calling all wild bird feeders!!

[duluthralphie]

That a makes sense. It was sitting outside my west window in that tree, which is only 15-20 feet from my feeder.

 

[duluthralphie]

OH NO!!!


There is a cowbird in my feeder!

 

[duluthralphie]

Life is better, a yellow winged Blackbird is eating now......

 

[sourland]

Spent the morning cleaning bird houses down at the beagle club - the tree swallows have arrived. 8 cleaned another 6 or 7 to go. Bluebirds were already starting a nest in one of the boxes.

Ralphie, I have never seen a yellow winged blackbird - guess we are out of their range here on the East coast.

 

[duluthralphie]

I just looked them up online.

It says they area South America bird. I have always called this yellow wing blackbirds, maybe they are a sub-species or variety of a red-wing blackbird..

It looks just like a red wing blackbird but there is no red on it at all. It is all yellow. We have some here but they are no where as numerous as the red-wing. They kind of mix together.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have gold finches!!


Real Bright yellow finches!

It is a sign of spring.. I love them when they are in color!

 

[sourland]

Yep, 'my' goldfinches are turning too.

 

[duluthralphie]

It appears I made an error. What I thought was a yellow winged blackbird is just a variation of the red winged blackbird..

from what I read on the internet, and give that the value it deserves, blackbirds can have no red, no yellow or the red can be hidden when sitting, a number of things. I am assuming we just happen to have a bunch that have yellow hash marks on their wings and no red in this area..

Maybe in a million years they will be a new species!!

 

[Highcotton]

The ones here have never even looked twice at the chickens, even the bantams. The largest bird I have seen them hunt is a junco or titmouse. Once I saw one chase a junco through snow into a yew. Popped up through some deep snow with it's catch. Even if one were desperate I don't think they are a threat to any adult chickens.

Cooper's Hawks are a different story.

The ones here have never even looked twice at the chickens, even the bantams. The largest bird I have seen them hunt is a junco or titmouse. Once I saw one chase a junco through snow into a yew. Popped up through some deep snow with it's catch. Even if one were desperate I don't think they are a threat to any adult chickens.

Cooper's Hawks are a different story.

Aren't Coopers Hawks the ones referred to as Chicken Hawks.

 

[Highcotton]

Yep, 'my' goldfinches are turning too.

I saw some Goldfinches here this weekend that had almost completely turned. It is about time for them to leave. Some of them nest in the North Georgia mountains but not here.