konrad: Thanks. I've noticed quite a few red-tails sitting in trees on the side of Route 1 in Chester County, PA (Route 1 is a 4-lane lightly used road here). The hawks stare into the grass median, and when they see something, they are quite focused on their prey. In fact, I had to slow down to miss one that was flying into the median. Claire: I remember reading a post here about bluebirds going to a window to ask for food. That was when I first started watching the birds. Well, I thought it was someone's imagination--until I realized it wasn't. There was a time when a mother mockingbird kept screaming at me until I chased a cat from near her nest. When I was feeding the birds regularly, the white-throats, upon seeing me, would jump up from the brush, land in the bushes, and sing to me. Probably the most amusing was when the male and female red-bellied woodpeckers--whom I always call red and rosie--landed in a tree on the side of the house and started shouting at me. I looked at the feeder with mixed nuts and saw it was empty. Once I filled it with their mixed nuts (they like the white ones and always search for them), they left me alone and ate their nuts. Here is something you may wish to try with mockingbirds. While in the yard, I may discover a mockingbird nest by observing the parents repeatedly going towards the same general area. The parents will first land on a nearby branch and look at me. This is where I must obey their rule. When the parent looks at me, I must turn away from the parent. I usually turn my back to them. Then, the parent heads for the nest and I hear the happy chirp of the chicks being fed. I don't know if this is a learned mockingbird trait or if it is instinct. However, the parent will fly away unless I look away while they go to the nest. I've been obeying their rule for years now.

obviously this is a little late, but here is a section of the illinois wildlife code. imho, it includes damaging nests of native and specifically birds of prey. does your state have anything similar? am i wrong? "520 ILCS 5/2.2) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.2) Sec. 2.2. This Act shall apply only to the wild birds and parts of wild birds (their nests and eggs), and wild mammals and parts of wild mammals, which shall include their green hides, in the State of Illinois, or which may be brought into the State, that are hereby defined as follows: All birds, both game and non‑game (except the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus; European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris; and Rock Dove or Domestic Pigeon, Columba livia). GAME BIRDS‑Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus; Sharp‑tailed grouse, Pediocetes phasianellus; Bobwhite quail, Colinus virginianus; Hungarian Partridge, Perdix perdix; Chukar Partridge, Alectoris graeca; Ring‑necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus; Greater Prairie Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido; Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS‑Waterfowl including brant, wild ducks, geese and swans, Anatidae; rails, gallinules and coots, Rallidae; snipe, Gallinago gallinago; woodcock, Scolopax minor; pigeons, including doves and wild pigeons (except domestic pigeons), Columbidae; and crows, Corvidae. RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY NON‑GAME BIRDS‑Loons, Gaviidae; grebes, Podicipedidae; pelicans, Pelecanidae; cormorants, Phalacrocoracidae; herons, bitterns and egrets, Ardeidae; ibises and spoonbills, Threskiornithidae; storks, Ciconiidae; vultures, Carthartidae; kites, hawks and eagles, Accipitridae; ospreys, Pandionidae; falcons, including the Peregrine Falcon, Falconidae; cranes, Gruidae; rails and gallinules, Rallidae; all shorebirds of the families Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, Recurvirostridae and Phalaropodidae; jaegers, Stercorariidae; gulls and terns, Laridae; cuckoos, Cuculidae; owls, Tytonidae and Strigidae; whip‑poor‑wills and nighthawks, Caprimulgidae; swifts, Apodidae; hummingbirds, Trochilidae, Kingfishers, Alcedinidae; woodpeckers, Picidae; kingbirds and flycatchers, Tyrannidae; larks, Alaudidae; swallows and martins, Hirundinidae; crows, magpies and jays, Corvidae; chickadees and titmice, Paridae; nuthatches, Sittidae; creepers, Certhiidae; wrens, Troglodytidae; mockingbirds, catbirds and thrashers, Mimidae; robins, bluebirds and thrushes, Turdidae; gnatcatchers and kinglets, Sylviidae; pipits, Motacillidae; waxwings, Bombycillidae; shrikes, Laniidae; vireos, Vireonidae; warblers, Parulidae; European Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus; blackbirds, meadowlarks and orioles, Icteridae; tanagers, thraupidae; cardinals, grosbeaks, finches, towhees, dickcissels, sparrows, juncos, buntings and longspurs, Fringillidae. GAME MAMMALS‑Woodchuck, Marmota monax; Gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis; Fox squirrel, Sciurus niger; White‑tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii; Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus; Swamp rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus; White‑tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus. FUR‑BEARING MAMMALS‑Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus; Beaver, Castor canadensis; Raccoon, Procyon lotor; Opossum, Didelphis marsupialis; Least weasel, Mustela rixosa; Long‑tailed weasel, Mustela frenata; Mink, Mustela vison; River otter, Lutra canadensis; Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis; Badger, Taxidea taxus; Red fox, Vulpes vulpes; Gray fox, Urocyon cineraoargenteus; Coyote, Canis latrans; Bobcat, Lynx rufus. OTHER MAMMALS‑Flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans; Red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus; Eastern Woodrat, Neotoma floridana; Golden Mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli; Rice Rat, Oryzomys palustris; Bats, Vespertilionidae. It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to take, possess, sell, or offer for sale, any of these wild birds (dead or alive) and parts of wild birds (including their nests and eggs), wild mammals (dead or alive) and parts of wild mammals, including their green hides contrary to the provisions of this Act. However, nothing in this Act shall prohibit bona‑fide public or state scientific, educational or zoological institutions from receiving, holding and displaying "

Wow....what an amazing list of people.... too many of them no longer with us or active here. It is nice to remember some of their names and their struggles that we shared. Thanks for the memories.

What a cool thread, rhizo! I've been wanting to post to it since the weekend but had my BIL here visiting. Retirement has opened up a whole new world to me in my backyard. Back in the winter many of you helped me when I started feeding the birds again and now I know many of my frequent visitors quite well. And I've been having the time of my life! Who needs vacation? I've been feeding the hummers for years and they stay my number 1 in terms of enjoyment. Not long ago I posted on another thread that I feared my little dark-headed boy was gone. Fortunately, it seems I was just missing him during all the storms we were having. This is his 3rd year at my feeders and he has always furiously defended them. Lately he has been allowing free passage to the Mother Hummer and her two juveniles. I wonder if the two of them are ready to mate again. I have noticed the Mother Hummer has been trying to run off the two young ones. I love them all so much! The mourning doves. Boy, someone was right when she referred to them as little piggies but I am so glad that I decided they were worth the extra seed it takes to keep them full and satisfied. I have 2 pairs and then a single male. He is called The Lonesome Dove. :) I do think he is lonesome and it makes me so sad. He sits on top of the shed roof, where I toss the seed, and coo's and coo's. Many times I've told him if he didn't act like such a jerk to other passing doves, he just might be able to find a mate that would put up with him! lol Now this might sound a little crazy, but I have made drawings of all the doves markings. Crazy, maybe, but I can now easily identify each one of them. I think the Lonesome Dove could be the young from last year of another pair that he did hang out with over winter. Now he has nothing to do with them and runs them off from feeding. Luckily they are able to get their share. The Waxwing Cedars.... I first discovered how fun these birds are back in the winter when they were on my privet bushes. After they cleaned out those berries and moved on I really did miss them. But, right on the edge of the woods I have a huge mulberry tree so they were back recently until the berries were gone. Wow, they can be very loud! They would come in small flocks and sometimes I bet there were a hundred at a time. Now that they're gone it seems too quiet. Yesterday, I don't know what I was seeing with the titmice but it was very interesting. They were making such a racket that I went to investigate. At first I thought babies were leaving the nest. I saw adults going for seed and then back to the baby. It appeared they were feeding it. Then I noticed that what I thought was a baby could have been an adult ruffling his feathers and flapping his wings in a mating ritual??? I don't know but wish I did. The reason I thought it was a baby was because it looked fuzzy/fluffy. But it looked like 3 or 4 others were feeding it. It was puzzling but interesting! A strange thing about the titmice is that they didn't seem to like my seed much until I threw out some parakeet seed to help stretch the last of the songbird seed I had. Now I'm throwing out a little parakeet seed every day and they keep coming back. They are also some noisy but fun birds. With bird feeding, the biggest surprise to me has been the realization that it's the same birds that frequent your feeders. I guess I never gave it much thought or maybe thought that birds just flit from neighborhood to neighborhood. It's just so interesting to watch a strange cardinal fly in only to be run off by the resident cardinal. But that same cardinal doesn't mind that the wrens, blue jays and doves eat there. Oh, I could go on and on but I won't. It should be obvious that I am thoroughly enjoying the birds! My entire backyard is closed in with a privacy fence so I don't see rabbits and deer, but I did have a run-in with a snake and it's fun to watch the squirrels in the trees. Please excuse the length but I did enjoy putting to text some of my expeditions into the world of backyard birding. :) I wish some of you would come back and give more detail about your skunks, mountain lions and bears!