Thanks Ken. I was just about to post this pic. I saw loads of these very black doves/pigeons. The closest I can figure is that they are either Stock Doves or crosses. But there were just so many of them with the same markings that I'm a bit thrown about them.
Then I saw this bird for just a moment....not enough time to get a good glimpe, let alone a good shot. But I think it's a blackbird Turdus merula
Lovely to see the Jay. Your dark pigeon is certainly not a Stock Dove. I would say it is another of the vary varied Domestic Pigeon descendents of the Rock Doves
Hi Julie
I have really enjoyed this thread that you started.At our house now it seems that every bird is protecting its territory.Has anyone ever seen a bird chase a squirrel up to the tippy top of a tree or a small bird (don't know which as I wasn't wearing my glasses) chase a blue heron for quite a long way or a bird come and peck our cat on the head when he came too close to one of the feeders?Well its a real trip to see all this.Sorry I don't have time to mess with a camera.Ill keep reading and looking at the pictures.
Thanks
Nancy
Nancy, I'm glad you're enjoying the thread. It sounds like you have a lot of bird activity at your house too! Don't thank me for the thread though. Tabasco should get credit for the wonderful idea to start monthly bird watching threads :-). I just helped out this month. :-)
-Julie
Remember the five (5) Carolina Wren eggs in the Pizza box, posted on last month's thread. Here are five (5) baby Carolina Wrens. They are keeping the parents quite busy flying back-and-forth from my suet feeder to the nest.
Here is quite a "first" for me .... a male Scarlet Tanager. I can't remember the last time that I saw one. The picture taken last evening from my deck isn't the best but at least you can validate that it is a Scarlet Tanager. I read that they winter in the Andes Mountains of South America. I assume that he is just passing through but you can always hope that he will stay around.
I'm really enjoying looking at everyone's photos, getting to see the ones from other countries is especially interesting. I keep thinking "I just have these plain old birds", but the more I pay attention the more I realize I just wasn't "seeing" what was really there!
Magpye - Maybe someday I'll learn to use all the "goodies" :-) right now, a lot of the camera language is foreign to me! I ordered a tripod last week because it seems that all of those zoom pics I take have the little waving hand icon. Hopefully tonight I'll have time to post some of the hummer pics I've taken with it in the Hummer forum, I'm wondering if the tripod will help make to details a little more clear.
Juls .. those shots of the Doves .. are a wonderful variety to see! The pink feetzers of the doves, have always sorta fascintated me .. hee .. That last pic posted, resembles a grackle a good bit ..
Linth, we had a pair of 'Summer' Tanagers .. that hung around our home in La., years ago ... The female was seemingly far less 'wary', and didn't mind showin' herself. But, the male seemed to always take extra special deliberation, in keepin' himself WELL hid. But, gracious .. was a sight to behold .. when we did catch a lil glimpse of him!! Glad you were able to get a shot of your Scarlet male !!!
Some folks jes won't believe that the lil Wrens go to the Suet feeders - but, good-ness, do they!!!!! Have seen a momma run the Downies off a time or two also .. heehee .. They're sure some mitey little - - to have such 'big' attitudes!! .. hee ..
- Magpye
This message was edited May 10, 2005 8:53 AM
Scarlet Tanagers are the world's greatest bird. They eat Yellow Jackets and all the grubs also.
Linthicum, that Scarlet Tanager is gorgeous! I've never seen or heard of one before. Wow am I ever glad you spotted him and got a shot off to show us too!
Sadie, I think lots of us thought the same thing as you before we started realy LOOKING at what was visiting our gardens or flying past on our hikes out in nature.
Magpye, I also really like the various different colorations on the doves and pigeons. I don't necessarily like them hanging out on my roof mind you LOL, but I still think that many of them are so lovely :-) Especially the mourning doves and collared doves.
-Julie
Wonderful sightings ALL, thanks
Viv
Hi, everybody--all the First posts are lots of fun to read about. so glad we have lots of new birdsters, more spring 'firsts' this month, and pics of the special exotics from abroad. Thanks to all and please keep posting.
No news from me, just an update---
We have our pileateds coming everyday at 7 and 1:30 to pick at the suet in our plastic window feeder here by my desk. They are getting nice and fat (and lazy.). Also bought a big blooming coral honeysuckle for a lure to my hummingbird feeder (and then my neighbor went out and bought one too!).
Our Orioles are happy (but the neighbor isn't) with the new jelly/suet/orange plastic flowers set up as described on the Oriole thread http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/468489/ And I planted loads of liatris for the Goldfinches and butterflies this summer.
Lots of different woodpeckers coming to my little plastic window feeder, but no RHWO (yet!). BTW I highly recommend the little plastic suction window feeders. Squirrels can't get at them, they are easy and fun to watch, cheap, and convenient. We put Peanut suet in ours...
BTW, are we going to have a "firsts" Butterfly thread? If so, I'd better get my Milkweed and Monarda planted! ;-)
No pictures for now. My Canon is on the fritz 'til I get a new battery.
Take care, and happy birding. t.
We are awash in White Ibis this year. For every one we say last year, we are seeing a hundred this year. All too shy to approach closer than a hundred yards. It must be all the building all around us concentrating all the birds in a smaller area.
We have had butterflies all winter except when it snowed. They are very fast at this time, and a Fritallary is all I could get a photo of.
Tabasco, a first butterflies thread would be great.....but perhaps we should do that over in Hummers and Butterflies? In any case, I'll be watching more than posting there....my butterflies don't like to hold still for pics LOL
-Julie
Great photo's everyone!!
Been so busy I haven't had much time to keep up with DG, But, Took some time tonight to enjoy all the pic's!
The Bluebirds here started nesting, But one of the nest's got raided and 3 eggs got tossed :(
( I know for absoutely sure that it was a wren that did it) So I have put up a gourd house for the wren and am now keeping an eye out. The pair of Bluebirds that were originally at the box are goig back to it again and I'm going to try and make sure to watch what happens!
The Nuthatch family is doing great, Eggs are hatched and mom and dad are feeding 5 ( From what I can see at least 5) youngin's, They are so cute!! Also have an Eastern Pheobie nesting with eggs on top of an outdoor lamp.
Got a couple quik pics of the babys and Nuthatch Mom and babys, On the second pic, The 2 little circles you see to the left of moms head are the open mouths of the babys ....
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/cam-pics/babys-1.jpg
http://www.wtv-zone.com/irislynx/cam-pics/momfedbabys-1.jpg
The Next is a pic of the male Blubird, And then the female Bluebird ...
Female Bluebird..
Nice pics Iris. I need to put up some bluebird boxes, I see them around the house when I get home from work so I know they're nesting somewhere around here. LOL, those are some hungry little babies, aren't' they : )
I would love to have bluebirds, but I live in town and hear that is virtually impossible. I am going to go to one of our local reserves later in the month for a bluebird hike. At least I hope to. What a beautiful picture of a beautiful bird.
Thanks Sadiemae, I think the Bluebird boxes would be a good idea, I'm sure they would take to them right away.
Really hungry little babies, Mom and Dad Nuthatch stay pretty busy!
..Buckmom, Thanks, Bluebirds do like area's by open woods/fields so it would be hard to get them to come in by a town setting, But, Going to some local bird reserves is a good place to view some nice sights of them, I hope you have lots of luck on your hike!
Salv and everyone-- yes, a "Firsts" thread over at butterflies and hummers would probably most appropriate, but I would be interested in keeping the Wildlife forum Birdster posters posting, and they would have a lot more 'firsts' than the Butterfly/hummingbird posters already there...(a little like 'preaching to the choir'!? ;-)
Anyway, here's the background--my sister in Seattle told me about the MonarchWatch website and the new 'Monarch Waystation" certification program that sounded kind of neat.
She wants our family to do it and get several more people new to butterfly conservation interested in doing it (basically planting monarch or at least butterfly friendly flowers/plants (milkweed), setting up a puddling spot and so forth... (I'll see if I can find the Monarch Watch link somewhere...)
So, I thought of DG and the Wildlife forum for new recruits...
My San Diego and my Washington DC sisters are going to start a monarch/butterfly garden, and I'm trying to get them to join DG and post their pics, too...
Anyway, I know probably a lot of Wildlife forum posters already have butterfly friendly environments, but probably a lot don't, too. And besides, you can get a neat 'Certification' with a Sign for your front yard besides helping the environment!!
So, Salv, I will go over to Butterflies and Hummers if you want me to...boo hoo. :-(
p.s. I did ask on the Annuals forum about best butterfly annuals because I have so little sunny space and want to plant only the best ones...
It was only a suggestion LOL :-D I'll enjoy the thread no matter where it is....even if you want to put it in the Sewing and Crafts forum (do we have a forum like that???) :-)
I've seen half a dozen new butterflies in my garden in just the last few days. None that stayed long enough (or still enough) to definitely ID or get a shot of, but it's just so much FUN! I also saw a dragonfly in my garden this morning for the first time since moving here!!! YIPPEEEEEE!
-Julie
Visited the Killdeer nest this week ... still no chicks. Should hatch sometime this coming week. I only visit once a week so I could miss the event. I did have a good week in that I saw a Wild Turkey gobbler and hen. A little too far to get a decent pic.
Here is a photo of one of several Bluebirds that I happened to see.
My first Green Heron this year. (I think it is a Green Heron !!!) If not, please help identify.
I need some help on this one. It is an obvious first for me since I have never identified it before. I have gone through all of my bird books and cannot find it. I assumed it was some kind of Warbler and I do know that there are some hybrids out there. Pay particular attention to the black on the face and chin.
Thanks.
4th photo in this series .....Need some help on identifying this bird, also .....
4th picture: juvenile White-throated Sparrow?
http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/KTK_120202_100081_L.jpg
This message was edited May 15, 2005 2:20 PM
never mind, I'm blind
This message was edited May 15, 2005 2:25 PM
More lovely shots Linthicum. I sure hope you get some IDs for those last two. I really love the composition in your bluebird shot :-)
-Julie
Altho' the 'range' doesn't seem quite right Linth (way way off!) .. I'd almost 'swar' that the bird in your 3rd pic, could perhaps be .. the Hooded Oriole !!
Your last shot ..does appear to be warbler; perhaps the Northern Waterthrush ...
Hope you get them ID'd soon ..
- Magpye
Here is another side-view photo of the "Yellow Bird of Maryland" !!! You can see the wing characteristics.
Magpye, it does look very close to the first year Hooded Oriole but I still think it may be a Warbler Hybrid ??? Pic #4 can certainly pass for the Northern Waterthrush. I should have attempted more photos of this bird but I didn't. I thought it also could have been an immature Red-Winged Blackbird ?
Thanks for your help ....
Dont know what birds they are, But, They sure are pretty! ~ Hope someone comes along soon that can identify them for you.
...Had some newby's for this month, Don't have decent pictures of them all, But it was nice to see them come in! What I have right now are: Red Wing Blackbird, Grackle, Brown-Headed Cowbird, Woodthrush, Rufous sided Towhee, Purple Finch, House Finch, Rose-Breasted Grossbeak, Yellow Warbler, Gray Catbird, American Robin, House Wren, Bluebird, Cardinal, Doves, Gold Finch, Blue Jay, Nuthatch,BC Chickadee,Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, White Throated Sparrow,And Hummingbird's, These I pretty much see everyday now, The yard is full of life, Sound, and Excitement! There are 3 new nests that I have seen ( So Far) One is a Eastern Phoebe nest, A Robins Nest, And the last, Is a Cardinal's nest, For the 15 years that we have lived in or home, This is the first time I have found a cardinals nest! Here is a pic of the nest with the babies....
Red Breasted Grossbeak..
Grackles, doing a dance..
Another of the Rose-Breasted-Grossbeak
Brown Headed Cowbird and Grey Catbird
Hummingbird...
Little brighter...
Wow what a great varieity of birds you've got visiting you Iris! I'd spend my entire day in the garden just watching the birds if I were you LOL
-Julie
That's a lot of birds! Great pics, I've never seen a Red Breasted Grossbeak before, I don't know if we get them here. Most of my birds must be off mating or something, I'm not seeing as many around until evening, but I can still hear them in the trees.
I love the pic of the Cardinal babies!
your little cardinal nest pic is so cute Iris. We have a c. nest, too, but it's too high to get a pic so yours give me an idea of how the little ones look! Also liked the pic of your grosbeak.
No new firsts for our yard, but, I was wondering what new birds are actually coming to the feeders and what birds a birder has to find in the bush...for instance, the grosbeaks, the thrushes, the warblers...do they come to feeders or do you find them out in the woods, everybody? I wish I could get a tanager, too...
For my 'First' this month I joined the Cincinnati Bird Club, so I hope to learn some new birding info from them...
And we have lots of hummers these days, and they are lots of fun to watch.
(I've been working on my Butterfly Garden and planted more milkweed to try to get the Monarchs---but will post a new 'first' thread on butterflies and the Monarch Waystation idea when I get something to report, Salv! ;-) )
Pls. keep posting the pics. This is supposed to be peak migration season around here... Happy birding. t.
