BIRDS

[doc henderson]

when you hear the honk, do not look up for long.  I remember at a camp Alaska one year, a bunch flew over and as I watched, I thought it is amazing that i have never been pooped on.  splat to my left chest.  fairly dry, it wiped off, and I finished my breakfast.  I have on several occasions seen a flock stop and hover over head.  once was at a funeral for a little girl Natasha about 5 y/o I tried to save out by (Hays).  her mom's boyfriend was abusive.  they could not find him, but 2 days later found him hung to death behind a flying J truck stop.  He did it himself.

[ron barnes]

Spent a few days in our house in Cartersville, GA earlier this week.  The bluebirds had 5 eggs when we left yesterday.  The bluebirds are building a nest out from the sunroom as we speak here in SC.  They are so much fun to watch.

[aigheadish]

I went out and mowed the back field, this evening, about 2 acres that was around 3 feet tall. After a couple passes I noticed a big ol' red tailed hawk swoop down into the overgrown property line, then back up with a snake! The hawk proceeded to hang out while I mowed and catch several different animals. A couple times it landed and hung out until I got within about 12-15 feet with the tractor. Too cool.

[ron barnes]

We had our first hummingbirds of the year yesterday.  Two male birds showed up.  They were 4 days later this year than last year.

[SwampDonkey]

We had a 5 day storm here, only birds were crows, ravens, starlings, crackles and geese. Mostly rain then 3" of snow at the end for good measure. 

[SwampDonkey]

Saw a flock of 10 wild turkey, but they flew up and took to the spruce trees. They have become real skittish since we started a hunting season on them. 

[beenthere]

Seeing some turkey activity around here too. This video (rumble) of a rafter of about 30 hens followed up by several tom's caught on trail cam.

Video
https://rumble.com/v4moih2-turkey-rafter.html


Screen shot

[Ron Scott]

Nice flock of Wisconsin turkeys.

[Old saw fixer]

We had a big tom in the backyard yesterday morning.
Blue birds and cardinals around.

[Chuck White]

I saw a pair of Flickers in the backyard this morning while I was cleaning out the birdhouses!

I found a dead Eastern Bluebird in one of the houses, it appears that he was an early arrival this Spring, no evidence of external injury, possibly froze to death!

[NewYankeeSawmill]

I saw a pair of Flickers in the backyard this morning while I was cleaning out the birdhouses!

That's uncanny... saw one yesterday for the first-time down here! Couldn't get a picture, was too far away.

[SwampDonkey]

About 10 robins in the back yard this afternoon. Hard to see in the shade of trees.   Killdeer have been back for a couple days.

[doc henderson]

We have a cold snap, but a few days ago it was   the birds were everywhere, flapping around and making all sorts of noise.  must be working out the apartment situation.

[Magicman]

I was given a Bluebird house but too late for this nesting.  I have Bluebirds each day and some have lit on the house and even looked inside, but I think that they are already laying in their own house/nest and were only curious.

Since most Bluebirds lay and raise more than one clutch each year, I am hoping that they may still be attracted to my house.

[beenthere]

I was given a Bluebird house but too late for this nesting.  I have Bluebirds each day and some have lit on the house and even looked inside, but I think that they are already laying in their own house/nest and were only curious.

Since most Bluebirds lay and raise more than one clutch each year, I am hoping that they may still be attracted to my house.

I've had summers with three clutch's of bluebirds. Don't give up on them. Often a pair will act like they have it going, but after a couple weeks will move on for another pair to get more serious. Assume the first pair just moves further north, or she had a headache all the time.

[KEC]

Chuck, Hard to say what killed the bluebird. They are around here all winter and they are fairly hardy. One of the best things you can do is to let some Staghorn Sumac grow. The sumac seeds are eaten by bluebirds and dozens of other birds. I've seen catbirds eating sumac seeds from the previous year in July.  Checking stands of Staghorn Sumac is a good way to see bluebirds in the winter.

[WV Sawmiller]

    I woke up to the sound of "Tutt, tutt, tutt" outside and walked to my window and watched these turkey hens fly off the roost and land by my woodshed in the pasture. We have had several days of soaking rain and they are picking up drowned  worms all over the place. I saw the same bunch I suspect a couple days ago in the front  yard walking along the creek. It is funny they don't want to fly over 6' of water and will walk hundreds of yards trying to find a dry spot to cross sometimes.

    I need to check my bluebird boxes too as one had a clutch of eggs 3-4 weeks ago and I saw an adult duck in there a couple days ago. I took a pretty new looking nest out of the second box in case it was last years and saw a couple birds hanging around it later so they may have rebuilt it by now and have eggs laid. I have never had them use both boxes at the same time and suspect they are too close. They use both but alternate.

[SwampDonkey]

Saw just 2 turkeys this morning at the edge of the Christmas trees and later 30 geese flying over. 3 day snow storm approaching. 

[Chuck White]

The dead Bluebird I found in the birdhouse was still plump and flexible, so I have determined that he hadn't been there very long, ie: early arrival.

KEC: There are lots of places in this area where Staghorn Sumac grows, so I'll see if I can get a few shoots and plant a little patch on the edge of my backyard!  I like that idea!  

[WV Sawmiller]

   A few minutes after I took the picture of the 7 hens they drifted back to the woodshed and I looked out and found a couple of gobblers had joined the party and they were really showing off their stuff. I took a couple of pictures of them strutting and showing their stuff but then I had to leave to go run some errands. Here is a picture with the boys.

[SwampDonkey]

The first time I saw sumac around the farm here was when a dozer made a woods road off the field. Musta been seed on the blade. Lots of it grew up at mom's father's place in those old pastures and along the river. Most of the sumac around here isn't too far back from the Saint John river. Stuff grows along the valley that you don't see 30 miles from it. Not long ago I found a wild grape in the back yard. That grows like a jungle along the river, in places it comes out into the road along the old highway.

[Magicman]

I need to check my bluebird boxes too as one had a clutch of eggs 3-4 weeks ago and I saw an adult duck in there a couple days ago.

Is that a very large bluebird house or a very small duck?

[WV Sawmiller]

Ha Ha. 

It was an adult bluebird ducking (Slang term for "Entering") into the bluebird box.

[thecfarm]

Turkeys are under the oak tree right out back. We just had about 8 inches of snow. 
But I like your picture better. Green grass!!!

[WV Sawmiller]

Turkeys are under the oak tree right out back. We just had about 8 inches of snow.
But I like your picture better. Green grass!!!

Yeah we had green grass but 1.5 miles up the road right after I took this picture I encountered snow flurries. It was odd to see wild cherry trees in full bloom with snow on them.

   The odd thing was I had to go to town to get my A/C in my truck worked on.