Incredible site, IRIS! My head is spinning!!!!!!! Btw, I'm having trouble with DG, too!
John
p.s., can you tell I am excited about that site?
Birdsters! April is upon usIt's time to post our 'Firsts'!
Darius, I had bought the feeder at Christmas tree shop ( It was cheap) and just cut the right size holes in the sides and put it on the stand.( I cheated, But it worked good! lol!)
...John, LOL! I know how excited you are, I was the same way when I first went to that site! (Still am LOL) The man who sells them is really super nice, There is a toll free no. you can call if you have questions and he's extremly helpfull on answering your questions for you. I can make my pics crystal sharp if I want to, Like I said earlier, I adjusted it far back so that I can get a lot of the box and entrance and it still comes in nicely :) ....Did you get to try any of the cams he has set up??
I sure did!! Wow!
Was it really good?? ~I never got to see them :(
I know mine works really good though! :)
They are wonderful! I especially liked the owls!
Good to hear! I'm so glad you good to see them and liked it! I think I'd like to get another cam, I was considering the color one, But, I like the infared so I can see whats going on in the dark as well as day! I think I'm getting a bit greedy, I'm so excited to see everything with this one that I want another one for the bluebird box!! I guess I should just concentrate on one for now, I can't seem to stop watching it as it is LOL!!
Here's a 'first' for me---my first digital photo of a Peacock (at the Cincy Zoo)...
The color camera would be neat pointed at my Salvia greggii while a hummingbird was taking a drink. I must have one of each! I wish I wasn't on a fixed income. (The ONLY thing bad about retirement)!
He's a Beauty!!
IWTD, OOO, I agree totally!! It would be really neat to see a Hummingbird feeding at a flower from inside the house! I want another one too, But like you, I really can't afford it, But when I 'can' afford it, I most likley will get another.
If you can't get one of each, I hope you will be able to get at least one to start with, It's really great entertainment and so interesting! And I just know you'd enjoy the cam as much as I do!
Here's my skittery hummer. Lousy photo through dirty windows, but you can tell it IS a hummer. Since it's the first of this year, I'm happy just for a poor photo.
Might not be the best photo, But you can still see the hummer and very appreciated after not seeing any for so long!! Thanks for posting it, It must have been so nice to see it in person!
You caught him in the act, darius! Did you report him?
LOL, John, No I didn't. In fact, I asked him to bring his friends by for a drink!
(He really is a ruby-throat, saw that clearly the last time he came by for a cocktail.)
Boojum, Don’t you enjoy the Hooded Mergansers…they’re so cute but so shy! Great photos! Your frog is a cutie too. We often find froggy pool parties happening in the early spring mornings. I enjoy seeing them float on the surface like that
I just love Grackles. We mostly have the big Boat tails but this past weekend I saw a Common Grackle. That light eye is a dead giveaway. I’m glad you got a positive ID on your swallow. I’ve never seen one…they’re so pretty!
Neat Towhee picture. They really move fast along thicket-y edges here…hard to get a good photo. I’ve only gotten one decent picture…when the Towhee was too busy singing to notice me. LOL
Iris, your camera is so cool! I’ve sent the link to my DH…hint, hint. Haha. I have a friend with screech owls every year too. I’m sure she’ll love your link!
Darius, you lucky thing! I’ve yet to see a humming bird.
Floridian, Make sure to check out the 'products link' on the spycam site, You can get the cam alone without buying the birdbox with it if you prefere ( It makes it bit cheaper) ~ I'm sure you/your friend would love this cam, I originally wanted it for the screetch owls also, But, The owl has moved on I think. I got to enjoy the squirrels for a short spell and then I moved it to watch the Nuthatch's nesting, It's a lot of fun and really interesting to see whats going on inside the box!!
Saw a first for this year. Never noticed him before. He was a black bird with a brown head. Wasn't a starling because he didn't have a yellow beak. Wasn't a grackle as he had a brown head, and didn't have a white eye. Will try to shoot him tomorrow to see what he is.
Isn.t that the Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4950id.html
se_eds, I'm sure kennedyh is right, I hate brownheaded cowbirds. They don't make nest of their own, just lay eggs in other birds nests . And often pick the original eggs ou and destroy them. DonnaS
I did see my first for this season, tree swallow a couple of days ago, but our weather has been quite disagreeable and haven't seen it again. Cool, cloudy very windy days. i don't even like to go out very much. DonnaS
We're also going through a cold spell. But the bulbs are trying. I haven't been birding much. I saw a brownheaded cowbird this weekend, too. I enjoy their antics. Didn't know they destroy eggs, but I enjoy many birds that do. Hard for me to hate any birds. People,that's another story...lol
Thanks kennedyth, that is what it was. There is a pair of them. They may be nasty birds, but they are incredibly shiny and slick looking.
I like them all - I'm feeding scores of sparrows, in relation to the few others like titmice, cardinals, gold finches purple finches, jays, etc,etc. But the little sparrows continually comb the grass and garden for crawly bugs. I abhor using poison on the plants and am glad for the birds. I even admire and love to see our resident Raven, he sits around and doesn't do much, but he drives the grackles wild. he just sits and looks somber, and eats dead skunks from the road. Nice bird.
I noticed this different kind of 'sparrow'?? yesterday and finally got a pic of him today. It was awful bright sunlight and his crown looked almost red. Also, there seemed to some bluish grey feathers on back of his shoulders when he flew. Is this a tree sparrow?
Don't think so. Here's a tree. Looks more like a chipping sparrow.
Hi, everybody--
Pretty good month so far---we've had some Bluebird sightings, we've had a Hummingbird, the towhee returned, an fascinating 'nestbox' video link, the hooded mergansers, a turkey vulture, the cowbirds are around again, and let's see, what else is turning up this month? Anybody have some warblers returning yet?
And who has a 'red-headed woodpecker'? Would love to know if someone has one coming to their property or building a nest in one of their boxes or trees...
Our 'neighborhood eagles' are fledging this week---there are so many cars driving out to see them that they are causing dangerous accidents on the road...the rangers are building a parking lot underneath their nest to accommodate the birding 'looky-loos'...mmm...we were among them, but at least we didn't run into the car in front of us. Of course, we didn't see anything, but we'll go back this weekend...
Have a great birding day! t.
p.s. another shot of my peacock...that's the only 'first' I've had so far this month. :-(
I've had head headed wookpeckers, one smaller, and one very large one. No pics.
Viv
This week, I had a few additional firsts. I saw my first Northern Flickers, a Killdeer, a Tree Swallow and a Belted Kingfisher. Here's the photo of the Northern Flickers ... I didn't realize I had two until I viewed the photo.
Here's the Killdeer ....
Great pix.
And, the Tree Swallow .....
Lastly, the Belted Kingfisher .....
hugahosta and se_eds .. I'm still unsure of what kind of hawk s/he was in top of the Cedar tree. But, so far .. judgin' from that pic and from what I've found in the links you've provided and elsewhere: 'Goshawk' is sure nuff the closest match, thus far. Haven't seen him anymore either.
However, have eyed either the Coopers or the Sharp-shinned right here in the yard yesterday. For the life of me I can't remember which one has which tail (& haven't checked yet either!) - but from what I could tell - this guy had the square ended tail feathers! .. lol .. Hmmm, I reckon that this sighting of (one or the other), qualifies as a '1st' for me also. I swear to goodness, seems that the booger 'dropped in' on purpose the way he did - jes to see what he'd stir up. The joker came out of the blue, I tell ya! And sure nuff, most all the other lil feeder birds flew the coop, some mitey quickly! However, a few hunched and hunker'd down real low and/or hugged the tree trunks - and remained deathly still for a small forever!! Not sure if maybe, it was the ol coot gettin' up out of his rocker on the fornt porch, is what threw a monkey wrench into the hawks dastardly plans or what. He didn't tarry on the old dead limb he detoured to, long enuff for me to pull my camera up!
I do have a couple of pics of another 1st for me tho' !! I'd spotted this fella yesterday .. but didn't really pay him much attention then. For I jes took him to be one of the lil Chipping Sparrows. But, low and behold .. when he sat down in the flat feeder today .. whilst I was attempting to avoid bombardment of two male Ruby-throateds ... the lil unknown bird .. plopped himself over into the middle of newly supplied seed pile!
From what I can tell .. he is the Field Sparrow. Very much resembles the American Tree Sparrow - but is definitely missing the lil dark spot on the chest. Now, to me .. he didn't appear to have any pink beak, but definitely has the white eye ring. The few lil rusty colored bars on his wing - is what I paid a bit closer attention to, and realized he twernt no Chipping Sparrow after all!! .. lol ..
Take a look, and see what you guys think ...
- Magpye
.. Pic #1 of 2 ..
.. Pic #2 of 2 .. Field Sparrow .. perhaps a bit out of his 'usual' habitat. .. hee ..
Magpye, they are just about identical, great shots of both. I don't remember ever seeing Field sparrow here , so can't give my opinion.
Linthicum loved your photo of the Kildeer, have you ever seen the just hatched babies, they are just darling, all little toothpick legs. I saw my!!! tree swallow only once, but the weather has not been conducive to birdwatching of photo taking. The Belted Kingfisher is one my very favorite birds, see them along the river quite often. DonnaS
(*hee*) .. rutholive .. Please accept my apologies for misleading anyone - but, be assured, that it was totally unintentional !! For the two pics I've posted are of the same lil Field Sparrow.
But, it doggone sure does 'read and appear' .. that I was certainly requesting folks to 'compare' the two, doesn't it !!??!! (*so sorry*)
Heck, these days .. it seems that I'm almost always getting my wordin' to say the opposite of what I meant .. and, gettin' my cart before my horse .. !! .. hee hee
- Magpye
OK. Today we have a 'first'...my DH and I drove out to our 'local' Bald Eagle nesting spot---new for this region--and saw the nest, with Mama bird and baby eglet peaking out... This is a bit of a phenomena in the Cincinnati area---
It seems we have migrating eagles and flyovers, but few stop here to nest--they prefer to go on up to the Great Lakes, where the fish are bigger, I guess. Hopefully these will stay around for a few years...everybody is excited about it. But sorry. No pics. The nest was too far away for my measley lens...
Happy birding. t.
Earlier this week, I visited the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center near Grasonville, MD and as I was entering the site, I passed a Turtle Crossing sign. This was a first for me ....
It was a beautiful day and the turtles were everywhere. I drove reeall sloooow !!!
Here's the proof !!!
The sign in itself is really cute! :-) I've never seen a turtle crossing sign before either.
How big are those turtles? They look to be rather big!
-Julie
Here's another shot of my hummer, a bit more in focus. He just sat on that branch for about 15 minutes, never moving. Just as he moved to take a drink, my camera battery died. I thought he was sitting there protecting "his turf" but another male came along and fed. Maybe he just knew I was watching, camera in hand, LOL.
This was as close as my zoom would go...
