NY chicken lover!!!!

[marquisella]

Quote: Ok pm me..

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Hi Boskelli -

You sound like my kind of (country) person: cherishes their privacy AND loves the birding world!

I love the Phoebes -- to me, they are one of the most welcome returning birds of spring. Their scratchy little song always sounds cheerful to me! This little one and his/her significant other are preparing to set up a happy home around my horse's barn again this spring. They just returned this week!

TOB


PS: jealous of your Carolina Wren nesting at your house; they are adorable and beautiful singers!

TOB I think I might have Pheobes or at least I did last year this year the only thing I have seen so far are Crows and I have a woodpecker who every once in a while thinks the roof is a a tree and will peck on it a couple times which must hurt its beak as it is a metal roof then it goes back to the tree and pecks away. Once my Bushes start flowering I always have little hummingbirds I love watching them.

Stony--Have you grilled anything good being the weather has warmed up? Building anything fun? That camper you built is awesome! My DH is rebuilding a couple walls in our kitchen. We're using tongue and groove pine. I love the knots in the wood. There are going to be 2 built in shelves and a chest for hats n things beneath the coat hooks.



I spent some time outside with my 4 year old today. It's so nice to have some nice weather and a napping baby.

Tab are you going to stain it or just clear coat it? I love the look of wood just clear coated I also love the knots and all the tree ring marks you see in natural wood.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

No, the mystery continues. This little guy and his parents (which were hanging around calling to him) were only a bit bigger than a hummingbird. Tiny. I can't remember the sound of their call either. They were about that coloring though...minus the crest on top.

Maybe a kinglet?

Kinglet would be a very good guess in terms of the tiny size. They do appear drab, especially up in trees. Only up close and at a certain angle can you see the red thumbprint on their head (ruby-crowned). Other wood warblers are also tiny, but the kinglet is the tiniest and most of the warblers have a colorful male during breeding/nesting season.

I spent some time outside with my 4 year old today. It's so nice to have some nice weather and a napping baby.

That's doubly nice for sure! Hope all your kiddies are doing well, Tab, and enjoying some fresh air now that we have (hopefully) put the worst of the weather behind us.

TOB I think I might have Pheobes or at least I did last year this year the only thing I have seen so far are Crows and I have a woodpecker who every once in a while thinks the roof is a a tree and will peck on it a couple times which must hurt its beak as it is a metal roof then it goes back to the tree and pecks away. Once my Bushes start flowering I always have little hummingbirds I love watching them.

Nutty, woodpeckers will purposely drum on metal objects, especially this time of year....not looking for bugs, but to advertise that "this is my turf!" Downy woodpeckers are especially annoying here at my house. They drum right on our metal soffit and window frames. When the kids were very small, I'd get so mad because the woodpeckers would start this right at daybreak and would wake up the wee ones.....and so would start my crazy day that much earlier!

If you think you've got Phoebes, just watch for typical behaviors like darting off branches and catching bugs mid-air, then fly back to their perch to watch for more...and also that tail pumping and screechy "Pheee-beee!" They build cool looking mud nests under eaves of buildings.

Let me know what you think!

TOB

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Nutty- This time around we're trying out a white based stain. A green for some of it and the rest with mission oak polyshades. Eventually we'll redo the wall all the way to the dining room.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Kinglet would be a very good guess in terms of the tiny size. They do appear drab, especially up in trees. Only up close and at a certain angle can you see the red thumbprint on their head (ruby-crowned). Other wood warblers are also tiny, but the kinglet is the tiniest and most of the warblers have a colorful male during breeding/nesting season.


That's doubly nice for sure! Hope all your kiddies are doing well, Tab, and enjoying some fresh air now that we have (hopefully) put the worst of the weather behind us.



Nutty, woodpeckers will purposely drum on metal objects, especially this time of year....not looking for bugs, but to advertise that "this is my turf!" Downy woodpeckers are especially annoying here at my house. They drum right on our metal soffit and window frames. When the kids were very small, I'd get so mad because the woodpeckers would start this right at daybreak and would wake up the wee ones.....and so would start my crazy day that much earlier!

If you think you've got Phoebes, just watch for typical behaviors like darting off branches and catching bugs mid-air, then fly back to their perch to watch for more...and also that tail pumping and screechy "Pheee-beee!" They build cool looking mud nests under eaves of buildings.

Let me know what you think!

TOB

I haven't seen any this year but haven't been looking too much but definitely know that sounds like the ones we had last year. Glad to know why the woodpecker is doing it I thought maybe he had been dropped out of the nest on his head or something LOL

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Nutty- This time around we're trying out a white based stain. A green for some of it and the rest with mission oak polyshades. Eventually we'll redo the wall all the way to the dining room.

Sounds so pretty my living room is all tongue and groove pine with just clear coat on it and my kitchen is tongue and groove with the white based stain and clear coat I love it. Goal is to get cupboards built and just clear coat them.

 

[boskelli1571]

Kinglet would be a very good guess in terms of the tiny size. They do appear drab, especially up in trees. Only up close and at a certain angle can you see the red thumbprint on their head (ruby-crowned). Other wood warblers are also tiny, but the kinglet is the tiniest and most of the warblers have a colorful male during breeding/nesting season.


That's doubly nice for sure! Hope all your kiddies are doing well, Tab, and enjoying some fresh air now that we have (hopefully) put the worst of the weather behind us.



Nutty, woodpeckers will purposely drum on metal objects, especially this time of year....not looking for bugs, but to advertise that "this is my turf!" Downy woodpeckers are especially annoying here at my house. They drum right on our metal soffit and window frames. When the kids were very small, I'd get so mad because the woodpeckers would start this right at daybreak and would wake up the wee ones.....and so would start my crazy day that much earlier!

If you think you've got Phoebes, just watch for typical behaviors like darting off branches and catching bugs mid-air, then fly back to their perch to watch for more...and also that tail pumping and screechy "Pheee-beee!" They build cool looking mud nests under eaves of buildings.

Let me know what you think!

TOB

We have downys, hairy, red bellied and a couple of pileated woodpeckers. The pileated are very shy tho' we see them flying over but rarely see them on the ground. Waiting on the yellowthroats to return - they are so pretty with their bandit mask! Last year the Beagles disturbed a woodcock in the marsh grass - first and only one I've seen! I could spend hours out there bird watching, they certainly love this wetland area. Wondering if the Green Heron will come back and nest again this year. They had 2 babies last year, I really must get a good, but cheapish camera. Any recommendations??

 

[Sweetpea3829]

I wish I knew more about bird identification...we have a ton of varieties. But I think my favorite would have to be the heron (I think it's a heron...long legs) that flies from our marsh over to the neighbors and back. So gorgeous. They haven't returned yet, but soon I think.

Right now...my Fantastic Four are outside playing on the swingset. Life is grand.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Ok, I THINK the mystery bird was a Willow Flycatcher. The call sounds similar...though the bird seems a bit bigger.

 

[Metella]

And I do have a related issue ... so um hum - thanks a bundle.