BIrds of the Mid-Atlantic: Nature's Entertainers

Time for a new thread, with photos this time! We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1383864

Isn't it great that birds show up to entertain us during the most difficult time of year for us gardeners? I know I'm not alone in lamenting the fact that it's sometimes just too darn cold to go outside and play in my garden, and I'm glad that at least the birds and squirrels get to enjoy it.

As soon as the birds learn to sit still and pose for photos, I'll post some of birds other than the Blue Jays about whom I incessantly rave!

Muddy a good deterrent for rats is to throw moth balls in their tunnels and backfill, but they are toxic to kids and pets. Those smoke bomb fire crackers do a pretty good job too. I used a 4-10 shotgun loaded with red wheat instead of lead shot. No fear of something eating lead shot. On rats it worked like shot but if it hit the barn it turned to flour.

Cute pictures, Muddy--and a cute feeder as well....

Earlier this morning--I heard a "Thunk" against my house.
I know what it was--another dove that got startled and flew into
the side of my house. I think a squirrel was to blame.

Sometimes they head for the skylights in their attempt to escape.
and also break their necks. In either case--death is instant.

I picked the dove up and put it on my lawn. Perhaps a hungry Hawk will
get to enjoy it as a meal.

Did this a few years ago--took pictures as the hawk came to investigate the body--
it was frozen stiff already. The hawk picked at it and then took it and flew off.
Turned around to get my camera--and they were both gone.
Can't find the pictures.....
G.

Eewww...I don't want to see those pictures, Gita! I'll pass on the skylight carnage.

Thanks, Ric. I don't have a gun and couldn't legally use it if I did, but otherwise that would suit me just fine!

Muddy--I understand--that you seem to be extremely save-all-animals oriented.

But some die--there is no carnage in a dead bird laying on my patio floor.
It looks the same as alive--it just isn't moving..Same if you or I died.

I can tell you, though, that a Dove has a bit of wight to it. I would guess close to 1/2lb.
I good meal for a hawk. I keep looking--the dove is still there...but I moved it to a more
visible place. Like a hawk needs help? Do hawks feed later in the day?

G

I think we all know the "nature" of nature ("red in tooth & claw" and all that)... it's the posting of photos that I think Muddy was saying wasn't necessary!

Turkey vulture should find that carcass if a hawk doesn't... or a possum might go for it tonight.

I've heard a few thunks despite the decals on my patio door... but so far no birds stunned (or worse) when I go look.

Yes, Critter, that's it. I told my sister the same thing when she sent me a photo of an owl with a squirrel.

Gita, why not try some decals? Like Critter, I've found that they really do work.

I can give you a couple of reasons..

1--My patio roof is pretty high--never measured--but i need a 10' ladder to
hang my roll-down shades. Need a ladder s well to reach my windows.

2--I will be 78 in a month or so--not climbing and doing anything like that.
No one else in my life to doit either. Nor does it bother me.

3--I am NOT going to be the protector of all animals and wildlife. They have done well
all on their own for centuries. Be--and let be..

Call me insensitive--but that is how I think about life---live and let live--or die.

Jill--I have NO Turkey Vultures here--nor possums or racoons.
In the 47 years I have lived here--i have seen a racoon twice--ONE rat once--
a Fox--twice and a Hawk twice. Those of you that have been here will understand.
Do you? You also live in a development. BUT--you have woods behind you.
I just have 4 more houses and a BIG High School 4 houses away.

My street is a busy 4 lane road with endless traffic on it. Hard to get out of my driveway.
School buses 4 times a day--coming and going...(there is also a Middle School
on my street)--about 3/4 mi. away.

Not much "nature" around here....barren yards (except mine) and a lot of old people.
Some dogs...lots of sparrows and other birds.

My street towards the west
My street facing East.My house is on the right--where the Subaru is parked.
Looking back at the house, the patio and how high it is. The LR and DR windows
just under it.
Ny house looking from the street. (these pics are all from 2011)

All our of reach.....

I thought those turkey vultures were everywhere! I guess you might have to dispose of it then... compost pile would work, just put it under some stuff so it doesn't stink..

I think my bluebirds are here to stay! I think the one in photo 3 was checking out a possible nest cavity in a maple tree at the top of my backyard.

This explains why some other cultures consider the bluebird to be a symbol of happiness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebird_of_happiness

It's the happy little chirps they make when they're chatting with each other that makes me smile : - )

Here are some close-ups of photos 2 and 3.

My husband took these photos for me; my photography skills are almost nil.

So happy for you, Muddy! All your hospitality efforts are paying dividends. Mr. Bluebird sure is a handsome bloke!

Thanks!

It's nice for the birds that my tree has cavities, but now I'm wondering about that tree.... We had it limbed up back when we thought it was important to have grass growing up there (sheesh), and it wasn't pruned properly. It won't hit anyone's house if it's rotten to the core and falls in a big storm, though, so it's staying.

Congrats! That's delightful! So pretty

They are adorable birds, aren't they?

This White-Breasted Nuthatch is about to fly away with a whole peanut. The Nuthatches prefer peanut splits, but they have no problem picking up whole ones.

The peanut feeder has seen better days. It used to have a plexiglass front, and squirrels would lift the lid to get peanuts. I removed the front piece because it frustrated the Blue Jays.

Got a rustic charm about it, the feeder

Yeah, very nice feeder and great pics Muddy :)

Beautiful Blue Birds, Muddy. So lucky to have them. We see them in the spring and summer but they don't stay and don't come to the feeders much. We also see the occasional Blue Bunting. Always happy to see them both.

Unbeleivable number of birds in the yard today. Time to go out and chase them all away while I fill the feeders. Putting out corn for the deer, too. Last night there were 4 two does each with a yearling. Nice to see them out there now hope I don't see them in the yard later in the summer. LOL

Unbeleivable number of birds in the yard today. Time to go out and chase them all away while I fill the feeders. Putting out corn for the deer, too. Last night there were 4 two does each with a yearling. Nice to see them out there now hope I don't see them in the yard later in the summer. LOL

Ha ha I think the feeder's rustic look comes from squirrels chewing on it before they figured out that they were supposed to lift the lid. After a while, they began opening and slamming the lid shut when the feeder was empty. I could hear the sound from inside the house and, of course, I refilled it....they trained me ; - )

Holly, you made a bunch of Dark-eyed Juncos very happy! The deer are lucky as well.

I hear we're supposed to get more snow tonight, so I guess I'll throw something over my patio table so that I have a makeshift ground feeding area.

This message was edited Jan 26, 2015 6:31 PM

We easily had 100 birds here this AM. With at least 10 pairs of Cardinals. At any given time we had 2-4 pairs on just the patio. The sun has broken through and the frenzy has died down some.

Almost 4pm and the seed feeder is looking very low. I think it's just wild that the snow around the feeders has had so many little feet on it that it's effectively packed down. How many cardinals does it take to pack snow?? LOL

This message was edited Jan 27, 2015 4:55 PM

Wow, it's not for nothing that your yard is a certified wildlife habitat.

Are your Cardinals skittish? Of all the birds that come to my yard, they're the most chicken.

Your patio almost looks like you shoveled it for them!

Awesome sight Ric, lol on the bird feet

When I came home yesterday, I went to walk around the house and I saw a bunch of bird foot steps next to the driveway. I wonder what kind of bird it was. Before the last snow I had put out some misc critter feed so maybe they found their way to that.

Given the frigid weather, you probably had a bunch of various birds. Is there any kind of seed that they did not eat, or did the eat all of a particular seed? That might provide a clue.

BTW, Happy Birthday!!

Thanks Muddy! I can't even see the seed because we got a coating of snow across it.

I meant to take photos of 2 sets of animal tracks across my driveway so I could ID them. I think one set was made by a fox.

This message was edited Jan 28, 2015 9:48 PM

Foxes are cool. The lady I work with thinks they should all be shot though because they are 'useless like groundhogs.' Yikes!

Argh, I like foxes too! They've got to be better than groundhog, I've never known a fox to cause me a problem, and probably helps with small rodent control.

A while ago, we had a bear come in to the front yard, bent the birdfeeder pole to the ground, knocked the seed out of all the bird feeders, and took the suet cage. I eventually found the destroyed suet cage in another part of the woods. Ever since, I've been hesitant to put out seed and suet, but it was starting to look like it was a one time isolated incident, so I was getting ready to give it a go again. Just when I'd decided to do that, my BIL told me that he saw bear claw marks on a tree near the back of the house when he was out riding the ATV two weekends ago. He said they were fresh. Well pooh... I love wild life, but the deer are so overpopulated and a constant battle to keep them from destroying my gardens. I even think having bears back in the area after 20 plus years is kind of cool, but not sure how I feel that they are coming so close to the house.

Unless people have been hand-feeding them (people can be really stupid), bears are usually shy enough to not be a threat. Can you put up a window feeder or two? That won't attract birds by the flock, but it should draw a steady clientele.

Aspen, I think you're wise not to put out bird feeders unless you take them in at night.

A few years ago, something very large and heavy bent one of my feeder poles, about halfway to the ground as I recall. I haven't heard of bears in our area, but they're sighted in suburban Maryland, so who knows? The metal is very strong, so it couldn't have been a raccoon.
It's possible a deer jumped the fence (short at that time), didn't notice the pole and hit it at chest height, but I can't think of how else a deer could have bent it.

Wow, I am surprised, I never think of Bears getting into bird feeders in the winter. Only spring, fall. Not really in the summer either, Spring they are coming out of hibernation and will eat anything they can find and in the Fall they are storing up so same thing everything they can find. In our area they would be hibernating now, there fore safe. But if your DIL saw fresh claw marks then I would be hesitant to put anything up.

I looked up and there was the Hawk sitting on the top of the sunflower feeder, with his meal of small bird. I was almost able to get a pic but just not fast enough.
Here are a few pics from yesterday morning the Cardinals were hanging out on the patio with their smaller friends.

Very cool, both the hawk and the cardinals... although I'm glad the hawk didn't catch a cardinal. :-) I'm pretty sure we still have 2 pairs of cardinals, although I seldom see them together, and I think 3 pairs is the most I've ever sighted here. I'm envious of your 10 pairs... and wow, 100 birds against the snow must have looked like a changeable calico quilt.

The snow looks pretty, although I'm glad it's in your backyard and not mine!
There's a White-throated Sparrow on the left in the 1st photo.

I've tentatively ID'ed my LBBs as White-throated Sparrows, House Sparrows and Song Sparrows. The House Sparrow, true to its reputation, chased the others away from the millet/safflower mix I had spread on a swim kick-board.

Good point, Holly, on the bears hibernating now. I hadn't thought of that. We haven't seen any signs of bears on our side of 15. Probably can't figure out the traffic light.

While snow is one of my least favorite things, I love how it brings in the birds and seeing their tracks in the snow. We added a second suet feeder this week.

LOL about the traffic light, ecnalg!

Turns out black bears might sometimes be wandering about Virginia during the winter after all:
"Depending on weather and food conditions, black bears enter their winter dens between October and January...... Bears are easily aroused and may be active during warm winter days."
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/black-bear-facts/

Bears might not be able to find enough to eat to sustain them during a long hibernation period because deer have stripped the woods bare.

Reading about bears is much more interesting than cleaning the fish tank, so I did some more research and found this:

"A common misconception is that bears hibernate. While it is true that bears are inactive for much of the winter, they are not true hibernators. Although they sleep for weeks at a time, their body temperature only drops 10 to 15 degrees, and they can wake up very quickly, as any researcher working with bears will tell you. They also bear their young during this time, an activity that requires them to produce milk — a process impossible in true hibernation."
http://www.wvdnr.gov/wildlife/magazine/archive/02winter/the_big_sleep.shtm