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Post by James on Oct 11, 2016 18:41:21 GMT -5
I have a bird feeder and put some seed out year round. House Finches, Magpies, English Sparrows, and Starlings are year round birds. others come and go, but today not a single bird in sight all day long. Not one anywhere. This is weird. I have never seen the like. Where are the birds?
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Post by davidjp on Oct 11, 2016 20:23:44 GMT -5
That is weird, all those birds you mention should be fairly resident year round. Perhaps someone else or another local food source is drawing them away. Any fields with grain crops just harvested nearby. I notice around here a lot of birds have migrated. We're down to just 3-4 hummingbirds which will probably stay over winter, compared to the 30+ we have in mid summer. Good time to check out local spots for migrating birds, went to a local hunting reserve with ponds and lots of harriers and kites which I don't normally see there in summer.
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Post by James on Nov 1, 2016 11:48:53 GMT -5
Update: I am getting a few birds now. Magpies are regulars. There are about a dozen House Sparrows and one house Finch Weird on the Finches as most seasons there will be a big flock of them around 15/20. Something has happened to the Finches. There was a few robins around last week, but since the storm came in they are MIA. Robins don't come to the bird feeder, but like my trees. No Juncos. This seems odd as usually there are juncos this time of year. Maybe it will take a snow storm to bring them?
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Post by binnylou on Nov 1, 2016 16:57:40 GMT -5
Our bird population is down also. We feed during the winter but not during warmer months. Cardinals, woodpeckers, sparrows, goldfinches...all missing. We are getting blue jays on the yard, and this morning I heard a nuthatch. I spend a fair amount of time outside and recognize most of the bird calls. There is no bird music.
We have an owl that rests in our windbreak. Do they take smaller birds like an eagle does? I also hear a hawk screeching when I'm outside.
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Post by Mumsey on Nov 1, 2016 17:58:34 GMT -5
Birds are plentiful at the quarry. Owls, herons and geese. Saw the geese today, what a sight when the whole flock takes off and then lands on the water again.
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Post by brownrexx on Nov 1, 2016 18:48:50 GMT -5
Do they take smaller birds like an eagle does? Owls mainly eat rodents and lizards. I don't think that they ever eat birds.
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Post by James on Nov 14, 2016 12:49:30 GMT -5
Owls eat rodents, insects, worms, spiders, frogs, lizards, and small birds.
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Post by brownrexx on Nov 15, 2016 20:30:33 GMT -5
Owls are nocturnal so they may eat some birds but probably not too many since they roost at night.
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Post by Mumsey on Dec 4, 2016 17:55:11 GMT -5
Saw plenty of geese this weekend on small bodies of water. Guess they don't think it's winter. And what about those flocks of white birds, have never seen them here before. They look like the ones you see around large bodies of water. I was thinking pigeons, but a whole flock of white ones?
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Post by davidjp on Dec 4, 2016 20:56:20 GMT -5
Owls are nocturnal so they may eat some birds but probably not too many since they roost at night. I heard around here that great horned owls of which we have a few regulars in our palm trees at night prey on skunks. As they don't have a sense of smell they are one of their main items of prey.
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Post by James on Dec 5, 2016 1:55:47 GMT -5
I reckon that owls are opportunistic feeders. IOW they will prey on whatever comes up. Assuming they can kill it.
Mumsey, you best get a better look at those white birds, and grab a picture if you can.
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Post by Mumsey on Dec 5, 2016 4:33:26 GMT -5
James That will be difficult, I never see them except in flight.
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Post by davidjp on Dec 5, 2016 10:46:01 GMT -5
I was thinking pigeons, but a whole flock of white ones? I immediately thought snow geese, large flocks of white birds around water in wintertime. Quite common around here during winter. But I guess they probably aren't, sounds like they are smaller, although snow geese are quite small for a goose. Are they just winter visitors
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Post by Mumsey on Dec 5, 2016 11:44:05 GMT -5
Yes, they are smaller, and not a long neck. I first noticed them in early Fall. Will keep watching and see if spot them again.
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Post by davidjp on Dec 5, 2016 13:32:47 GMT -5
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