BIRDS

[SwampDonkey]

We never had a brown thrasher last year, but hope to see one this year. I'm on the very edge of the range, some years we don't see one.

[aigheadish]

We've got a turkey hanging around. First one is back in the back field, this shot is from probably 500 feet away, the second one it's about to play in the creek about 300 feet away. I assume it's the same one but not positive. 

[SwampDonkey]

Been seeing a few turkeys out by work in old fields, some with alder, so they can run around through that to their hearts content. 

[Chuck White]

Yesterday when I got back from town, there were  two Rosebreasted Grossbeaks in the bird feeder!

[Hilltop366]

Lots of woodpeckers at the camp over the weekend, lots of pecking and calling.



There was also eagles, a northern harrier and an osprey flew by and dove in the water for a fish but came up without the fish.

[woodroe]

Found a mourning dove sitting in a nest in a fir tree along
a foot trail. 5' away from the trail and doesn't move.
Ill get a picture next time through.

[thecfarm]

One year we thought we had about 20 turkeys. kept seeing a flock of about 20.
Then we saw 40 turkeys. 
I found a turkey nest one year. I was leveling out a place and she kept doing the broken wing trick. I finally found the nest and kept checking on the nest until it was empty, then I went back to my project.

[SwampDonkey]

A couple days ago there were 3 Toms with some hens in a far off field. Probably 1/2 a mile out from the house toward Maine. Looked like bigger animals at first until the binoculars revealed that some were close together to make them look like big critters, like bears. 

Did see a bear yesterday on a powerline corridor. Never ventured to the back of the woodlot near that bear den, might be cubs around there. I don't feel energetic to run from momma. I've never seen a bear den on the woodlot before and I walk all over the place, something you can't really miss. Technically it's on my cousin's lot by 5 feet. And in blowdown.

[Chuck White]

Saw my first Hummingbird yesterday, that's the earliest I've ever seen one, here!

[doc henderson]

we are getting orioles...

[SwampDonkey]

I've not seen any bobolinks yet. Grass isn't very tall yet for them to nest in either.

No hummers up my way yet. No yard flowers except narcissus just opening. Lilac a long ways from flowers, same for weigela. I do have fly honeysuckle leaved out and I'd guess flowers to.

[aigheadish]

I saw my first hummingbird on the same day Chuck did! The wife put out the feeders a week or so ago but that was the first one I'd seen.

I also tagged an American Goldfinch on Merlin so I know what it's called.

[Chuck White]

Yesterday, about an hour before dark I had a Baltimore Oriole come in to the feeder and he ate grape jelly for about 5 or 6 minutes!

Saw him/one again about an hour ago this morning!

[aigheadish]

When we RV'd last year we saw what I think was an Oriole in a campground near Niagara Falls, it was cool and I'd never seen one before. Too cool. I'll have to see if I can find a picture. What neat colors! 

[Old saw fixer]

I miss hearing the Bob White quail and the whippoorwills....  been a few years since they've been around.

[SwampDonkey]

Used to notice the orioles a few years ago, hardly see one now. They seemed to like the thickets and those ever sprawling bushy box elder trees. Those box elders around here were as wide a crown as they were tall, always breaking limbs off in the winds. Finally the '98 ice storm did most of them in around here on people's lawns.

[thecfarm]

I had a few hear for a couple years. 
We did not see any last year.
Some years we see them come for a week and then gone.
I find out that grape jelly works the best for me.
We still try oranges, but that don't seem to work for them.

[Peter Drouin]

No hummers yet I have 2 feeders out.

[Chuck White]

The Orioles are becoming regulars, in and out a lot.

I only see a hummer once in a while, maybe 6-8 times a day!

Racoon's been bothering my Oriole feeder during the night, so I started putting the feeder in the refrigerator on the back deck at dark!

[Peter Drouin]

Just had a Hummer show up  How often do you change the sugar water? I put 4 cups of boiling water add 1 cup of sugar and let it cool. fill the feeder and Put the rest in the frig.

[SwampDonkey]

We change the mixture every 5 or 6 days. Never get more than a couple pairs that I can tell, and they only allow themselves to feed one at a time here. I've seen some feeders where 3 or 4 feed at a time. They don't like doing that here. 'It's all mine!!" :D

[Chuck White]

I usually fill my feeders to about half, and put the rest of the mixture in the fridge!

About the 5-6 day point I empty, do a light wash then refill to half!

[Peter Drouin]

Thanks guys.

[caveman]

We've seen some different birds over the past few weeks.  While hauling a load of slabs to the burn pile a few weeks ago, I saw a peacock sitting on the fence by the driveway.  Saturday, after edging a whack of flitches, John noticed a banded carrier pigeon walking around under the edger, not at all afraid of us.  It must have been resting.  It was gone a short time later.

John recognized it right away as a carrier pigeon since his granddaddy used to have a bunch of them.