BIRDS

[Hilltop366]

Apparently there is a way to use it off line.

Set Your Location So You Can ID Birds Even Without Internet
Merlin is designed to help you identify birds no matter how deep into the forest or field you are. This is important when you are traveling off the beaten path, or even if you have spotty Internet around your hometown. You don't want to be stuck not knowing what bird you are looking at just because you can't connect!
The key to using Merlin Bird ID when you're offline is to set your location ahead of time. Tap on Explore Birds, then look for the filter icon in the top right of your screen. Tapping this will open up a panel where you can set your location to whatever your destination is. When you are off adventuring, those locations you set will be available in the history of locations, and will work completely offline.

[Jim_Rogers]

I small bird found her way into my shed and she has made a next in a paper trash box in the corner.
Someday soon we should have some chics.



 

Jim Rogers

[KEC]

SD, Phoebes are partial to being around human habitation. I would venture that the flycatchers you say are in deep woods are more likely Eastern Wood-pewees. There are several flycatchers that are similar in appearance but different in song. Least flycatchers are found in wooded ares too. Jim Rogers, the nest you found may be Carolina Wren.

[Jim_Rogers]

Jim Rogers, the nest you found may be Carolina Wren.

Yes, but she is too fast for me to snap a picture of her right now.
Jim Rogers

[samandothers]

A week or so ago we were sitting on the front porch listening to the birds.  My wife spotted a reddish-brown bird through the trees on the opposite side of our driveway.  She used her iphone with a 12x zoom.



 

Screech owl had its back to us sitting on a branch at the edge of the woods.  She caught this picture as it turned its head.  

I would love to put out bird feeders, but we have black bear in the area and I don't want to encourage them.  We've had the bear on our front porch at the door and at our basement slider.   This is in the Virginia Blue Ridge mountains south and west of Roanoke Va.

[SwampDonkey]

Thanks KEC, I think you're correct, sounds like the ones in the spruce plantations.

[SwampDonkey]

Swamp-

Down in my neck of the woods, Phoebes are known for nesting under structures.  Eaves of houses, rafters of open sheds.  I had one nest every year under a wooden dock at my pond.  Had about 1.5 feet of clearance between the water and the dock.  

@doctorb Never had them here nesting before recent years. Usually it was robins and barn swallows taking over any shelf space. :D

[KEC]

Around here, the phoebes like to nest up under long roof overhangs, inside old buildings with open doors/windows and under bridges over streams on bridge beams. They will also still nest under overhanging rocks along cliffs along streams. They love to sit on a limb over a stream and dart out to catch insects on the wing and fly back to the perch and eat it, then wait for another insect. Nests are easy to ID, made with mud and green moss and on a ledge just under overhead shelter.

[doctorb]

Wonder if the Phoebe is expanding its range?  Global warming?

[KEC]

A while back there was discussion about birds expanding their ranges northward. Some said it was more of a range shift as the northern edge of the range was moving North and the southern edge of their range was also moving North.

[Ianab]

We have some bird species that are now considered "native", that didn't live here in pre European times. They are considered separate from the species that are known to be introduced, mostly from Europe by early settlers. For some reason they decided we needed sparrows  ???

But other birds like the Welcome Swallow found their own way here about 70 years ago. Probably stowed away on a cargo ship, but that's not the point, it's now classed as a native bird and protected. Waxeyes are another small bird that self introduced sometime in the 1800s, and are considered native by everyone. 

So like plants, birds do change their range over time, especially if weather patterns gradually change. 

A lot of the native birds lost out due to changing land use and introduced predators. Some have handled it OK and are even common in city gardens. Others have unfortunately become extinct. Others, like the iconic Kiwi, only do well in predator controlled reserves or Islands. They aren't currently endangered, but without the various conservation efforts they would be by now.  They have been able to reintroduce Kiwi into the Kaitake Ranges, near where I grew up. As kids we would hear them calling from the bush, but the new hatched chicks are easy prey for ferrets etc, and eventually they died out in the area. 

Conservation Dept and local volunteers have been trapping and wiped out most of the predators, allowing some birds from fenced reserves to be released, and they seem to be doing OK (and multiplying). But the pest control is an ongoing thing. The local fenced reserve (mouse proof fenced - yes that's a thing), is large enough to house about 200 kiwi, but they were getting up to ~300, and then they start fighting for territory and food. So they were relieved to be able to safely re-home a  few out in the wild again. They have several other native species that had become extinct locally, but were able to be reintroduced from other reserves. Some are very people friendly and easy to see, others? They aren't really certain how many of some they have, because they are so hard to find.  ;) I've Heard a fernbird, but never seen one.  ;D  If you go walking there at night with a red filtered torch you can see Kiwi birds, providing 

This is a short video about the reserve. 
The Story of Rotokare Scenic Reserve on Vimeo

https://www.rotokare.org.nz

[SwampDonkey]

I know we have brown thrashers here now, never seen one years ago, just catbirds. Also, we are getting bluebirds now, never saw one in my life until about 10 years ago.

[Mooseherder]

Eastern Phoebe eggs this morning.
They look store bought. :D

[Jeff]

Rockin Robin
How to train your Robin to Rock. - YouTube

[Mooseherder]

Good stuff.

[SwampDonkey]

I never stepped close by any woodcock nests this spring, but I was on a block running lines that was full of woodcocks.

[Larry]

This past winter I bought a wireless remote for my DSLR so I can take a picture up to a 100 yards away from the camera.  I can pre-focus or just set it on auto.  Been doing a little practice on Humming birds.



I see the boys in the morning but the light is wrong to get a good picture.  The light is good in the evenings but all I see than are the girls.  The boys must be taking a nap or at the tavern in the evenings. :D

[thecfarm]

Larry, looks like you got it figured out.

[Hilltop366]

If you have exposure compensation you can add a stop or two to get better exposure on the subject, raising the camera up and pointing it down will get more dark in the background which will help too, you also may get better results on manual exposure.

And/or could try putting a piece of white piece of Bristol board to one side of the camera to reflect light back at the humming bird.

[Larry]

Hilltop, thanks for the suggestions.  I just tried changing the camera angle and it was a great improvement.  I'll give your other suggestions a try also.  Thanks again.

[Mooseherder]

My wife bought this birdhouse at a yard sale last year and I put it on a 4x4 over by the garden.   It's got a nest this year and momma is working hard. 
I'm not sure what it is yet.  A Tree Swallow?
You can hear the brood. 

Swallow - YouTube

[WV Sawmiller]

  We're having a blast watching the family of Eastern bluebirds. The adults are watching over the young. The offspring make short hops from the ground to the limbs of nearby trees. We watched 5 of them flitting around the front yard a couple days ago. One of the young ones was on the cable line about 10' from the back bathroom window this afternoon. I hope they raise another clutch or two. The bright blue colors are spectacular.

[Chuck White]

Moose, you definitely have Tree Swallows nesting in the birdhouse!

The Tree Swallow and the Eastern Bluebird are good for your comfort, they eat mostly flying insects like mosquitos, black flies, gnats, etc.

If you want to get rid of more biting bugs, put up more birdhouses!

Enjoy!

[Mooseherder]

I've got a bunch of wood ready to go.   Just have to get started.

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 

 

 

Here are a few pix of one of my eastern bluebirds from out of my upstairs bathroom window about 20' away. I did not see any other members of his family. Mostly he sat on the cable line preening his feathers. At one point he turned around, darted to the ground and grabbed a bug and returned to the same spot on the wire but I was not quick enough on the draw to get a front picture of him.

I noticed movement in a wild sweet (Blackheart) cherry and spotted a big old fox squirrel up there stealing my ripe cherries. I guess he saw me moving and ran up to the top and hid before I could get his picture too.

I love these brilliant colored bluebirds and have another box about 30 yards from where this one was perched. They raised a clutch in it last year but I have not seen any using it yet this year but I keep hoping.