I keep suet out year long. In addition to other birds, we get snowy, downy, and yellow belly woodpeckers to the suet feeders. I find if I put the suet in a feeder that uses a perch, bluebirds will return. Nothing else lasts long enough to keep them around.
We feed year around. First Baltimore oriole showed up today as well as Rose breasted grosbeak. Went through 48 containers of dollar store grape jelly last year feeding the orioles. 19 oz per bottle. We even had 3 pairs of Orchard orioles. Hummingbirds should be here anytime.
Here they come again!! The BirdCast prediction for migration over the next few nights is topping 300 million birds per night—even more than the push we saw last weekend. Birding should be great the next few days, especially in the central and southeastern U.S. It's also a good time to turn off nonessential indoor and outdoor lights to help birds stay safe and on course.
Yesterday I saw the first Hummingbirds of the season for us in Eastern Iowa, getting the feeder out today. I am also seeing and hearing the Wrens today. I guess I better get the wren houses cleaned out today too!
Looks like a Carolina Wren. But a lot of wrens look somewhat alike and there are subtle differences with chest colors and the stipe over the eye.
I believe you're exactly correct. Found it on Merlin once I had name to look up. Couldn't get with the ID key. Says it nests in peculiar backyard laces. They nailed that part...it's in a bucket under the lean to, right by my chicken feed trashcan. Scared the beejesus out of me the other evening....
I found a nest in an old leaking metal watering can that had been abandoned on its side on top of a 55 gallon drum one Fall cleaning up <stuff>. For grins I hung the watering can in a lean-to nearby and it gets used every year since. Amazing those little tiny birds almost completely stuff that 3 gallon can every year with nesting materials (unless I forget to clean it out) . They use it either way. I have no way of knowing if it is the same pair but that old can sure is popular.
My nephew and I went on a quick hike on our neighbors land in VT last weekend mid afternoon. Had an owl hoot at us. What a neat animal. And certainly odd to see it out mid day in the sun. Wonder if we were close to where it lives and it was warning us.
The gold finches have returned from their early Spring visits then absence. Always fun to see them with a cardinal and try to get a pic of them together. Downy wood peckers have taken over the hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds are there daily too. Seed feeder kept filled most of the year
As stated before the woodpeckers (mostly downy's) claimed the hummingbird feeder when we took the suet down late April. It hangs from the ran gutter in front of the sink so 3-4' away. We make our own sugar water.
I have no shortage of downies visiting suet but I've never seen them on hummingbird feeders. Very interesting!
First time they have ever done that. I think ive seen the hairy and maybe even the red headed as well try the nectar. They must have a sweet tooth. They like our wood shingle siding too as im often shooing them off it...especially early in the morning when they "jackhammer"on near where im sleeping. We have pileateds too. Quite vocal. See and hear them on a fairly regular basis but never have seen one on the feeders. My bucket list bird.
We sometimes see the yellow shafted flicker at the feeder. A few pileateds have done fly bys and landed in my willow tree but they haven't gotten up close.
Flickers here too. Usually i see them on the ground eating ants. Dont recall if one has ever come to the feeder or suet. We stopped the suet as they were going through a cake in 24 hours! Come Fall ill start them up again.
Not too long ago I caught this nighthawk sitting on this downed locust. I had drug these out into open space, then got busy and couldn’t get back to them for a few weeks. When I did get back out there on the tractor I drove up on this critter, saw it and scrambled to get my phone out to get a picture before it skedaddled. Only got this one before it decided it didn’t appreciate my company, couldn’t believe I got that close.
