Backyard Birding

[DrW]

Drama in the backyard yesterday. A Northern Harrier had caught a Starling. Sorry for the bad pic - I did not want to get closer and perhaps scare it away.

Edited February 26, 2022 by DrW

[T&C]

1 hour ago, DrW said:

Drama in the backyard yesterday. A Northern Harrier had caught a Starling. Sorry for the bad pic - I did not want to get closer and perhaps scare it away.

That's the way it goes... to me its not drama, more like nature doing its thing. Few weeks ago they were cleaning up a bunch of log piles across the way and the red shouldered hawks were loving it, had one munching on a mouse or small rat on a branch over my house.

 

Even if blurry its still a nice pic.

[qwksilver]

2 days ago I saw a Bald Eagle grab a fish out of the lake behind my house. So pissed I did not get my phone in time. It happened too fast.

[T&C]

Maybe someone can point me in the right direction. I have small birds, around the size of a finch or a titmouse, coming to the feeders lately. They are red on the bottom, wings appear black, and have a large bright yellow patch behind their head maybe an inch or inch and a half. I have scoured the web with different descriptions and cannot name it. This is Florida btw. Any help would be appreciated, I Really want to keep them here, gorgeous little bird.. have never seen them before.

[TheCockSportif]

I hate birds.  I have very few hateful items, and that includes American Nazis, but I really, really hate birds.

[Gugny]

9 minutes ago, TheCockSportif said:

I hate birds.  I have very few hateful items, and that includes American Nazis, but I really, really hate birds.

 

You should probably move onto a different thread, then.

 

[DrW]

50 minutes ago, T&C said:

Maybe someone can point me in the right direction. I have small birds, around the size of a finch or a titmouse, coming to the feeders lately. They are red on the bottom, wings appear black, and have a large bright yellow patch behind their head maybe an inch or inch and a half. I have scoured the web with different descriptions and cannot name it. This is Florida btw. Any help would be appreciated, I Really want to keep them here, gorgeous little bird.. have never seen them before.

 

Painted buntings?

[T&C]

38 minutes ago, TheCockSportif said:

I hate birds.  I have very few hateful items, and that includes American Nazis, but I really, really hate birds.

No Christmas goose for you. 

5 minutes ago, DrW said:

 

Painted buntings?

That was my first thought but using your pic... around the same size but less of a beer belly. Not blue on the head but the yellow patch is in the exact same place as these. Red underneath, blackish wings and head, and the yellow patch just like this one. No green at all.

[TheCockSportif]

14 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

You should probably move onto a different thread, then.

 

Good call.

[Punching Bag]

We have some regulars to our bird feeder with sparrows and chickadees regularly nesting in front yard.

Today my wife found some of our other regular visitors - a pair of mourning doves - set up a nest in gazebo we set up for our dog to use (which she refused) in our side yard.  Since our dog has not been using gazebo we have been storing some stuff outdoors there and she noticed perched on top of some stuff next to wall of our house a nest.  No picture for my wife says it will disturb them but our lawn tools are there and we will need to go under gazebo some time this month.

 

Nestling Period:12-15 days

Incubation Period:14 days

 

[Gugny]

The large 2-story birdhouse that nuthatches have been inhabiting for the past several years was torn from the tree by wind late last fall.  I re-mounted it a few weeks ago.  Last week, a couple nuthatches were investigating it and talking away.  My favorite part about them is listening to them communicate with each other.

 

Well, after they looked around, they split and have not returned.  A couple other birds (not sure what species) were checking it out the other day, but they also split - although I saw one of them taking pieces of the leftover nest out.  But that only lasted a day.

 

The nest that was left in there from last year was turned over from the fall to the ground.  I hope that won't deter future tenants and I REALLY hope a couple nuthatches move in and raise a family like last year.

 

It was late May last year when I watched the babies climb out of the house, get their bearings, then fly away.  What a great sight to see and I hope that happens again.  Their incubation period is a couple weeks, so there is time, I suppose.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Baltimore orioles should be flying through Illinois soon... First week of May, 10 days in they arrive... Put out oranges 🍊 soon...

 

...Then comes the JuneSwoon... 😆 

Edited April 26, 2022 by ExiledInIllinois

[T&C]

7 minutes ago, Gugny said:

The large 2-story birdhouse that nuthatches have been inhabiting for the past several years was torn from the tree by wind late last fall.  I re-mounted it a few weeks ago.  Last week, a couple nuthatches were investigating it and talking away.  My favorite part about them is listening to them communicate with each other.

 

Well, after they looked around, they split and have not returned.  A couple other birds (not sure what species) were checking it out the other day, but they also split - although I saw one of them taking pieces of the leftover nest out.  But that only lasted a day.

 

The nest that was left in there from last year was turned over from the fall to the ground.  I hope that won't deter future tenants and I REALLY hope a couple nuthatches move in and raise a family like last year.

 

It was late May last year when I watched the babies climb out of the house, get their bearings, then fly away.  What a great sight to see and I hope that happens again.  Their incubation period is a couple weeks, so there is time, I suppose.

I've heard of stuffing a decent sized chunk of dryer lint into a birdhouse to attract homeowners... just plain lint, not lint used with dryer sheets. Its like half of their job is already done I guess. 

 

My problem here is these freaking Starlings. Nice squirrel proof post with 3 feeders... one suet, one for small birds, and one for small/small medium sized birds (cardinals for example) If I use normal suet it seems that they don't mess with it too much but if I put in no melt suet they rip through that ***** in one day. The woodpeckers don't seem to mind the slimy stuff even during the summer so I'm just going to go that route from now on. I was reading that Starlings are an invasive species that is actually legal to trap and humanely kill... but that is a little out of my kind of thinking.

[Gugny]

2 minutes ago, T&C said:

I've heard of stuffing a decent sized chunk of dryer lint into a birdhouse to attract homeowners... just plain lint, not lint used with dryer sheets. Its like half of their job is already done I guess. 

 

My problem here is these freaking Starlings. Nice squirrel proof post with 3 feeders... one suet, one for small birds, and one for small/small medium sized birds (cardinals for example) If I use normal suet it seems that they don't mess with it too much but if I put in no melt suet they rip through that ***** in one day. The woodpeckers don't seem to mind the slimy stuff even during the summer so I'm just going to go that route from now on. I was reading that Starlings are an invasive species that is actually legal to trap and humanely kill... but that is a little out of my kind of thinking.

 

The birds that hit my feeders nail peanut butter flavored suet like it's crack!

[T&C]

21 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

The birds that hit my feeders nail peanut butter flavored suet like it's crack!

Same here but with Starling packs around they just engulf it in a day. The beef rendered woodpecker ones last a lot longer... they don't like it as much.

[SoTier]

3 hours ago, Gugny said:

The large 2-story birdhouse that nuthatches have been inhabiting for the past several years was torn from the tree by wind late last fall.  I re-mounted it a few weeks ago.  Last week, a couple nuthatches were investigating it and talking away.  My favorite part about them is listening to them communicate with each other.

 

Well, after they looked around, they split and have not returned.  A couple other birds (not sure what species) were checking it out the other day, but they also split - although I saw one of them taking pieces of the leftover nest out.  But that only lasted a day.

 

The nest that was left in there from last year was turned over from the fall to the ground.  I hope that won't deter future tenants and I REALLY hope a couple nuthatches move in and raise a family like last year.

 

It was late May last year when I watched the babies climb out of the house, get their bearings, then fly away.  What a great sight to see and I hope that happens again.  Their incubation period is a couple weeks, so there is time, I suppose.

 

I had to cut down my old ash tree about 4 years ago because it was suffering from ash dieback.  It was also rotting inside and infested with ants ...  and  attracted multiple nuthatches and woodpeckers.  All of the nuthatches have abandoned my yard, not even coming to my bird feeders.   A few downey woodpeckers show up at the sunflower feeder, especially during the breeding/nesting season. 

 

The nuthatches were very feisty birds for their size.  They not only picked on smaller birds, but they'd chase bigger birds away from their space on the feeders.

[WhoTom]

4 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Baltimore orioles should be flying through Illinois soon... First week of May, 10 days in they arrive

 

That's usually when we see our first Orioles, too. Some friends in Rockton IL (about 20 miles WNW of us) reported seeing their first today.

 

Every year when they come around, they land on our deck railing, right next to where we mount the feeder. That's our cue to put the feeder out.

 

[DrW]

22 hours ago, Limeaid said:

We have some regulars to our bird feeder with sparrows and chickadees regularly nesting in front yard.

Today my wife found some of our other regular visitors - a pair of mourning doves - set up a nest in gazebo we set up for our dog to use (which she refused) in our side yard.  Since our dog has not been using gazebo we have been storing some stuff outdoors there and she noticed perched on top of some stuff next to wall of our house a nest.  No picture for my wife says it will disturb them but our lawn tools are there and we will need to go under gazebo some time this month.

 

Nestling Period:12-15 days

Incubation Period:14 days

 

 

I would not worry too much about disturbing mourning doves. A couple of years ago we had a pair breeding in a hanging shrub right next to the entrance of our house. While we use mostly the garage entrance, the main entrance is used once or twice a day by deliveries. In that case, he doves just hunker down in their nest. Only if you have a closer look (as I did from time to time), the parent would leave the nest, but return a few minutes after I had left. In that year, they raised three chicks.

 

Other bird species that have nested on our 1 acre lot:

Mallard

Barn Swallow

Western Kingbird (a very interesting nest, with lots of man-made blue plastic strips woven into the twigs)

House Sparrow

Curve-billed Thrasher

Grackle (most likely Great-tailed)

 

Due to increasing urban development in the neighborhood, the variety of wildlife has suffered.

[Gugny]

5 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

I had to cut down my old ash tree about 4 years ago because it was suffering from ash dieback.  It was also rotting inside and infested with ants ...  and  attracted multiple nuthatches and woodpeckers.  All of the nuthatches have abandoned my yard, not even coming to my bird feeders.   A few downey woodpeckers show up at the sunflower feeder, especially during the breeding/nesting season. 

 

The nuthatches were very feisty birds for their size.  They not only picked on smaller birds, but they'd chase bigger birds away from their space on the feeders.

 

A few years ago, one of my nuthatches went eye to eye with a squirrel who got too close to the bird house.  Squirrel was facing up the tree, nuthatch facing down.  She spread her wings (think the Karate Kid pose) and just stared the squirrel down.  Squirrel got out of Dodge within 15 seconds!

[Golden*Wheels]

Had to take the feeder in...bear got it. D'oh.

[Punching Bag]

22 hours ago, Gugny said:

The birds that hit my feeders nail peanut butter flavored suet like it's crack!

 

We put out a squirrel trap to relocate some of the squirrels which have been damaging our bird feeders but put it on deck under a table because squirrels have been invading my wife flower pots for bulbs after we take bird feeder down for night.  We loaded trap with peanut butter and were surprised on 2nd day to have it triggered.  We went to relocate the squirrel and we found out we had caught a cardinal!  We opened cage door leaving area in front of door open and cardinal flew out, got a drink of water and flew away.

 

I do not think we have used that trap since.

[ExiledInIllinois]

33 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

We put out a squirrel trap to relocate some of the squirrels which have been damaging our bird feeders but put it on deck under a table because squirrels have been invading my wife flower pots for bulbs after we take bird feeder down for night.  We loaded trap with peanut butter and were surprised on 2nd day to have it triggered.  We went to relocate the squirrel and we found out we had caught a cardinal!  We opened cage door leaving area in front of door open and cardinal flew out, got a drink of water and flew away.

 

I do not think we have used that trap since.

Cardinals like walnuts too... 

[Punching Bag]

26 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Cardinals like walnuts too... 

 

Yes we have some wild walnuts and chestnuts in yard and have seen them picking at them but we were NOT trying to catch a cardinal.  I'd love a food only squirrel trap (squirrels are called long tailed rats in Chinese) ate.

[Tierlifer]

https://birdcast.info
 

Pretty awesome site that shows how many birds are migrating through where you live at any given time. Peak season going on right now (at night). These frigid temps for late April are keeping the traffic low for now but on Sunday when it was in the 70s , I saw that 380,000 or so birds were flying over the 607 at about 3:00 am or so. 

[SoTier]

On 4/27/2022 at 10:59 PM, Tierlifer said:

https://birdcast.info
 

Pretty awesome site that shows how many birds are migrating through where you live at any given time. Peak season going on right now (at night). These frigid temps for late April are keeping the traffic low for now but on Sunday when it was in the 70s , I saw that 380,000 or so birds were flying over the 607 at about 3:00 am or so. 

 

Thank you very much!  It's an awesome site.  I was checking what birds were migrating at night through my county and the rose breasted grosbeak was the third one on their list.  Yesterday afternoon, I happened to look out my kitchen windows at the bird feeders and there's a brightly colored male rose breasted grosbeak (and likely his more drably colored girlfriends) at my sunflower feeder.  

[Tierlifer]

11 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

Thank you very much!  It's an awesome site.  I was checking what birds were migrating at night through my county and the rose breasted grosbeak was the third one on their list.  Yesterday afternoon, I happened to look out my kitchen windows at the bird feeders and there's a brightly colored male rose breasted grosbeak (and likely his more drably colored girlfriends) at my sunflower feeder.  

You’re very welcome. I’m addicted to it this time of year lol. It’s so cool!!

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Rose-breasted grosbeak showed up today, haven't seen it since last year.

Robins have been back for weeks, but I noticed one seems to like woodpecker suet from the suet basket as opposed to foraging for worms like all the other robins. 🤔

Edited May 3, 2022 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Punching Bag]

On 5/2/2022 at 6:22 PM, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Rose-breasted grosbeak showed up today, haven't seen it since last year.

Robins have been back for weeks, but I noticed one seems to like woodpecker suet from the suet basket as opposed to foraging for worms like all the other robins. 🤔

 

I saw a pair of Rose-breasted grosbeaks today at my bird feeder for first time today.  It is a very large bird to feed on my small feeder.  Male on feeder and mate on ground.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Anybody see this.  I got it in email and cut-n-pasted it:

 

"Staff Report

Avian flu cases are on the rise in the Midwest. From canceled poultry shows to advising homeowners to remove bird feeders, Illinois is urging those who come into contact with birds to take steps to prevent the disease from spreading.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is a contagious virus that spreads among wild geese, ducks, and other waterbirds species, as well as some raptors, including bald eagles. Wild birds, which may show no symptoms even if infected, can carry the disease to new areas as they migrate north and transmit it to domestic poultry, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Avian flu is an extremely infectious respiratory disease that affects all domestic poultry, including laying hens, broilers, and turkeys, as well as waterfowl and game birds. It can spread quickly within flocks causing severe disease and death.

In the last outbreak of avian influenza, more than 200 commercial flocks and 21 backyard flocks in the U.S. were affected, leading to the deaths of more than 50 million birds between 2014 and 2015.

Illinois became one of 33 states with confirmed avian flu cases in wild birds. More cases have been found in Champaign, Fulton, Sangamon, Will, and Cook counties.

The Centers for Disease Control is monitoring the recent outbreak and says it is not an immediate public health concern and no human cases have been detected in the U.S.

On April 21, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recommended removing bird feeders and birdbaths until the end of May to discourage large gatherings of birds and interactions between waterfowl and songbirds. Hummingbird and oriole feeders do not need to be removed. Any remaining birdseed should also be removed, and bird feeders and baths should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution that is nine parts water and one part bleach.

Joy O’Keefe, assistant professor and Extension wildlife specialist in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, says removing bird feeders is a precaution that can protect wild and domesticated birds.

“Passerines, or songbirds, that come to bird feeders are not likely to be affected,” O’Keefe says. “In the absence of feeders, birds should be able to find natural sources of food from sprouting native plants and emerging insects.” She added that property owners can plant native shrubs and wildflowers this spring as natural food sources for birds.

Removing feeders is especially important for people who take care of poultry because, while avian flu has not been found in songbirds, feeders can attract wild waterfowl. Flock owners should prevent contact between their backyard flocks and wild birds.

The disease has been detected in commercial and small flock poultry and gamebird operations in 29 states. In April, two cases of avian flu were found in small backyard flocks in McLean and Carroll counties, affecting 80 birds. No commercial producers have been affected in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an emergency order on April 5 canceling poultry-related events such as sales or exhibits.

Illinois is home to about 9 million commercially produced poultry, mostly laying chickens and turkeys. The number of backyard birds that people keep for egg production is estimated to be 30,000 birds. Small flocks may have a higher risk of contracting avian flu, says Kenneth Koelkebeck, professor and Extension poultry specialist in the Animal Sciences Department.

“Those backyard flocks are mostly outside, and waterfowl may be around,” Koelkebeck says, “whereas commercial poultry are kept in enclosed buildings.”

Poultry producers should follow biosecurity measures to reduce the possibility of their birds contracting avian flu. Protocols, such as keeping free-range birds inside and wearing protective boot covers when entering a chicken coop, reduce the risk of spreading bacteria or viral pathogens. The USDA has biosafety recommendations for backyard flocks available at bit.ly/3L9s1Rb.

“Poultry owners should keep things as clean as they can,” Koelkebeck says. “Remove standing water if possible because it will attract migratory waterfowl.”

Visible symptoms of avian flu include runny eyes, swelling, and lethargy. When the disease is detected in domestic poultry, the IDOA quarantines the site; flocks are depopulated to prevent the disease from spreading and remove them from the food system. Other area flocks are monitored for the disease.

Flock owners should report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to the IDOA at (217) 782-4944 or USDA APHIS Veterinary Services at 1-866-536-7593. More information about the status of avian flu in domestic bird flocks can be found on the IDOA website at bit.ly/3MnuRlQ.

Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities."

[ExiledInIllinois]

Good news about the above post/bulletin... ^^^

 

"...Hummingbird and oriole feeders do not need to be removed. ..."

 

This is the time orioles are passing thru.  Put out the orange slices and this year, Smucker's grape jelly.  The jelly liquefies in +90° heat.  Obirds drink it right up.

 

I had to severely crop this pic to get close to site limits, then compress file to get under...

 

F8 1/320 @ 630mm (450mm + 1.4x teleconverter)... Thru glass. If I open back door, they'd fly away and I ain't waiting out in the sweltering heat for no oriole! 😁😉

[SoTier]

On 5/4/2022 at 3:06 PM, ExiledInIllinois said:

Anybody see this.  I got it in email and cut-n-pasted it:

 

"Staff Report

Avian flu cases are on the rise in the Midwest. From canceled poultry shows to advising homeowners to remove bird feeders, Illinois is urging those who come into contact with birds to take steps to prevent the disease from spreading.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is a contagious virus that spreads among wild geese, ducks, and other waterbirds species, as well as some raptors, including bald eagles. Wild birds, which may show no symptoms even if infected, can carry the disease to new areas as they migrate north and transmit it to domestic poultry, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Avian flu is an extremely infectious respiratory disease that affects all domestic poultry, including laying hens, broilers, and turkeys, as well as waterfowl and game birds. It can spread quickly within flocks causing severe disease and death.

In the last outbreak of avian influenza, more than 200 commercial flocks and 21 backyard flocks in the U.S. were affected, leading to the deaths of more than 50 million birds between 2014 and 2015.

Illinois became one of 33 states with confirmed avian flu cases in wild birds. More cases have been found in Champaign, Fulton, Sangamon, Will, and Cook counties.

The Centers for Disease Control is monitoring the recent outbreak and says it is not an immediate public health concern and no human cases have been detected in the U.S.

On April 21, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recommended removing bird feeders and birdbaths until the end of May to discourage large gatherings of birds and interactions between waterfowl and songbirds. Hummingbird and oriole feeders do not need to be removed. Any remaining birdseed should also be removed, and bird feeders and baths should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution that is nine parts water and one part bleach.

Joy O’Keefe, assistant professor and Extension wildlife specialist in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, says removing bird feeders is a precaution that can protect wild and domesticated birds.

“Passerines, or songbirds, that come to bird feeders are not likely to be affected,” O’Keefe says. “In the absence of feeders, birds should be able to find natural sources of food from sprouting native plants and emerging insects.” She added that property owners can plant native shrubs and wildflowers this spring as natural food sources for birds.

Removing feeders is especially important for people who take care of poultry because, while avian flu has not been found in songbirds, feeders can attract wild waterfowl. Flock owners should prevent contact between their backyard flocks and wild birds.

The disease has been detected in commercial and small flock poultry and gamebird operations in 29 states. In April, two cases of avian flu were found in small backyard flocks in McLean and Carroll counties, affecting 80 birds. No commercial producers have been affected in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an emergency order on April 5 canceling poultry-related events such as sales or exhibits.

Illinois is home to about 9 million commercially produced poultry, mostly laying chickens and turkeys. The number of backyard birds that people keep for egg production is estimated to be 30,000 birds. Small flocks may have a higher risk of contracting avian flu, says Kenneth Koelkebeck, professor and Extension poultry specialist in the Animal Sciences Department.

“Those backyard flocks are mostly outside, and waterfowl may be around,” Koelkebeck says, “whereas commercial poultry are kept in enclosed buildings.”

Poultry producers should follow biosecurity measures to reduce the possibility of their birds contracting avian flu. Protocols, such as keeping free-range birds inside and wearing protective boot covers when entering a chicken coop, reduce the risk of spreading bacteria or viral pathogens. The USDA has biosafety recommendations for backyard flocks available at bit.ly/3L9s1Rb.

“Poultry owners should keep things as clean as they can,” Koelkebeck says. “Remove standing water if possible because it will attract migratory waterfowl.”

Visible symptoms of avian flu include runny eyes, swelling, and lethargy. When the disease is detected in domestic poultry, the IDOA quarantines the site; flocks are depopulated to prevent the disease from spreading and remove them from the food system. Other area flocks are monitored for the disease.

Flock owners should report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to the IDOA at (217) 782-4944 or USDA APHIS Veterinary Services at 1-866-536-7593. More information about the status of avian flu in domestic bird flocks can be found on the IDOA website at bit.ly/3MnuRlQ.

Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities."

 

The problem I have with the general recommendation to remove feeders at this time of year is that food sources for all wild birds, especially migrants, are limited because so many have been depleted over the winter.  The recommendation to plant native plants is great for the future but for this spring, it's nonsensical.  Furthermore, since poultry and waterfowl are the types of birds impacted by this flu, the recommendation ought to be targeted to people living in proximity to poultry flocks, wetlands, rivers, lakes, etc.

 

 

On a better note, today I took my dog to a local park that is mostly woods with a creek running through it.  While sitting in a chair by the shelter house, I saw a pileated woodpecker fly past (I could see the white bars on his/her black wings).  Later I heard their distinctive call and heard drumming.   As New York developed and forests were replaced with cities, towns, and farms, pileateds became very rare outside of the State Forest Preserves in the Adirondaks and Catskills, but as upstate New York's rural areas, especially in the Southern Tier, reverted from mostly agricultural land to forest land since WW II, pileated populations in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties have grown significantly. While not common in back yards or at feeders, pileateds are frequently seen or heard in state forests, other forested public lands, and private woodlots.

 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

The problem I have with the general recommendation to remove feeders at this time of year is that food sources for all wild birds, especially migrants, are limited because so many have been depleted over the winter.  The recommendation to plant native plants is great for the future but for this spring, it's nonsensical.  Furthermore, since poultry and waterfowl are the types of birds impacted by this flu, the recommendation ought to be targeted to people living in proximity to poultry flocks, wetlands, rivers, lakes, etc.

 

 

On a better note, today I took my dog to a local park that is mostly woods with a creek running through it.  While sitting in a chair by the shelter house, I saw a pileated woodpecker fly past (I could see the white bars on his/her black wings).  Later I heard their distinctive call and heard drumming.   As New York developed and forests were replaced with cities, towns, and farms, pileateds became very rare outside of the State Forest Preserves in the Adirondaks and Catskills, but as upstate New York's rural areas, especially in the Southern Tier, reverted from mostly agricultural land to forest land since WW II, pileated populations in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties have grown significantly. While not common in back yards or at feeders, pileateds are frequently seen or heard in state forests, other forested public lands, and private woodlots.

 

 

 

Yeah... They are probably scared of the dicey situation that are the heritage poultry. They are in town, backyards here.

[T&C]

24 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

The problem I have with the general recommendation to remove feeders at this time of year is that food sources for all wild birds, especially migrants, are limited because so many have been depleted over the winter.  The recommendation to plant native plants is great for the future but for this spring, it's nonsensical.  Furthermore, since poultry and waterfowl are the types of birds impacted by this flu, the recommendation ought to be targeted to people living in proximity to poultry flocks, wetlands, rivers, lakes, etc.

 

 

On a better note, today I took my dog to a local park that is mostly woods with a creek running through it.  While sitting in a chair by the shelter house, I saw a pileated woodpecker fly past (I could see the white bars on his/her black wings).  Later I heard their distinctive call and heard drumming.   As New York developed and forests were replaced with cities, towns, and farms, pileateds became very rare outside of the State Forest Preserves in the Adirondaks and Catskills, but as upstate New York's rural areas, especially in the Southern Tier, reverted from mostly agricultural land to forest land since WW II, pileated populations in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties have grown significantly. While not common in back yards or at feeders, pileateds are frequently seen or heard in state forests, other forested public lands, and private woodlots.

 

 

 

Have a couple that hang around here... they'll even hit the suet basket once in awhile. Not rural but there are a lot of big oaks around here.

[DrW]

Here in West Texas, migration is pretty much over. Thus, we have taken the feeders down for the summer; we still supply water. Many birds when raising their young switch to a diet that is more protein based, relying on insects and other invertebrates instead of seeds. Bird activity in the summer is pretty low here, mostly due to the high temps (we already had 2 days this year with > 100 F) and the lack of precipitation.

 

The most interesting birds found in our backyard now (probably nesting here or nearby) are Western Kingbirds and Curve-billed Thrashers. The kingbirds are pretty acrobatic fliers when catching insects, and they are not afraid of humans. When I mow the lawn, I usually have one or two of them around looking for their next catch, similar to gulls following a fishing boat.

 

The thrashers love to dig into the dirt in grooves (the technical term is "contraction joints")  between concrete slabs, looking for food. And they are very meticulous. Some mornings we find one or two yards of joints cleaned out, with the dirt taken from the joint neatly piled up to both sides of it. 

Edited May 14, 2022 by DrW

[T&C]

10 minutes ago, DrW said:

Here in West Texas, migration is pretty much over. Thus, we have taken the feeders down for the summer; we still supply water. Many birds when raising their young switch to a diet that is more protein based, relying on insects and other invertebrates instead of seeds. Bird activity in the summer is pretty low here, mostly due to the high temps (we already had 2 days this year with > 100 F) and the lack of precipitation.

 

The most interesting birds found in our backyard now (probably nesting here or nearby) are Western Kingbirds and Curve-billed Thrashers. The kingbirds are pretty acrobatic fliers when catching insects, and they are not afraid of humans. When I mow the lawn, I usually have one or two of them around looking for their next catch, similar to gulls following a fishing boat.

 

The thrashers love to dig into the dirt in grooves (the technical term is "contraction joints")  between concrete slabs, looking for food. And they are very meticulous. Some mornings we find one or two yards of joints cleaned out, with the dirt taken from the joint neatly piled up to both sides of it. 

Ever tried using a mealworm feeder?

[ExiledInIllinois]

59 minutes ago, DrW said:

Here in West Texas, migration is pretty much over. Thus, we have taken the feeders down for the summer; we still supply water. Many birds when raising their young switch to a diet that is more protein based, relying on insects and other invertebrates instead of seeds. Bird activity in the summer is pretty low here, mostly due to the high temps (we already had 2 days this year with > 100 F) and the lack of precipitation.

 

The most interesting birds found in our backyard now (probably nesting here or nearby) are Western Kingbirds and Curve-billed Thrashers. The kingbirds are pretty acrobatic fliers when catching insects, and they are not afraid of humans. When I mow the lawn, I usually have one or two of them around looking for their next catch, similar to gulls following a fishing boat.

 

The thrashers love to dig into the dirt in grooves (the technical term is "contraction joints")  between concrete slabs, looking for food. And they are very meticulous. Some mornings we find one or two yards of joints cleaned out, with the dirt taken from the joint neatly piled up to both sides of it. 

LoL... They should train them to tuckpoint! 😆 

 

[Punching Bag]

We switch between a fruit/nut mix and a commercial seed mix.  We tried mixing our own seed mix but hard to find seed bags. we bought a 50# bag one time and next time price jumped 250%.  We get different birds with each mix and tried two feeders but squirrels (Called long tail rats in Chinese) descended on them and our one local pair became three with them constantly chasing birds away. 

[WhoTom]

13 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

The problem I have with the general recommendation to remove feeders at this time of year is that food sources for all wild birds, especially migrants, are limited because so many have been depleted over the winter.  The recommendation to plant native plants is great for the future but for this spring, it's nonsensical.  Furthermore, since poultry and waterfowl are the types of birds impacted by this flu, the recommendation ought to be targeted to people living in proximity to poultry flocks, wetlands, rivers, lakes, etc.

 

My wife raises chickens and she made the decision to keep feeding the songbirds, but she cleans the feeder with bleach every time she refills it. So far, so good.

 

 

5 hours ago, Limeaid said:

We get different birds with each mix and tried two feeders but squirrels (Called long tail rats in Chinese) descended on them and our one local pair became three with them constantly chasing birds away. 

 

We started putting crushed red pepper at the base of the feeder and haven't seen a squirrel since. Birds aren't sensitive to capsaicin (the substance that makes hot stuff hot) so they just chow down on it like any other seed, but the squirrels don't like the spicy food. 

[Punching Bag]

3 hours ago, WhoTom said:

We started putting crushed red pepper at the base of the feeder and haven't seen a squirrel since. Birds aren't sensitive to capsaicin (the substance that makes hot stuff hot) so they just chow down on it like any other seed, but the squirrels don't like the spicy food. 

 

We tried red pepper at first and they became skittish but adapted to it and then ignored it.

[T&C]

16 hours ago, DrW said:

Here in West Texas, migration is pretty much over. Thus, we have taken the feeders down for the summer; we still supply water. Many birds when raising their young switch to a diet that is more protein based, relying on insects and other invertebrates instead of seeds. Bird activity in the summer is pretty low here, mostly due to the high temps (we already had 2 days this year with > 100 F) and the lack of precipitation.

 

The most interesting birds found in our backyard now (probably nesting here or nearby) are Western Kingbirds and Curve-billed Thrashers. The kingbirds are pretty acrobatic fliers when catching insects, and they are not afraid of humans. When I mow the lawn, I usually have one or two of them around looking for their next catch, similar to gulls following a fishing boat.

 

The thrashers love to dig into the dirt in grooves (the technical term is "contraction joints")  between concrete slabs, looking for food. And they are very meticulous. Some mornings we find one or two yards of joints cleaned out, with the dirt taken from the joint neatly piled up to both sides of it. 

This one shows up on my feed once in awhile... west Texas feeders:   https://www.facebook.com/watch/36857797726/1366548490378820/