BIRDS

[aigheadish]

This guy was yapping it up and hitting up the salt block log. First periolated (I know I spelled that wrong!) woodpecker of the year. Bad photo due to it being a few hundred feet away.



 

[KEC]

Pileated Woodpecker.

[SwampDonkey]

I thought it was pretty cool one early morning seeing a pair of barred owls flit in the fir trees while going to the woods to work. I'll probably never see that again.

[KEC]

Yesterday, my wife an I went over to the Erie Canal by Rome, NY and saw 5 Anhingas. They have been showing up here in the North in the past few years. SD, learn to use your voice to immitate Barred Owl  when you're out and about and every now and then you might be amazed  when you get a response. July is a good time, or any time,even during the day. Sometimes they wil come in and engage you in a hooting contest. Way cool.

[WhitePineJunky]

Yesterday, my wife an I went over to the Erie Canal by Rome, NY and saw 5 Anhingas. They have been showing up here in the North in the past few years. SD, learn to use your voice to immitate Barred Owl  when you're out and about and every now and then you might be amazed  when you get a response. July is a good time, or any time,even during the day. Sometimes they wil come in and engage you in a hooting contest. Way cool.

"Hoo Ho hooo, hoo hoo Ho hoooooo"
I've heard a couple people say sound like they're saying "who will, who will, feed you all" lol not sure if that's common but I guess you can hear it. Kind of like chickadees and "cheeseburger" lol

[SwampDonkey]

That was a good laugh in 'My Cousin Vinny' screech owl scene. :D

[Mooseherder]

We had a Anhinga here today trying to dry off and doing a dance I think trying to swallow a fish.  They have several names here.  Snake bird, water Turkey and Swamp Turkey.  I seen them spread their wings to dry a hundred times but never saw the dance like today.  It did that for 5 minutes but this video is about a minute.  It didn't care I was across the pond.

Anhinga 3

[Mooseherder]

The Screech Owl returned and the other yard birds are not happy about it.



 

[SwampDonkey]

Looks like our cormorants. They dry off like that sitting on river rock.

[WhitePineJunky]

Hermit thrushes are singing in early morning and late evening again. One of the best bird songs. You're out in the woods with the sun setting, sun trickling down through the canopy, it's mostly quiet, but you can hear birds chirping in the distance and then the hermit thrush comes out with its beautiful song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mATRdzZSc&pp=ygUSSGVybWl0IHRocnVzaCBzb25n

[WV Sawmiller]

MH,

   I never saw an Anhinga drying its wings on the ground before. They were always on a snag in the river/lake or up in a bush.

SD,

    I can never remember the difference between Anhingas and Cormorants and always have to look them up. Anhingas are the ones with the straight beaks while Cormorants have the curved beaks.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I saw my mama Carolina wren fly out of the aquarium on my front porch this morning when I went out to let Sampson in so I decided to get some pictures.






 

 
The nest is in an old coffee creamer can laying on its side. As shown in the first picture. I tried to get a picture of the chicks in the third picture but that moves the chicks around. I saw at least 2 featherless chicks but there may be more. The second picture shows 3 eggs that evidently failed to hatch and the mother or siblings pushed them out of the nest.

 

 
We have been watching the Eastern bluebirds using the box in the front yard (about 35 yards from Becky's easy chair so she watches them all day). I went out and took the cap off. I was talking as I got closer and the hen left when I was about 10' way and lit in a locust tree overhead then the rooster lit on the crooked limb in the picture above. The box is too tall for me to see in so I stuck my camera up there and took a couple of pictures.


 
I could not get an accurate count from this picture but there are at least 3 featherless chicks in the box and probably more. They usually raise 4-5 at a time. I put the cap back on the box and left the birds to resume their activities.

 We were talking this morning about how these birds find this box. I don't know if this is the same pair that nested there last year or the babies who were raised there. I can't remember if this is the 3rd or it is the 4th year they have nested here. They have raised as many as 3 clutches per year here.

 My boxes are not works of art but they work very well and must mimic a natural woodpecker hole in the right location. One customer bought 4 boxes and put them out at his home and when I saw him 1-2 weeks later he said 3 of the 4 were occupied the first week he put them out. Obviously he put them in the right locations and properly spaced.

 I love my bluebirds.

[Mooseherder]

An Alligator eyeing Sandhill Cranes and Ibis.

[Otis1]

WV Sawmiller can you post some more pics of your bluebird houses please and how big are they? What is the prime location?

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 
This is a picture of the box with the cap off. As you can see I use cut off pieces of stickers to hold the top on.


Here is a side view. As you can see the back extends below the bottom of the box and I drill 2 holes and nail or screw the box to a convenient fence post or such. Use 2 fasteners or the whole box can spin on its axle.


 
Here is the front view with a 1.5" diameter opening that is drilled about 3" down from the top on the front. Not seen but on the back side/inside below the opening hole I make a little ladder with my table saw, circle saw or RAS. I just make a series of 4-5 shallow parallel cuts about 1/2" apart to help the young chick climb out when they "graduate" from the nest.

This is an excellent use for your rough, scrap lumber. I use 1X6 boards for the box itself. The front is 10" long. The two sides are 12" at the back and angled to 10" at the front. The back is any 1X6 over about 14" long or longer because I don't care how far below the box it extends to mount on the post.

I stand the front and back boards up parallel to each other and nail/screw the side boards to them. This leaves a rectangular nest cavity about 4" X 6" wide/deep. I cut the top board at about a 45 degree front facing angle so the cap slips down over it. As mentioned I had pre-drilled the entrance hole with a spade bit or my 1.5" auger that I use on my benches in the center and about 3" below the top of the front board.

I measure and cut a roughly 4X6 bottom on my table saw from scrap boards. I cut the corners off about 3/4" to leave more ventilation. I place the bottom flush with the box and nail or screw a couple of fasteners in. I don't care if it is a little loose as more ventilation is far better than holding moisture and growing mold.

The top is a square 1X12 or whatever thickness is available. Turn the grain to the front/back to help shed the rain water better. Lay the top down and place the box on it upside down. Center the box on the top (Eyeball measuring is fine) and mark with a pencil or just screw 4- 4"-6" 1X1 sticker cut-offs  along side the top of the box. I screw the 2 sides and front on, lift the top and spin it then screw the last piece on. This keeps the angle where you can nail it easier. The cap seems rock steady and I have never had one blow off even in strong winds as long as the stickers are placed close to the sides/front and back.

The boxes need to be placed overlooking a short grass area like a yard or pasture. Mine are not in heavy shade. I like to have a tree limb or cable line overhead nearby for the birds to light on before they go in or after they exit the box. When they have young there is a lot of traffic and often one bird has to wait his/her turn to feed the chicks. I also learned last year it is not just the parents who raise the chicks. Apparently older siblings will help and I have seen 4-5 birds feeding the chicks at one time.

I forget the exact distance but bluebirds are territorial and will not nest within certain distances of each other. I am sure 100 yards apart is sufficient. I have 2 boxes about 70 yards apart and they use both but never at the same time.

The height should be at least 4' above ground and 6' seems to work real well. Snake guards would be a good idea but I don't use them and have never lost a clutch of babies yet. I never paint mine but I assume you could paint the outside for appearance and durability but never paint the insides. I am not certain on the preferred direction to face the entrance but East and South facing seems to be best to allow longer sunlight.

I am told the birds will not re-use the same nest so once the babies leave remove the cap and clean out the old nest and put the cover back on. They will rebuild and raise multiple clutches over the course of the summer. I know we raised 3 clutches the first summer in the first box we put out. Two clutches per year around here is much more common. In that case the birds built a second nest on top of the old nest before I could remove the old one.

In the pictures I drilled several vent 1/2" diameter holes near the top but have since stopped that practice and notch the corners and loosely fit the bottom/floor to give extra ventilation.

I do not include a perch (The peg under the entrance hole) like you see on some bird houses as I have been told this encourages predator birds to raid the nest and steal the eggs or kill the baby birds. The parents fly down and light holding on the edge of the then scoot in and out when they are ready.

Bluebirds are very territorial and they have attacked me, my big horse, deer, squirrels and other birds that got too close to the box when they had eggs or young.

I hope that answers your questions but if you have more feel free to ask.

[Mooseherder]

The Screech Owl is back.  I'm taking this pic with zoom from about 40 feet.  You can see the talons.


 

[WV Sawmiller]

   How high is your owl box? I think I read they had to be from 10-30 ft high. I need to make some as they are neat birds. They always remind me of a grumpy little old man.

[Mooseherder]

My guess is 14 feet. I'll verify in the morning.  The Bluejays are harassing it this evening.   He goes done into the box as they get close and comes back several times.  It was too dark for me to record. 

[KEC]

I make my boxes much like WVs'. Mine open by pulling out the bottom of the front, which pivots on nails driven thru the sides and into the edge of the front. Easier to clean out with a stick. I drill a hole at a downward angle thru the side board into the front and slide a nail in to hold it shut. Boxes should be away from areas with House Sparrows and away from brush to avoid House Wrens. You might want to check out the website of the New York State Bluebird Society, lots of info. I now have 2 pairs with eggs near the house and boxes that I haven't checked lately. 

[SwampDonkey]

We've been following the blue birds here as well. They compete with the tree swallows and the blue birds always win. I had some sort of wren around the boxes a couple years ago and haven't seen one since. He was a feisty one. Blue bird nest boxes are pretty simple. I find they like them about 6 feet, only once did they nest in one 9 feet tall, that was because the swallows occupied the shorter one. I have to keep a prickly mesh on the posts to keep the neighbor's barn cats away.

Strange that I'm not hearing white-throated sparrows yet. And no brown thrashers yet. Well, it's still only April.

[Mooseherder]

  How high is your owl box? I think I read they had to be from 10-30 ft high. I need to make some as they are neat birds. They always remind me of a grumpy little old man.

The top of the birdhouse is just over 13 feet.
We should start a new thread on Birdhouse Builds/Builts.   bat-smiley

[Mooseherder]

I guess he decided to stay.  Day 5 on the swing set.

Eastern Screech Owl - YouTube

[nativewolf]

 

 

Almost stepped on a hen the other day, scared me to death.  Nothing like a turkey launching from 2'away.  I had me head up looking at walnuts and didn't see her.  Her flock had a nice little clutch of eggs.   Turkey everywhere, never saw them as a kid (or bald eagles) so I enjoy both. 

[WhitePineJunky]

The Screech Owl is back.  I'm taking this pic with zoom from about 40 feet.  You can see the talons.

Boy he looks pithed!! Must have just woken up

[SwampDonkey]

I'm surprised I've never found a turkey nest yet. I find woodcock and grouse nests every spring. And we have lots of turkeys now.