Feeding Wild Birds

[sourland]

Another possibility on that turkey kill. I found mink scat on one of the club paths. Walked the fence and found where it is coming in - hole in the fence where a coyote dug in several weeks ago. I put a snare there and did not repair the fence in case the coyote wanted to revisit. I've been checking every couple of days and haven't noticed any sign of something using the hole. Today there is rabbit hair on the fence and blood on a rock by the fence. I set up a 'welcoming committee'. Hopefully it will return tonight. Regardless - tomorrow I will repair the fence.

 

[sourland]

Reached 65 F today. At the club today I heard this strange 'quacking' sound. Took a while to register - oh , yeah, the wood frogs are mating. Found two vernal pools with activity. 3 baseball sized egg masses in the first, and 2 in the other. They are out and active even before the spring peepers.

 

[sourland]

Those vernal pools are now frozen and will not thaw until tomorrow or Tuesday. It will interest me to see the condition of the egg masses. Everything I have read indicates that they and the frogs can survive at least partial freezing.

 

[R2elk]

I had the first Red-wing Blackbirds show up yesterday. There were two males.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Hi, mind if I join? I love feeding the wild birds here. I had at least 10 red winged blackbirds at me feeders Saturday morning and the usual finch flock of about 75. I didn't get any pictures of the red winged blackbirds since my batteries on my good camera are dead. I have numerous Goldfinches, woodpeckers and blue jays that show up daily along with a pair of cardinals and a random mourning dove.

Video

 

[sourland]

Temperature neared 70F today and ponds thawed. Frogs were not actively mating, but egg masses appeared unscathed. I will monitor to see whether or not the eggs hatch.

 

[sourland]

Well, the wood frogs were busy last night. I heard their 'quacking' mating calls as I approached the pond. Another dozen egg masses were laid last night. The first two were baseball and softball sized. The new masses vary from golf ball to tennis ball in size. Wonder if the first two were communal efforts?

 

[sourland]

Only checked the one pool. I'll check the second this afternoon.

 

[sourland]

Phoebes have returned to the beagle club porch as of today. I also saw one tree swallow. This is about 2 weeks earlier than last year.

 

[R2elk]

Phoebes have returned to the beagle club porch as of today. I also saw one tree swallow. This is about 2 weeks earlier than last year.

Lots of birds were late last year.