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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jan 13, 2021 16:58:14 GMT -5
I am doing pretty good this year making sure seed is out evryday. As a result I have seen Cardinals, bluejays, titmouse, woodpeckers a few times, juncos and starlings but not too many and not too often. I think Jesse watches out for them and makes sure they go to another yard.
Last week I saw a Pileated woodpecker but it must have been passing through as I have not seen it since. I was excited as it was the first time in my yard that I know of.
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Post by armjr on Jan 13, 2021 20:22:00 GMT -5
I don't have a decent camera to take bird pictures so I will have to paint (maybe finger paint) one with words...
We have several Cherry Laurel trees in the yard and they are currently ripening billions of small black cherries which up to now have only been good for creating huge blackish purple stains on whatever is under the tree. Yesterday there must have been at leas 100+ robins mauling the tree for the berries. I had fun watching them for about 30 min with binoculars.
Also yesterday on the other side of the house a bunch of Eastern Bluebirds (which I have never seen in 65 years in South Texas) were having a time with something down in the Asiatic Jasmine and the hanging bird feeder.
One big Pileated Woodpecker has been working the yard as well.
Alan
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Post by binnylou on Jan 13, 2021 20:43:06 GMT -5
One big Pileated Woodpecker has been working the yard as well. These birds are so impressive...I remember the first time I saw one. I am thankful they are not in our area. We have a combination of cedar lap siding and cedar shingles. Woodpeckers see our house as one big tree.
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Post by armjr on Jan 14, 2021 19:26:46 GMT -5
binnylou, Yep, one of those birds would have you back and forth to the door. We always know they are around even when we don't see them. I don't know how God made their heads but they must have concussion proof brains. It must be incredible punishment. I can't make that much noise with a hammer! Male Cardinals are beautiful, but they must be the stupidest birds around. Time after time over my life they fight windows and mirrors to the death! Yesterday I kept hearing something hit the sliding glass door to my office. I'd check and there was nothing... Today #1 wife says, "What's all this all over the porch?" I look and it's probably 100 Cherry Laurel cherries and lots of bird poop... Later, he shows up, flies straight into the door and fights himself, poops in the process and drops the cherry out of his mouth. There's another 20-30 cherries out on the porch now. He must do it all day long. It's his job..... Alan
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Post by tom π on Jan 14, 2021 19:58:36 GMT -5
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Post by gardendmpls on Jan 14, 2021 20:09:23 GMT -5
don't know how God made their heads but they must have concussion proof brains. God made them with a spongy type of skull bone that absorbs shock. Their tongue's base wraps partway around the skull and when they hammer, the bones at the base of the tongue retract, stabilizing the skull and also absorbing some of the shock. Amazing, isn't it.
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Post by armjr on Jan 14, 2021 21:29:08 GMT -5
tom π, The only birds I've ever seen do this is male Cardinals and Mocking Birds. First time was 45 some odd years ago. Every morning at breakfast #1 wife and I would watch one attack the rear view mirror on her Corona. (Back then a Corona was a car built by Toyota!) He'd fight and fight and fight until she drove away to go to school. Next day, the fight was on again. I think he must have called it a draw because the cardinal in the mirror would come back strong every day too...... A mocking bird would come to my office window every day for about a month and fight the glass. If I opened the window he'd get even more PO'd because his arch nemesis would disappear. There was one at my dad's place (Cardinal) that wouldn't even stop when I'd go out to run him off. On a different vein, I used to hitch up my little wagon to the mower and go around our block picking up trash with my grabber of course. I wear a big boonie hat most days. I'm driving along grabbing trash and something starts beating the heck out of my hat with my head still in it! I get turned around and there is a big ole Mocking Bird hovering right there! I hollered at him/it and it flew up in a tree and kept a close eye on me until I was around the corner. I was watching him too! Alan
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Post by tom π on Jan 14, 2021 21:45:03 GMT -5
#1 wife and I would watch one attack the rear view mirror on her Corona. I've had a cardinal attack the side mirrors on mine, and prevented it by tying on plastic bag covers. ahntjudy made covers for her car.
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Post by armjr on Jan 14, 2021 23:06:45 GMT -5
That's a good idea. If he starts on the mirrors I'll give it a try.
Alan
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Post by tom π on Jan 15, 2021 7:55:16 GMT -5
If he starts on the mirrors At a neighbors house, I tried putting mirrors outside to distract the bird from the house. I couldn't get it to work. The bird continued to attack the house windows.
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Post by ahntjudy on Jan 15, 2021 22:30:00 GMT -5
Heard some loud screeching while I was working outside today... Looked up and saw this couple hanging out on the tall tension line at the train tracks down the street... Eagles were there for quite some time... It's photo opportunities like that that I wish I had my old telephoto lens camera handy... When I saw these eagles, I thought of you, James , and this thread...
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Post by armjr on Jan 16, 2021 11:32:57 GMT -5
Thanks to #1 wife's diligence in covering them at any slight chance of frost, her salvia has continued to bloom through the winter. We've had a little hummingbird working them for the last month. This morning he/she brought a friend. I don't know where they roost but they must have found a warm spot.
Alan
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Post by James on Jan 16, 2021 12:01:20 GMT -5
I have these big South facing windows. Every now and then I will hear a thump. Some bird has tried to fly through the window They reflect and to the birds looks like they can fly through there. Well if they live through it, they won't do it again. They can learn to avoid that.
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Post by James on Jan 16, 2021 14:00:43 GMT -5
Today's birds: Magpie, Junco, Starling, HOSP, Eu Dove
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Post by Latitude33 on Jan 21, 2021 22:13:07 GMT -5
Today I noted Mourning Dove, Allan's Hummingbird, Red Tailed Hawk, feral Red Crowned Mexican Parrots, and Mockingbirds.
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