Greybeard Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 (edited) 50 minutes ago, T&C said: Look like a Tufted Titmouse. I really love breasts. edit- It seems the auto language processor corrected my spelling. 😅 Edited October 10, 2020 by Greybeard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irv Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 These dudes were pecking around today. Yes - still working from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinceThe70s Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 Just saw a bird I'd never seen before: a Downy Woodpecker. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 48 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said: Just saw a bird I'd never seen before: a Downy Woodpecker. We have them here. Trying to dig up a pic of the Downy... This is the Red-bellied I took a few winters ago... f6.3, 1/400 @ 300mm (highly compressed & much cropped to get under site limits): I may have posted this one earlier. PeckerHeads are cool. Special shout-out to my buds @Gugny & @BringBackFergy I caught this one while "backyard bathing" with the telephoto trigger. 😉 😜 😘 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) Found Mr.Morton "Downey" Jr. 😆 🤣 Edited October 23, 2020 by ExiledInIllinois 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 43 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: We have them here. Trying to dig up a pic of the Downy... This is the Red-bellied I took a few winters ago... f6.3, 1/400 @ 300mm (highly compressed & much cropped to get under site limits): I may have posted this one earlier. PeckerHeads are cool. Special shout-out to my buds @Gugny & @BringBackFergy I caught this one while "backyard bathing" with the telephoto trigger. 😉 😜 😘 Is that a "sapsucker"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 1 minute ago, BringBackFergy said: Is that a "sapsucker"? I don't believe so? That would be a Yellow-Bellied. 😜 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinceThe70s Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 26 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Found Mr.Morton "Downey" Jr. 😆 🤣 That's the one I saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: I don't believe so? That would be a Yellow-Bellied. 😜 You really know your sapsuckers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Egg Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) Old phone and crappy pic, but put up with this one and his parents screeching all summer. Often sat on the shed or in trees over it watching us in the pool. Edited October 23, 2020 by I am the egg man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 I'm going through 30 lbs. of bird food every two weeks...one feeder. I'm spending more on their food than the dog. It's reaching a breaking point soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Egg Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: I'm going through 30 lbs. of bird food every two weeks...one feeder. I'm spending more on their food than the dog. It's reaching a breaking point soon. Black sunflower seed ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Ned Flanders said: I'm going through 30 lbs. of bird food every two weeks...one feeder. I'm spending more on their food than the dog. It's reaching a breaking point soon. Compromise. Get dog to hunt birds. I am trying to get mine to hunt squirrels. Oh and I noticed supermarket where I have been buying 10 pound bags of bird food has changed ratio of seeds in bag but using same bag. Appears to be trick to save money but I thought labeling rule required ingredients be included in order of percentage of weight. My birds and squirrels do not like it as much so I am only filling bird feeder when it is predicted to be dry next couple of days so they need to eat leftovers on ground before I refill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 On 10/23/2020 at 5:24 PM, I am the egg man said: Black sunflower seed ? It lasts longer? On 10/23/2020 at 7:20 PM, Limeaid said: Compromise. Get dog to hunt birds. I am trying to get mine to hunt squirrels. Oh and I noticed supermarket where I have been buying 10 pound bags of bird food has changed ratio of seeds in bag but using same bag. Appears to be trick to save money but I thought labeling rule required ingredients be included in order of percentage of weight. My birds and squirrels do not like it as much so I am only filling bird feeder when it is predicted to be dry next couple of days so they need to eat leftovers on ground before I refill. I find the grocery stores, and even Ace Hardware, sell a lower quality feed. Been getting Wagner's and Kaytee from Amazon and Home Depot. I usually give it a couple of days before I fill an empty feeder as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 I'm about ready to go on a mockingbird massacre around here. I've got one that quickly nose dives into my garage every time I open it. The little f-er sits on the light post across the street and dives in the second I step out of the garage. I then have to chase it out. I now have to carry my opener on me and close the door immediately or else it will just keep going back in after I chase it out. If I had enough time and wasn't lazy, I'd put up a giant screen across the whole door just to see if I could trick it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 1 hour ago, shrader said: I'm about ready to go on a mockingbird massacre around here. I've got one that quickly nose dives into my garage every time I open it. The little f-er sits on the light post across the street and dives in the second I step out of the garage. I then have to chase it out. I now have to carry my opener on me and close the door immediately or else it will just keep going back in after I chase it out. If I had enough time and wasn't lazy, I'd put up a giant screen across the whole door just to see if I could trick it. I think they have screens that go up and down with the garage door now, revolutionizing the "Polish Patio!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Things Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 (edited) We have some really cool birds down here in New Zealand, that I love to watch. One of my favorites, has to be the Bar-Tailed Godwit that are just arriving back on our shores, on their migration all the way non-stop from Alaska. They spend the (southern hemisphere) summer here, and then fly to China before heading back across to Alaska. One was just tracked flying over 7,500 miles, non-stop for 11 days until it arrived up on the North Island. It's extraordinary to think about these little birds flying day and night across the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, only to arrive here, and blend in with the other birds without much fanfare. The local cathedral, here in Nelson, actually rings the church bells, when the Godwits arrive each year. One of natures true wonders. https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/123190590/godwit-may-have-set-new-world-record-for-nonstop-migration-marathon-to-firth-of-thames Edited October 27, 2020 by Bad Things 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 On 10/26/2020 at 9:36 AM, Ned Flanders said: It lasts longer? I find the grocery stores, and even Ace Hardware, sell a lower quality feed. Been getting Wagner's and Kaytee from Amazon and Home Depot. I usually give it a couple of days before I fill an empty feeder as well. Avoid any bird seed that has a ton of this in it... its just a filler that technically Is edible but nothing here will eat it, even the doves. They are around the size of a BB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 https://www.thespruce.com/about-milo-seed-385628#:~:text=Milo seed (Sorghum bicolor) is,part of inexpensive birdseed mixes. Birds That Eat Milo While milo seed is not the most popular type of seed for a wide variety of backyard birds, there are birds that will readily accept this grain as part of their diet, including: Game birds, such as wild turkeys, Gambel's quail, California quail, and ring-necked pheasants Large doves, including Eurasian collared doves, white-winged doves, and rock pigeons Large western jays, including western scrub-jays and Steller's jays Ground-feeding birds such as common grackles, brown-headed cowbirds, and European starlings Southwestern ground birds, including plain chachalacas Milo is most preferred by western birds and larger species with hearty appetites, but it is far less popular with passerines that frequent feeders in eastern North America. Additionally, this grain can also be attractive to bird feeder pests such as squirrels, rats, mice and raccoons, which makes it even less attractive for feeding birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 The squirrels here won't touch that *****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 18 hours ago, T&C said: Avoid any bird seed that has a ton of this in it... its just a filler that technically Is edible but nothing here will eat it, even the doves. They are around the size of a BB. I have 3 feeders I fill. Two get black oil sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts. The third gets some mix I bought to cheap out. The cheap mix has Milo, Stripped Sunflower seeds and some other filler. I have to fill the two with sunflower hearts every four days. I have seen as many as 13 Gold Finches on the sunflower feeder. In two weeks, I have only seen two birds on the cheap seed feeder and it is still basically filled to the top. Another week or two and I guess I will have to dump it. I have said this before, the Cardinals, Finches, Woodpeckers and Blue Jays love the hearts. If you want these birds, hearts are the way to go. The cheapest sunflower hearts I have found are 40 lb bags for $50. The Ontario bird feeder cam is back online for the winter. When things get cold the arboreal birds they attract are really colorful. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/ontario-feederwatch/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 I checked my ingredients in bird food bag and #2 ingredient is milo. It is being eaten by some creatures on ground after it is dug out of feeder by birds looking for other food. I told my wife we are not buying this bird food anymore which is not difficult since we rarely shop at that grocery chain since most of stores closed. It used to be one of our key buys at that store when they have buy $50 (before taxes and after coupons) get $10 off. Best bird food we have found was at a farm in Ontario near African Lion Safari. They had bins of each seed and would fill bags right there in any mixture you wanted. We left after a day in Canada with trunk full of bags of bird feed and was worried customs would give us trouble but they didn't. This health issue is causing me to miss a lot of trips to Canada and we do not travel anymore unless it is a day trip like when we went to Virginia Safari Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmotionallyUnstable Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 This is still a thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 12 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said: This is still a thing? You expect it not to be because .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 What are your sources for bulk backyard bird food? We used to buy bags of bird food from farm in Canada (not available now) with backup being local supermarket but too much of the seed is devoted to birds we are not trying to attract. We do supplement with bread (I know empty calories but birds need a lot), pie crusts (better since birds need the fat) and occasionally fruit (not many takers). Not really interested in Amazon - most of the products there are higher priced and a lot seem to be convivence to pay more. We have tried local hardware stores but not much there although some birds manage to live on diet from spilled seed there. There are a couple of specialty stores but they specialty prices. Currently looking at farm supply stores but not many in Washington DC area other than Tractor Supply Company in Maryland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 22 hours ago, Limeaid said: What are your sources for bulk backyard bird food? We used to buy bags of bird food from farm in Canada (not available now) with backup being local supermarket but too much of the seed is devoted to birds we are not trying to attract. We do supplement with bread (I know empty calories but birds need a lot), pie crusts (better since birds need the fat) and occasionally fruit (not many takers). Not really interested in Amazon - most of the products there are higher priced and a lot seem to be convivence to pay more. We have tried local hardware stores but not much there although some birds manage to live on diet from spilled seed there. There are a couple of specialty stores but they specialty prices. Currently looking at farm supply stores but not many in Washington DC area other than Tractor Supply Company in Maryland. I've found that the walmarts with a garden center have the very best prices on the good stuff. For instance, this one comes in at just under $6.00 For the smaller birds... finches, thrushes, etc I just buy a box or bag of this from their pet department. And, there is no milo to be found. Its for canaries and such but what really is the difference anyways. This is under $2.00 for the box or under $4.00 for the bag... a much better deal than the stuff in the wild bird food section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irv Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 (edited) Had this ***** show up today. Edited December 17, 2020 by Irv 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Went to Home Depot for some hardware and we parked by garden center so on way out I looked at prices of bird food. They had 20 pound bags at $8 of seed on clearance. No milo, millet or other fillers. Great buy so I bought 10. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 33 minutes ago, Limeaid said: Went to Home Depot for some hardware and we parked by garden center so on way out I looked at prices of bird food. They had 20 pound bags at $8 of seed on clearance. No milo, millet or other fillers. Great buy so I bought 10. Millet is pretty popular with the birds, even my cardinals will eat it. I'm pretty sure that milo is the only ***** filler normally used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Limeaid said: Went to Home Depot for some hardware and we parked by garden center so on way out I looked at prices of bird food. They had 20 pound bags at $8 of seed on clearance. No milo, millet or other fillers. Great buy so I bought 10. Good sir, might I suggest you keep a sharp eye out for the rodent population with a 180# stockpile of seed in the garage or shed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Egg Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 North of the border rats grow exponentially larger in the winter than their southern counterparts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 3 hours ago, T&C said: Millet is pretty popular with the birds, even my cardinals will eat it. I'm pretty sure that milo is the only ***** filler normally used. In case of millet is a price/pound filler. We ordered Natures Nuts 00036 40 Lbs Premium Black Oil Sunflower from Walmart & 40 LB Cracked Corn Bulk and 100 Lbs Bulk White Millet from Country Max. Will combine them with the Fruit & Nut Mix to make our own mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 31 minutes ago, Limeaid said: In case of millet is a price/pound filler. We ordered Natures Nuts 00036 40 Lbs Premium Black Oil Sunflower from Walmart & 40 LB Cracked Corn Bulk and 100 Lbs Bulk White Millet from Country Max. Will combine them with the Fruit & Nut Mix to make our own mix. You are 100% busier than I am... they'll eat what they get lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwksilver Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 I live on a lake that connects to canals of South Florida. Anyways here are my 2 good Bird stories: 1) Its about 7:30 am and I go out to get the big green trash can. When I grab the handle and move it I notice, on the other side of the can, the largest brown duck I've ever seen. I startle it and it turns its head and his beak is white and hooked. And it 3 flaps of its wings it was above the trees. FYI it was a bald eagle. I was shocked. 2) I saw an Osprey grab a fish out of the lake. It then landed on my white fence and ate its catch. All the guts ran down the fence. My dogs loved that area for 2 weeks or so... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 I came across this video that you might find interesting if you are into birds. It is supposed to be a good year for the boreal birds coming south, some even into the Carolina's. I found the first half more interesting than the second but it was still informative. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irv Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 (edited) Have these guys sitting on my wood pile. I think these are Mourning Doves. Edited January 26, 2021 by Irv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irv Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) Finally got a pic of one of these guys today. Yes, I'm still working from home and needing to get a life. Edited January 28, 2021 by Irv 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&C Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 6 hours ago, Irv said: Finally got a pic of one of these guys today. Yes, I'm still working from home and needing to get a life. I have plenty of the red head version that you had shown earlier but the pileated only come around my place in the summer it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 23 hours ago, Irv said: Finally got a pic of one of these guys today. Yes, I'm still working from home and needing to get a life. Um.... Do we really need to see pictures of your *****? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irv Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Not too sure what kind of bird this one is. Was hanging around today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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