Birds in the back yard

[roony]

Hummer Alert! Just had one here.

[LPS]

Noone gets more hummers than you Roony.   

[glenn57]

Noone gets more hummers than you Roony.   

even with a bad back!!!!!!!

[mike89]

Noone gets more hummers than you Roony.   

even with a bad back!!!!!!!

easier on the back that way!!!   sorry roony Glenn made me say that!!!   

[mike89]

watched a flock of vultures, maybe 15 or so, tonight doing their thing flying over head for about 10 minutes this afternoon.. rather fun to watch them..  very little wing moment unless they were going else where!! 

[Steve-o]

watched a flock of vultures, maybe 15 or so, tonight doing their thing flying over head for about 10 minutes this afternoon.. rather fun to watch them..  very little wing moment unless they were going else where!!

Vultures...  circling overhead...  I'd be worried about somethin...  Just sayin

[mike89]

over the farmers yard across the road!!!!   

[Dotch]

Vultures circling...sounds like a Gunsmoke episode looking for a place to happen...

Appears the goldfinches have thinned out here. Not going through the thistle seed like we were a few weeks ago. They've got lots of other stuff to fill their faces with in the CRP & the sunflower patch. Birdbath gets a workout daily. Prolly refill it at lunchtime. No hummers altho there's sugar water & lots of flowers blooming yet for them. White-lined sphinx moths are still nightly visitors. Lots of bumblebees working over the coleus flowers during the daytime. Aside from the large queens, like the sphinx moths, their days are numbered.   

[glenn57]

Doing the final walk through at Mom's today, I decided to grab this. A feeder you stick peanut butter in. Is this a year round thing or just during the summer??

[attachment deleted by admin]

[mike89]

my guess would summer but try it in cold weather!!

[fishwidow]

I’ve got one, not nearly as cool looking, though. I don’t use it in the warm weather, only in winter. I mix peanut butter with seeds and push it into the holes and the chickadees and nuthatches go to work on it. I stop using it in late winter though, because I don’t want to attract bears.

[glenn57]

I’ve got one, not nearly as cool looking, though. I don’t use it in the warm weather, only in winter. I mix peanut butter with seeds and push it into the holes and the chickadees and nuthatches go to work on it. I stop using it in late winter though, because I don’t want to attract bears.

another guy I know one another site says the birds go bonkers over it during the winter . He makes his own home brew. I got 2 of them so one for here at home and one for the cabin

[LPS]

Very cool Glenn.  I used to screw the top of a peanut butter jar to a tree, then screw the bottle onto the cap and cut the bottom out of the plastic jar.  The deers, squirrels, birds all liked it. 

[glenn57]

I’ve got one, not nearly as cool looking, though. I don’t use it in the warm weather, only in winter. I mix peanut butter with seeds and push it into the holes and the chickadees and nuthatches go to work on it. I stop using it in late winter though, because I don’t want to attract bears.

fishwidow, my stepdad made that he's a magician when it comes to woodworking!!!!!

when he met mom they came up spearing, next time he came up he had made up a bunch of decoys......pretty impressive looking for the first time making decoys.  he made/built a rocking horse for one of moms grandkids my great grandson has int now. but he's made others and got 4 grand for the ones he sold!!!!!!

[fishwidow]

That’s pretty cool,  Glenn. Wish I had that kind (or any kind) of talent.
There’s a show/market every year in Grand Rapids called Goods from the Woods. Lots of nice stuff made by really creative people.

[glenn57]

been to a decoy show..........some guy north od grand rapids on 38 had a hand carved ruffed grouse on a log. that thing was totally awesome. wanted 3 grand.  Mikey wouldnt buy it for me!!!!!!!

[fishwidow]

My ex-father in law was from Norway. His brother still lived there and would send a wooden crate, probably 4’ x 2’ x 2’ over every Christmas. It contained chocolates, really awful smelling cheeses, handmade Norwegian sweaters, and hand carved Norwegian trolls.
He had a hand carved wooden sculpture of two hunters resting near a tree with the most detailed and intricate carving I’ve ever seen. One of the hunters was smoking a pipe, the guns leaned against the tree, the dog napped at their feet, and the birds were laying on the ground. The feathers, the details on the guns, the fur on the dog, the bark on the tree, and the lines on their faces were all portrayed in amazing detail. The whole thing was only about a foot wide and stood probably 10 inches high. I can’t imagine what the value would be.
The backstory is that it was carved by a Norwegian logger who was crippled in a logging accident and took up carving for a way to make a living.
I think it was carved in the 1960’s. He received another carved wood sculpture with a similar scene in the late 70’s or early 80’s that was done by the same guy. It was extremely good, too, but nowhere near the quality of the earlier one. Not sure, but I got the impression that he had built up a pretty good following and maybe sacrificed quality for higher volumes.
I still wonder what became of them. My guess is the money-grubbing son walked away with anything of value after his folks died.

[Dotch]

Replaced two of the 3 nectar feeders with suet feeders this afternoon. Seeing a lot of chickadees at the feeders this fall. Actually did most of the summer too. The house finches are more numerous this fall than they have been in years. Lots of nuthatches as well. Downies and hairies are back as are the red-bellied woodpeckers feeding on the ear corn. Blue jays blow the whistle on the cats when they venture into the backyard. Fall has arrived at the ranch.

[glenn57]

Dotch... the bird whisperer!!

[Bobberineyes]

We still have a variety of birds here but some musta left already cuz we aren't filling the feeders as often.

[glenn57]

Odd you say that boober, starting to see more purple finches

 at the feeders lately.

Even had a woodpecker at my new peanut butter feeder this morning!!

[mike89]

woodpeckers like that sort of stuff!!!   

[mike89]

fall must be getting closer, 2 swans out on the lake...   neighbor said his bird bath had a coating of ice on it too..  mine stayed open...  so far!!!   

[Dotch]

Juncos are back here today. May have been here earlier but it was the 1st time they were close enough to the patio to see them.

[LPS]

We had lots of them a week ago but now that you mentioned it I haven't seen them for a few days.  Must have moved through?

[Steve-o]

Hadn't noticed any robins in the last several weeks, but there is a bunch of 'em in the front yard right now.  I wonder if they are a flock passing thru from up nort'   

[glenn57]

Holy crap a robin siting this morning. Seen them at the cabin.

[Dotch]

Lots of bird activity recently. A flock of robins will descend  on the crabapples, leave, and be replaced by a flock of cedar waxwings. Can hear bluebirds as they're passing through when I take Poppy out to do her business. Woodpeckers busy on the suet with the red-bellies & blue jays working on the ear corn, once the fox squirrels have had their fill. Chickadees, house finches & nuthatches are routinely plucking sunflower seeds from the red hanging feeder. Even a few goldfinches coming back around on the thistle feeders. Cardinals also reappearing while the juncos pick at whatever they can find on the ground.

[mike89]

the blue jays are really not happy with my bird bath being froze over...  they keep pecking away to find water...   

[LPS]

We have juncos again.  Bluejays, chicadees, nuthatches too.