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Author Topic: Birds in the back yard  (Read 287513 times)

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Offline Dotch

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Cleaned & filled the nectar feeders this a.m. then put more jelly out in the cup feeder for the orioles. Some younger male Baltimores and did see one full grown male orchard oriole last nite but they must be busy nesting otherwise. Both male and female feed the young. Catbirds are back at the jelly feeder occasionally too. Put out some ear corn for the red-bellied woodpecker. Heard & saw a male pecking at the cobs. He came back and was helping himself after they were replaced. Goldfinches in many bird books are described as "nomadic" & it seems to fit here. Saw a couple males yesterday feeding on dandelions seed but none on the feeders of any kind. When the maximillian sunflowers and other composites ripen in our CRP they seem to flock to that area. When the supply is exhausted they seem to gravitate to the yard more and more as we head into winter. Odd little birds. They nest in July & August when there's thistle and other downy plant material to make their nests from. Find their nests frequently here in our windbreak & EQUIP planting. They feed their young a regurgitated concoction made from the seed they eat. Then they change into their winter plumage in the fall.   

Wren had 7 eggs in my gas grill at last check. Little terds find the damndest places to nest. Have a nest of some sort in one of the spruce trees in the backyard. Spooked something off of it yesterday when I was putzing in the garden. No eggs but judging by the size & construction of the nest it's a brown thrasher but can't confirm it, yet. Should  check the bluebird nest at the neighbors pasture. Initially there were 5 eggs but something got two of them. Last I looked the female was still setting on the remaining eggs. 
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online LPS

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As I mentioned I did change thistle seed and today the gold finches are finally pecking away at it now.  The do spend more time eating the sunflower seeds yet though.  I will dump the rest of the old seed in the woods and see what eats it. 

Offline Dotch

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The good news: There is indeed a brown thrasher nest in one of the backyard spruce trees. They've got the nest pretty well concealed. It took a little before she got off the nest, then hid while scolding me. We had one nest right outside the front door in the yew shrub many moons ago. Neat birds. Look forward to their return every spring.

The bad news: The nesting box at the neighbor's pasture w/three buebird eggs in it a few days ago was commandeered by wrens. They stuffed it full of little sticks so I tore all of them out of there. I'll keep doing it until they leave it alone. I'll clean any sparrow nests out in the nesting boxes by the neighbors barn too. The wrens can contend with the sparrows instead. The sparrows will lose that battle.   
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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Have had wrens for years. None this year.  :pouty: bummer.
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Online LPS

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This year more than ever there are 3 or 4 birds that follow the horses.  I mean they are a foot from their heads when they are browsing.  Cool as heck.  Thinking they must be cowbirds.  Haven't seen one of either horses back yet. 

Offline mike89

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hey Dotch we have some brown thrashers here too!!!
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Dotch

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We've had an abundance of wrens recently glenn altho it hasn't always been that way. When we first moved here there were none. We put up several wren houses and within a few years we had all kinds of them. About the time they started talking about West Nile virus a few years back we had none. They've since rebounded & at the neighbor's pasture they've become a nuisance. I need to go back to putting some alternative nesting boxes over there for them so they're not constantly occupying the bluebird houses. Those cowbirds ride around on the sheeps' backs somedays Barry. They must like that deep pile carpeting. The barn swallows follow the sheep around too picking off the flying insects they kick up.
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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After not seeing Orioles in a long while, 2 different ones showed up today. :happy1: do I quickly freshened up the feeders.

Working in the garden yesterday I realized I was getting scolded by a wren, low and behold the wren house I was by had nests in 2 of the 3 holes. :happy1:

Hummingbirds are even more frequently.
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Offline mike89

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I get orioles every day at the bird bath... 
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Dotch

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Let my jelly feeders run out & just refilled them. Had been several young orioles showing up before that. Can hear them around so am sure they'll know quickly the feeders are full again. The wrens in the gas grill have been amusing at least to me anyway. There were 7 eggs in the nest and a few days ago I counted 7 little heads before I closed the lid. Those poor parents must be about pooed by now. Something got the eggs in the brown thrasher nest so that kinda pissed me off. Thinking they'd be better off using the arborvitae in the windbreak. It was a little too easy for me to see the nest. If I could find it am sure it wasn't too tough for a predator of some kind. Looks like at last check the bluebirds at the pasture had reoccupied the nesting box where the wrens had kicked them out earlier. Was a new bluebird nest & one egg in it. The wrens did move into one of the houses closer to the barn there so fingers crossed.
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline Dotch

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Orioles didn't waste any time. Within an hour yesterday there was a male orchard oriole working over the jelly jar feeder. Was a full color male Baltimore at the dish-type jelly feeder a few minutes ago. Now I suppose they figure I'm obligated to keep it full this weekend.  :scratch:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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Orioles didn't waste any time. Within an hour yesterday there was a male orchard oriole working over the jelly jar feeder. Was a full color male Baltimore at the dish-type jelly feeder a few minutes ago. Now I suppose they figure I'm obligated to keep it full this weekend.  :scratch:
well get on it ya bum!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

To much activity here for much bird viewing today.
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Offline Dotch

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Activity!?!?!? I bet it consists of yer staring at those wimmens all day agin, ya putz!  :rotflmao:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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Activity!?!?!? I bet it consists of yer staring at those wimmens all day agin, ya putz!  :rotflmao:
Yea... So...... :sleazy: :smoking: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Online LPS

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Haven't seen an Oriole yet this year.  Love em.  Other people here do see them.  Just not into our woods I guess. 

Offline Dotch

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Orioles are doubling down here all the sudden. There were four of them at the feeders earlier this a.m., 3 male Baltimore types & 1 male orchard. Starting to see and hear some of the youngsters coming to the feeders the past several days. The wrens finally left the gas grill and are scattered all over the yard. Bumble into them and get royally scolded by the parents when you do. Was fun fun to watch their progression & now I've got my gas grill back!  :cool: 
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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Dotch, don't the bees or wasps chase the birds away?? I have a liquid Oriole feeder  and jelly feeder and it's swarmed by them damn bees. Not to far away from them I have a wasp trap also that gets plenty of action.
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Offline Dotch

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No bees or wasps to speak of here glenn. I did clean some kind of wasp out of the hummingbird nectar feeder the other day but that's been about it. I've wondered why we don't have them myself as up north and even at the State Fair grounds the yellow jackets are thick. Main problem here is those black ants about 1/2" long. They get in the hummer & oriole nectar feeders if I don't keep the ant moats full. Same with the earwigs. Once they crawl inside the feeder seems like the hummers quit coming to it until they're cleaned out and filled with fresh stuff. The ants also get in the jelly feeders but it's almost like the orioles, especially when they're feeding their young, thin them out too. 
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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Because of the bees, when the jelly is empty I'm taking them down. Seems like right away we get a decent amount of Orioles but then like now none. I did see a couple 2 weeks ago. Not since.

When those come down another wasp trap is going up.
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Online Jerkbiat

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We don't start getting bees in the jelly until late summer early fall. That is when I pull the jelly. When I start getting ants in the hummer feeder I spray the post of the bird feeder a couple feet up with Talstar. No more ants after that for a month or so.
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Online LPS

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I get wasps and bees here at the hummer feeders during the football season it seems.  I keep my small shop vac plugged in by my feeder.  During time outs I go out turn it on and suck the wasps in it.  The sound of it doesn't seem to scare them away so works pretty darn good.  They hover around and I vacuum them right in. 

Offline markn

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  Orioles are hammering down about two to three heaping tablespoons of jelly a day at our place. No bees....yet. :happy1:
mm

Offline dakids

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We don't start getting bees in the jelly until late summer early fall. That is when I pull the jelly. When I start getting ants in the hummer feeder I spray the post of the bird feeder a couple feet up with Talstar. No more ants after that for a month or so.

Dont the humming birds eat the ants
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Online Jerkbiat

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Don't think so. When they get in the nector I think it starts to make it go bad.
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Online glenn57

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nope i dont believe the hummers eat anything but whatever it is they get from flowers and the feeders............i did read once however they may eat small bugs???????? :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:

and yes, once bugs get in that bird juice it goes bad fast..............
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Offline mike89

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yes they do eat small insects, but I didn't see any thing about ants... 
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Online glenn57

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Up north this past 7 days I noticed that alot if the hummingbirds might of headed south. There were a few around but not many. Think most the loons left. On the 5 lakes I was on only seen 1 adult with 2 youngins. There was an many as 8 blue jays at the feeder.
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Online LPS

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Still have hummers here but the bees are starting to show up.  That usually creates some territory issues.

Offline Dotch

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The transition continues here. Still a couple young orioles at the jelly feeders this a.m. but the jelly consumption is waning. The hummingbirds have been just nuts, chasing each other all over the yard. Hard to tell how many there are cuz they move so quickly from point A to point B. Sounds like fall tho. Blue jays and chickadees are about all I hear.
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online glenn57

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The transition continues here. Still a couple young orioles at the jelly feeders this a.m. but the jelly consumption is waning. The hummingbirds have been just nuts, chasing each other all over the yard. Hard to tell how many there are cuz they move so quickly from point A to point B. Sounds like fall tho. Blue jays and chickadees are about all I hear.
yea well just maybe iffin ya'd lighten up on the gin you could count them!!!!!!!!!! :sleazy: :evil: :evil: :mooning: :mooning: :mooning: :super smiley: :super smiley: :laughroll: :laughroll: :laughroll: :laughroll: :laughroll: :laughroll: :laughroll:

sorry Mikey dared me too!!!!!!!!
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!