Birds in the back yard

[Steve-o]

I forgot the update from yesterday with the kamikaze robin.

The last thing we did was to put opaque press and seal on the windows, but our hurried attempt to cover them in the morning left 1 inch strips of exposed glass, which the bird would find and bash into.

So my wife had to completely cover every the windows with film and painters tape.

But that wasn't good enough either cause the bird started beating its beak against the press and seal even though there was no clear reflection.

She solved that problem by printing out pictures of faces and owls and hawks and taping them to the window.

That appears to have thwarted the bird for now.  It has been a quiet Wednesday.

[mike89]

 

tell her good job!!!!   

[Gunner55]

More than 1 here that has a ceramic owl on the canopy of their lift in an effort to keep the gulls & ducks from using it for their outhouse.

[delcecchi]

More than 1 here that has a ceramic owl on the canopy of their lift in an effort to keep the gulls & ducks from using it for their outhouse.

A few strands of mono or braid seems to do the trick for me.   

[Gunner55]

Yeah Del, windsocks or about anything that moves looks to be helpful too.  Not sure why but they don't seem to like ours & that's OK with me.

[Dotch]

Purple finch on the feeder this a.m. and a fully colored adult Harris's sparrow finally. No white-throated or white-crowned sparrows yet though. Odd. Usually we're overrun by them about this time of year. Might be a quick visit if they show up at all.

[delcecchi]

Yeah Del, windsocks or about anything that moves looks to be helpful too.  Not sure why but they don't seem to like ours & that's OK with me.

Had a flag next to our lift.   As long as it wasn't hitting them, they were cool with it.   Stringing thread is only thing I have found to work for very long.   I don't think they can see it and it freaks them out when they hit it.   

[glenn57]

A 20 X 40 ft picture of boar should work!!!

[Dotch]

 

Weighted strands of monofilament work well to deter the sparrows & starlings from bluebird houses & the horizontal suet feeders. Had to change that up tho when the downies started getting entangled in it. Used florists wire instead. Worked equally as well on the trash birds & didn't hurt the little 'peckers. 

[Dotch]

White-throated sparrows were en masse in the backyard over lunch. Were a few chipping sparrows yesterday so it's getting closer to hummingbird & oriole time.   

[mike89]

was watching a king fisher this morning..

[delcecchi]

Reminds me to get the hummer/oriole feeders out...

[Steve-o]

The kamikaze robin is back - this time at the back windows.  Or maybe it is a different bird.

Instead of masking off all the windows - as was necessary last week - we just hung up a few pictures of faces and raptors.

He still bashes the window now and then, but this combative robin seems to be less persistent.

Funny, in 27 years in the house, we never had this problem before.

[Dotch]

Add barn swallows to the list of returnees. Tree swallows have also reappeared. 

[LPS]

I am hoping to see Tree Swallows.  The seem to like us more than Martins.  I find that Robin thing so interesting.  Almost as it has babies in your house that she is trying to find.  Keep us posted.  I am curious about it.

[fishwidow]

Interesting, Steve-o. This is the first year in memory that we have not had the wacko Robin attacking our living room window. Knock on wood.!

[glenn57]

I don't have any physco robins  but I have several robins eating at my suet cake and going to the sunflower feeders feeding. not sure if this odd kinda weather is making it tough to find there desired foods or not. but I ve never seen this before???

[LPS]

Just hooked up the camper and took the wheeler out to get the mail.  Here the tree swallows were going in and out of the blue bird house down the driveway.  By the time I got back they were on the wires here at the house.  That is where there houses are.  I talk to them and they look at me.  I can tell they think there is that cool guy that lives here.  LOL

[Dotch]

I put a jelly feeder with oranges on the end out yesterday along with a nectar feeder. Thought with the warm up it might push the orioles and hummers this direction. Haven't seen any yet...

[roony]

Same thoughts here, the warden put out the hummer nectar and the grape jelly. We've been wondering where the finches are.

[Dotch]

I was wondering about the goldfinches here too. See one occasionally but not like they were for a while & seemingly on the increase. Should fill my feeders with sunflower & safflower again. Reports of rose-breasted grosbeaks heading this way.

[roony]

The grosbeaks and orioles usually come a day or two apart here. The warden and I had an intellectual discussion about birds last night in Pemberton while waiting for our chow. Over a few adult beverages I might add. Usually May 4th or 5th bring the first Orioles and Grosbeaks.

[roony]

Update: First Oriole of the year just sighted at the grape jelly feeder! Surprised the heck out of me.

[Dotch]

You always have nicer birds than we have...

[roony]

Guess they like me.
Or it could be the pear trees in full bloom.

[delcecchi]

put the oriole feeder out with sugar water.... No food color.   No action.   No birds either.   

[Dotch]

Guess they like me.
Or it could be the pear trees in full bloom.

I see ours popped today. The wild plums too but this heat will make them short-lived. Love the smell of plum blossoms.

[Dotch]

More Harris's sparrows today than we've ever seen. Half a dozen cruising the backyard. & just like that, a bunch of fully colored male goldfinches to brighten the day.

[roony]

Saw a single goldfinch. Then the red headed woodpecker showed himself to me.
So I got that going for me.

[roony]

A Wood Thrush was on the ground under a feeder. Also saw the first cat bird of the year. I'm going to ask the warden to pick up a supply of grape jelly before it gets short.