Birdwatching Chat Thread

[orloffer]

Just a bit ago I saw a Western Scrub Jay bounce by on the fence in my backyard, and then when I looked out a window into the front yard I saw a pair of Western Mockingbirds who have taken up residence in last year's nest in the lemon/orange tree, a CA Towhee bird in the tulip tree, and a Mourning Dove on our roof (who, with its mate, seems like it my try to make a nest on top of the motion-sensor lights outside our garage door...).

Last year a pair of Mourning Doves tried a nest in my yard twice. I think both times failed, but the nest is twelve feet up and on a slope so I can't see into it. Well, this year the nest is so beat up that I can see through the bottom and there are no eggs in sight, but the mama dove sits on the nest for a couple hours each day. I don't have great hope in this nesting attempt, both because the eggs will probably get chilled from below and these are probably the dimmest birds in Idaho!

Any updates on the nesting attempt? Once when I was quite young I remember a pair of Mourning Doves making a nest inside our backyard umbrella...I don't think it was very successful. And another pair (I think it was Mourning Doves) once made a nest out of crumbly dirt in a crevice above our front door. It was so tiny the chicks couldn't fit in it, and I recall at least one of them fell out and died. The nest is still there.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Just a bit ago I saw a Western Scrub Jay bounce by on the fence in my backyard, and then when I looked out a window into the front yard I saw a pair of Western Mockingbirds who have taken up residence in last year's nest in the lemon/orange tree, a CA Towhee bird in the tulip tree, and a Mourning Dove on our roof (who, with its mate, seems like it my try to make a nest on top of the motion-sensor lights outside our garage door...).


Any updates on the nesting attempt? Once when I was quite young I remember a pair of Mourning Doves making a nest inside our backyard umbrella...I don't think it was very successful. And another pair (I think it was Mourning Doves) once made a nest out of crumbly dirt in a crevice above our front door. It was so tiny the chicks couldn't fit in it, and I recall at least one of them fell out and died. The nest is still there.

Great birds!

I haven't really checked in on them much. Their nesting attempt should be done now, I don't know if they succeeded or what. Same with the House Finches. Is it impossible to ask birds to beat within range of my ladder?

 

[PioneerChicks]

I was just over in Washington for a few days and saw lots of cool birds! Some of the novelties for me:

• A pair of Barred Owls (singing at night!)
• Rufous Hummingbirds
• Western Scrub Jay
• Band-tailed Pigeons
• Why can't I remember any more at the moment? Oh well, I'll mention more later and try to upload pics!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Thought I’d share since folks were talking about their bird species!

1. Pair of Cardinals has a nest with 4 young
2. Summer Tanagers are all over the place
3. Have a pair of Eastern Towhee around
4. Wood Thrush are very loud lately, lots of singing
5. Barred Owls have been up near the house and very loud about 10-11 at night.
6. Carolina Wren are nesting all over too
7. Have a nest in a bird house that usually the Wrens take over, but the young are not similar. Wonder if they’re Carolina Chickadee? There are 5 in the nest
8. Ruby-throated Hunmingbird females must be nesting, as I am only now seeing males and one female, hearing the rest chirping and seeing displays though.

 

[orloffer]

I saw a pair of Western Mockingbirds who have taken up residence in last year's nest in the lemon/orange tree, a CA Towhee bird in the tulip tree

The mockingbird family seems to be doing well. I can't see the chicks because the nest is high up in a tree, but I can hear them sometimes and the parents fly up to the nest at interval to feed the chicks. The chicks make a distinctive high-pitched noise when their parents are around. And those parents are very defensive! They are constantly chasing away and guarding the nest against "irritating crows."

 

[Bakbuk]

How have I not seen this before?!?! I wanna join!

 

[cooingdove]

idk, welcome tho! have you seen any cool birds lately?

 

[Bakbuk]

idk, welcome tho! have you seen any cool birds lately?

Probably the neatest thing I’ve seen in a while was my yard bird Prairie Falcon. Let me pull up a photo…

 

[Bakbuk]

 

[HomesteaderWife]

That’s a nice photo, wow! Great pose too.

Main bird sightings here for Winter are a ton of Northern Cardinals. Some Eastern Towhees, lots of Carolina Wrens. One Pileated Woodpecker yesterday and the day before that I caught a glimpse at a distance but looked and sounded like two Downy Woodpeckers.