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Post by James on Feb 16, 2018 18:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by Mumsey on Feb 20, 2018 4:31:36 GMT -5
It was foggy toward evening last night. I was outside and heard familiar birds sounds, very loud! Looked up in the tallest tree, it was full of blackbirds. Doing what they do before taking off as a big flock. Seemed odd this time of year.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 1, 2018 15:19:07 GMT -5
Spring is one day closer...huge numbers of red winged blackbirds arrived today...along with their music.
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Post by tom π on Mar 1, 2018 15:33:12 GMT -5
An eastern towhee was flinging mulch about at the front of the house.
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Post by James on Mar 2, 2018 10:28:17 GMT -5
binnylou, Yep, the Red-wings showed up here too. What a chorus.
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Post by James on Mar 5, 2018 11:14:11 GMT -5
I have about 60 RW-Blackbirds hitting the bird feeder plus a few Eu Doves and some Juncos. I usually put a handful of dried cat food on the feeder too for the Magpies. My lot is still snow covered. The Magpie nests.
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Post by wheelgarden1 on Mar 5, 2018 17:07:13 GMT -5
Lots of busy, singing birds around. Several small crested birds were flying about the branches today, and it was hard to identify them against a grey sky...until finally a couple wandered low enough. Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?).
While watching, I remembered another tufted bird in my garden a couple of years ago. An Eastern Cardinal was uncharacteristically in the wide open garden. He spent five minutes trying to dislodge a hornworm from a tomato plant. The worm had a death-grip (as hornworms do), but the Redbird wouldn't quit. He was repeatedly actually hovering with the stubborn worm in his beak. He finally cut it in half and flew away. The other half of the worm was still clinging to the stem. I've never seen a Cardinal do that.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 8, 2018 5:21:31 GMT -5
A few robins have arrived. Was at Dad's yesterday, got these pics on his property. Couldn't get close enough to the bald eagle, cropping the pic didn't do it any justice! Anyway, it took off soaring over the quarry chasing pesky crows. I then spied the pair of geese, not Canadian geese and too large for ducks, maybe Blue Geese (akin to Snow Geese?). I have heard there are some passing through the area, not a usual occurrence here. Itchin' to be fishin'!
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 8, 2018 9:36:15 GMT -5
I was checking out the hummingbird map and they have started arriving along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas...Waiting for them to get up my way. I put a pole out at the end of last season to hang feeders up on their way south so hopefully they will remember this spot. I can watch the feeder from my comfy chair!
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Post by James on Mar 8, 2018 11:11:10 GMT -5
Mumsey, thanks for sharing the pictures. Ya, its pretty hard to get the birds to pose for you. Just point and shoot. At least you recorded the event. Here today 22 degrees, clear. I decided to bake some bread. So I have dough rising as I write this. Guess I will go take some seed out to the bird feeder. Have a great day!
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Post by James on Mar 9, 2018 13:17:20 GMT -5
Today coming to the bird feeder: E Sparrow, Junco, House Finch, RW Blackbird, Eu Dove, Magpie, Starling. There is still 8 inches of snow on my lot.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 16, 2018 6:26:30 GMT -5
Dad has been having lots of these little guys passing by, I'm thinking it's a Blackpoll Warbler. This would be their Spring migration toward Canada. What do you think? They are little birds and very quick. Dad puts nuts on the deck, very hard to get a pic but I did get this one. Kinda fuzzy due to cropping though.
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Post by James on Mar 16, 2018 15:19:09 GMT -5
Sure looks like a Chickadee.
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 17, 2018 3:47:21 GMT -5
James, I'll bet you are right. The only chickadee in Iowa is the black-capped chickadee. He does look a lot like the warbler pic Dad and I found. Thanks!
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 17, 2018 6:06:05 GMT -5
I agree, a chick-a-dee
With all the snow the only ones I see come around are Crows and Juncos
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