In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Any Bird watchers here?

Discussion in 'Hobbies and Interests' started by metalcuttr, Nov 1, 2021.

  1. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    Pretty sure its a Northern. I looked quickly online at pics.

    Normally seen in the warm weather eating ants. Cant recall if I've seen one at the seed either.
     
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  2. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    Not a bird, but related. Just saw a chipmunk while there was snow cover. Cant say I've ever seen that before. Normally they hibernate in the cold and snow. Tried to get a pic but the zoom wasn't clear enough.
     
  3. bogieb

    bogieb

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    This is actually the first winter I can remember where I haven't seen the resident chipmunk around on occasion. Sure, it lays low during nasty weather, or when the temps are really cold, but on sunny and/or warmer days I'm used to seeing it out filling its cheeks with seeds and zooming off. It may have been gotten by a fox, owl or hawk during the fall and another hasn't had time to find this place.

    It may make a difference that I keep a lot of pathways clear both around the house, to the shed, and to the area of the compost pile and bird seed all winter so there is easy navigation.
     
  4. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    I am going to believe that he is OK and will make it through the winter in good shape!:)
     
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  5. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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  6. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    Thanks Brad! An interesting read. I new they were much less active in winter but not approaching a bears inactivity. bogieb , your chippy is probably just snoozing!
     
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  7. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    They come out in December regardless of the temperature :D
     
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  8. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    The juncos aren't bothered by the 3-4 inches of snow from overnight. IMG_20250209_064453.jpg
     
  9. Jeffrey Svoboda

    Jeffrey Svoboda

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    Saw a Pileated Woodpecker on the suet last week but didn't have my phone handy and moving to get it would've scared him off. So i just enjoyed the moment. Here i am today, sitting on the couch, scrolling my phone when i look up and he's back! So i got a picture. Needless to say, he barely fits.

    20250213_163145.jpg
     
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  10. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    WOW!!! Great that you had the phone handy. With our suet feeder literally 3' from the kitchen sink most skittish birds scare easily. They are around here. I see and hear them on occasion.

    A member here mention attaching the suet cage to a long board on a post for them to be more stable. Hopefully it doesn't start pecking away on your house.
     
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  11. Jeffrey Svoboda

    Jeffrey Svoboda

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    This ones about 16ft+ from the house. A bunch of glass faces it so they see me easily. I figure it must be getting slim pickings out there with all the snow cover. I've seen at least 2 pair here. My property butts up to probably 60+ acres of woods. A good chunk is lowlands. So hopefully there's enough rotting stuff there for them to stay off the house. So far I've only had 1, about 10 years ago, bore a hole in the end of a ceiling joist. Some chicken wire over the hole was the solution. That was shortly after i cleaned up a bunch of overgrown bushes by the house. This place was something when i bought it.
     
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  12. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    A herd ( I know, a flock) of blue birds descended on new suet blocks out out this morning.

    IMG_20250215_105735.jpg

    IMG_20250215_105844.jpg

    To the right side of the 1st picture, there's one in flight.
     
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  13. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    Jealous here. Very pretty against the white background. We get an occasional blue jay which are too aggressive IMO.
     
  14. Jeffrey Svoboda

    Jeffrey Svoboda

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    Saw a nuthatch and junco square up at the feeder today. That nuthatch was ready for a fight. It kept raising its wings at the junco while the junco just stood there, kinda facing off to the side. They switched places a few times and then the junco flew off.
     
  15. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    I had just woke up when I hear a woodpecker jackhammering on the wood siding here. A lot LOUDER than usual. I open the slider and look...nothing. Coming from the front corner. I open the front door, look and nothing. WTH is it? Keeps on going. I repeat my foot steps and this time put the flip flops on and walk out into the driveway. Finally a crow flies from the roof with something in its beak. A ravioli she had thrown out last night frozen like a rock. I never had a raviolisicle before! :D
     
  16. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    Juncos seem to be fairly even tempered birds. Nuthatches can be somewhat pugnacious. One of my favorite feeder birds. Very active, double ended, upside down or right side up makes no difference to them! They are also quite fearless of man. I have had them land on the feeder as I was taking it down to refill and then peak around the feeder at me holding it as if to say "not so fast fella, I'm not finished yet"!
     
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  17. Jeffrey Svoboda

    Jeffrey Svoboda

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    That's a pretty cool experience. It's always fun when live nature gets that close. Nuthatches are definitely fun to watch. Seems they prefer to break open seeds upside-down. I see they go from the feeder to nearby trees to pick at whatever they carry there. I have a couple brown nuthatches that have taken up residence in a bank swallows nest. They, the bank swallows, have used this nest for the past couple years but once they have their second brood of the year, the parents move on. I'll be curious to see what happens this spring if they come back.
     
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  18. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    Very rare to see a junco land on the feeder here. Strictly ground feeders here. Nuthatches are very entertaining with their acrobatics. Not gonna win a bird beauty contest but still fun to watch.
     
  19. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    If they can't break open a seed in their beak they will tuck the seed in a bark crevice and pound on it like a woodpecker. Cool little birds!
     
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  20. metalcuttr

    metalcuttr

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    Right about the juncos being ground feeders. Only very occasional will I see them on the suet feeder. There is a small Lacey Leaf Maple shrub below the suet feeder that has very dense interlocking branches. The juncos will gang up on top of the Maple and catch the crumbs of suet broken off by other birds. It is funny to see them looking up for manna from above!