Backyard Birding

[BarleyNY]

This is totally what I’m got to tell the cops when they stop by to ask why I’m always looking around the neighborhood with my binoculars. 

[DrDawkinstein]

21 hours ago, Gugny said:

Love "backyard birding"!!

 

I've heard that about you...

[shrader]

I was considering putting a feeder out in the backyard recently.  We have so many damn mockingbirds around here though and I don't want to encourage them at all.  Those things are a-holes.

[DrW]

When we moved into or current home > 15 years ago, there were two streets, each with 6 houses on each side, each house on a 1 acre lot. The rest of the surroundings were cotton fields. We got a wide variety of birds, including scaled quails, northern bobwhites, and burrowing owls. One day a young Swainson's hawk landed on the kids' trampoline and could not take off vertically until we removed some of the safety net. Another year we had a pair of mallards breeding in the back yard (we do not have a pond, but the neighbors do). One day, the female took off with 6 ducklings following in line; they did not return. We were very fortunate that it happened on a Saturday; thus, we could actually watch the exodus.

 

Now the surroundings have turned from rural to suburban, and the variety of birds is greatly diminished. Occasionally, we still get something interesting, like a curve-billed thrasher, a Lincoln's sparrow, or a bronzed cowbird. What has increased is the number of dove species - we now have three (mourning, white-winged, and Eurasian collared).

Edited May 13, 2020 by DrW

[Gugny]

4 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I've heard that about you...

 

I want names.  Loose lips sink ships!

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Gugny said:

 

I want names.  Loose lips sink ships!

 

I heard you love "loose lips" too! ?

[snafu]

4 hours ago, shrader said:

I was considering putting a feeder out in the backyard recently.  We have so many damn mockingbirds around here though and I don't want to encourage them at all.  Those things are a-holes.

 

I actually like the few mockingbirds around my block.  They’re not a constant presence, but when one shows up, it is a treat.

It’s the blue jays that annoy me.  

[Gugny]

15 minutes ago, snafu said:

 

I actually like the few mockingbirds around my block.  They’re not a constant presence, but when one shows up, it is a treat.

It’s the blue jays that annoy me.  

 

Blue Jays and crows are obnoxious, IMO.

 

I never have mockingbirds.  My parents have them and I love whistling and having them mock me.  My mom?  Not so much.  She's definitely had enough of them and gets pissed at me when I get them going.

[snafu]

11 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Blue Jays and crows are obnoxious, IMO.

 

I never have mockingbirds.  My parents have them and I love whistling and having them mock me.  My mom?  Not so much.  She's definitely had enough of them and gets pissed at me when I get them going.

 

Blue Jays seem like bullies all the time.

Dont get me going on crows, I love them. If I were to choose what animal to be in a future life it is a tough call between bear or crow. Maybe that’s a good subject for a different thread.

 

And I whistle at mockingbirds, too!

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by snafu

[thenorthremembers]

A robin made her nest on top of an old toboggan I had resting against the back side of my lean to.  A couple days ago I went into my garage and passed the toboggan and noticed this totally different looking bird sitting on top of the nest frozen with fear.   In all of my time in WNY I never realized how different a baby robin looks from a full grown one.  It was honestly mindblowing.  

 

Moved on about two acres near Lake Ontario, and I am loving the wildlife in my backyard, aside from the skunk that jumped out of his hole and nearly sprayed me last summer.  

Edited May 13, 2020 by thenorthremembers

[Irv]

On ‎5‎/‎12‎/‎2020 at 4:44 PM, Gugny said:

I would love to do more feeders but the squirrels make me want to pull my hair out.

 

I have a feeder that seems to be 100% squirrel free.  it is the tube type but the spots where the birds stand are spring loaded and will drop away if a squirrel or even a hevier bird stands on it. Never had a problem.  The brand id Droll Yankee Dipper.  It works great

 

Droll Yankee Dipper

 

I also have banned Blue Jays.  Their screeching call makes me want to grab the shotgun.  Have my Oriole feeders out now.  So far no luck.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Irv

[Gugny]

4 minutes ago, Irv said:

 

I have a feeder that seems to be 100% squirrel free.  it is the tube type but the spots where the birds stand are spring loaded and will drop away if a squirrel or even a hevier birt stands on it. Never had a problem.  The brand id Droll Yankee and I believe the model is CP-180.  I also have banned Blue Jays.  Their screeching call makes me want to grab the shotgun. 

 

Thanks for the tip!!!!

[Irv]

Just now, Gugny said:

 

Thanks for the tip!!!!

 

See link in previous post.  I just updated.  Only bad is it is a little expensive but I've had mine at least 10 years.  Never breached by tree rats!

[Gugny]

3 minutes ago, Irv said:

 

See link in previous post.  I just updated.  Only bad is it is a little expensive but I've had mine at least 10 years.  Never breached by tree rats!

 

I am known to be careful with my expenditures (I'm a cheap motherfu*ker) ... Dropping a C-note on a bird feeder could likely land me in the hospital.  I need to give this some thought.

[Ned Flanders]

Just ordered another 40 lbs. from Amazon...with just one feeder, these damn birds are going through 40 lbs. every two weeks.  They're eating more than my kids, I hope they begin to forage naturally since things are starting to look green again.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

I have a bird feeder (seeds) so I see all types of them. 
 

Oriels, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Morning doves, black birds etc. 

 

I even have Humming Bird feeders and enjoy watching them all summer 

 

 

I also see a black squirrel.  Never seen a black one.   They are usually brown. 
 

Edited May 14, 2020 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[WhoTom]

We had a turkey visit our feeder one year:

 

 

 

An oriole building a nest and one at the feeder:

[Saxum]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

I have a bird feeder (seeds) so I see all types of them. 
 

Oriels, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Morning doves, black birds etc. 

 

I even have Humming Bird feeders and enjoy watching them all summer 

 

 

I also see a black squirrel.  Never seen a black one.   They are usually brown. 
 

 

Black squirrels are rare, 1:10000.  Rarer then ScottL praising the Bills without it being a backhand insult.

[shrader]

20 hours ago, snafu said:

 

I actually like the few mockingbirds around my block.  They’re not a constant presence, but when one shows up, it is a treat.

It’s the blue jays that annoy me.  

 

There's way too many around here and they're incredibly territorial.  Thanks to covid it's not happening this year, but in past years they would always buzz me every day when I got home from work and get out of my car.  They also attack my neighbor's dog all the time.

 

And I suppose this would be an issue with any type of bird that was all over the place, but they're crapping all over everything.  They have quickly jumped up into #2 on my list of least favorite birds.  They're still a long way behind the canada goose though.

 

There is one good thing when it comes to the birds here in NC.  Cardinals are everywhere.  My yard needs to draw a few more of them in place of the mockingbirds.

[Captain_Quint]

I've had an owl in my backyard for years, and its huge. Bigger than the hawks around here. You walk out back some nights and it's like a parachute coming at you if it flies away. Most of the time it just sits and stares at you.