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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 18, 2021 16:14:41 GMT -5
But it was more interested in lunch, than water... Perhaps that dove-like bird on the ice?
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 18, 2021 16:26:46 GMT -5
The Blue Spruce is full of Cardinals and Blue Jays, waiting their turn. There was a group of disgruntled doves hunkered down in a tree during the heavy snow, so of course I had to go out and refill the feeder. Juncos, doves, sparrows, finches and others were at the feeder when I made another trip to bring the chickens water and they barely moved over as I came through. Too busy fueling up. Found the trick with the chickens is to pour the hot water we keep going in the urn into a bucket and then carry it to the coop, pour it in the waterer and then add a few buckets of snow. Lot easier than schlepping a whole bucket full of water all the way back and the snow and boiling water mix comes out a nice temperature for the chickens. Wonder what the wild birds drink. Will look it up. If they eat the snow, they would have to use their metabolic energy to warm it up. Maybe I should put out suet for them.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 18, 2021 16:40:29 GMT -5
Wonder what the wild birds drink. Well, according to my research they get water from their food or if they need more they will eat snow, which does use a lot of energy. Some people have heated birdbaths , but one Audubon member had cardinals decide to splash around in the warm bath. They then sat to preen and ice formed on their feathers preventing them from flying. She had to bring them in until the ice melted off their feathers before releasing them. She and others recommend covering the water with boards or some other sort of top, leaving an opening large enough for drinking, but not for bathing or splashing.
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Post by pondgardener on Feb 18, 2021 17:09:17 GMT -5
gardendmpls, yes, we have group of 30 or more white-winged doves that get water from the pond besides the sparrows. I found the remnants of one of them on the side of the patio, but there wasn't enough left to make a positive ID...
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Post by Mumsey on Feb 18, 2021 17:45:57 GMT -5
Been putting out a fruit/nut mix for the birds. Saw a pair of doves visit today. A hairy woodpecker just showed up. The downey woodpecker is a frequent visitor also. That squirrel is sure getting fat! I think the rabbits come early in the morning and clean up the mess on the ground, or rather on top of the 4 foot pile of snow.
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Post by James on Feb 19, 2021 11:39:02 GMT -5
When just a youth my neighbor was raising turkeys. Well about June 1 after first crop hay, the turkeys were put out in the hay fields. They had portable roosting wagons to roost in. Well dogs and even some people thought the turkeys were for them. So they had to have a night guard. Well my neighbor hired me to be the night guard, so every night at sunset I went to the turkey camp. My main tool was a shotgun. I confess I shot a few dogs. Never shot a person, but did stick that shotgun barrel in one mans fat gut and say "Run or die, your choice!" He ran.
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Post by pondgardener on Feb 20, 2021 12:43:41 GMT -5
I managed to get a cell phone picture of our local sharp-shinned hawk, who paid a visit to the pond today, as things are starting to warm up. Made it to over freezing yesterday for the first time in about 11 days with an expected high close to 60˚F by Tuesday afternoon. What a swing from -20˚F on Monday!
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 21, 2021 17:16:38 GMT -5
Crows...they're a bit more numerous than they've been for a while, don't seem to mind my presence at all, nor I theirs. I know that they can be a garden pest, but they are beautiful, remarkable "boids".* Several years ago there was one who would fly near, then light on the ground and follow close by me as I went out to the barn, very interested in what I was doing. A old gentleman down the road could call them, and they'd come and light on his hand. *Needless to say, I don't grow corn.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 21, 2021 18:28:11 GMT -5
Wheelgarden, my mother had two pet crows. Jimmy and Gertie. During summertime, they stayed in the wisteria vine that covered our bedroom windows. One said “oh, boy” all the time. The other said “Kevin”. Kevin was a grandson who lived across the street. That crow sounded just like my mother when she’d call for Kevin, using her big outside voice. Grandson made a lot of trips across the street to see what grandma wanted. apologies, I’m sure I’ve shared this story before.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 21, 2021 19:57:46 GMT -5
No apologies needed, binnylou , I love it. I could've mentioned the talk and squawk my companion shared with me. Crows are amazing.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 21, 2021 20:57:26 GMT -5
When I first took over the animal lab in school, we had a rescued crow called Cory. He could do a good imitation of the Rottweilers he was raised with. When he was let out for exercise, he would hide behind some aquarium tank racks, sneak up behind a student and then jump out to scare them. He thought that was pretty funny (and so did I). Really miss him. He lived a few weeks short of the maximum lifespan for crows in captivity (over 20 years). One of the few animals I took home to bury under my school namesake Abraham Lincoln rosebush.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 8, 2021 11:23:38 GMT -5
The bluebirds will be here soon if not already here. Their house needs some spring renovation...mainly to protect the opening from woodpecker damage. I found a “thingy” that is a copper plate on a piece of cedar wood. The opening in the plate is sized for bluebirds. That will get attached to the front of the birdhouse and should cause disinterest among the peckers.
I need suggestions to keep any snakes from raiding the nest.
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Post by James on Mar 8, 2021 11:43:17 GMT -5
"I need suggestions to keep any snakes from raiding the nest."
Here I put 3/4 inch steel pipe (about 8 feet long) in the ground, cement in, The bird houses are on top on the pipe. Have never had a snake climb the pipe. Nor do cats and skunks climb it.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 24, 2021 18:48:17 GMT -5
Most recent arrivals are phoebes and fly catchers.
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Post by ahntjudy on Mar 30, 2021 14:17:06 GMT -5
Last year, mourning doves built a nest outside atop my downstairs, high in the dining room wall, air conditioner, which has perfect protection under the eave... In fact, It was nested in twice last year...
I heard the familiar, loud cooing again through the wall a couple days ago...went out to look and surely enough, Ma or Pa was on a nest up there...
I must be listed in 'Avian Times - B&B'.....'Birdhouses and Board'... Plus there's all you can eat out there...that should get me a couple stars...
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