Claire, that makes sense about the feeding habits. They are definitely all about the insects in the spring/early summer. When they return in the fall, they are more into seeds, berries, and suet (when we make it available). Of course the bugs are scarcer then. We are just curious about where they go when they leave here, but probably will never know.

Do you just spread any jam on a plate to attract orioles and catbirds? We see the latter here but the orioles, not so much.

Molie, great Ibis photos. Appear to have that pretty sun glow too.

Susan

Susan: Suet is supposed to be an insect substitute for birds that like to eat bugs. Insects are apparently very high in fat so that makes sense. Outside of putting little GPS tags on the bluebirds it's hard to know where they go.

I have a few oriole feeders that are made to hold jam. The picture shows one that's made by Duncraft but you can just put the jam or jelly on anything and the birds won't mind. The traditional sweet is grape jelly but the birds in my yard seem to like apricot or peach or raspberry better. I have both catbirds and orioles in my yard. The orioles dominate the catbirds but the catbirds will just wait until the orioles are gone.

Claire

This chap poses well. Discovered he is a Aphrodite fritillary - a brush-footed butterfly. The front legs have fine hairs and are for tasting and smelling - not walking. He favors the rose of sharon and buddleias and luckily for me, is a slow mover.
Jane

Beautiful picture Jane!

Jane: Beautiful indeed! It's hard to believe that the butterfly is real and not some delightful design project.

Claire (who's still regretting not getting the camera in time to picture the tiny orange neon dot that appeared on a hosta leaf)

Great photo, Jane. You are an amazing nature photographer!

From above: Claire (who's still regretting not getting the camera in time to picture the tiny orange neon dot that appeared on a hosta leaf) I did a quick Google image search for orange bug, and had no idea (other than VW's) that there are so many orange bugs. Yup, next time get the camera. And if it's an old VW bug, buy it. Loved my '65. I digress.

Thank you , Molie, I swear I'll buy the next time.

Took these fellows today on the 15 year old budleia and speaking of bugs, wondered how the little guy felt coming in for a landing. Bugs probably don't feel. Or do they?
Jane

Claire, I had a used cream '63 VW bug and later a '68 zenith blue w/sunroof. Lots of fun, despite the heaters not being so great and the distributor cap sometimes needed to be dried off when it rained. But I digress too! Great shot of the little one photo-bombing the swallowtail.

Jane: Nice shot of the traffic pattern at the Buddleia Airport - little butterfly hoping that the big butterfly will get out of the way in time. I think that all living organisms, like bugs, feel on some level. It's probably necessary for survival and avoiding danger.

Susan: I never had a VW bug, although I remember years ago going with a friend to the Mack Truck shop to have a Mack bulldog installed on his VW. I wonder if I can get one now for my Passat....

Claire

I've been listening to the NWS Weather Alert radio most of today as they warn about the serial thunderstorms that keep hitting us.

They talk about hail the size of nickels and quarters and sometimes I hear "duck-sized hail". I must be mis-hearing this (or maybe I just want to hear about hail the size of ducks). They can't possibly be saying that can they?

Claire

edit note: I just heard another warning and they might have said "gusts and hail". I like the ducks better.

This post was edited by claire on Thu, Aug 7, 14 at 18:44

Hahahahahaha, that 's funny. Duck size hail would hammer the Passat into bug. Nooooo....

Oops, my apologies to Jane who posted the swallowtail being photo-bombed by the little one in the background. I re-direct my VW comments to you and promise to pay more attention in the future. Do I have it right yet? :(

You're good to go, Susan, lol. Not to worry. Yes, the heater was mostly absent, the clutch cable snapped and I drove 26 miles in 2nd gear, the sunroof seal leaked in the rain, but it was a fun car. Great in snow.

Claire - Months later, I can't tell if this is a Winter Wren or a House Wren. This little bird was guarding the house that was occupied last spring by what you thought may have been a Winter Wren. May be she is. Also wonder if she is a juvi from the nest. Her alarm call works because as I got closer without seeing her, she really belted it out. But as soon as I saw her, I backed off and started for the house.

Not until I was some 25' away did I realize that I was not the only reason for the shrieking.

So little brown birds with green hues cast upon them still stump me. The eye streak may be a little longer than house wrens. ??

Jane

I'm not sure about the wren, Jane. I'm only familiar with Carolina Wrens which are easy to identify. Maybe you should post the pic(s) on the Bird Watching Forum?

I remember taking walks with Siamese cats - they particularly enjoyed going down to the beach (big sandbox!)

Claire

Parasitic birds are such a mystery. Not my place to judge, but one has to wonder why the parents don't see the difference. A Brown-headed Cowbird must have laid an egg in the Mourning Dove's nest because this juvi only comes with the doves. Gotta wonder...
Jane

Maybe they do see the difference but have learned that it's better to accept the stranger and avoid retaliation by the brood parasite.

Fear of the cuckoo mafia: In fear of retaliation, birds accept and raise brood parasites' young

It's interesting that the parasite has lost the nesting instinct but still tries to protect its young.

Claire

Fascinating article, thank you. No established equilibrium makes me wonder if all living things forget history lessons. Interesting.
Jane

Claire, that article about brood parasites and the fear that allow birds to accept the stranger is fascinating but also makes me wonder how and why did this behavior develop in the catbird?

And more wonderful photos from Jane. I was under the impression that Ivy is no longer a "hunter"..... she lives the good life and really doesn't need to work for her meals.

Some "river news" to pass along. You may recall the pictures of the three osprey on the tower? We're guessing that they've been giving Junior hunting lessons along our river. For several days we've seen and heard them in the trees. It's been their calling to each other that has alerted us to their presence. The pairs of calls seem a bit difference.... one being weaker. Here's the parent (?) in our neighbor's pine tree. I'm just guessing because of the yellow eyes. Maybe some of you are better at distinguishing a maturing juvenile from its parent.

Molie: It's believed that the cowbird developed a relationship with herds of bison, following them and eating insects kicked up by their hooves. Following buffalo herds makes it difficult to commit to a nest and a brood, so the cowbird evolved a different strategy, i.e. let someone else raise the kids. ( see this reference).

Recently I was watching a cow in the local gentleman farmer's fields and I noticed cowbirds feeding in the grass as the cow grazed. The birds moved along with the cow, so this is probably what it looked like multiplied by a few hundred cows.

I was reminded of this the other day when I mowed the lawn and lots of insects leaped up. I kind of expected a few cowbirds to join me but I guess the feeder was more interesting to them.

I like the idea of ospreys teaching hunting to the young.

Claire

Thanks for the interesting link, Claire. My curiosity has been nourished!

Molie

Is it just me, or does anyone else see a 'face' on the backside of the little finch (guy in the middle). Young master RB Grosbeak has come a long way. He and his 2 sisters are on their own.
Jane

There's definitely a face there, Jane. Somewhere in between a Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar and Charlie Chaplin.

Claire

I seem to be obsessed with bugs lately, not surprising since August is buggy season. Sort of like if you're dealt lemons, make lemonade. If you're dealt bugs, photograph them.

Today an insect that at first I thought was a mosquito landed on the table next to me on the deck. I started to grab the bug spray (I'm never far from bug spray) then I thought - green mosquito? I've never seen a green mosquito. I got a quick photo as it was leaving and it seems to be a Long-legged Fly, a beneficial insect, good to keep around.

Claire (waiting for the neon orange dot to come back)

Don't believe I've ever seen the Wilt Chamberlain version. Good to know that he's beneficial. Wasn't it Twain who alluded to the idea that we shouldn't have to have mosquitoes AND politicians? Something like that. Yes, a buggy year everywhere.

Nobody applies breaks with the speed of a hummer, 'cept a hummer.
Audacious bumble took her spot!
Jane

Jane, love your hummingbird picture! So crisp. I have feeders, but seems the birds always put their heads down or move away just when I click the camera. Not giving up though.

Susan

The goldfinches seem to be stocking up for migration; last week Molie saw them on her Echinacea, and today I had them on my hollyhocks (Alcea) just outside the living room window, first the male and then joned by either a female or young one. They often eat the seeds of my annual poppies as well. I'd been planning on harvesting the Alcea seeds and then removing the stalks, but I may leave them up for a few days to see if the goldfinches return.

Great hummingbird photo, Jane. Did the hummer chase the bee away or just leave and return later? This morning I had a female visiting the honeysuckle in the corner of the first goldfinch photo, but didn't get a photo.

Claire - the long-legged fly is beautiful with the blue-green color and stilt legs.

Last week I got a shot of a garden spider in her dew-beaded web in the morning . . .

Wise hummingbird, Jane, to reconsider when faced with a stinging thing almost as big as the hummer's head. Lovely shot.

nhbabs: You're making the goldfinches very happy - so many seeds! And that's a huge spiderweb!

It's funny that now that I've noticed a long-legged fly I saw another one today on a crabapple leaf. This one is more gold-colored. They're probably everywhere but I never looked closely.

And the first Hummingbird Moth of the season visiting a lily.

Claire

Oh, good show! Birds, bugs and their food. Are flies getting longer legs or is the once denied climate change bringing them up North? Wonder if you're seeing Texas Long-legged flies, Claire? You're too observant not to have noticed these before. (link below)
Hummingbird moths and spiders of all kinds let you know the sedum is beginning to blush. Good shot.

nhbabs - nice bird garden. Every time I've seen the Goldfinches riding an echinacea bloom, by the time I get the camera they're off. So good going. To answer your question, as Claire mentioned, no, the hummers give a very wide space to the bees. This isn't at my house, but there are so many hummers because of a meadow nearby, my friend had to put up another feeder - and then they still fight each other.

Not a fan of spiders, but the art they create is a wonder.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Tall Ones or something like that

This post was edited by corunum on Mon, Aug 11, 14 at 18:37

One more thing...this is the first time I've ever noticed a 3 dimensional view of a butterfly's wing. We should all know this, right? hehe

Jane

Someone sent this website to me -hope it's okay to share here. I think all those who frequent Claire's thread would like it.
Jane

Here is a link that might be useful: butterflies/fruit

Lovely picture of the butterfly hanging from the flower, looking like a paper parasol.

Amazing website - I didn't realize how important fruit is to butterflies. I'm a little afraid to put out fruit for them because I fear some of the birds will scoop the butterflies up. For a while I had Carolina Wrens cruising my deck looking for moths to eat (the moths were sleeping under various benches, chairs, umbrellas, etc.)

Claire

Just reviewed the index you made of this thread, Claire, and I think this may be the longest running thread on the NW Forum. Correct?
I noticed that you had a Bobwhite on June 15, 2009 - I've never seen one. Also noticeable is the amount of people who no longer frequent the NE Forum. Change is the only constant, I guess. It's an interesting history and an especially nice digital record of your land for future stewards. Well done!

Sometimes I think about making one of the Shutterfly picture/story books of the changes that this yard has seen. Today, one can put the whole history on a memory stick and hand it to the next owner. Some things don't change, however, and that's the need to be incredibly flexible. This hummer chap was up in the big maple preening, resting and surveying the world he'll leave in a few weeks.

Jane

Stunning photos of the sunning swallowtail and the preening hummer.

I tried taking photos of a female or young yellow warbler last week, and they essentially are photos of a bush. Quite frustrating. I'll start a new thread about cameras.

It appears that not all of our blue-feathered friends left town after all. So happy to see this pair, even though we have no expectations of another brood this year.

The male on the tiller handle

The female

I've seen a couple of little green tree frogs in the last week, though I don't know what kind they are. There was one on a basil leaf in the veggie garden last week, but he disappeared before I could get a photo.

There was another on the door yesterday. He was initially on the glass (this view is less than one 6" x 10" pane to give some scale.)

and from there he moved to the door frame before hopping onto the step and disappearing into the greenery along the path.

Jane: It takes a lot of maintenance to be a glamorous hummingbird! Sort of like the backstage pictures of an actress getting ready to go on stage. Beautiful shot.

Nice to see the bluebirds back, Susan. I like the way all of them are using structures you provided, rather than perch on trees. Humans are useful, after all.

Pretty little tree frog, nhbabs. Has anyone seen baby toads this year? We used to see whole herds of them in the spring, but that was before I started feeding the birds in multiple locations. The birds probably ate the little toads, although I've also cut down on lawn so I may not see them.

Claire

Thanks, and everything Claire said about the bluebirds and frogs. Wonderful stuff here! I've seen very tiny leaf hopping toads (frogs?) in a front - away from the bird feeder- garden and the usual toads in the lawn. We use to have a toad that hopped into the open-door garage. He and the cat would sit side-by-side watching drops bounce off the driveway. I should have gotten him a small umbrella.
Jane

Have to go prune and dig up Jack O lantern fungi again, but as I glimpsed out my window, I again saw the Mourning Doves doing their latest and greatest. Last spring I went to Agway in search of a new feeder and seed (that's when the safflower came home) that would discourage the gang of 50 HOSP that were cleaning the feeder daily.

The Audubon feeder I chose said it was specifically for smaller songbirds. That feeder along with changing to safflower pretty much assured the dispersal of the sparrow gang. It did. However, I have since learned that Mourning Doves consider themselves small songbirds and the group of 20 birds is cleaning the feeder daily. 4 lbs. of safflower every day. Hope the kids leave home soon.
Jane

Oh, that's funny, Jane! So 50 house sparrows = 20 mourning doves. Maybe it's time for a big tube feeder for the safflower? With the big perches they make for cardinals...

Claire

I guess that equation rings true, 50 to 20. I never should have named the first two doves that perched, Bertrand & Russell. They defied my sense of logic and pursued their own freedom of thought. Four pounds a day. How many Euros? Oh, well.

Whilst having supper tonight, I saw a first. Lots of anxious crow talk, in flight you could tell, and there! in the middle of the back yard, a chase ensued after crow#1 flying low with a sn*ke hanging out of its beak. Never thought of sn*ke as the Saturday night blue plate special. yuck. (would have made a great photo though)

Jane

Oh, good - another 'small songbird' on the feeder. I think the Audubon bird feeder marketing folks should redefine 'small songbird'.

Well, since the Common Raven is considered a songbird (the largest in North America), I guess grackles are small in comparison. Be glad you don't have a raven landing on your feeder.

I have another possible take on your crows-with-snake event. The crow broods are fledging now in my neighborhood and they're flying all around with non-stop nasal cawing (I flew to this tree! What do I do now? Where is everybody? I'm hungry, feed me!).

Maybe your crow is delivering the snake lecture to the kids - "This long skinny floppy thing is dangerous! Watch out! This is how to deal with it!"

Just a thought.

Claire

Those bluebird photos are lovely, Homegrown. I like the bright blue against the rusty fence.

I think you (or maybe someone else) once posted photos a few years back of tree frogs, nhbabs. I never realized before that that tree frogs lived in cold climates. I've only seen them in tropical places. It would be a treat to see one. Great pictures of your little guy!

I took avideo of the crow fledglings. The sound is low because I was inside the house (some windows open). It's not exciting but it gives an idea of the sight and sounds of the young crows.

Claire

That's good, side-by-side crows. I seldom think to use video. I think papa crow brought home the starter course. The fledglings here are well on their way. As mentioned over the years, we feed all meat scraps to the crows and by the end of July, the kids hit the ground with the elders. The other day there were 5 crows on the ground after chicken scraps and I could tell the kids from the parents/older siblings. The 4:30a.m. yelling has mostly stopped, for which I am grateful. Their nest is within 200' of my bedroom windows. No alarm clock necessary.
Jane

Here is a link that might be useful: Crows

Post deleted. I just realized how long this thread is and I'm starting a new one, 2014 #9, using these photos to lead off.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Sun, Aug 17, 14 at 20:41

GardenWeb BirdWomen(GWBW) this is my new moniker for you! Catchy, doncha think?!--
I have to tell you--when I see that photo of the Ibis and the Mallard duck,
I blink my eyes and (I wish I could make a Photo shop for you)
I see a tall graceful Cher in a Cleopatra outfit, complete w/ cobra headdress,
standing ankle deep on the edge of a beach, gazing out to sea, and all around her are stubby American male tourists wearing shorts, baseball caps and basketball sneakers..........

"I see a tall graceful Cher in a Cleopatra outfit, complete w/ cobra headdress,
standing ankle deep on the edge of a beach, gazing out to sea, and all around her are stubby American male tourists wearing shorts, baseball caps and basketball sneakers.......... "

Wonderful image, Mindy! I almost choked on the last bit of coffee in my cup.

Claire

claire and GWBW, plse tell me what maintenance i should expect were i to get a large 4 sided (36"x25x22") birdhouse to display in the gardens (a decorative piece for me, but built to be used). Years ago i was scared off of getting birdhouses because i was told that a bird eye disease gets passed along in nesting masterial, so i would have to rigorously clean the insides every year or more. My worst suit is maintenance so i never got any bird houses. (I thought this one would make a striking centerpiece if mounted on a tall fencepost.) Thx for your help.