Been on the look out, but migrants are slow arriving this year.
Today in the cove, are about a dozen Canada Goose that landed.
They are breath-taking when they circle and land.
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Been on the look out, but migrants are slow arriving this year.
Today in the cove, are about a dozen Canada Goose that landed.
They are breath-taking when they circle and land.
2015 Bird Migrants
I saw a Nashville Warbler yesterday, no photo. He was a few feet away, but no camera.
On the boat yesterday saw an Osprey annd a Common Tern.
Here is the Ospey who is not a migrant, he was far off and I did not have my long lens, but still a fun photo.
Attachment 4222
When I cut photos down from several mega pixels to a 100kb they loose a lot of pop.
Incredible good news (for me).
Today a Pine Warbler arrived. It is my favorite Winter Migrant. I was getting worried last year as showed until late Dec.
It is not uncommon to have one drop by from the Blue Ridge any time of year, but when the migrants arrive, they entertain me all Winter. They are the replacements for my Hummingbirds.
They eat suet. They get very tame and jump around the Catbird house all day.
It is just one, but certainly one that is welcome. Surely more will arrive by Christmas.
Here he is.
Attachment 4244
Some other migrants are already here like the Kinglet, and Hermit Thrush.
I have a question Birdmeister.
Where did all my birds go?
My feeders usually need filling about once a week, sometimes more. But, it is 3 going into 4 weeks now and they are still half full.
I have checked to make sure they are dispensing properly, I am using the same food, and I have seen no sign of a hawk or other predator.
I understand that the doves that spend all day under the feeder may have moved south, but I'm rarely even seeing the birds like my cardinals that I know stay with me year round. :abnormal:
So, WTF is going on:Question
Well, I don't know.:numbness:
In Fall the Finches find food in the woods as they are full of seed. They breed late in September and are slow to return. They will again find you in even bigger numbers. They eat most of the sunflower.
Same with Doves, fields are full with seed.
Cardinals are berry eaters. If you grow none, they might be in the woods as the berries are there. Mocking birds like berries.
Moving in now from the North are the millet eaters - Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Junco, Chipping Sparrow. These come in large numbers and eat millet. They are ground birds and prefer trays over tube feeders.
After a few freezes kill off the insects, many birds (Cardinal, Titmouse, Chickadee, Warblers, Mockingbird, nut hatches, woodpeckers, etc) will visit you, especially if you make some suet for them to fill in for the loss of bugs in their diet.
From about mid Summer on my Sunflower feeders need little upkeep.
Soon I will be going through a bag a week.
Millet which few wanted in Summer will be in big demand.
Patience, they will return.
A couple weeks back some White-thoats arrived and a couple Chipping Sparrows.Quote:
Originally Posted by TOAD
Today the Chippers number a dozen.
Soon there will be a hundred:encouragement:.
I don't mean 50, I mean a hundred.
They like white millet, not the rip off supermarket 'wild bird crap", but white millet.
My yard will be bird overflow with these tiny guys until Spring - all day everyday.
I have a 150# stocked in for them.
Here is a photo from last year:
Attachment 4346
Here is a good training photo with a Field Sparrow and a Cardinal for size comparison.
Attachment 4347