Parrot Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 We have dozens of goldfinches on the Parrot Estates. They go through thistle seed like there is no tomorrow. Sorry about the lack of resolution in the photo; it's from a distance and through a window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Paul, that picture looks like it could have been taken out of my kitchen or breakfast nook window. Of course, wherever you are is a bit ahead of our spring season. Those Goldfinches really do go through the thistle seed. Seems like we fill the feeder once a week. This year I put up a second "bluebird specific" house and just yesterday I saw that the blues had taken up residence. They have to be one of the coolest birds out there. I keep the houses 300 feet apart as directed and now there are two families in the yard. I've heard that if you feed them, (say a little scrub worm) about the same time each day, they will actually come looking for you if you're late. Do you have speakers outside and if so have you noticed an increase in activity with the sound of music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 OOOOhhhhhhhhhhh, the "parrot estates" how pedestrian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted April 26, 2004 Author Share Posted April 26, 2004 I'm new to feeding my feathered friends. I will investigate putting up a bluebird house. I put out a full cylinder of thistle on Friday evening and it's down to one inch from the bottom now (Monday evening). They are all over it like flies. This morning a goldfinch was eating sunflower seeds on one side of the wooden feeder while a baby squirrel was eating on the other side. No speakers outside, but the birds can hear my Klipschorns and Belles easily enough because the living room overlooks the feeders. I'm in Ohio, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurs Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 We have a rather large family of Cardinals that lives along our fence line from late spring through fall. We have all gotten used to each other and the kiddos love to swim and see them all nearby. Can't wait until they return in a couple of weeks. We're in Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurs Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 We have a rather large family of Cardinals that lives along our fence line from late spring through fall. We have all gotten used to each other and the kiddos love to swim and see them all nearby. Can't wait until they return in a couple of weeks. We're in Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 We have ugly little brown birds here in Oregon. At least your normal birds you would expect to see in your yard. I guess an occasional blue jay comes stroling through from time to time but not very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 It seems that the colors are much more vivid than in past years. The Cardinals are really red and the bluebirds are bright blue. The Bluejays are a problem and continue to be backyard bullies. I wonder if the're good eaten'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 From past experience, I would not recommend feeding the birds. This is one of the spring hatchlings at my place. I don't go outside much anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Typical woman. They tell you size doesnt matter then they sneak one of these monsters in the back door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I don't have an estate, but I do have a tropical jungle in my back yard. I wouldn't call it bird watching, it's more like poop watching this time of year. It's everywhere. I have nest all over the yard. When I go out back I get dive bombed by kamikaze pilots protecting their young. They have come close enought where their wings hit the top of my head. It's comical to watch my dog getting attacted by these birds. The baby owls are kind of cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Feathered, little bags of bird poop flying around. Eesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avman Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 in south louisiana,we have hummingbirds that feed off of sugar-water(nectar) feeders! they are really cool to watch! avman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDB_Rocks Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 ---------------- On 4/26/2004 10:41:15 PM boomac wrote: It seems that the colors are much more vivid than in past years. The Cardinals are really red and the bluebirds are bright blue. The Bluejays are a problem and continue to be backyard bullies. I wonder if the're good eaten'? ---------------- Boomac ... Blue Jays may be backyard bullies but them & crows are natural mosquito killers. I keep feeders, suet cages and bird friendly trees/flowers around my place. Cardinals, goldfinches & Carolina chickadees (too far south black-capped ones) are year-round visitors here in Indy as well as wrens, sparrows & other finches. My local mockingbird has finally found my suet cages and it's a hoot watching him/her trying to stay balanced with wing(s) flapping and pecking @ the suet. I sit near (within 10ft) my feeders and the birds have grown used to both me AND my cat being near them. The mockingbird will tolerate me being as close as 4ft from the suet cage now. The suet cages bring in nuthatches, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, flickers and occassionally a red-bellied woodpecker ... what a sight to see a 10-14" r-b woody perched and feeding on a 5" square suet cage! My most awesome sighting was seeing a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ... what a gorgeous bird. It's also cool that we have Peregrine Falcons in downtown, Golden & Bald Eagles nesting within the county and a nest of Osprey too. Of course there the ever-present Turkey Buzzards, Red-tailed & Cooper's hawks too. Lastly, there are Green Herons and the state's largest Great Blue Heron rookery on the NE side in Ft. Ben State Park (formerly Ft Benjamin Harrison Army Base). And that's just some of the 'feathered' wildlife I see nearly every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 On 4/27/2004 12:33:43 PM JDB_Rocks wrote: "Boomac ... Blue Jays may be backyard bullies but them & crows are natural mosquito killers." --------------------------------------------------------- The thought of Bluejay under glass will never cross my mind again! I have an area that should be perfect for a Purple Martin Community. I understand that they are ultimate mosquito munching machine. It's an open area and there is a river/creek about 150 yards away. I've also heard Bats are great skeeter killers. My wife isn't too keen on me buying and putting up bat cages, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Our neighbor has a huge barn, and he describes the second story of it as a bat nursery. He has nothing at all stored up there, because of all the bats. So there's no mosquito problem around here. Impressive list, JDB Rocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 ---------------- On 4/27/2004 12:33:43 PM JDB_Rocks wrote: It's also cool that we have Peregrine Falcons in downtown, Golden & Bald Eagles nesting within the county and a nest of Osprey too. Of course there the ever-present Turkey Buzzards, Red-tailed & Cooper's hawks too. Lastly, there are Green Herons and the state's largest Great Blue Heron rookery on the NE side in Ft. Ben State Park (formerly Ft Benjamin Harrison Army Base). And that's just some of the 'feathered' wildlife I see nearly every day. ---------------- Oh man, I've seen many a Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Turky Buzzard and many others along the Rappahannock River. It is not unusual that I'll take a walk down along there and see a dozen or so Great Blue Herons standing among the rocks out in the middle of the river, snatching fish out of the water. It is also pretty cool to watch an Osprey slowly circle around a spot, and then all of a suddenly, dive-bomb into the water and grab a fish right out. He flew directly over where I was sitting on a rock and I could clearly see a fish flapping around in his talons. This weekend, I'll have to go and see if I can get some pictures now that most of the foliage has grown back. It is quite pretty down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 A few minutes ago I went down to grab some coffee and "holy cow", I thought Clu's pet bird escaped and came to visit me. Actually, there were 14 wild turkeys out in the yard. Between the gobblers and the ever growing population of deer, I could feed the family for the price of a few shells, slugs or arrows. I better look into a suit cage. Don't want any peckers coming aroung though. I hear they can be hell on a cedar sided house! What about that JDB_rocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgie Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I get quite a few Cardinals in the yard. I also put out hummingbird feeders in the summer. This is the first time in several years that I put up a Martin house. Mosquitoes love me therfore, I love Purple Martins. My husband and I recently moved into my Granfather's house to care for him since my Grandmother passed away in January. He has several cockatiels. The two in the den ,where the computer is, have discovered music. I noticed one night when hubby was playing music on the 'puter that they would "dance". One bobs up and down while the other paces side to side on it's perch. We get a kick out of watching them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 The sparrows nesting in our forsythia really battle it out with the cardinals. Whenever a cardinal lands nearby, a few dozen or so of the weaker sparrows come into action as a team to drive it out. Meanwhile, the 2 doves who have lived in our yard since we moved in 10 years ago just sit in the maple tree cooing and observing all the goings on. It very interesting to lay in the hammock and just watch for a while. At dusk, it's bat city in the yard. They sweep down a little too close for my comfort level although I know they're harmless. They just creep me out. I don't know how they deal with those fruit bats in the Philipines. They have a 6-foot wing span and bodys the size of small dogs. They've been known to carry off small children. BTW - Great picture Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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