Oh yeah....putting grapes out for the cat birds and oranges for the orioles....not to mention the sunflower seeds by the 50 pounds...
Peanuts and suet....and niger thistle...
No ducks around here......but I do hope the owls recognize the lovely rabbit buffet I have set before them by planting all those hosta.
Linda C

Oh yeah...we had an owl a few years back when we had a small rodent outbreak. (Build the habitat and they will come.) Our owl was a frequent visitor and even left us some tail feathers during molting season. Have you been watching the owl cam Linda? What a hoot! (Pun intended. Yes, I'm a total nerd.)

Not watched the owl cam lately....but speaking of nerds....who else stands out in their back yard at midnight and croons "whoo.... whoo hoots for you....*bark*...*bark*...hoooooooo"
I'm pretty good if I do say so!!

;) Yes, you may say so!

LOL, Linda....doncha know the owls are saying "Who cooks for you"? heehee

I filled my hummer feeder yesterday in anticipation that tey may show up early due to the warm weather. We usually don't see them until Mother's Day weekend. (Don't ask me how they know it's Mother's Day...)

Oranges have been out a coouple of weeks too, even tho I know the Orioles won't be here for weeks, yet, the Red Bellied Woodpeckers like them.

Our Wood Ducks have arrived, they sit in the trees in the morning. And the Sandhill Cranes are making an awful racket! (Nah...I love it).

Phoebe is re-using last year's nest under the gutter on the north side of the house. She wresteld us for that prime piece of real estate a couple of years ago. Raises two broods every year there. I don't much like the bird poop on the side of the house but...ah well, it washes off.

I love spring. It's my favorite time of the year!

Linda

Swans, mallards and loons have been paddling around on the lake. Every year there is a mallard nest in the ditch, smart place, they can go thru the covert right out into the lake.

I heard the spring peepers the other night...music to my ears.
More docks are being put into the water and there are boats on the lake. No jet ski's yet, the water is still too cold for that...

Linda, I love that...''Who cooks for you!''

I have never tried to feed orioles, but now you all are making me want to try. Is there anything else I need to know to get them to show up?

The sandhill cranes are a particular favorite of mine. They made a comeback where I used to live, which was a great thing to see, as I don't remember seeing them ever when I was a kid. (Too much pollution on the river I guess.) Linda, Who is Phoebe?

Nancy, I love to hear loons calling. Those ducks are pretty smart, aren't they? And...yes, our peepers started about a week ago. I can hear them inside my house they're so loud! Spring is a great time of year, isn't it?

Claire, you need to have your oriole feeders set up and ready when they happen to pass thru or they will likely not come back to find yoou. I usually get the oranges out early and then the grape jelly and oriole feeder out about the first week in May. Depending on where you live you might do a bit earlier or later.

"Phoebe" is a little Eastern Phoebe that built a mud nest on the side of our log house several years ago. We tried everything to get her to move elsewhere, but in the end she was very persisitent! So now we all just co-exist in harmony! LOL

Linda

Claire de Luna, I want our ducks back! We have ducks on our pond in the winter here in central Texas, and they leave us in late February to go someplace else, and now I KNOW WHERE.
Our hummingbirds are here, and have been for about five weeks. Next you'll be bird-napping our hummers!
Care for a few crows?

I saw a flash of orange way back in the lower yard a few minutes ago....and I don't have an orange......but I will by noon!
and the lady robins are here and busy gathering mud and grass...
there is a buzzard sunning himself in the way back too....I thought at first it was an eagle....but he spread his wings and I saw he was just a buzzard....
No catbird...and no hummers yet....but I think the sparrows are already sitting on eggs in the bird bottle.
Linda C

No regular visitors unfortunately, but I love ducks! They opened our neighborhood pool for cleaning and I walked by one day and two ducks had decided to hang out there - very cute.

Well, I'm going to have to read up on Orioles, and Phoebes too. Wow Lindac, a buzzard!

Marlingardener, I'm happy to give your ducks a home during the summer months. It's good to share, you know!

No hummers here yet, but they should remember me, so I'm hoping they show up soon. I'm very faithful to put out fresh food for them, even though I haven't planted their garden. I'm just barely moving myself after the winter we've had, and feel a little behind the times.

Blueiris, I named ours Henry and Henrietta long ago. They're very comfortable dropping in (literally) and leaving again. It's always a pleasure.

Oh wow. I just saw one of the little owls on the owl cam devour a small bunny, the entire hind quarters in three gulps. YIKES.

Well, my ducks lived about 10 weeks, then into the freezer...

Oh, you mean in the wild? (grin) They can live 18 or 20 years in captivity but their life expectancy in the wild is less, if they have a safe place with a good food source, probably 7-12 years.

I used to feed the birds, but I gave all my bird feeders to Makayla. Now all I feed are the chickens.

Annie

Annie, I would be happy to feed the chickens; I remember what good yard bird tastes like!

Once again I have a dove? sitting on her nest in the corner of my front porch ceiling. She just barely fits, but it is as safe a place as any other in my neighborhood - at least the cats can't get up there and I don't have to walk close thus disturbing her.

The "morning chorus" when I walk the dog is very, very loud this time of year. But it lets me know that spring has sprung!

Teresa