Birds in the back yard

[HD]

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I usually don't download,  read or look at any link posted, on any site. Wether it's you tube ,my tube it doesn't matter...ain't gonna do it. Good luck. Before Reb left that's mostly what posted... boring.

Yup, that's up to you. Reb complained that the site was unsecured, so I payed extra for the secured site.... and he still left......oh well.....

[fishwidow]

 Nice video. Seems like a lot more twins around this year.

[glenn57]

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I usually don't download,  read or look at any link posted, on any site. Wether it's you tube ,my tube it doesn't matter...ain't gonna do it. Good luck. Before Reb left that's mostly what posted... boring.

Yup, that's up to you. Reb complained that the site was unsecured, so I payed extra for the secured site.... and he still left......oh well.....

yea but what didnt reb complain about!!!!!!!!!!

[HD]

Seems we have WAY to many red winged blackbirds.....oh well, soon they will migrate South 

[glenn57]

Schootz em!!?!!!

[HD]

Schootz em!!?!!!

BLM 

[mike89]

Schootz em!!?!!!

BLM 

 

they are over here....   

[glenn57]

I don't approve nor acknowledge them!!!

[Jerkbiat]

Lots of grackles here too. We also have a resident red headed woodpecker that has been at the feeder for a couple weeks now.

[Dotch]

Looks like the orioles disappeared while I was gone. Kinda wondered if that would happen. The wife won't keep the feeders full whenever I take off for a while. Put jelly back in them but haven't seen anything other than sparrows. 

On my way in to town this a.m. I saw something in the neighbor's beans. I thought it might be a doe and fawn but it was a family unit of sandhill cranes. The soybeans were about midway up on the bodies of the adults. They were walking in the sprayer tracks.

[Dotch]

Saw a few orioles later afternoon & again this a.m. Older, more mature birds. Doesn't look like they're part of the same crew that was eating me out of house and home before I went on vacation. The hummers found the purple salvia the wife had in a couple planters and were quarreling over it last nite. Both fully colored males so makes me wonder if their migration has started... Saw lots when we were in Canada last week, especially after I dumped the cloudy sugar water out of their feeders, cleaned them up and put fresh nectar back in them. Need to do that at home too. After a week the nectar is starting to get cloudy. Don't want to make them sick.   

[glenn57]

Dotch, are you noticing any wasps or unwanted type bees around the feeders yet?? I've seen a few but not enough to warrant the wasp traps yet??

Kinda surprised so far the lack of ants also.

[Dotch]

Dotch, are you noticing any wasps or unwanted type bees around the feeders yet?? I've seen a few but not enough to warrant the wasp traps yet??

Kinda surprised so far the lack of ants also.

No bee problems here but lots of flies & ants especially in the jelly feeders. The ants were really a PITA early on with the nectar feeders too. The feeders have built in ant moats that keep them out if you keep the reservoir full of water. The birds kept drinking the water out of them so ants got in the feeders almost daily. When that happens seems like the hummingbirds here turn their noses up at the feeders & won't use them until they're cleaned out. I bought some cheap additional hanging ant moats at FF. That seemed to help as long as I filled them with water every couple days. All of our nectar & jelly feeders are suspended from the trees so ants are always a battle.

[roony]

The wrens have practically wiped out the honeybees around here. Hey, I may have discovered the answer to why bee numbers are plummeting!

[Dotch]

 

[glenn57]

 

[mike89]

the blue jays are really having a good time in the bird bath!!  some cardinals too, lots of young ones!!   and baby robins are every where!!  I don't recall seeing so many around here...   

[LPS]

I miss the cardinals.  Had lots of them at Ottertail.  People do see them here.  We had a pair I think it was in our sunny feeder about 10 years ago.  Haven't seen one since. 

[glenn57]

 :sleazy:I'm watching a cardinal on the feeder now!!

[LPS]

LOL  I am envious.  You have all the good birds.   

[LPS]

Hows about birds in the driveway.  This grouse kept coming out as I was mowing today.  It would come out and trot about 10' ahead of me.  It did that twice and it just stood and watched me as I mowed the other side of the driveway. Was still standing there a half hour later when the wife came home for lunch.  Funny I called it a she and the wife called it a he.   LOL

[LPS]

I was on the mower when I took this and I did blow it up so hence the fuzzines.

[fishwidow]

Grouse have never impressed me as being very smart. I’ve shot at them and missed and watched them perch in a tree looking at me.

[Dotch]

We've had what are apparently young rose-breasted grosbeaks feeding at the sunflower tray feeder since I got back from Canada. There are males turning colors and there are some that appear to be females. They are content to sit on the feeder and crack sunflower seeds much of the day. Not sure if they nested here but there was a song earlier this spring I didn't remember hearing before. We had several males at the feeders for a while. The song sounded robin-esque but I wasn't sure. Wasn't able to devote much time to figuring it out.

[roony]

We had grosbeaks nest here too. First time I know of.

[LPS]

Grouse have never impressed me as being very smart. I’ve shot at them and missed and watched them perch in a tree looking at me.

When I first moved here I did a lot of grouse hunting.  A buddy and I saw one.  So me being a pheasant guy ran way around him so if my buddy missed it would run past me.  LOLOL   He asked WTH were you doing?  So I told him my plan and he about died laughing.  He then said grouse don't run they just sit there.  I shot 13 that year and felt bad cuz it was so easy.  Hard to believe they even survive.  I never shot another one. 

[fishwidow]

They’re tasty, but hardly worth a shot. Little tiny drumsticks and a bit of breast meat. Good to have if you’re lost in the woods and trying to survive. Not so much as a civilized dinner.

[glenn57]

I think the opposite. Yea they can be dumb as a box of rocks at times but they sure can figure things out in a hurry, why do they flush so far out at times??

And those tree chickens taste better than ditch chickens.

As far as grosbeaks we see one once in a while around home but they seem to hang around the cabin more!! Think it has a lot to do with being wooded.

[Dotch]

Bird song has dramatically decreased. About all I hear out of the orioles is griping when I let their feeders run empty. Robins must be about done with their 2nd hatch because they're quiet and scold when you get close to their young 'uns. Still hear cardinals however and there was a wren on the porch railing belting it out when I was getting ready for work. So loud it sounded like it was inside the house.

They're not birds but they do fly and was glad to see them. What am I referring to? Bats! After a number of years without seeing them at the ranch, there were several flying around at dusk last night. We used to have scads of them but guessing the white-nose syndrome may have taken a lot of them out. There were some mosquitoes after me last nite when I decided to quit picking string beans. When I saw the 1st one, I wasn't sure it was a bat. When I saw several others then I knew. 

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wns/index.html

[glenn57]

Bats are a good thing..........no such thing as to many bug eating machines!!!!!!

i'm starting to get a lot more hummingbird activity the past few weeks!!!!!! this past summer i've gone thru more suet cakes then i've had the past 5 years combined!!!!! i like it.

i put out a mealworm feeder every spring to attract bluebirds, but since there population took a hit couple years ago i havent had any. i bought some kind of bluebird mix that had mealworm and all kinds of different seeds and nuts in it. i've had all kinds of different birds feeding in that. cardinals, and even had morning doves sitting in it. i used to take it down mid summer but thinking i'm leaving it up all year.

i take a bag of that stuff and add a big bag of plain meal worm mix it up and the birds seem to love it!!!!!