Bird watching

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, I can't really ID from the sounds either but I haven't really tried that much and even visually I don't tend to note enough detail to remember later. I'm going to start trying and spending more time watching the birds

except the seem like they can see me from the window and fly away? But maybe if I watch enough they'll realize I can't get to them? We seem to mostly have just the common birds like chickadees, titmouse, blue jays, and some cardinals and some sparrows. But occasionally there is the more rare bird I can't ID. I want to start getting up earlier when the feeders are more active. Although they're pretty active even during the day and most of the time when I come home, several birds scatter as I come into the garden

and LOL yeah our dog is the same way! I used to be mean and play wolf or coyote sounds and he would freak and start barking or howling but now he knows it comes from the phone and is just like "really??" but then again that's partially my fault cause I felt bad for upsetting him so I would pause it and start it over, etc. and show him it came from the phone, I'd be like "it's just the phone, see?" and pause it and restart it. He figured it out pretty quick. Which ruined the fun of teasing him but it's good cause that was mean anyway

 

[ShrekDawg]

and there's been an owl outside for hours hooting off and on. Not sure why it would be out during the day but I like hearing it

 

[TwoCrows]

Owls will hunt in the day if they are hungry enough or have young to feed. They can be both daytime and night time birds. I wish my owls would catch more mice, we are just crawling with rodents! LOL

I have some really good books that allows you to ID by color, size, shape, family, etc...so it makes it fairly easy to ID. And of course if the maps help too if the bird actually lives in your area. I have pretty much ID'd all the birds in my yard now and haven't seen a new bird in years!! LOL We have the standard fare pretty much here too...Chickadees, Titmice, Jays, Towhees, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Grosbeaks, House Finches, Pinesiskins, Bluebirds, Ravens, Turkeys, Woodpeckers, Vultures and Hawks, even an occasional Eagle. Occasionally I see a Sparrow or a Starling, but pretty rare on those out here. Oh and LOTS of species of Hummingbirds, wow, they drink me dry over the summer!! LOL I go through about a gallon of hummer feed per day during the height of summer. Do you feed the hummers at your place?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow I never knew that! I always just thought they were a nighttime bird but maybe that's a myth. Is it hunting though if it's sitting there calling? Why do they do that?

And LOL we have some mice in the garage possibly and lots of chipmunks and voles outside but I never seem to see them much and they don't really cause problems. I guess the hawks and owls eat them?? Idk. But we're also set back in the woods so maybe they live more in the woods.

That sounds like a great book! Maybe I should get that LOL and wow that's awesome!! I think we have finches too and probably lots of birds I have yet to identify. I think it would do me good to be on my phone less and outside identifying birds more anyway, we actually used to have a lot of finches, gold/yellow ones and maybe some black ones but I haven't seen them in years Course I'm not up early but they used to live in the bushes in the front yard. We have a lot of red tails around here and closer to the water, osprey. No eagles that I know of. And a resident owl or two. I can never tell the difference between ravens and crows but I THINK we have crows here?? But they never land in the yard. Just fly overhead and seem to live in the big pine trees and woods. I find it strange they never land but I guess it's good. But boy do they cause a ruckus. This morning they were so loud I had to put ear plugs in to go back to sleep because then they started the chickens going lol

As for the hummers, we don't feed them but they occssionally come in the garden and I find them so beautiful and amazing!! I love them! I think I am going to start feeding them just because I love them so much.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh you really need to start feeding the hummers! There is a lot to feed on in your area,flowers and such, so you may not get that many. Out here we have 4 or 5 different species of hummers and they just flood their way up through here to their breeding grounds up north in the spring. Some do stay here and breed however this time of year. Right now there are a few out there, but come July when the Rufus hummers make their way south from their breeding grounds up north, they all come flying through here on their way to their wintering grounds and WOW....I regularly have 75+ hummers! I keep the feeders hanging on the porch and the place is one big buzz fest.

I can barely keep 5 large feeders full each day! LOL I just love feeding these tiny birds.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh you really need to start feeding the hummers! There is a lot to feed on in your area,flowers and such, so you may not get that many. Out here we have 4 or 5 different species of hummers and they just flood their way up through here to their breeding grounds up north in the spring. Some do stay here and breed however this time of year. Right now there are a few out there, but come July when the Rufus hummers make their way south from their breeding grounds up north, they all come flying through here on their way to their wintering grounds and WOW....I regularly have 75+ hummers! I keep the feeders hanging on the porch and the place is one big buzz fest.    I can barely keep 5 large feeders full each day! LOL I just love feeding these tiny birds. 

WOW that is a lot of birds!! I've only ever seen one or two at a time lol I think I'll definitely start feeding them!

Do they get scared by the other birds? Like if I have the feeders in the same area? Or should I move one?

And doesn't that get expensive? LOL

 

[TwoCrows]

I usually keep the hummer feeders away from the wild bird feeders since hummers are so tiny. And the finches will try and use the hummer feeders too, so it really works out better to separate the hummers from the larger birds.

I purchase sugar by the 25 pound bag, it is way cheaper to feed the hummers than it is the wild birds! LOL Sugar goes a long way.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I usually keep the hummer feeders away from the wild bird feeders since hummers are so tiny. And the finches will try and use the hummer feeders too, so it really works out better to separate the hummers from the larger birds.

I purchase sugar by the 25 pound bag, it is way cheaper to feed the hummers than it is the wild birds! LOL Sugar goes a long way. 

Hmm I'll definitely keep it separate then! Although the hummers love the garden.

Is it enough to move one feeder across the driveway?

And oh wow! I thought you bought special hummer feed lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

What is this bird?

Also there seems to be this little nuthatch hanging around lately. I've seen him everywhere today and/or yesterday all of a sudden. Front yard, backyard, etc. He was on the deck earlier.

Also saw a woodpecker today and heard an owl again, which made me nervous since I let the girls free range for the first time in forever lol

But apparently today is the day for seeing all the cool birds haha

Also there was a tan/greyish bird with an orange beak at the feeder and then it flew off and I saw it had red shoulders/wing tips. From my Googling it is a cardinal?? Which makes sense because it was there with a traditional red one.

I've seen them around lately, especially the male but together sometimes too.

Do we have a cardinal pair??

 

[TwoCrows]

The top picture is a Dark-eyed Junco. And yes, you have a nice Nuthatch there! We have them here too and I am always trying to get them to use the nest boxes. Seems like the Bluebirds hog up every box I have. LOL Our Juncos have all moved up the mountain for breeding season and some are flying to northern territories as well.

Aww...Cardinal love! We don't have your cardinals out this way. I hear they are slowly moving out this way though. We have a relative of your Red Cardinals, the Pyrrhuloxia (don't ask me how to pronounce that, I have NO idea!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhuloxia