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Author Topic: Birds in the back yard  (Read 289677 times)

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Online glenn57

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Finally, some tree swallows here. Now I gotta make the circuit and see if I need to boot any sparrows or smurfs out of their birdhouses!  :doah:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :tut: :tut:

I got wrens  :happy1: think I heard them saying Rooony....
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Online Gunner55

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This is where I put them. Put them back up this morning while I was outside. Went in to grab something to eat and watched. Didn't seem to phase the birds so there staying  :happy1:
:scratch: It doesn't seem like the gulls were very scared of 'em here either. :rolleyes:
Life............. what happens while your making other plans. John Lennon

Online glenn57

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Yea the birds don't seem to be the least bit concerned!!
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Offline HD

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The pair of Indigo Bunting has returned this year.

And, a new visitor....a Scarlet Tanager.
« Last Edit: May 05/15/22, 04:38:06 PM by HD »
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Online Dotch

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Those tanagers are special. I've seen one, ever, and that was when I was about 18.

Had to chuckle here yesterday when I was raking in the backyard. When I'd pause after dumping any of numerous scoop shovels of crap, I'd hear this crackling sound. Turns out it was a male grosbeak cracking open sunflower seeds as fast as he could stuff them in his face. In the morning I'd seen him take exception to a house sparrow on HIS feeder. He clamped onto the sparrow's wing and I swore he was gonna tear it right off. Sparrow didn't mess with him after that. 
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online roony

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Had a pair of red headed woodpeckers this morning. They seem to be eying up a spot to nest in a dead elm.

Online LPS

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HD that is a big time duo to see both of them at your own feeders.  I too don't know if I have seen one of them.   :happy1: :happy1: :happy1:  I haven't seen a red headed woodpecker in years.  That would be great Roony. 
« Last Edit: May 05/16/22, 06:51:51 AM by LPS »

Online glenn57

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Awesome 👍👍
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Online LPS

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We had about a dozen blue jays converge on us yesterday.  I kept chasing them away but it took a bunch of noise to do it. Had one morning dove too at the same time. 

Online Gunner55

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The pair of Indigo Bunting has returned this year.

And, a new visitor....a Scarlet Tanager.
Neighbor seen an Indigo Bunting over there Friday & he had to show us a pic as we didn't know what they looked like. :cool:
Life............. what happens while your making other plans. John Lennon

Online Dotch

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Common yellowthroats are singing duets with the wrens from the plum & sumac thicket. Enough leaves now so they're feeling right at home.  :cool:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online Dotch

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We had the first red-headed woodpecker in our backyard in many moons. Liked the ear corn and the jelly feeder. Had the red heads routinely for a long time then all the sudden they stopped coming. The only place I'd see them nearby was occasoinally at the kindly neighbor's pasture. We have more aging soft maple and boxelder now so there's more places for them to drill away.

Was also a jake turkey here tonite taking a dust bath in the pasture. Hope he goes somewhere else before I decide to get serious about gardening. Maybe roony would take one in trade for some wrens.  :scratch:
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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Very nice!  Thanks for the picture too.

Offline Jerkbiat

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Seen a redhead woodpecker here this evening. We used to have a pair of them for quite a few years. They would bring their babies to the feeder. Then they disappeared. Was cool to see one back tonight. Also seen our first hummer.
Hey look your bobber is up!

Online roony

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I love the redheads. They were so commonplace when I was a lad that I didn't appreciate them.
 Dotch, I'll trade ya three woodchucks for a wren.

Online LPS

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 :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :happy1: I will trade some blue jays for a wren too.

Online Dotch

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I love the redheads. They were so commonplace when I was a lad that I didn't appreciate them.
 Dotch, I'll trade ya three woodchucks for a wren.

Think I'm good on woodchucks. At least wrens don't dig around foundations!  :doah:

The red-head was back this a.m. Was watching him from the oval office.  :cool:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online roony

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Been seeing at least one the last few mornings. That elm tree has a hole about the diameter of a tennis ball. He or she goes in far enough so you just see the tips of the tail feathers. I dont know if it is feeding babies or preparing a nest.

Online Dotch

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Your mention of the elms reminds me of the river bottoms over our direction when I was a kid. The bottoms in places like Bear, Deer, and Spring Valley Creeks along with the Root River were just loaded with dead elm trees after Dutch Elm Disease went through. There were red-headed woodpeckers all over the place working them over seemed like.  :cool:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Online roony

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Kind of a bird/fish question. At work we have water control ponds. I spent some time this past weekend cleaning up the grounds and, much to my surprise, I found a couple smallish dried up sunfish by one of the ponds. Then I found out the regular grounds keeper had found some larger ones when the ice went out. Can waterfowl transplant eggs from a nearby lake? That's the only way I can think of how they got in there.

Offline Bobberineyes

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That's interesting Roony.. We had a bunch of little waddlers stroll thru a little bit ago.  :happy1:

Offline mike89

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Kind of a bird/fish question. At work we have water control ponds. I spent some time this past weekend cleaning up the grounds and, much to my surprise, I found a couple smallish dried up sunfish by one of the ponds. Then I found out the regular grounds keeper had found some larger ones when the ice went out. Can waterfowl transplant eggs from a nearby lake? That's the only way I can think of how they got in there.

here is some thing roony;
The surprising survival story suggests that birds can act as carriers for fish eggs, transporting the casings far from their original locations, researchers suggest in a new study published in the journal Ecology.  even if they have been ingested it said too..  very interesting I think too!!! 
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Steve-o

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Kind of a bird/fish question. At work we have water control ponds. I spent some time this past weekend cleaning up the grounds and, much to my surprise, I found a couple smallish dried up sunfish by one of the ponds. Then I found out the regular grounds keeper had found some larger ones when the ice went out. Can waterfowl transplant eggs from a nearby lake? That's the only way I can think of how they got in there.

here is some thing roony;
The surprising survival story suggests that birds can act as carriers for fish eggs, transporting the casings far from their original locations, researchers suggest in a new study published in the journal Ecology.  even if they have been ingested it said too..  very interesting I think too!!!

I kind of figured this had to be the case somehow...  How else could you explain all of the unconnected lakes have all the various fish species - as natural reproduction permits.

Online glenn57

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YES birds can transfer fish eggs from one body of water to another.

AND contrary to the DNR's ramblings they also spread unwanted weeds and the zeebs and whatever else.

Yes I'll admit so does a man and his wife's boat!🤣
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Online Dotch

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Yupper, from an email I got from a USFWS biologist regarding some minnows I had seen in our wetland shortly after the restoration project, he stated that "dispersal can be be by transfer of fish embryos and fry by aquatic birds". Most prairie potholes like our wetland didn't have native minnows due to the isolation of the basins and their shallow depth, freezing out in the winter. OK by me. I never intended it to be for fishing in the first place.  :coffee: 
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline HD

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I got a better shot of him today, not real clear... but better. I went to grab my Cannon Rebel to get a real close up clear photo... but the battery took a crap  :banghead: ( got a new one coming from Amazon)
Mama always said, If you ain't got noth'in nice to say, don't say noth'in at all!

Online glenn57

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that is so friggin cool HD. we had one out when we had the camper at the campground for a while. never here in town!!!!!!!

noticed this morning a wren was working on a nest in the wren house!!! :happy1:  Nary a sign or siting of any bluebirds!!!!!! i have noticed less bird activity, i reckon there beginning to nest now!!!!!!!!
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Online Dotch

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Was thinking the same thing glenn. Except for the goldfinches, the bird activity in the backyard has slowed some. Looks like fewer young birds and what's left are those that will be or are already nesting here. Some like the catbird(s) are just starting to be noticed at the jelly feeder so it's still a nice variety for us to watch and feed. :cool:
« Last Edit: May 05/18/22, 11:05:20 AM by Dotch »
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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Kind of a bird/fish question. At work we have water control ponds. I spent some time this past weekend cleaning up the grounds and, much to my surprise, I found a couple smallish dried up sunfish by one of the ponds. Then I found out the regular grounds keeper had found some larger ones when the ice went out. Can waterfowl transplant eggs from a nearby lake? That's the only way I can think of how they got in there.

here is some thing roony;
The surprising survival story suggests that birds can act as carriers for fish eggs, transporting the casings far from their original locations, researchers suggest in a new study published in the journal Ecology.  even if they have been ingested it said too..  very interesting I think too!!!

I kind of figured this had to be the case somehow...  How else could you explain all of the unconnected lakes have all the various fish species - as natural reproduction permits.


I have always wondered if mergansers and cormorants spread more due to them diving down and eating snails and stuff off the bottom.  Then go poop it out in the lake next door. 

Offline Steve-o

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Kind of a bird/fish question. At work we have water control ponds. I spent some time this past weekend cleaning up the grounds and, much to my surprise, I found a couple smallish dried up sunfish by one of the ponds. Then I found out the regular grounds keeper had found some larger ones when the ice went out. Can waterfowl transplant eggs from a nearby lake? That's the only way I can think of how they got in there.

here is some thing roony;
The surprising survival story suggests that birds can act as carriers for fish eggs, transporting the casings far from their original locations, researchers suggest in a new study published in the journal Ecology.  even if they have been ingested it said too..  very interesting I think too!!!

I kind of figured this had to be the case somehow...  How else could you explain all of the unconnected lakes have all the various fish species - as natural reproduction permits.


I have always wondered if mergansers and cormorants spread more due to them diving down and eating snails and stuff off the bottom.  Then go poop it out in the lake next door.