MID ATLANTIC BIRDS IN OUR GARDENS

Hmmmm, wonder if it was JB's???????

If you missed it, like I did, the hummers in California fledged on Feb 14th. They did record it so here it is. Watch the whole thing, the 2nd baby takes some time and mom returns to an empty nest. Job well done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YBjINOHCS4

That is so beautiful Lady. Thank you. The second chick was not finished eating. I am surprised it flew before the crop was full. I am sure the Mother found them and finished the meal. The look on the face of the last chick when the other flew away is priceless. I wish I had more hummers than I do, but our place is not really landscaped to attract them. We have a Christmas Tree farm and very few flowering trees or bushes. JB

Thanks Ladyg, I really enjoyed that.

OK ALL YOU WHO LIKE THE BIRDS..........This weekend is a Cornell based bird count. It is easy enough. You keep an eye on your feeding station and report the most species you see there together at any time during the day. Go to Cornell Bird Count.com Everyone on this forum for the most part can and hopefully would like to do this. Another subject but related: Cornell University has a dandy highly developed bird watching facility called.... Sap Sucker Woods. Put that on your things to do list.

14th annual Great Back Yard Bird Count Feb 18 - 21


Cornell link
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/page.aspx?pid=1664


Bird count link
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html

Thanks for the reminder Doc. Maybe if you post it more people will take note!!!

I think your follow-up post is just fine. Thanks. I've taken part in this for quite a few years.

About 30-4 days ago--a cloud of Blackbirds discovered my feeder and
trashed it in no time at all. Ate all of it--even the Sunflower seeds....
I would bang on my window--and they would all scatter and sit in my trees
to wait out the few minutes--and then return.

It is amazing how skittish they are! Just seeing my face in the window sent
them all scattering...And so this went all day.....I gave up--had other things to do.
When the feeder was empty--they departed for good....

I did not re-fill it for 2 days--then this past Monday I refilled the 3 tubes about 3/4 way full.
So far, they have not come back. I KNOW they will--it just takes time for one of them to find it
again--and the rest will come....They sure are groupies.....

I have noticed the one Blackbird, which has had a nest in a hole in my curb-side Kwanzan Cherry Tree
for 3 years now--it is back and going in and out of the hole--getting it's nest ready.

Some of you may remember me writing (last Spring) that a squirrel had set up housekeeping
in this same hole. Had it full of some kind of white, cottony insulation. Al;l comfy-cozy...
Well--this Blackbird decided that the squirrel had to go! it was fun watching the battles....
The bird won! Then--proceeded to pull out and throw away all that white, fluffy insulation and
did it's own thing....That insulation was blowing all over my median strip....

SO! It is back again----There are other holes in the branches (Old tree--hollow branches).
I call it my Bird Condo! There used to be a pair of sparrows that had the dibs on one of the
smaller, hollow branches....I don't see them any more.....

Small "entertainment" to watch from my kitchen window which faces the street....

Gita

I like that the Great Backyard Bird Count is so family friendly. My 4 year old Grandson can't wait! When the geese fly south over Lake Champlain where he lives, I tell him they are coming to spend the winter with me and I'll send them back in the Spring

Gita, are they black birds, Grackles or starlings or??? Hollows in trees are hard to come by any more, especially in more urban/suburban areas which is part of the answer as to why even though food for owls (mice, etc ) is plentiful in an area, nesting sites are at a premium.

This message was edited Feb 16, 2011 9:47 PM

Starlings are Hole nesters in my experience, we rented a house when we were first married. That spring the starlings were nesting in a hole under the eves. One dropped down behind the wall and I could hear it trying to get out. DH took off the baseboard and cut a hole in the wall. We got the bird out and a whole bunch of bird skeletons that were stuck over the years.
Now I have a tree like Gita's where they take up nesting every year.
Grackles seam to be tree top nesters. They prefer the very tall spruce trees in the neighborhood.

What is going on up North. The geese are flying South by the hundreds. At this time of year they should be going the other direction. Now I am confused.

I have never done the Backyard Bird Count. Maybe I should try it this year. Later, must get busy. JB

JB nothing usual up north. If you are talking about the Canada Geese, we have them year around. They are like rats, they take over local ponds. The population has exploded. they might be going south to find better feeding grounds.

Yes, they are the Canadian but they were not locals.. They were in the formation and came from the North. I watched them coming. They never stopped at any of the open fields around here like the locals do. They definitely had a flight plan filed. LOL. Keep them up in PA Please. They poop every 15 seconds. Did you know that?

JB I would rather see them go back to Canada. The poop can become a big issue when it comes to areas where childern are known to play.
They are beautiful birds and I do enjoy seeing the little ones grow, but not in the numbers that I am seeing in our area.

I can imagine how miserable that must be. We have them by the thousands here and the are a real PITA. LOL JB

This is not about the geese, but when I visited Disney in Flordia I learned that the Mallard ducks were chasing out the native Florida duck, so Disney has a program where they capture the males, neuter them , place a readable chip in them and release. They go around their property and scan the males, when they find the ones that has not been neutered they round them up.

Great idea. They need to do something here to control the Canadian Geese. We are so broke there is no chance a new program for geese would ever become real.

All that effort so as to avoid the tiny chance that anyone ever learned they'd just 'have them for dinner" which I can imagine would horrify many Disney fans.

What! eat Donald ! Never

Duck is so greasy.............but I do like it. Yummy.

Not much activity at bird feeder today. I think it was so nice they are all out looking for a new place to nest. I can not believe it is soon time for those miserable barn swallows to arrive. Just a few more weeks and then all H will break loose. They mess up things so much. We actually move some equipment out of the barn when they come. Nothing works to keep them out. They even attack the cats. The way they swoop down and pick them. It is hysterical. Seldom are they caught by the cats. Even the babies are swift.

Judy--

The tree with the holes is one of 40yr. old Kwanzan Cherry Trees we all planted
along the median in front of our houses.
Most of them have aged and have hollow stems and trunks.
My trun is only about 2 1/2' above ground level. Right where the stems start to
radiate out--is the hole. The stem next to it is hollow as well-=-and all the others,,,

I guess they are picky--not all hollow stems make a good nesting place.
This one that the Starling has claimed as it's own is very deep and spacious--with lots
of "side rooms" deeper down. That is why the squirrel liked it too last spring.....

Lady---and JB---

I live 5 minutes from a huge Mall--the busiest and best one in all of Baltimore.
It is called White Marsh Mall.
As the name implies--this really is a marsh area--but it has now been developed
and full of shops and the Mall and medical buildings and Business Parks....
YET---every complex of any lind they build around here has to have a drainage pond.
as the water table here is pretty shallow. The "White Marsh Run"--a small stream,
which can rise pretty high in floods, runs throughout this area.

SO! The Canada Geese have made all these water-collecting , landscaped
ponds their home.
Of course--people feed them--and they have become tame and will wander the parking lots.
Fat and happy--that's what they are......Would make some good dinners......

Our Airport here (BWI) has serious issues with the geese flying around....

Here is a link for info on the White Marsh Mall area...I live 5 minutes from it--as well as from I-95.
YES! We have an IKEA here as well...My daughter works there as one of the designers.

http://www.google.com/search?q=white+marsh+mall&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Gita

I remember, one time I was in the Metro, Ohio, outskirts of Cleveland. My son the doctor was living there. Right next to his duplex was a pond with all these great looking Canadian Geese. First day I walked over to say hello. Good thing I am fast on my feet. They came at me, about 10 of them, squawking and making all kinds of noise, with me running for my life. I never did that again.

I have two hummers re-making a nest from last year. They have been here all winter. Two other new birds I have no idea what they are. I am going to set up the camera upstairs on near the patio upstairs and focus it on the bird feeder so all I have to do is move it to the spot and click. I am sure you guys know what they are. My birds this morning were singing their hearts out. Later. Hi docpipe and JB..

Gita, Is the Ikea at White Marsh? If so I have been there. I was a marsh area and I noticed the bird life.

Yes, Holly--IKEA is on the outside perimeter of White Marsh Mall--
access to it is from Honeygo Blvd.

You mean you were 5 minutes from my house and did not stop by???????????
You will be amazed how close I am to I-95---

Need a travel break if you are coming that way--stop in..... Gita

edited to remove all references to my exact address....
Someone was concerned that I did that. Better safe--than sorry.....
Thanks--"someone"....
Gita



This message was edited Feb 18, 2011 8:35 PM

Gita did you post pictures of your trees? I can't find them.

Oh Gita can't remember the last time I was down there but it was years ago. I would like to come back down one of these days. If we do I will let you know.

crit--

No pictures yet.....will try to get to it today....
The thought came to my mind yesterday to grab my camera and take a picture--
but, unfortunately--it kept on going........:o)

Terribly windy today! Howling all night--Radio said later this evening,
we could have 50mph wind gusts...Same tomorrow....

What good is it having 65* if it is so windy, you can't stand up....

G.

Better than minus degrees and the wind blowing like that!!! At least that wind will be at night!

The wind is so bad just now that I could barely walk when I went to the greenhouse and walked the dog. There was no doggie duties done this morning. If he would have squatted he would have blown away. LOL It is gusting big time. Almost like a hurricane. Nasty. Birds have all taken cover.

That's too bad. It's windy here but not too bad, I've been putting out more WS jugs. Can't believe I ran out of jugs!!!! They are all filled up and I only got through the H's on my seeds. LOL Need to drink up some more Pepsi and Milk!!!

Crit---

I was semi-contemplating doing WS'ing--but now ir almost seems too late....
I may just pass! Whew---less work to do.....

OK! I went outside and took pictures of my Kwanzan Cherry Tree's
hollow trunks. NOT such great photos! I may try again in a non-windy day.

Here is the whole (??) tree. As you can see--it is old and sparse.
We all planted these along our curbs in 1972. It was a MASS planting.

Even though these Cherry Trees bloom beautifully every spring--
They are in a state of decline....Some are better than others...
Some are tall and healthy--not all! I swear there must be different varieties
of these--as we all live in the same environment. The trees all came from NJ.

Here is a whole view of one of my "Bird Condo" Cherry trees....

This is a view of three of the entrance holes the birds use for nesting.....
ALL are where branches have been cut off due to decay....

The center one in the picture above is the greatest!
That is where the squirrels made their nest last spring--and the Starlings
uprooted them and chased them away--and reclaimed their "homestead"....

In this picture--you can see it up close--just above the main trunk....

The one with the spacious interior....

Those pics are great. That is really cool that you have a 'bird condo' LOL!!!

Since I never plant anything until May 1, because we have been known for late large snowfalls in April, I decided to go ahead and do some. I've never done them before, but I saw where some people in my zone were still putting them out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. :-) I am also starting some inside, getting started on that today. I only got the the H's on my seeds for WS, so guess I'll just start anything else inside, unless we start guzzling pop or milk!

Yesterday was beautiful, a little windy. Today is overcast and very windy. Oh well, have the house opened to get some fresh air anyway. The Daryl Starbird rod and custom car show is in Tulsa this weekend, and my brothers have some cars in it, so we are going into that this afternoon.

Must go check some other threads now. Later.........

Someone mentioned that the Starlings are downright hogs. Here they are hammering our suet offerings.

Probably me--Doc....

I hung ONE little cage of fresh suet from the Grocery store--on a hook by my shed
entrance....and they have been at it forever. Pooping all over my landing in front of the shed...

Think I may want to just hang the next one from a tree limb. Then they can poop
on my grass......free fertilizer....:o)

Gita

I took my peanut suet down for a day, after noticing it looked suddenly 3/4 gone, and a starling on it that morning. Pigs. And that was the day AFTER I got to see the red bellied woodpecker go to it.

Sally, I wonder if decoy birds like your woodie get finders' fees? or first dibs? My red bellied came two days in a row til the squirrils ate all!

Now I can hear him pounding away on a dying old tree. Are they preping nest sites now or actually finding insects to eat?

How did your red pepper suet work out for you? My daughter in Vermont switched to some feeder seed treated with hot stuff. The squirrels give her dirty looks, but the bird traffic has also decreased..

The warm weather my be bringing out the insects, even the sun shinning on the branches bring them out.
One year we had a woodpecker drumming on a metal traffic sign near the house. People would walk up the street just to see where the noise was coming from. I did not do a close inspection but have seen newly hatched insects on stop signs, the parent insects lay eggs between the sign and the support.

My frist red pepper cake lasted a long time but was enjoyed by the nuthatches and downy's for sure, chickadees too I thinkI saw there.
The second peanut cake did not have the red pepper in there from the maker (out of stock) but I sprinkled it liberally before hanging it (powdered cayenne) And this one was visited but then somehow suddenly devoured around the time of the starling incident. It's really hard to say what effects are at play. I did not actually see mobs of starlings on it. So confusing!

I AM thinking tho that since its nice today and I will be out there, the woodie may visit but the starling flocks seem less apt to settle --does it seem to you all too that those starlings shy away if you're actually out there?