the wind today. I was planting my garden and took breaks i found myself watching birds fight the wind as it was blowing about 10 mile a hour and it would blow the PM sideways. I guess i had more fun watching them as i would have TV It was peaceful just sitting under a pine tree just watching nature. I live in the country and have few neighbors.
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Post by johno on Apr 23, 2007 13:27:41 GMT -5
The hummingbirds have arrived!
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Post by houseodessey on Apr 24, 2007 22:34:35 GMT -5
I saw my first hummer yesterday, also.
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jason
gardener
Posts: 246
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Post by jason on Apr 24, 2007 22:50:17 GMT -5
I was in the mountains a couple days ago and saw mountain bluebirds, steller jays, mountain chickadees, robins, and pygmy nuthatches. Most of them were in pairs, ready for spring.
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Post by johno on Apr 25, 2007 0:15:27 GMT -5
My wife is having me put hummingbird feeders all around the house this year. Last year we just had two in the front, and one bully spent all his sugar buzz chasing the others away from HIS feeders. I have another one up on the back side of the house now and this year the bully has his work cut out for him. He flies over the roof back and forth...
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Post by mbrown on May 1, 2007 11:05:47 GMT -5
We had our first hummingbirds at the feeders Sunday. The birds were very active, many appeared to be carrying grass, string etc. for nest building.
Unfortunately found a dead red tailed hawk.
Mike
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Post by bunkie on May 1, 2007 15:29:33 GMT -5
our scout hummer showed up late last week, and finally the rest of the herd came in Sunday! what a show! i had to put up all three of our feeders already! here's a couple pics i took of them before a storm late afternoon a couple years ago. there must have been over 50 here all at once filling up before the lightening and rain!  )   |
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