MORE BIRDS

Let's see those Photos and videos!!
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MissS
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Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: MORE BIRDS

#141

Post: # 49563Unread post MissS
Mon Jun 28, 2021 7:53 pm

[mention]Growing Coastal[/mention] And would you care to explain just how you would know that?
~ Patti ~

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Growing Coastal
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#142

Post: # 49572Unread post Growing Coastal
Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:25 pm

Yes, well, it was a neighbour's goose, actually, when one of my kids was still small - 3 + 1/2 yrs old I think. Short.
My husband ran over when he saw one of the geese running straight for the child to attack!
He booted the goose in the head which whipped over onto its back.
It appeared dazed but not damaged and wandered off back toward its home.
They were great watch-geese that had to be watched out for!

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SpookyShoe
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Location: Zone 9, Texas Gulf Coast near Houston

Re: MORE BIRDS

#143

Post: # 51941Unread post SpookyShoe
Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:46 pm

IMG_20210808_121052396_HDR.jpg
Saw this Great Egret in a watery canal while walking the dogs. It had to be at least 3 ft tall.
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Donna, zone 9, El Lago, Texas

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brownrexx
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Location: Southeast PA, zone 6b

Re: MORE BIRDS

#144

Post: # 51944Unread post brownrexx
Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:46 pm

There have recently been sightings of Roseate Spoonbills in PA and it is creating some excitement. I did not go to see them but they are such beautiful birds.

For those you you who are not birdwatchers, these birds are NOT native to PA. I have seen them in Florida before.

Seven Bends
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#145

Post: # 51974Unread post Seven Bends
Sun Aug 08, 2021 9:53 pm

brownrexx wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:46 pm There have recently been sightings of Roseate Spoonbills in PA and it is creating some excitement. I did not go to see them but they are such beautiful birds.

For those you you who are not birdwatchers, these birds are NOT native to PA. I have seen them in Florida before.
Same thing in northern Virginia recently, a roseate spoonbill hanging out at Huntley Meadows park in Alexandria. It even got its own article in the Washington Post. Unfortunately, it was last spotted there on 7/29, and I didn't see the article until 8/5. :cry:

Maybe that's a good thing, though. This winter I read a similar article about a painted bunting up at Great Falls National Park, so I raced up there and found myself among a sea of other hopefuls, all crammed together on the C&O Canal towpath, running back and forth as a pack whenever the bird decided to check out a different bush on the far side of the canal. I've never seen so many telephoto lenses all in one place; that poor bird. This happened just as Covid started to take off here, so I spent the next two weeks scared I was going to get sick.

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bower
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Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: MORE BIRDS

#146

Post: # 51978Unread post bower
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:15 am

A little chickadee taught me a lesson this summer. We're having an uptick in budworm and other pests of the forest, which they eat and can find in abundance on the older trees which get most severely attacked. I was working in the old vegetable plot, where there are a lot of little trees coming up again in the undisturbed ground. Chickadee ignored me completely, and tucked right in to inspect and check out the healthy little white spruces. It was really obvious from the way it searched and handled the plant, it was not foraging for food. It was doing maintenance on those little trees, to make sure they weren't being damaged. Just as you or I might inspect a row of tomato plants to remove a disease or pest.
This reminded me that the birds have been survivors of so many extremes and for such a long time on this earth. Of course they did not survive all that by being indifferent or simply opportunistic to their food and habitat plants. They are intelligent forest maintainers and dispersers.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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brownrexx
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#147

Post: # 51998Unread post brownrexx
Mon Aug 09, 2021 5:53 pm

[mention]Seven Bends[/mention] I get PA rare bird sightings on e-mail and we also had a Painted Bunting here in PA this year. I did not go to see it because I have seen them multiple times in Mexico. They are one of my favorites though.

I did drive an hour away to see the Snowy Owl in PA this winter It was a lifer for me and well worth the drive.

Hubby and I also drove about 45 minutes away to see a Scotts Oriole which is very rare here. It was regularly visiting a bird feeder at an Amish farm and they were gracious enough to allow visitors to see the bird. It looks like a Baltimore Oriole but yellow instead of orange. It was a fun visit and there were about 20 people there at any one time. The bird seemed to visit regularly once an hour. We got there 5 minutes after the last visit so I stood around and talked to other birders for almost an hour and then several people gasped and said "here it comes". It went right to the feeder and we all got to see it perfectly. It was eating jam home made by the Amish woman.

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worth1
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Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: MORE BIRDS

#148

Post: # 52000Unread post worth1
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:08 pm

I think the sparrow is a most neglected bird.
It is a beautiful bird in its own right many fail to enjoy.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

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bower
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#149

Post: # 52025Unread post bower
Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:42 am

I almost never see our sparrows as they stay under cover of the woods, but I adore them for their songs. White throated sparrow - how could anyone fail to feel at peace when hearing their sweet and simple song? We have another one, IDK what type it is but it sings "Meet me here in a birch tree".
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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brownrexx
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#150

Post: # 52029Unread post brownrexx
Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:55 am

[mention]Bower[/mention] I only see white throated sparrows in the winter and I almost always see them when it snows. I see them on the ground under my bird feeders

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Growing Coastal
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#151

Post: # 52038Unread post Growing Coastal
Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:44 pm

English sparrows are trying to crowd out our indigenous sparrows. Not in my yard where I shake the shrubs to make them fly off. Saw one starting to peck at a fig yesterday. NO!
The English sparrows do not forage on the ground and in the shrubs the way our regular ones do. They eat at the neighbour's year round feeder and then expect to sit in my yard cheeping all day around the fountain. There are other places with water available. The least they can do is fly to it.
August mornings are usually quiet here but they were destroying that too.
It's taken a while but with covid I have lots of time to watch for them.
They are tenacious survivors hanging around buildings, feeding on crumbs if they find them. I like seeing them downtown where they seem to do quite well.
I don't see the white throats around here. We have white crowned and gold crowned along with the song sparrow who is here in the spring.

The only bird song I should hear in the early morning here, now is that of the Anna's hummingbird who has a raspy little voice. That's how I know for sure if a juvenile is a male or not. They sing.
This is a mature male. Turn up the volume to hear him churn out his little territorial song.


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Growing Coastal
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#152

Post: # 52124Unread post Growing Coastal
Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:29 pm

English Sparrows, yes/No!

Lacey chard. I have only 3 plants!

Image

So, at last, a use for the worn beach umbrella they ought to sell new covers for.
seems to be working.

Image


One winter the Pine Siskins would come down from the Firs and eat the chard. They are not here at present.

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Whwoz
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#153

Post: # 55642Unread post Whwoz
Fri Oct 15, 2021 6:21 am

Unfortunately Mum could not get a photo, but during the day today, the folks had the King Parrots come for a visit. One male and female sat on the pack rack of their Toyota Prado in the garage (attached to house) and Mum came out to feed them. Normally they go to the tray where the folks put out seed, but this time they stayed on pack rack and Mum put some seed in one hand and offered it to the male. For the first time ever he decided to land on her hand and eat, with mum holding tin of seed in other hand. Then the female decided to join the party and sat on Mum's head for a couple of minutes. These are totally wild birds.

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SpookyShoe
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Location: Zone 9, Texas Gulf Coast near Houston

Re: MORE BIRDS

#154

Post: # 55775Unread post SpookyShoe
Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:40 pm

The sun was just coming up and these "early birds" decided to get a start on the day. I took the photo from inside the car. These mallards looked fat.

IMG_20211017_072103986.jpg
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Donna, zone 9, El Lago, Texas

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PNW_D
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#155

Post: # 55896Unread post PNW_D
Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:43 pm

Chickadee enjoying the sunflower seeds at my community garden .....
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Zone 8b

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SpookyShoe
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#156

Post: # 56828Unread post SpookyShoe
Sun Nov 07, 2021 10:38 am

Muscovy duck with the typical warty, ungainly face. The Muscovies seem to get along with the mallards.
IMG_20211107_070950564_HDR.jpg
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Donna, zone 9, El Lago, Texas

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bower
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#157

Post: # 56836Unread post bower
Sun Nov 07, 2021 2:27 pm

Funny looking but delicious :twisted:

Had a visit from a blue jay today. They're so shy of the camera, I missed several opportunities in the past couple of weeks. This one came and perched where he could look in the window. We cocked our heads at each other while I sang his praises... then off he went.
Maybe I should make more effort to tame them.
I never put a feeder out, the garden is full of herbs and their seeds for birds to use (not to mention strawberries, ants, slugs and snails! and worms. and beetles. and....) The jays want some bigger seeds to be happy. I grew some Sunspot sunflowers that I left for the birds, but afaict they did not even make a single row of seeds. :roll: IDK if they'll get anything worth eating out of it.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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Shule
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Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: MORE BIRDS

#158

Post: # 56901Unread post Shule
Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:19 am

We had Oregon juncos searching for food in our backyard, yesterday.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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Growing Coastal
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#159

Post: # 56949Unread post Growing Coastal
Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:11 pm

Shule wrote: Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:19 am We had Oregon juncos searching for food in our backyard, yesterday.
They're here, too.

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Shule
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Re: MORE BIRDS

#160

Post: # 56952Unread post Shule
Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:33 pm

They're one of my favorite birds for some reason.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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