Birds in the back yard

[Dotch]

I don't recall seeing cedar waxwings this time of year very often at our place. Usually it's in the fall & occasionally in the spring when large groups suddenly descend out of nowhere on the crabapples. Seems like just as suddenly they're gone. We have about a dozen different berry species on the property they'll eat depending on the time of year. Our EQIP planting has a 200' long row of American cranberry & the fruit stays on the bushes over winter. They might be using that too but we can't see it from the house. In glenn's case, they are probably after his smurfberries! 


https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/overview

[dutchboy]

Question for the guys up here on the border. A few times on my drive West towards Baudett I see birds that are black with white. I don't see them once I get around I-Falls. They are a pretty big bird, look bigger than Blue Birds. I haven't been able to get a picture yet. Idea's?

[Steve-o]

Might be a magpie.  I had to ask about those a couple of times too.

[dutchboy]

Thanks! That looks like it. Wonder why I don't see them around I-Falls.

[Steve-o]

I was wondering the same thing.  I've seen em - mostly out west, but not very often in MN.  Maybe one or two here.

I just googled this, which - I think - explains it.

[glenn57]

We see them around the cabin area at times. Dutchy, maybe it's because your in no man's land?! birds don't even know where you are. 

[dutchboy]

We see them around the cabin area at times. Dutchy, maybe it's because your in no man's land?! birds don't even know where you are. 

Well, you wouldn't be wrong thinking that. 

[glenn57]

We see them around the cabin area at times. Dutchy, maybe it's because your in no man's land?! birds don't even know where you are. 

Well, you wouldn't be wrong thinking that.

wishing my wife would agree. I'd love it. I told her once when I retired we should move up north. She told me see you when you come back!!

[dutchboy]

I can give the pro's and cons of doing that. Well, at least the pro's.

[Jerkbiat]

Yep, I love living up here!!! The pros out way the cons.

[LPS]

Yup I agree.  The winters are a little longer and that can be a downer at the end of winter but all else makes it a wonderful place to be.  Yes we see Magpies a lot.  I used to put some dog food in the bird feeder and they appeared out of nowhere.  They are an agressive bird and I have heard they will pick the eyes out of baby critters if they find them???   Coincidently I saw a hunting show yesterday called the Nordic Outdoorsman I think.  This guy in his 50's makes a blind out of spruce branches and slept in it overnight in the early winter.  He was right by a recent deer kill.  His goal was to shoot some magpies, gray jays, and maybe a raven or crow or two.  He wanted them to eat them.  The next day he got 2 magpies and then a jay.  He cleaned them up and made a fire and cooked and ate them.  ??????  So he slept overnight in his blind in a sleeping bag two nights to do that.   

[glenn57]

  well so far I'm not impressed with the order. 

[Gunner55]

We see them around the cabin area at times. Dutchy, maybe it's because your in no man's land?! birds don't even know where you are. 

Well, you wouldn't be wrong thinking that.

wishing my wife would agree. I'd love it. I told her once when I retired we should move up north. She told me see you when you come back!!

I know I've told you before but all you probably really need is a new recliner & PBTV so she can watch her favorite channels, Hallmark & Lifetime.                                     

[Dotch]

I enjoyed seeing magpies when I lived in the Little House on the Prairie. I'd dump the goose guts from our hunting excursions back in the weeds amongst some junk farm equipment. There was an old pull type swather, a small field cultivator and other assorted stuff that were kinda interesting to look at. When I'd go back there with the next batch, not unusual to see several magpies helping themselves. 

[dutchboy]

Do the Magpies feed on the ground or out of feeders? Maybe I should put something out there and see what shows up. Suggested food for them?

[Jerkbiat]

I know they sure like gut piles from the deer. Nut sure what the do eat. 

[LPS]

Like i said dog food drew them into our feeders

[dutchboy]

I have a couple of those suet logs hanging on my feeders. Those woodpeckers just love those things. Fun watching them hang upside down hammering away on it. -20 and they are all over them this morning.

[Dotch]

Tried to get a pic of a male cardinal right outside the living room window earlier. Camera shy apparently. Any slight movement and he was back hiding in the spruce tree. 4 fox squirrels pigging out on ear corn & anything dropped under the birdfeeders. They pulled 2 of the 3 ears of corn off the deck screws anchoring them to the feeder today. Must be on roids. Pheasants are no shows. Lotsa downies, hairies, red bellies, blue jays and goldfinches.     

[Cooperman]

We have these at our feeder today. I’ve never seen these before. I looked them up and I think it’s a pine grosbeak?

[LPS]

Nice pic Coop.  We get them once in a while but it has been a long time.  I did see one Evening Grosbeak yesterday.  Just one.  Usually there are a few of them.  We still have redpolls, nuthatches, and chicadees showing up. And some woodpeckers.

[mike89]

We have these at our feeder today. I’ve never seen these before. I looked them up and I think it’s a pine grosbeak?

I would agree Cooperman..  nice looking birds...

[glenn57]

Yea coopy there the pine grosbeak. We used to get a bunch of them at the cabin. They usually come down from Canada when food is tougher to find up there

[mike89]

was looking at the MN DNR eagle cam today and it sure looked like she had an egg already!!! 

just looked up and read Feb is normal for them to lay eggs!!   cool!!

[roony]

Hope it don't freeze!

[mike89]

that was my thoughts too!! 

[Jerkbiat]

We have had pine grosbeaks steady this winter. As long as I keep the sunflower seed in there for them. Been a long time since we have had the evenings though.

[Cooperman]

Nice pic Coop.

I tried taking my own photos, but they didn’t turn out very good. I got that one off the internet while I was trying to figure out what kind of bird it was. I see the female has a yellow head, but I didn’t see one.

[Dotch]

I volunteer glenn to climb up and sit on the eagle egg since he has nothing better to do than fish! 

1 rooster pheasant back this a.m. along with the usual suspects... 

Have had a large group (25 - 30) of small brown birds that I hear periodically in the mornings while I'm on my way to the barn. Since I'm usually hauling buckets across the ice I don't get a chance to see where they're at much less get close enough to ID them. Noticed the other day something's been picking the seeds out of the spruce cones. Never seen so many cones on the trees as this winter. There were the papery little wings from the seeds all over the windshield of the pickup. This morning though on my way back into the house I saw a whole bunch of them fly out of the tops of a couple taller spruce trees. Couldn't get close enough to be sure what the birds are. Leaning towards pine siskins based on the calls after playing their calls on several bird watching sites. Whatever they are, they don't seem to be coming to the feeders at least not when I'm looking.   

[glenn57]

You'd probably see more birds iffin you'd spend less time looking for porn to send me via email.