Birds in the back yard

[Jerkbiat]

We had a nice big healthy looking male and female Pine Grosbeak show up yesterday and they are still here.  Been awhile since we have seen them.

We have them showing up at our feeder also. We get them usually every winter as long as I keep the feeder full. It is the Evenings that we don't see very often anymore.

[Dotch]

You guys up north get all the good grosbeaks...

[roony]

I dont think I've ever seen one. I better get the bird book out.

[glenn57]

damn.....makes me wanna head up to fill the feeders......ok fish to then........but not when its this blasted cold!!!!!! food must be getting in short supply in Canada.

wonder if da trumpty dumbty charged a tariff on them too!!!! 

[Dotch]

Elon cut them off...

Have seen them a few times in Canada. Usually here we see the rose-breasted models starting in early May. They usually don't hang around tho.

[roony]

For some reason the rose breasted stuck around here well into the summer last year.

[glenn57]

i havent had a rose breasted here in town for years......we had a bunch when we had the camper......rose breasted grosebeaks thrive in wooded areas!! we have them at the cabin!!!!

[Dotch]

For some reason the rose breasted stuck around here well into the summer last year.

Ours seemed to as well as they have a few times over the years. There have been occasions where it appears they may have nested here after the young birds came to the feeders.

[Scenic]

I have not had any rose breasted here yet this winter.  Normally have a few. 

[Bobberineyes]

Musta been the snow the day before but the gold finches were WILD on Sunday.  They were stacked on all 4 feeders, I tried to count em all but the way they switching in and out made it tough. Looks like it was quieter today Looking at the seed levels..

[Scenic]

I have had a pretty big flock of Finch in each day.  This is the first time I have had them in the winter.  Normally they hit the feeder early spring.  They seem to like the sun flowers.   

What is everyone feeding?

[glenn57]

my feeders consist of sunflower seeds, sunflower seeds mixed with safflower seed. cardinals love them. thistle seed, suet and peanut butter mixed with sunflower seeds!!!!!!

[Bobberineyes]

I go thru sunflower hearts n chips and golden safflower like crazy. As a matter of fact I went back to white safflower to slow em down. 1 feeder has bigger nuts n berries that bring in the bigger birds, wood packers, cardinals,  doves... although them sparrows hit every feeder i have..

[LPS]

We do sunflowers on a roofed shelf feeder by the window.  On that there are 2 Lindell Rod Holders. One holds a suet block and the other holds the thistle seed tube.   Hardly ever get a house sparrows but it has happened.  I start trying to snipe them and they take off right away.  They check out the bird houses so make good targets.

[Scenic]

I'm pretty much feeding straight sunflowers and have a couple of suet's out.   Suets do not last long because of the large wood peckers.   Was thinking I should go to something smaller but there must have been 20 or more finches on the sunflowers today.

[markn]

Ribcage from a whitetail. Woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches love it.

[Scenic]

On a normal year we have a George that might get into some fish remains that I put in the yard (just until I can put them in the garbage of course)  I keep telling him he has to leave them alone but instead he brings his friends.   

George lives in the tree directly above my deck.  Sort of amazes me I have any birds or squirrels that come to the feeders .   But they don't seem to be bothered by him or his guest. 

[glenn57]

On a normal year we have a George that might get into some fish remains that I put in the yard (just until I can put them in the garbage of course)  I keep telling him he has to leave them alone but instead he brings his friends.   

George lives in the tree directly above my deck.  Sort of amazes me I have any birds or squirrels that come to the feeders .   But they don't seem to be bothered by him or his guest.

he's looking at you sayin......what the hell.......your slackin on my fish diet!!!!!!!

[Scenic]

It is actually pretty fun to have an eagle sit that close to you.  We can visit on the deck and he is not bothered at all.   There are some draw backs however.  There is not many days that go by they do not drop fish in the yard or on the deck.  They only eat part of it and then drop it.  I have to get to it before the dog does.  And then there is a reason I am going to put a roof on the deck.  They crap like a cow. That end of the deck gets whitewashed every day.  If the wind is blowing hard you might get white washed on the other end of the deck too. 

[fishwidow]

Not exactly in the backyard, but right down the road, I had a great grey owl fly across the road in front of me. I’ve heard that they were moving south from Canada this winter. But that’s the first one I saw this year.

Maybe 15 years ago, I couldn’t drive the 20 miles to town without seeing 6-8 of them. Cool birds.

[mike89]

Not exactly in the backyard, but right down the road, I had a great grey owl fly across the road in front of me. I’ve heard that they were moving south from Canada this winter. But that’s the first one I saw this year.

Maybe 15 years ago, I couldn’t drive the 20 miles to town without seeing 6-8 of them. Cool birds.

heard that on the news too!!  yes cool birds!!

[roony]

Just had a Pileated at the suet feeder.

[Steve-o]

Anyone see snowy owls?  I wonder what makes greys come down vs snowy ones. 

[Scenic]

Just had a Pileated at the suet feeder.

You can keep those.   I have one left that pretty much destroys a suet.  Thing takes chunks the size of beaver bites.
I have not seen any Snowy Owls but I have one here someplace at night because he hoots and we can hear him but not see him.  He is some place close.  Not sure what kind he is either. 

We do have a BUNCH of eagles here today.   Mostly we have "George" and maybe 1 other.  Today I seen 5 all in the air at one time and George in the tree.

[roony]

Well it is a rare occasion for me to see one. Maybe once or twice a year. I think they are a beautiful bird and have their place in nature like most other non invasive animals. To each their own though.

[Dotch]

Same here but I know of people up north who've had their siding destroyed by pileated woodpeckers, one of them not far from Scenic.

I see some of the goldfiches are starting to show a little more yellow today. I hope so after this past week.

[LPS]

We see them often and they even drop dead elm trees here if I don't get to them in time.  Have a downed one along the driveway that a pileated pecked the bottom about like a beaver does.  Then I have to go cut them up for firewood. 

[roony]

My brother hates them.

[glenn57]

i have a smaller maple tree out back the woodpeckers pretty much killed....i'll be cutting that down this spring......i didnt like that tree anyway!!!!!

[Steve-o]

I saw several trees like this during deer season tbat were absolutely torn appart.  I assumed it was piliated peckers.