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Thread: BACKYARD BIRD CONTEST

  1. #31
    Registered Users TOAD's Avatar
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    Yes sir, happened on the highway between my neighbor's and my house.

    Actually the carcass is just on his side of the property line.
    So his problem, and he has dibs on the fresh road kill.


    He had best hurry though because: today I spy:


    1. American Goldfinch
    2. Carolina Chickadee
    3. Blue Jay
    4. Mourning Dove
    5. House Finch
    6. Northern Cardinal
    7. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
    8. Tufted Titmouse
    9. Carolina Wren
    10. American Crow
    11. Northern Mockingbird
    12. Turkey Vulture

  2. #32
    That's a good one. Scrape that guy up and throw him near your other feeders and presto --> you have a ground feeder.

    My place is under a tree canopy right now, can't see the sky unless I walk to my edge at the lake. We have a lot of vultures, and lots will gather over the lake making them easy to watch for hours in flight as they circle and ride the lake winds. The Turkey hunts mostly by smell. The Black uses eye sight, and watches the Turkey.

    To help others, there are two basic types in the East, the Turkey and the Black. Telling them apart is easy as on the ground, one has a red head and one has a black head.

    It is also easy looking up at them in the sky. The Turkey has white along the rear underside of his wings from tip to body.
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    The Black has just white tips.
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  3. #33
    I don't want to fall too far behind, so here are three I saw today:

    13 - Brown-headed Nuthatch -- -- all year, everyday at feeders
    14 - Red-bellied Woodpecker -- -- all year, everyday at feeders
    15 - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker --> First one this this Fall, will stay over until Spring

    I have older photos of these, but want to get new ones for this thread. It will not be too hard.
    The Nuthatch is mostly at the corner sunflower feeder out of sight of my chair, but as it gets colder, he will move in front of me to the suet - a very tiny, very tame bird.
    The Woodpecker wakes me every morning at my bedroom window feeder on the suet. I don't see him much in the yard except high up and too many leaves right now. He is noisy and easy to find.
    The Sapsucker has put a million holes in my trees. He is easy to photo once the leaves are gone.

  4. #34
    Guess this bird?
    (Warbler?)

    Just had a bird flitting in the leaves of the Elm right in front of me.
    They jump around and light for just a second before jumping (after bugs?). In the leaves, it is difficult to get a clear view, photos are very hard. Often (like just now) it all happens in a couple minutes. Between using the binocular and the camera it turns to a cluster fuck.

    Note the two yellow wing bars, and it had an eye ring and a pointed beak. It was greenish above and no streaks on the underside, yellow on the sides.

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    Get out your books, WTF is it?

  5. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by AgentOrange View Post
    Guess this bird?
    (Warbler?)

    Get out your books, WTF is it?
    Nobody got it right (or wrong).
    Maybe this one was a little too hard for the peanut gallery. The next one will be easier.
    This is a Chestnut-sided Warbler (immature).
    Check your Peterson (4th edition page 249) on the "Confusing Fall Warblers page".
    Or you can look here on line:
    http://birds.audubon.org/birds/chestnut-sided-warbler

    About the only chance to see this bird in the Southeast is during migration. I do live in the Blue Ridge foothills, so my chance is higher than most.

    16 - Chestnut-sided Warbler

  6. #36
    The plan here for the Army Corps is to drop the lake 5' every Fall even though that makes no sense.
    I was down pushing my dock out this morning and saw a couple Blue Birds in the trees there.
    Every year I raise about 25 in my bird houses including about 12 on the dock.
    Still, after breeding, it can be weeks between sighting one, don't know why. They are a year-round bird in the Southeast.

    Here are a couple of my old pictures, need to get some with my newer camera. During breeding, they get impatient when you sit on the dock, but soon will be hauling in the worms whether you are there are not. I have read the first brood helps to feed broods two and three.

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    17 - Eastern Bluebird

  7. #37
    Hard to believe I am up before 10, but I got a lot to do today.
    I sat on the porch and watched the Sun set yesterday before I had to come in and watch VT loose to Pitt.

    Two Blue Jays were in the yard late. I hear them often, but don't see them often until leaves fall as they like the tree tops. They don't come to the feeders for food often, but do come for water.

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    18 - Blue Jay

  8. #38
    YC is waiting on some of yall to start reporting some bird sightings.
    Right now Toad and I are carrying the load and having all the fun. The contest runs until the end of the year, but it would be more fun if you post along and not wait until the last day. It's not about winning, but sharing. Report what you see. We have people all across America, I am interested what is out your window.

    I am not sure of Toad's set up as I have not been there in a while. I am familiar with the yard, and like at my place, there is no limit to who could show. Toad has a hell of a lot more forest backing him up than I do. Of course the place to search is always the edge, not deep in.
    I know Toad has a couple tube feeders and a suet ball.
    I don't know if he has a hopper feeder, be eager to mail him one. Hopper feeders will be very handy soon as millet will become popular when the Yankee birds arrive (you can't give it away right now).
    Some birds prefer this style as it mimics eating on the ground.
    I put together this big one last year. I have a couple more similar ones. This one is directly in front of my Catbird chair about 30 feet off.

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    The roof keeps the seed dry as does the mesh floor. Seed does not fall on the ground and go to waste. Something like this would be about $1K at a store, but you can make it for under $100 including 4X4 pole. I am not talented like elgrau, so if I can throw this up anyone can. The secret for success here is the floor.

    Here is one of my few remaining (darn cats) chipmunks stealing some food. He can't get up top, but can jump from the bushes onto the low hanging trays. I really like to watch these guys, used to have a lot of them. They collect and store food in the the ground cave they dig. Mine can eat free all Winter on me, but they don't believe that and work like crazy storing food. You could have a dump truck pile up a mountain of seed and this guy would not rest until it was all safely underground. They are great critters and do no harm in the yard. My asshole neighbor shoots them, claims they eat his plant roots (not true), but then he is an asshole. I never have understood killing just to watch something die.

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    Anyway, a hopper style feeder is better for millet as most birds that prefer it are ground birds. Even Cardinals prefer this style. Add one to your yard, good ones start at about $20. Hanging trays work well too, but do better if you fashion a roof to keep the seed dry. Those in the photo are all metal ($25 at Tractor Supply) will last a life time, but the floor holes a little to big for millet.



    Right now I have two noisy Nuthatches just about 3 feet from my chair eating suet from holes I drilled in a cedar limb. Yesterday I made a new suet feeder out of crap I already had (free). I'll post on it when the paint drys. Suet is a substitute for insects and very popular after Winter freeze limits the bug supply. Most birds will nibble on it, and some will eat only this at feeders. I am upgrading my old one because soon my Pine Warblers will be in to replace Hummingbirds for the Winter.

  9. #39
    One of my Blue Jays just came yelling at all to clear out so he could hit the water hole.
    I snapped a couple photos in the shadows, these are actually at 1600 ISO.

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  10. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by AgentOrange View Post
    10 - Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Here are a juvenile male and female and an adult female. They are at your house now.
    Attachment 3360

    Attachment 3361
    A male showed up today, snapped this from my chair before he took flight:

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  11. #41
    Registered Users TOAD's Avatar
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    Mister bird expert,
    Do you know what is the difference between a White Owl and a Cajun Owl?


    According to Justin Wilson:

    A White Owl goes, "Who, who,"
    A Cajun Owl goes, "Who dat? Who dat?



  12. #42
    19 - Common Grackle
    I was sitting here playing CCR and a few Grackles showed up. I only see these in the yard a couple times a year. They got some water and were gone in a few moments, lucky I was here.

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  13. #43
    The irrigation sprinkler came on for the Branch area and among others who cam to investigate was this guy:

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    20 - ROBIN

  14. #44
    Sad news.

    The Winter sparrows have arrived.
    My first sighting of one was just now when Rosey walked in carrying one. It most likely hit the windows because if the cats had caught it, doubt Rosey would have it.

    These are birds who prefer to eat on the ground. They make a fuss jerking back leaves and grass to search for seed. That really attracts cats.
    They prefer millet at the feeders. They can look ordinary until you put the binios on them, then they are striking birds. The yellow above the eye really flashes at you.

    Here is one from another year at my "branch":

    21 - White-throated Sparrow
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    They arrive in large numbers and will stay until Spring. Watch for birds on the ground. Eating along with them and also digging in the leaves will be Song Sparrows and Juncos.

  15. #45
    When I first moved here I had a couple Red-headed Woodpeckers that were constant visitors to my porch eating my suet mix. Here is a photo of one on my suet from 2004.

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    Beautiful bird !!


    These guys are getting fewer every year, and I have not had them here for 10 years. I have missed them as they were quite tame, even aggressive. Like most Woodpeckers, they talk a lot.

    I sat down in my chair today, and I heard one - maybe. After about an hour of watching, it finally showed at the Elm tree. I got a few photos, very good.
    Here is one that definitely IDs the guy:

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    This is a juvenile, the head is still mostly brown and it still has streaks on the belly. Maybe he will spend the Winter with me and grow up. If I can get him on the suet, I think he will.
    This just makes my day, never thought I would see one here again. I am smiling ear to ear.:excitement:

    22 - Red-headed Woodpecker

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