Birds of the mid-Atlantic (and other critters too)

Sorry, Gita, the link works for me; maybe your computer blocked it.

Muddy what a great site! I have been disappointed that there is no county detail for Maryland on USDA PLANTS

The link works fine for me as well. And the one called Common Whitetail is the one that I've been seeing around in my yard.

That looks like the ones I see in my yard too. They must range pretty far scouting out good places. Or maybe they visit me because both side neighbors have backyard pools to tempt them. I wish they would keep up with my mosquitoes!

We got to watch a couple Ospreys (?) swooping over the marsh today.

Muddy--The link worked this evening.

Those "whitetails" is what I see a lot of in my garden too.
They ARE Drgonflies--right?

Yes, yes, yes.

Sorry if I am so dense.....just clarifying.....

Ok--OK--Ok?

Ok

I was a bit sad today when I realized that my Bluebirds seem to have abandoned the last 3 eggs they laid - they might have been scared off (hopefully not eaten) by a hawk that was hanging around or, even worse, I might have spooked them - and then this Blue Jay came along as if it knew I needed a lift! It must be a juvenile, because it stayed at the bird bath for at least an hour and wasn't at all bothered by me.

aw, cute lil guy

Yeah, I like his "What are YOU looking at?!" expression (which doesn't show up very well because I got too close...).

This message was edited Sep 4, 2015 7:43 PM

Yeah, that Blue Jay does look pretty young. Cute bird!

By the way, is anybody feeding hummers? There are still quite a few around my hummer feeder. They also love the red salvia. The flowering maple (Abutilon 'Fairy Coral Red') that Muddy gave me last year is very popular with hummers.

I've heard hummers around, but have not recently used a feeder. I'm afraid I would not maintain it. It's always good to hear what plants they use around here.

The hummers in my yard are really into phlox! And also the Gartenmeister fuchsia.

I really need to get different types of salvias, not just May Night.

My 'Golden Delicious' pineapple sage hasn't bloomed yet. Any guesses on why? I realize it's a late-summer, early-fall bloomer, but it still feels late.

Sally, same here. If I had a hummingbird feeder, it would be overtaken by ants and wasps due to lack of maintenance.

Yes we are still feeding and there are plenty here. I have heard that it is OK to continue to keep the feeders up as the weather gets colder. It will "not" encourage them to stick around only those too old, sick and weak will stay and even those will try to migrate. It also gives more Northern Hummers something as they travel South.

Do you all think that birds in general have a hard time finding worms and insects
because of the drought? Or--is there enough seeds and such to suffice?

I ask because I am wondering if the bird feeders should start to go up?
Seems too early---BUT........ g.

Gita, it probably depends on the birds. I think we all know that if we put up finch feeders, the finches would ignore them and go for the flowers going to seed instead! I find that my cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, etc. really appreciate having seeds and nuts, though.

Edited to add that I don't put up hummingbird feeders; I know I wouldn't keep them clean. They like the Cardinal Flowers, Salvia 'Black and Blue' and Jewelweed. I have yet to see one on Monarda or the Lonicera sempervirens. A Hummer was really excited when I had the sprinkler on, too! It sat in a shrub and let the water hit it for awhile.

I've had a bad month with birds. First, most of my Blue Jays left, I think because a hawk got one of them and kept hanging around. Then my bluebirds abandoned their last 3 eggs, probably because of hawks. Then a hawk got another Blue Jay, maybe the one in the photo. I know it's nature, and the Blue Jay might have been sick, but still, it was sad.

This message was edited Sep 9, 2015 7:52 PM

Finches would have plenty to eat here--all the BES everywhere!
The ones in the front-of-the-house still have a lot of seed heads on them.
Some are a bit picked over... I almost want to cut them all down so another
million seeds won't fall to the ground. I DO NOT want any more BES!!!!

I have a full Thistle feeder hanging since last fall. No one has touched it!
I think when feeding birds time comes--I will just mix all this thistle into the seed mix.

Looking at my dwindling garden beds and plants--I no longer have any urge to
pamper them. It is like--"Baahhh--Humbug!!! Nothing to look forward to.

G.

These two feathers have been found in my yard, not on the same day. Not sure what birds they are from.

Catbird, does that second feather have a white patch on the right side, or is that just where the feather is torn?

Wow Muddy, I didn't realize hawks were such voracious hunters of blue jays.

I know, the jays usually gang up on them and scare them off. This has been a strange summer; I've had relatively few of the "normal" birds (including many less grackles, thank goodness) and more finches than usual.

I would be VERY happy to have less Grackles this winter!
They hogged all the seeds.

Stop putting out seeds they like.
Grackles RARELY visit here. I feed only safflower and millet.

Good advice--Sally.
BUT--will all the birdies that need feeding be OK with only the
two seeds you suggested?

Does your bird-"diet" keep the Starlings away too? Sparrows?

Cardinals, song sparrows, mourning doves, juncos, chickadees, titmice... all like this. When the snow falls, mockingbirds come too. The same nice birds I ever see, all eat this for me. Starlings and grackles are rare here.
Blue jays prefer big striped sunflower, it seems.
I never feed bread crust etc-, the moment I, do the starlings show up.

I don't do any sunflower- the squirrels hog it.

I do pure suet (woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees), and safflower and millet. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Sal-Pal----

One more question----
Is your seed in a feeder--or open on a tray or such?

i will still use my many times glued together, big, 3-tube feeder.
Next time it falls down and breaks into pieces--I am NOT going to glue
it together any more.....Have done it 3 times already...

I have all sorts of seed from last year--in different bags. Will have to use it up
before I go to YOUR bird diet.

I buy my Millet at Big Lots. 8lbs. for $7. It is convenient--right across from my HD.
Have to go to WallMart for the Safflower. Best price!

Thanks--G.

I really hope this works as well for you as it seems for me. I want to save you aggravation, my friend!
I use feeders for safflower and flat on the table or ground feeder for either one.

I used an old window screen for a flat feeder last winter.

I saved all my screens when they replaced my windows--mostly because
the screens are all metal mesh. Don't see that any more!
How did you hang them? How big were they?

I used a few of my saved screens to lean against the flat trays where I planted the
DL roots--to keep squirrels from digging in the dirt. Worked well...

G.

I laid out two pieces of pressure treated lumber scrap, on a table or on the ground, then laid the edges on that. It's just to keep the screen slightly elevated from the table or ground where I laid it, so the seed could dry if it got rained on.

I had a hunch you had at least one extra window screen stored...
;^)

Old, Metal screening from windows could have many uses....great id it is still framed.

-Like I used--leaning window screens over seedling flats to keep squirrels from digging.
-Closing a hole in the attic--never know who made it
-Covering trays of plants
-Those who have boxes with plants growing in them--covering the top
-Your chimney needs new screening so squirrels won't go inside?
-Covering vents so birds won't build a nest inside---This happened to me...:o/
-Very fine screening to put bird seed on--like Sally did
-Closing off the triangular roof-top ventilation vents --I had to do that too. The old screening
had disintegrated

etc...etc...etc.... Gita

Just a few pics of hummers.

Great pictures! The hummers have not had any rain to drink from either, adding to their thirst for the nectar.

Millet is probably just doves and sparrows. I can't say for sure who eats which.

I buy bags of Millet--and I know the doves devour it.
Not saying the other birds do not eat them--as I mix them in my hanging feeder too.

I have a FULL Finch feeder of Thistle seed--hanging untouched since last fall.
I guess i will mix it into mu seed mix and I hope the birds eat it.
Too expensive to just waste it.

I have always wanted to do a Hummingbird feeder (I have about 3--never used)
but just never get around the mixing of the syrup. The ants. The changing it for fresh syrup....

Gita

put those hummer feeders on the next gift table!

I just dumped my untouched thistle from the summer feeder- moldy. No more thistle for me, they''ll enjoy my sunflowers and get thistle elsewhere.

It's hard to keep thistle fresh. Even if it smells & tastes OK to me, the birds might turn their beaks away from it. If I get it, I divide it up into 2 or 4 cup bags (depending on what feeder(s) I'm filling) and put it in the freezer. Gita, your thistle seed from last year, expensive or not, is probably no longer good... and who knows, it might have been "old" enough to not appeal to those fussfeathers when you bought it.

I buy black oil sunflower, cracked corn, safflower, peanut hearts, white millet, and sometimes thistle or sunflower chips (which I've recently discovered work in wire mesh "thistle" feeders)... I've gone to buying all of them as single-variety bags at Southern State. Joyanna and I make up "custom blends" for the squirrels, songbirds, etc. For sure the more types of food we have out, the wider variety of birds we get. If the cracked corn starts attracting starlings, we just take it away for a while. Not sure it's worth messing with after we run out... the squirrels and doves that are "supposed to" eat it would rather eat BOS when it's available, LOL.

I think black oil sunflower is most popular- including for squirrels, which is why I don't buy it.

I just finished shelling out peanuts from a 3lb bag I bought.
Been working on it the last few evenings...mundane work while I watch TV.
Will put the shelled nuts in a big jar and use them in the winter to feed squirrels
and birds. I throw them out my BR window...
I usually see only 4-5 squirrels running around here.
They cannot get to my big 3-tube feeder, as it hangs high underneath my patio roof.
Very safe for the birds and dry from rainstorms.
I just make sure my big table is at least 4' away from the feeder. The limit for
squirrels to jump up onto anything.....so I have read....

What I hate about this is that all the shells collect on my patio floor, blown under
all the pots and bags, and I have to always sweep it clean.
Not a pleasant job--as the floor is often all wet.

I wish they sold Thistle in small bags. The big 10lb bags just go stale over time.
I could do as Jill does--and put the seed in zip-baggies and freeze it.
Not sure I have room in my freezer.....:o)

I Used 3 feeders last winter.
The big 3-tube one--(mixed seeds)
The metal one that closes off the feeding stations if a squirrel were to land on it--(BOS)
Thistle Finch feeder.

I also hang suet cakes. One on the trunk of my big maple and the other in the crotch
of the other Maple. I can reach that just standing up.
Unfortunately--the starlings will trash both of them, but I did see a few different woodpeckers
last winter--including a Red Bellied one. That makes it worthwhile.....
G.

Local stores here (Southern States, WalMart, Dutch Plant Farm) have thistle in 5 pound bags, sometimes even 2 pound bags. I get in trouble with freezer space when I buy a 20 pounder for the quantity discount, although I'll often do that and give my dad 5 pounds. :-)