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While speaking of birds and the coming of Autumn,
I would like to put in a plug for shade-grown coffee.
If you are a coffee drinker and a bird lover, you should only buy shade-grown beans as they are grown under the canopy which maintains habitat for neotropical migrant songbirds--ie, most of the fall and spring migrants we get coming through Wrightwood!
Ponder this while drinking your morning brew watching the birds at your feeder... ::)
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These were originally posted in the main Forum.
Acorn Woodpecker.
One of the noisiest birds in Wrightwood ;D
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/9_29Acorn11.JPG)
Anna's Hummingbirds
One of the most common Hummingbirds found.
Hummingbirds by nature are difficult to
photograph due to their quick movement
and constant motion, needed to maintain flight.
Truly amazing to watch and even better to
capture on Hi Res Digital.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/9_29hum2.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/9_29hum4.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/9_29hum3.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/9_29hum7.JPG)
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Scrub Jay
These friendly birds are one of our favorites.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/Scrub2.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/Scrub1.JPG)
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What beautiful photos those are! It is so nice to see the pictures identifying the birds that I have seen but have not known what they are!
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Ahhh, nature at our doorsteps and window sills! ;)
Seriously, I tremendously enjoy all the lovely birds in WW. Yesterday I spotted a rufous sided towhee; a bird I had only seen in birdwatcher's guides until I moved here.
I especially enjoy the robins (typically a harbinger of Spring on the east coast), scrub jays, stellers jays, black capped chickadee's, nuthatches, wrens, bluebirds, and hummingbirds that greet me each day. Bird song fills the autumn air, and reminds us our good fortune to live in such a lovely area.
Has anyone successfully tamed the jays to take peanuts out of your hands? When visiting Florida last summer I was delighted to see my parents do just that with their local scrub jays. I would like to replicate that same experience here at home.
We are blessed to have so many feathered friends! :D West Nile Virus: stay away from WW! :o
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Over the years the Scrub Jays have always been the friendliest birds in town.
I hesitated to post these from what the purists bird watchers might say but since it was brought up....
This Jay took about a 1 day to start taking peanuts from our hands.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/BirdHand1.JPG) (http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/BirdHand2.JPG)
And some people try to get them to do tricks.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/BirdHand4.JPG) (http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/BirdHand3.JPG)
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This is a most amazing picture!
Thank you so much for posting this picture of 'Scrub Jays'. I didn't know what I was seeing.
Actually, these photos are so excellent that they far exceed the commercial books that are available in stores.
We have so many wonderful birds in WW. We surely are blessed with their visitation. How can we best feed them?
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We use unsalted peanuts. (Costco)
I'm sure someone out there will tell me if they will die of cancer from peanuts, but that's what they love.
If you really want to attract the birds put a small water fountain on your deck. The birds will use it all day long.
Remember that drought we have, the birds need water too. (the water fountain only holds about a quart of water and is a table top cheapy. Uses about a glass or two of water a day with 50-100 birds using it.)
I have yet to have a Steller's Jay or Acorn WoodPecker take a peanut from my hand. Close....
Numerous Scrub Jays over the years..
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In terms of feeding the birds, Mountain Hardware carries bird seed and feeders of various kinds. Suet feeders are great for attracting all kinds of birds that don't come to regular seed feeders--I get Western Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, Nutall's Woodpeckers, Acorn Woodpeckers, and of course Pygmy and White Breasted Nuthatches at my suet feeder. Once the Flickers start in, the suet cakes don't last long, but it's worth it to see these giant birds right outside my window hanging on the little suet feeder! I'll have to try and get some photos--just got my digital camera and haven't tried taking too many wildlife photos yet!
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One issue of debate on feeding birds is squirrels! I think feeding the squirrels is very entertaining. I heard of someone who had a regular "squirrel circus" in their backyard with various devices that the squirrels had to learn to master in order to get the food--including a tight rope and ferris wheel and teeter-totter! I just have one of those feeders that opens when they sit on the shelf, and it's hysterical to watch them figure it out in different ways. Lots of bird feeders get all kinds of fancy devices to keep the squirrels from their bird feeders, but since they are both fun to watch, I let them share.
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Since the naturalist didn't tell me that I was
killing the birds with Costco peanuts I decided
to take a few shots while waiting for dinner.
Wrightwood Steller's Jay
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/Stellers10_15_02b.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/Stellers10_15_02a.JPG)
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Yay for the punk rock bird!! With his black mohawk, blue eyebrows, plaid wings and attitude--not to mention that lovely voice... great head-banging action shot! :D
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I've noticed hummingbirds are conspicuously absent these last few weeks, despite my array of nectar feeders.
Does anyone know if they have migrated to warmer climes? 8)
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our humming birds are still around :)
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I've noticed hummingbirds are conspicuously absent these last few weeks, despite my array of nectar feeders.
Does anyone know if they have migrated to warmer climes? 8)
I noticed a decline all year in hummers. As for the last couple years I would have well over a hundred of them at my feeders during the summer and fall months, whereas this year I was only filling one feeder per week instead of 5 feeders every other day. As for migrating, some hummers stay close all year long. Last winter I would have one or two fly by my window every now and looking for a quick snack. It was kinda neat to see them hovering at my window with snow falling all around. Unfortunately they found nothing and flew off, probably to warmer elevations. In general, some hummers will stick around till the last minute depending on the weather conditions and food supply. As they not only depend on necter, but also on knats and small spiders.
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By the way, great job on the photos. You should think about sending them into Birds & Blooms magazine or possibly displaying them at the gallery. Now there's an idea for up here. A photagraphy workshop. That's another subject. Anyway I just thought I would share a few of my favorite birding websites. There are a lot of good sites out there besides these that I'm sure you will find interesting, full of great topics and lots of usefull information.
Birds & Blooms October/November 2002
www.birdsandblooms.com
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
www.ornith.cornell.edu
National Audubon Society
www.audubon.org
American Bird Conservancy
www.abcbirds.org
Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
www.rtpi.org
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:P oops! I almost forgot one for the hummers.
www.hummingbirds.net
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Since my favorite holiday is right around the corner, I would like to remind everyone who will be butchering a pumpkin this year not to let the seeds go to waist.
Dry them out and use them as a critter treat. Chipmunks and squirrels like to munch on them and there are a few birds like the Jays (who will eat almost anything to begin with), woodpeckers and even chickadees and nuthatches will eat them too.
;)
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Yum--pumpkin seeds! Great idea! I might share mine with the critters...
A note on hummers, leave those feeders up in case they come by! I noticed the lack of hummingbirds when it got really cold, then a few have been coming around this week. I've seen them around even with snow on the ground! They are pretty tough little guys!
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Hummingbirds continue to be active with the frequency of visits
decreasing during the past few weeks. During the summer they visit the
feeder every 10-15 minutes now it every 20-30 minutes.
Anna's Hummingbird 10-19-02
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/ME_hum2.JPG)
Wrightwood Steller's Jay 10-19-02
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/ME_Stellar's2.JPG)
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A great point Pinescent. Birds will not starve to death if you forget to fill your feeders. Actually I let them empty my feeders down to the bone and sometimes wait a few days before filling them up again. This allows me a good opportunity to clean the feeders good before filling them up again.
The important thing to remember is to keep those feeders clean. Because so many birds frequent a feeder the chances of one bird getting sick and spreading it to the rest of the birds is a greater risk at a human made feeding station.
The majority of my feeders are metal to make for easier cleaning. I use a piece of steel wool to clean off the droppings and then wipe everything down with bleach water. Contrary to belief, people often assume that metal perches are not fit for birds as they think their feet will freeze to them. Well, they don't.
I have two wood feeders and they are the ones that you have to keep clean the most because they are a porous material that can harvest many bacteria. On my wood feeders, I will sand them down to remove as much as the bird droppings as possible and then spray them down with highly concentrated bleach water. Making sure they dry out good before refilling them again.
Clean feeder keeps birds safe and healthy.
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Another important thing to remember when keeping water around for the birds is not only keeping fresh water in it all the time and making sure that it is cleaned out, but if you have pets around, try not to let them drink out of it too frequently. Reason, I have learned a few times before from trips to the vet, pets can pick up intestinal problems like salmonella or other parasites that might affect their digestive track that are carried in bird feces (droppings). And speaking of intestinal problems, large quantities of bird seed eaten by a pet can cause problems too. So keep Fido away from the bird baths and bird seed as much as possible. I know at times this is easier said than done. I have a Bird bath at ground level so quail and other ground critters have easier access to water but had to move it outside my fence area to keep my four legged kids from drinking it and playing in it. ::)
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I got such a kick out of these pictures that I wanted to be in on the fun, too. So I went to PetMart and bought four different kinds of feeders...black oil sunflower, thistle, peanuts and a mixture including millet. What birds are everyone seeing now? What feed are they using?
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One of my favorite activities is birdwatching. I have multiple feeders and use a seed mixture of millet, sunflower seeds, cracked corn etc. I also have several suet feeders (the hardware store is having a sale on suet blocks for only 99 cents!). I also have a black niger seed feeder. I routinely see scrub jays, stellers jays, junco's, tufted titmice, nuthatches, red headed woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, quail, mountain doves, sparrows, chickadee's etc. Of course, they compete with the squirrels and chipmunks, so I put out dried ears of corn for them. I also put any cracked nuts (walnut, pecan, etc, whatever is handy) that I'm too lazy to pick all the little nutmeat out of into my feeders. Nuthatches like peanut butter too! Don't forget water attracts birds too.
Happy birding! ;D
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The birds seem to have slacked off a little in the last couple of weeks... At my suet feeder I get flickers, acorn woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, Nutall's woodpeckers, and of course nuthatches--both white breasted and pygmy... lately I've been seeing mostly chickadees, juncos, titmice, finches (both house and Cassin's), fox sparrows, and of course, Jays, at the seed feeders. Typical store-bought blend of seeds: millet, red milo, sunflower seeds.
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Ohhh! Sounds like lots of fun in store for me! Thanks ever so much for the detailed replies! :D In the summertime, does the suet ever melt or attract flies?
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I feed different seed mixes depending on the season.
Winter & Fall:
It's pretty much anything goes this time of year. Black oil sunflower seeds, peanut hearts, dried cherries, millet, red milo, safflower seeds. Basically any store bought mix will be consumed. Suet blocks are a favorite with the woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Although I have caught the Flickers pigging out at the regular feeding station on the mixed seeds and on my black oil feeder.
Birds that frequent my feeders in the winter: Chickadees, titmice, juncos, house & cassin's finches, pine siskins, white-crowned sparrows, fox sparrows, chipping sparrows, steller's & scrub jays, flickers, white-headed woodpeckers, acorn woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, nutall's woodpeckers, red & white breasted nuthatches, pygmy nuthatches (my favorite little guys), towhees (ground feeding with there two feet at the same time scratching, fox sparrow does this too), and lots of quail. With all this activity comes the Raptors. Cooper Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks, Red Shouldered Hawks and Kestrels have hunted in my backyard. Then, to clean up any messes there is the ever so pesky, curious, comical and mischievous Ravens.
Spring Time:
It's pretty much the same lot as above, minus the white-crowned sparrows, fox sparrows and juncos. Although there are some juncos that stick around all year long. I generally stick with the same seed mix, but cut back on the amount of millet. Suet blocks are great in the spring. I have found that a lot of birds like to use this as food during the raising of their chicks as it must be easy for them to regurgitate. They also bring the fledglings to the blocks and seem to use them as training stations or as I like to say, they use them as "Weaning Blocks" every year the acorns and flickers will bring their young to them, get them involved in eating off them and then try to sneak away. It's quite comical at times.
Summer Time:
This is were I totally do away with feeding any millet. Millet seed, as I have found over the years, tends to just go to waste (getting pushed to the ground and ending up becoming ground cover during times of rain). I actually had a nice plush carpet of the stuff (about 3inches thick) one time that made me decide to just quit feeding it altogether. So since millet seems to be like a useless filler during the summer, I tend to search for mixes that do not contain any millet (which is hard to find at times). Petsmart does carry a couple brands that don't have any.
Other than that, for summer feedings I usually stick with the year round favorite of black oil sunflower seeds as a staple. For a treat, I fill the thistle feeders from time to time (but not always as we all know how expensive thistle is, it's like gold compared to all the other seeds). And contrary to belief that finches like the little lesser gold finches won't eat nothing else, they will in fact eat the black oil sunflower seeds like everyone else when no thistle is available. A tip to keep thistle fresh and from spoiling fast or getting musty (which it tends to do really fast) while storing it, is to keep it refrigerated.
Now on to the question of suet blocks in the summer. I tend to stay away from feeding suet blocks altogether in the summer unless they are of the "no-melt" variety. During the hot days the suet will melt, which can tend to stick and soil the plumage of the birds which can cause problems. There are a lot of blocks that have no rendered beef suet in them that can be purchased for summer feeding.
Summer Birds that I have seen at my feeders: Most of what was mentioned in the fall and winter with the same exclusions as in the spring, but joined with lesser goldfinches & black-headed grosbeaks. Robins started feeding at the feeder since the mix I use contains dried cherries, as a treat I sometimes place out raisins which they like too. Last year I had a western tanager that grew a liking to some grapes I threw out for the robins.
As a fun treat for the blue birds, I order meal worms from time to time and place them in a special feeding box near an area they are nesting in.
To much of my surprise, the orioles visit my hummingbird feeders so I have no need to have one of those special feeders just for them. Occasionally when I buy oranges, I will slice them and hang them by the hummer feeders though as they tend to really guzzle down and drain the hummer feeders fast. Also from time to time, a sap sucker will decide that he wants a sweet drink and hang awkwardly from the hummer feeder to refresh himself.
To much of my dislike brown-headed cowbirds and starlings will invade the feeders which I try to discourage for a number of reasons that I'm sure the Naturalist could fill you in on. Starlings are a pest and can carry all sorts of nasty things that can be passed to other birds and humans as well. But they do make for great target practice for me with my pellet rifle.
Anyhoot, that's about it for my backyard bird feeding report. Backyard birding is a wonderful and relaxing hobby. Maybe one day we should start a Wrightwood Backyard Birders Club. In the meantime, enjoy and have fun.
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Wow! Mountain_Witch! Thanks ever so much for your very comprehensive report. Just what I needed to know. I had read conflicting reports about using suet in southern California and wanted to hear about people's experiences with it.
There's no other way to get this kind of important information. It seems to me that backyard birdwatchers as a group are generally neglected in all but a few birding organizations and magazines, exceptions being the Project Feeder Watch and the Great Backyard Bird Count, both Cornell Lab of Ornithology projects, and, of course, a few of the wild bird retailers online.
Regional LOCALIZED bird feeding information is NONEXISTENT on the Internet. For example, take a look at this list of the top 25 feeder birds in the California region.
http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/DataRetrieval/Top25/2001-2002/Region/CaliforniaTop25.htm
It is /very/ different from birds that have been reported at feeders in WW recently.
That is one of the reasons why I think this forum is so wonderful. In less than 24 hours I have gotten more useful information than could be found anywhere, in any amount of time, online, or in magazines or books. Thank you, one and all, the creator of the forum and the responders, for making it possible. What a great bunch you are!
Already this morning a scrub jay has been eyeing the peanuts and lurking around. Every time I see it, it pops into the bushes. Patience.
Back to window watching for me.
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Our peanut feeder continues to attract lots of jay's & woodpeckers.
We gave up on suet feeders and sun flower seeds due to the mess it makes on our deck. Mounted away from the house i'm sure the mess wouldn't bother us. The view of the birds fighting over the peanuts 4 or 5 feet from the bedroom door is awesome.
A recent observation I made was how the Steller's Jay are able to put additional whole peanuts down in their throat. (as shown in the picture below)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/swallow2b.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/stelpeanut2.JPG)
Let's not forget the Acorn Woodpecker's pictures from today.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/acorntree1.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/acornnut1.JPG)
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Thanks for the additional observations on suet. And for the ooohhh-sooo-good pictures! So what does Mr. Mohawk do with all those whole peanuts, I wonder? Does he chuck them up and eat them later? Bury them? Crush them with his insides? Once when I was keeping bees, a scrub jay perched on top of the hive and picked off a dozen or so bees when they coming home. Then he flew off a little ways and coughed each one of them up. Alive.
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Those jays hide them everywhere. ::)
My neighbor found some stashed in the end of some conduit he keeps stored on the side of his garage. If you feed the raw peanuts like they sell at Jensen's, you'll end up finding peanut plants growing in your garden. That's why I like the unsalted ones at Cosco, not to mention they're cheeper too.
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Mountain Witch--that was a great list of birds! I don't think I have anything to add! What a challenge! I have had western bluebirds eating from suet feeders, though, and that was cool. For a while last spring my most common feeder birds were bluebirds, grosbeaks and flickers! It was quite colorful out there! All at the suet feeder.
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These pictures are sooooo good! You can even distinguish that this bird is of the Coastal race because of the lack of white eyebrow. Steller's Jays of the Inland race have a white eyebrow. What incredible blue color!
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These pictures are sooooo good! You can even distinguish that this bird is of the Coastal race because of the lack of white eyebrow. Steller's Jays of the Inland race have a white eyebrow. What incredible blue color!
I've been up in WA and Idaho and have seen the Jays with the white eyebrows. The first one I saw I got really excited, thinking that it was maybe a mutation or a one of a kind. Then a few more birds flew into camp and I finally dug my bird book out and identified them as the inland race. They are a site to see as the grey eyebrows make them look aged.
Great pictures John. :)
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Those are some pretty terrific bird shots. Eventhough I have a few bird books, I still have trouble identifying half of the birds I see. Either they just move too fast or I'm dumber than I thought.
While I took my family camping up in the Sequoias about 20 years ago they had an ornithologist as a guest lecturer during the evening fire lecture series. He very seriously got up in front of the crowd, tested the microphone and said: "There are three types of birds. You have your big birds. You have your little birds. Then you have ducks! Needless to say he got our attention.
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More Steller's Jay
It's amazing that these babies are more than likely
the same as the adults shown below. The nest photos were taken on 5-29-01.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/babies3.JPG)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/stellers12_5b.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/hurry2.JPG)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/stellers12_5d.JPG)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/stellers12_5c.JPG)
Hopefully some additional species will be visiting my bird studio
soon as I put out a new suet feeder from Mt Hardware today.
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More Northern Flicker photos at the new suet feeder
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/flicker3.JPG)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/flicker4.JPG)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/flicker5.JPG)
A good illustration below that shows how a
woodpeckers head can distribute the impact.
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/flickerhead5.JPG)
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I agree Pinescent, as it is really hard to tell without seeing any color under the tail or wing area, but my guess would have to be the Red-shafted Flicker also. I always love to watch these guys go after ant mounds in the summer, they are like anteaters with wings. ;)
Somehow, I knew it wouldn't be long before someone broke down and decided to feed more than just the Jays and Acorn Woodpeckers. ;) Just watch were you hang those new suet blocks as the squirrels will be helping themselves to them as well.
I can't wait till you get visited with a family of Pygmy Nuthatches. They are so cute and friendly, I also luv the way they vocalize in a group, almost like a swarm of squeaky toys. ;D
Congrats on becoming a new proud owner of a suet feeder and may you be blessed with many new feathered friends for years to come. ;D
Warning! Bird watching can be extremely addicting with many different side affects. Here are a few signs to look for:
A bird house on every tree on your property.
No room on the second shelf in refrigerator due to storage of suet blocks.
No room in your vegetable bin in the refrigerator due to large bag of thistle.
A compulsion to buy a new feeder every time you come across one you think is cool.
Taking trips to the pet store and spending $30.00 or under on your pets and $50 or more on wild bird feed and supplies.
Having a panic attack at Costco when they move the peanuts to another area, making you think they are out.
Owning 6 or more books on birding and always having cravings to buy more.
A pair of binoculars in every room of your house.
Talking to yourself in wild excitement whenever you identify a new bird that you've never seen before.
(further studies are still being done, as some people may suffer slightly more than others)
And whoever came up with the saying "time flys" must have been a bird watcher. A short break from yard work always ends up being half the day spent just sitting around by the feeding stations.
;D
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Great pix!! I love our WW birds. One day while calling into the office (didn't have a land line then), I was sitting in the sun and watching a couple of Flickers at our suet block. I thought they were red-shafted flickers. Meanwhile, my boss is saying to me on the phone (we get cell service on the hill behind our house) "Oh, you must be so cold and uncomfortable sitting outside somewhere to call me." Little did she know how heavenly it was sitting in the sun outside and watching the birds!!
We've seen Rufous Hawks, Mountain Bluebirds, Olive Flycatchers (?), Robins, House Finches and of course Stellar Jays, Scrub Jays, Acorn Woodpeckers and sparrows. Out in Summit Valley we saw a Bald Eagle last winter.
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PS. The birds with the bright red markings look like the Flickers we saw. They had the red on their tails--so according to my bird book they are the Red Shafted Flickers.
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In this photo you can see the red underside of the wing
which confirms that they are Northern Red shafted Flickers.
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nature/nflicker1.JPG)
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:o I dont think i have ever seen better pictures than these. They are great congrats to the person who took then good job :) ;D
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Have you noticed the difference between male and female flickers? The males have those red "mustaches" and the females don't--the yellow shafted race (which you occasionally see up north) has black mustaches and a red nape. Of course, the underwing color makes it easy when they fly-that lovely salmon orange color of our red-shafted race of Northern Flicker is so gorgeous.
A good illustration below that shows how a
woodpeckers head can distribute the impact.
Woodpeckers have some amazing adaptations that allow them to turn their heads into jackhammers: They have extremely long tongues which rather than going down the back of their throat like ours, split into two and wrap around their brains, anchoring in the upper bill while they are pecking, adding crash-helmet like padding! Of course their beaks are strong, their heads are hard, their necks are strong, but their stiff tail feathers allow them to use the power of the lever... they anchor on their feet, with two toes forward and two toes back and long curved claws for a stable fulcrum, and prop their stiff tail feathers against the tree allowing them to put more force into their pecks. Adaptive "engineering"!
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Pygmy Nuthatch visit the ever popular suet feeder.
Their rapid and constant movement make them difficult to photograph.
They love taking turns bathing in the water fountain.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/nature/suet1.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/nature/chick1.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/nature/chick2.JPG)
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I just adore those little guys, when they come around my feeder they sound like a flock of little squeekie toys.
Once again, great pics Wrightwood.
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Well, the Blue Birds seem to think spring is just around the corner or they just came up to do a weather check. While out in my backyard yesterday afternoon, a family of 5 or 6 Blue Birds paid my bird bath a visit for an ice cold dip. Before they flew off, 3 of them decided to check out some of my Blue Bird houses and I surely hope they were just looking for a place to get out of the cold and not seriously thinking of nesting quite so soon. Has anyone else noticed any Blue Bird activity yet?
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Great photos - wowww!!! Thanks to everyone posting them!
What cameras were used, and how close were you to the birds?
If you please would let me now - thank you!
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Great photos - wowww!!! Thanks to everyone posting them!
What cameras were used, and how close were you to the birds?
If you please would let me now - thank you!
Let me answer a few of your questions, then I'll give you a link that has more details on the camera(s) I'm using.
I'm using Canon D60 and 10D. They are professional quality and are costly. The camera body (no lens) for the 10D is $1499. Both cameras are 6.4 megapixel and I love them. Would I recommend them, absolutely if you want to put $2,000 into a camera after you buy the body and a lens.
With that said, I would suggest for someone wanting to take good quality digital pictures to get an Olympus from Costco. They have a couple of models and one runs about $350 or so and is excellent. Many of my older pictures were taken with a similar camera. In fact all the close-ups of the baby Steller's Jay's were done with a $350 Olympus.
Here's a link that better describes some of my existing camera equipment.
http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Webmaster;action=display;num=1046494605;start=
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The Orioles are DRAINING 4 feeders (two hummingbird, two oriole) every other day! Anyone else having this wonderful problem? I am spending my summer making gallons of sugar water. Mountain Chickadees also have been drinking from these feeders.
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makgirl must have all my hummingbirds. I've had a feeder out there all summer and have only had a handful of visitors. Maybe you should share your recipe as my nectar is below par. :'(
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Stitches- the hummers barely can get at the feeders with the orioles around. I use the same sugar mixture for both: 4 cups water to 1 cup sugar.
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The Orioles are DRAINING 4 feeders (two hummingbird, two oriole) every other day! Anyone else having this wonderful problem? I am spending my summer making gallons of sugar water. Mountain Chickadees also have been drinking from these feeders.
You have to post a pic or it didn't happen ;-)
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My hummingbird feeders have been busy too here in Phelan. This is the FIRST year that I have had 2 new birds that I had never seen here before. A Scott's Oriole & a Downy Woodpecker, and they feed off of the hummingbird feeders! The Scott's Oriole is hard to get a picture of on the feeder, he does not come by but a couple times a day, and he is skiddish.
(http://debmann.zenfolio.com/img/v21/p968868065-4.jpg)
(http://debmann.zenfolio.com/img/v21/p607213812-3.jpg)
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Great pictures! :2thumbsup:
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Yea, I've got woodpeckers at my hummingbird feeder too. They pick the flowers right off because they need a bigger opening. Maybe they have cooties and the hummingbirds are refusing to come because of the intruder. I miss my hummers.
Nice picture of the Oriole.
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Thanks. When the Woodpecker started coming, he still had pin feathers on his head, so he was a baby. He has become full feathered now, and he comes around once or twice a day. We have 3-4 hummers too. I am down to one feeder, I have 2 more on the way by mail (the others started leaking). The woodpecker is not shy, and if he shows up and we are on the patio, he "thinks" about it standing on the roof of the patio, and then he comes to the feeder. It will be interesting to watch them all share one feeder for the next few days!
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I caught the male Scott's Oriole today at the feeder! Not the best picture, but I love the colors!
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Calindy/IMG_3356-1.jpg)
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You have to post a pic or it didn't happen ;-)
OK, well, no pic of the chickadee, but here's one of a Jay (sorry it's blurry):
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/IMG_2859-1.jpg)
The orioles just love the hummingbird feeder. Problem is, when they push off to leave, they spill a ton of nectar. That's one of the main reasons I have to fill them so often. Not to mention when two get on opposite perches and start that "see saw" motion while drinking...
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/IMG_2870.jpg)
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Don't see these Mt. bluebirds too often, but they sure are beautiful...
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/053-1.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/055.jpg)
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Beautiful Bluebird, the last one I saw was in Indiana (a non-Mountain one)!
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You have to post a pic or it didn't happen ;-)
Ok, here you go....Mountain Chickadee on the hummingbird feeder
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/009.jpg)
(sorry for size, I tried for 45 minutes to download cropped photo from photobucket, but it kept using the original photo ???)
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I think this is a Scott's Oriole with a deformed beak?
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Calindy/IMG_3760.jpg)
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Calindy/IMG_3765.jpg)
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Calindy/IMG_3764.jpg)
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Red-tailed Hawk?
(http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-mNSnwZt/1/M/i-mNSnwZt-M.jpg)
(http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Zb5V54C/1/M/i-Zb5V54C-M.jpg)
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(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/be8dad1/P4201627.jpg)
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That last picture is really gorgeous!
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What is the name of the bird in the last photo?
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I am not sure what the name of the bird is in the last picture but, I am fairly confident that it is not a regular resident of Wrightwood since I have never seen it before and cannot locate it in any of my bird books. If you look at the photograph it apears to be some kind of Blue Jay or Scrub Jay roosting on a thorn branch. I don't think this is a north american species and is probraly a photograph someone took while on vacation in Austrailia or some other country. If someone wants to post photograps of exoctic species from other countries perhaps they start a new thread.
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This is a great picture of a beautiful bird! But, what kind of bird is this? And where was the picture taken?
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hi guys, I don't get on here very often...
My appologies, I clicked on that guy in error
(its a south african Lilac Breasted Roller),
I was trying to download a local humming bird I caught on the feeder just before sunrise with his wing expanded- (attached)
and some other locals...
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/be8dad1/Hum1b.jpg)
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/be8dad1/P8050108b.jpg)
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/be8dad1/P8050124b.jpg)
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/be8dad1/P8050059b.jpg)
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Wow be8dad, Thanks for the clarification about the bird, lots of people wanted to know what it was. The south african lilac brested roller is a wonderful bird and very beautiful, when I looked it up on the internet I was amazed at its wonderful colors. The pictures of the hummingbird, the acorn wood pecker, the northern flicker and the steller' jay found here in Wrightwood are much appreciated. Now that the end of summer is upon us we should start seeing some of the migratory birds showing up pretty soon. Once the Oregon Juncos show up I know that the fall season is soon to arrive.
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This past week I've found two dead birds on my stoop. The first bird was a tiny black, gray and white bird that was torn apart. In the morning it was gone except for one wing. Last night we heard a ruckus and saw a medium sized bird similar to the picture above the bluejay lying dead. What could be killing these birds? Owl?
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An owl would most likely eat the bird. Could be a house cat, they like to leave their prey by the door. My late Samantha would leave me dead lizards on the door step. A feral cat would probably eat it. We have so many critters out at night. Please let us know what you find.
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You have peaked my interest about the dead birds. I remember years ago when I worked the night shift there was a Shrike in our hanger. It would chase the song birds round and round the hanger, then it would strike the bird. Usually the bird was found beheaded. It was awful to watch and I would try to distract it. If I could I would open the hanger doors to let the birds out. So yes...it could be another bird.
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Do you have any windows above the area? During certain times of the year the angle of the sun on windows can trick birds into flying into them and dying of injuries from the impact. I have one set of windows that do this and believe it has to do with the reflection of the sun off of windows and after a few weeks will be gone. I have experienced this same situation at other locations as well and do think this could be your cause!.
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We do have a window where the birds were found. I don't know if that is it though because the first bird's head was missing and the wing was torn off and in the morning the body was gone. (Ew...sorry for the graphics.) Last night we had our metal screen open and heard what I thought was footsteps coming toward our door. It kind of freaked me out. Then there was some rustling and nothing/nobody was there. We have no bushes around our stoop, only a huge pine tree. My husband and I both heard it, looked out the window, saw nothing and figured it was an animal. When we left the house an hour later, there was the dead bird. I cannot say if it was there two hours earlier when we came home or not because our porch light was off when we got home so it was dark. We are only weekenders so I couldn't check to see if it was still there or not. Two birds in one week in virtually the same place made us wonder what was going on.
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Couldn't figure out if this should be posted in weather or birds.
Point & Shoot camera taken at a distance of about 6 inch from the hummer.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/HummerSnow3b.JPG)
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that picture of the hummer is breathtaking!
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It was a great experience ;)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/HummerSnow2.b.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/HummerSnow1b.JPG)
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What kind of point and shoot did that?
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Canon Power Shot A710 IS
7.1 Megapixels
6x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer (35-210mm equiv.)
Was not expensive and has been a great PS closeup camera
(5 yr old camera)
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Fantastic pics of that hummingbird! :2thumbsup: Were those taken through a window, for you to be that close to it?
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Love it, especially the 3rd shot. (My little Canon was great; I want to replace it with another one.)
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Yes, opened the window
Were those taken through a window, for you to be that close to it?
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woke up this AM a whole flock of Mountain Chickadee's are hanging out in the large wind sheltered side of my house :) I am out in the High Desert about 50 miles from Wrightwood or Big Bear Mtn. Sorry no photos to post. Winds have been fierce all Saturday, still blowing today, but not as strong. FYI for anybody who like bird info.
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Posting for a friend, she saw this bird near Grassy Hollow earlier this month and wondered if anyone knows what kind of bird it is. Turkey Vulture maybe? Thanks for any info.
(http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww334/Heidimom/march2012022.jpg)
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Turkey Vulture maybe?
Correct. I think it's migration time for them. I have a photo of a flock (obscure term for a flock of vultures?) of well over 100 of them (maybe it was 200+, can't recall) migrating over the Victor Valley. There's also a place in Socal where they gather in large numbers in some roadside trees.
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Thanks, Joe! I'll make sure that she sees this info.
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I have a photo of a flock (obscure term for a flock of vultures?) of well over 100 of them (maybe it was 200+, can't recall)
This made me curious, so I looked up names for groups of animals. One site I looked at uses the term "committee" for a group of vultures.
A little off the bird topic, but on the topic of names for groups of animals, one name for a group of baboons is a "congress"! That could explain a few things..... ;D
Back to birds, I just saw a pair of very healthy-looking robins in my back yard. Maybe spring really is finally here! 8)
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I guess I should correct myself. I should have mentioned the photo wasn't recent....but I didn't realize it's been 8 years. Also, it was taken in the fall, not the spring. Wrong all around :) . I'll print the first pic out and count them again. Finally, sorry....it's not excatly a photo from/in Wrightwood.
OK...I counted 380 in the first pic....give or take 5 because some were overlapping. They rode a thermal for a while to gain altitude in the first pic, then formed a line and continued south. The pictures could have been better but I forgot I had some funny settings from some pictures I took prior so they needed quite a bit of brightening.
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res7weom/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/vultures1.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res7weom/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/vultures2.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res7weom/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/vultures3.jpg)
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"There is room for one more...." these 3 female orioles seem to be saying.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/Untitled-2.jpg)
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I've noticed many babies at our feeders this summer, like this young flicker:
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/Untitled-5.jpg)
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The Clarks Nuthatch have been eating from the pine cones in the front and back yard all day today. This is the first time I have seen them in the village. I usually see them in the fall up aroung Grassy Hollow and East Blue Ridge.
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Here is a picture of one of the birds from yesterday.
(http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o505/rheinig/0fb1d51c.jpg)
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Please be advised that in my previous post I incorrectly identified the pine nut eating birds that have swarmed into the village as Clark's Nuthatch. According to the Sibley field guide to birds they are listed as Clark's Nutcracker. The Clark's Nutcracker have been present in pairs and small groups feeding all day long in the Jeffery Pines at my house and surrounding properties.
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Today I had an infusion of Chickadee's and Nuthatch's at my black oil sunflower bird feeder. They completely ate everything in just two hours I then refilled the bird feeder and they are eating like crazy. The feeder usually needs to be refilled only once a day and this is the first time I had to refill it twice in a day. Whats really unusual is the absence of other birds at the feeders like the finches, junco's, sparrows and wood peckers. I have only observed the chickadee's and nuthatch's today.
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No precipitation last year = no dried seeds this year?
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An interesting (and inexpensive) idea for a bird nest. I wonder if would attract any of our birds? I would try it here in Phelan but we have way too many cats around here.
https://www.facebook.com/WildforWildlifeandNature
(http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/536896_529764300377030_1891105725_n.jpg)
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For the last couple weeks I have been seeing 2 woodpeckers that I haven't seen before. I thought we had 4 kinds up here, the Acorn, Nuttalls, Whiteheaded, and the Flickers. I do see all those species, both male and female, often in my yard as I keep suet as well as seed in my back yard to attract them. These two new guys/gals are similar to the Nuttalls, but instead of the black and white stripes on their backs, they have black wings with a single white stripe down their backs, while they are perched on the feeders. One of them does seem to have a little striping on its rear part. The closest pictures I can find, in my Stokes Field Guide to Birds, would be the Hairy Woodpecker. And the habitat map matches where they could live. I've just never seen these beautiful birds before. Any suggestions? Joe Shmoe, you have ID'd critters for me before. Anyone? No I cannot get close enough to get a picture.
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I'm stumped ??? .
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Here's a picture I took of a strange bird at Jackson Lake. Anyone know what it is?
(http://www.freewebs.com/dodocentral/TV%20And%20Movie%20Dodos/EXTINCTdistressedDodo.JPG)
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It's an AP1FOOL, fly's down once a year
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For the last couple weeks I have been seeing 2 woodpeckers that I haven't seen before. I thought we had 4 kinds up here, the Acorn, Nuttalls, Whiteheaded, and the Flickers. I do see all those species, both male and female, often in my yard as I keep suet as well as seed in my back yard to attract them. These two new guys/gals are similar to the Nuttalls, but instead of the black and white stripes on their backs, they have black wings with a single white stripe down their backs, while they are perched on the feeders. One of them does seem to have a little striping on its rear part. The closest pictures I can find, in my Stokes Field Guide to Birds, would be the Hairy Woodpecker. And the habitat map matches where they could live. I've just never seen these beautiful birds before. Any suggestions? Joe Shmoe, you have ID'd critters for me before. Anyone? No I cannot get close enough to get a picture.
Did it look like this young female hairy woodpecker? (click to enlarge) you can tell she is young by the length (or lack thereof) the tail.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/th_017.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/017.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/th_021-3.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/021-3.jpg.html)
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Makgirl, to quote Charlie Brown, as he shouts as Linus goes rolling heels over head backwards while desperately trying to hang on to his beloved blanket, THAT'S IT!! :2thumbsup:
(Sorry for the goofy analogy, "Peanuts" has been my fave comic strip for about 900 years.) :)
Did you take these pics in your yard, or are they from the internet? The bird in the first pic appears to be perched on a pine tree. My tree on the patio is a very messy Silver Maple, but an incredibly beautiful shade tree in summer. Right now I just have to sweep up all the little flower thingies off the deck and patio..... :P
Your house is only a few blocks from where I live, so if you took these pics it could very well be the same birds. Thanks!
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Yes, these are from our deck taken today through the window. She jumped from the tree to the bath. Lots of youngins this year- my faves are these two I posted before under pet or wildlife photos:
They look like two brothers that were always together when they came into our yard.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/th_016-1_zps861bad22.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/016-1_zps861bad22.jpg.html) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/th_010-1_zps87d61c07.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/010-1_zps87d61c07.jpg.html)
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Bullock's Oriole in my yard today.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mjs1u-AIAog/UVxx-qRu2XI/AAAAAAABKdw/5b609eC_OZE/s1600/6-P2160311.JPG)
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I have had some Orioles in my yard also trying to sip from the hummingbird feeder. Fantastic pic by the way of the oriole!!! I put up an oriole feeder in the hopes they would revisit. No luck so far. I am hopeful they return to drink and eat.
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Great picture sandyz? What camera did you use?
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Hi FireFly - they initially came to the suet - but today we went to Mt. Hardware and got a feeder and the "nectar" you mix and put in it. I waited and waited and finally saw one - but by the time I got my camera it flew over to the neighbor's yard.
i was so excited to see it - i took about 10 photos and about 5 came out real good.
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Great picture sandyz? What camera did you use?
Hi Nanette.
I used a Panasonic Lumix - can't remember the exact model - I have three cameras but my old standby is the LUmix - it always does good on close ups. problem is I have a huge scratch on the lens so i always have to crop it out. I also have a Fuji and a Kodak (inexpensive)...but the LUmix is the one i take bird pics with. it's about 3 years old and i'll be glad to post more about it later if you want me to.
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I have mountain chickadees building a nest in a birdhouse outside my livingroom window ( my indoor cats enjoy the action). Would it be simple and possible to put in a chickadee cam? Any suggestions?
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Hi FireFly - they initially came to the suet - but today we went to Mt. Hardware and got a feeder and the "nectar" you mix and put in it. I waited and waited and finally saw one - but by the time I got my camera it flew over to the neighbor's yard.
I pull the little bee guards from the hummingbird feeder, otherwise the Orioles (that have their own feeders....) will drain them trying to get something out by sitting on the perch and tilting the feeder. And the mix I use for the Orioles and Hummingbirds (1 part sugar to 6 parts water for Orioles) is the same. I tried using two different mixes, but they both eat out of eachother's feeders, so I opted for the Oriole receipe since the hummingbird mix ratio is lower than the orioles.
Here is some info I pulled off the web:
Hummingbird nectar recipe
The proper nectar mixture for hummingbirds is 1 (one) part white table sugar to 4 (four) parts water.
Pour 4 cups of water into a pan and add 1 cup of white table sugar. Stir the two ingredients and bring to a boil. (Boiling helps slow fermentation). Once the liquid starts to boil, take the mixture off the heat. If you leave it too long, you could boil the water out of the mixture. Allow the sugar solution to cool before filling your hummingbird feeder. Extra nectar should be stored in your refrigerator.
Do not use a sweeter mixture - this will cause harm to the birds.
Do not substitute honey for sugar.
Do not add any dye or coloring to the mixture, it is not necessary.
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Oriole nectar recipe
The proper nectar mixture for orioles is 1 (one) part white table sugar to 6 (six) parts water.
The basic recipe is six parts water to one part sugar. You may find that the sugar crystals dissolve best in hot water. Remember to allow the water to cool sufficiently before hanging the feeder back in its position outside. Any left over sugar-water can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Nectar should be replaced a minimum of once a week and more often in the summer. If possible, its best to locate the feeder in the shade. Always clean your oriole feeder with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly each time you replace the nectar.
Do not use a sweeter mixture - this will cause harm to the birds.
Do not substitute honey for sugar.
Do not add any dye or coloring to the mixture, it is not necessary.
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Looks like the jay came back this year to the man made nest....better late than never! Only one confirmed in the nest this year.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/032.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/032.jpg.html)
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Absolutely perfect picture... one little head out of the nest. And, you have the Jays with the crests. Here in PH.. I have the Jays with no crests. Love this picture. Cheryl o7o
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And, you have the Jays with the crests. Here in PH.. I have the Jays with no crests. Love this picture. Cheryl o7o
The "Blue Jay" doesn't live west of the great plains. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/id
We have...
the Steller's Jay:
(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/stellers_jay_1.jpg)
and the Scrub Jay:
(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/western_scrub_jay_1.jpg)
But we all call all of them Blue Jays...that's good enough for me too.
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Great picture, makgirl! I love seeing baby birds like this. I remember one year, probably 20 years ago, before we had the soffit built to enclose the exposed eaves or whatever you would call it, in the large overhang on our front porch. A pair of Steller's jays built a nest near the front door, and eventually 4 babies hatched! It was so fun to watch from the front window, as their little heads poked up for food when Mom or Dad would come to the nest. They got bolder and more visible as they grew, then one day they were gone. Keep us posted on the progress of your little one.
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JUST CONFIRMED: 4 STELLAR'S JAY BABIES IN THE NEST!!!! (and boy howdy, they are HUNGRY!)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/051.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/051.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/047.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/047.jpg.html)
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This little gal (?) was sitting on our deck rail this morning,...I am guessing a young female mt. bluebird, but without any markings, it's hard to tell. Maybe just a baby finch.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/235e3914-bcd0-43a8-93e0-f34215f8afc7.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/235e3914-bcd0-43a8-93e0-f34215f8afc7.jpg.html)
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And now there are THREE in the nest....one got booted out or fell out and was on the ground this morning. So sad..... :'(
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/002-1.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/002-1.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/001.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/001.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/011.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/011.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/013-1.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/013-1.jpg.html)
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A GREAT BIG thank you to Forestlover- she generously offered to rehab our little friend above and just picked him/her up! She promises to keep us posted on the bird's progress!
:wave:
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Fantastic!
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That's great, Makgirl!! The poor little thing looked kind of bewildered. Now you won't have to worry about it being bait, and it looks old enough to be rehabbed. Thanks for sharing this.
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Forestlover is still trying to keep #4 above alive, he is having trouble swallowing. If he makes it, he will be the only one from the 4 that we can verify that did. Two were out of the nest yesterday, and were put back, but later in the evening, all three were out and on their way through the neighbor's backyard before I could catch them. Forestlover says they are at least 2 weeks from being ready to fly, so I don't think their ending is a happy one. She suggests we take down the nest so we don't go through this heartache next year, but I am ambivalent about that idea. Four were definately too many for the nest, but last year's two were just fine. Anyone else have any ideas???
I will miss my little friends.... :'(
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I just checked at couple sources. The baby jays are only supposed to be in the nest 16-20 days. Looks like from your postings that they are in that window. Lots of baby birds leave the nest before they can fly well. If people don't try to save them, the parents will try to continue to feed the babies out of the nest. This is the best for the birds. The parents still have much to teach their children about surviving. If you take them from their parents, they will have a much harder time surviving later.
From another discussion about cats: The best thing you can do to help the fledging baby birds is to keep cats from eating them!!!!! Please talk to your neighbors about the fledglings and keep the cats indoors or in a secure outdoor area.
The baby robin in my yard is doing great, growing in adult colored feathers. Frequently seen getting water from the bird bath. It was not good at flying when I first saw it. It just hid in the shrubs. Now it flies well. In my immediate neighborhood, everyone who has house cats keeps them in the house.
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Just heard from Forestlover....our 1st little guy that was out of the nest finally accepted her and is eating! She said he/she is perching and is going to make it.
Yipee!!!!! GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!THANKS SO MUCH, FORESTLOVER (DIANE)!
:ballons:
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YYYYIIIIPPPPEEEEEE!!!!! That is great news about the little guy - he looked so lost! I counted two of the other three about mid-day today, and will keep my cat indoors until I no longer see them around (or will do my best to try). I saw one of the babies fly up to the top of the 5 foot fence today, so they may be learning quickly. They were sure determined NOT to stay in that nest. Good job makgirl, and RennMan
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I was wondering if anyone can identify this bird. He was hounding around the wood pile and rocky areas looking for bugs, was quite docile walking all around me and made no effort to fly away. Thanks for looking :)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q77/Lauriebeast/Misc/008_zps17da5b89.jpg) (http://s133.photobucket.com/user/Lauriebeast/media/Misc/008_zps17da5b89.jpg.html)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q77/Lauriebeast/Misc/006_zps37399ee0.jpg) (http://s133.photobucket.com/user/Lauriebeast/media/Misc/006_zps37399ee0.jpg.html)
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That is a juvenile Red-Shafted Flicker. The largest species of woodpecker in this area. They have beautiful salmon color under their wings as well as the moustache and tail linings. So happy to see your pics!!!
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Konaluvr, I'm no expert but it looks to me like a young male red-shafted flicker. I get a lot of them coming to my back yard suet feeders. They are really beautiful birds. Great photos, BTW!
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Went to confirm my guess but it seems everyone has already responded. But I did learn something interesting. There are three color variations of the of the species "Northern Flicker". The Gilded, Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted variations - all the same species. Red-shafted in the western US. Gilded in the southern half of AZ only and Yellow-shafted in the east.
The ice ages separated the ancestral flickers , keeping them scattered in several refugia for thousands of years. Today those barriers are gone. The "Gilded" has adapted to the sonoran desert, whereas the two northern populations inhabit the same type of woodland habitat., with only the treeless Great Plains keeping them somewhat apart. All three forms interbreed where their ranges come together leading to confusing intermediaries.
Your bird's left wing looks injured.
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Mature Northern Flicker
Mom
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/FemaleNorthernFlicker1.JPG)
Dad
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/MaleNorthernFlicker4.JPG)
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Thanks for all the responses you guys, much appreciated :)
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Thanks again Wrightwood - the Mature Northern Flicker (Mom and Dad) are so beautiful - what amazing photos!
And on another subject, thanks so much Forestlover for nursing the baby back to health! I hope the baby gets past the crucial stage and is ultimately able to fly with his sibings! :)
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awkward moment at the birdbath....
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/041-2.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/041-2.jpg.html)
and here is the best pic I could get of a (young ?) Cooper's hawk in our yard.....
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/makgirl/023.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/makgirl/media/023.jpg.html)
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Those look great!
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We had a sighting of this bird in the past few days. There were two, a pair... 1 female and 1 male...both sitting on our deck railing, eating.
It is a larger, yellow-beaked pigeon. It is called The Band-Tailed Pigeon. We have always seen those common, smaller pigeons...mostly by the Catholic Church, but never this type.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h44/myspacethirdbase/3538214437_2663c4e8f01.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/myspacethirdbase/media/3538214437_2663c4e8f01.jpg.html)
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While waiting for the helicopter rescue took a few shots of mom & dad Mountain Bluebirds on their way to the nest.
Been fun watching this family develop on livecam.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/MD_2017.7.4.MTBlue.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/birds/2017.7.4.MTBlue.2.JPG)
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Nice.
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Do we have warblers here, specifically Wilson's or Yellow warblers? If do I have a few (I think Wilson's) in my yard feasting in my pine trees.
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Audubon's Warbler is common. Small gray bird with splashes of yellow in a few places. If it's a mostly yellow bird it might be a goldfinch.
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Most definitely not a goldfinch (the little guys I saw were much smaller). Not an Audobon's warbler either. This fella was almost all yellow, smaller than a sparrow. I feel he was a Wilson's warbler. Wish i had my phone to take a picture. This little fella was all over the place (as were his buddies).
Anywho, I thought they were beautiful and fun to watch