Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2015 #2

9 years ago

This thread is intended to give people a place to post photos and/or talk about birds, critters, wildlife, fish, whatever - topics you might not want to start a whole thread on, but are still garden-related. You can see the range of possible topics in the previous threads:

All of the threads in the "Birds and other mobile features in the garden" series prior to 2013 are now stored in the New England Garden Forum Gallery. See the top of the main page to switch between Discussions and Gallery. For 2012, see the links posted in Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2012 #7. These threads have been moved to the Gallery but there may be problems with some of the links. I've corrected those I can edit and I made an Index for threads from 2008 to 2011.

2013 threads:
INDEX: Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2013

2014 threads:
INDEX: Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2014

2015 threads:
Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2015 #1
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With winter upon us (and definitely upon some of the more northern areas) I repeat the mantra I said years ago, somewhere. "Far better to ponder interesting wildlife behavior in the garden than to spend the winter staring at dormant plants."
......................................................................................................................................
The blizzard is thankfully past, and the lawn dragon survived in its lair on the porch. It doesn't usually snow on the covered porch but blizzards follow their own rules.
{{gwi:2128536}}

This junco seems a little lost in the new canyon where the path used to be.
{{gwi:2128537}}

But the blue jays handle it with aplomb, so long as there are peanuts somewhere.
{{gwi:2128538}}

A female cardinal is having a really bad hair day - probably a molting issue, but mid-winter cold is not a good time to be without feathers on your head.
{{gwi:2128539}}

Claire

Featured Answer

claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author

9 years ago

I was about to post this reply to Jane when the GW website suddenly disappeared:

Ouch! Looks mobile to me, and maybe time for cable ties/zip ties (big, long ones). Little nuts and bolts love to leap into snow drifts and burrow out of sight.Walking down the street after the blizzard I noticed a lawn chair in front of a mail box which was out of reach because of the snow drift. There was a bucket on the chair with the house number on it. The mail carrier probably understood. Worse comes to worst you could put your mailbox on a chair (or construct a snow chair). I think your planting thoughts are healthy.

pixie_lou: I'll try to post a couple photos and see what happens. It's looking like I may not be able to insert links from flickr but it's early yet.

This Carolina Wren was checking under the cedar shake - probably looking for moths.

The white-throat and song sparrow are rooting around in the snow.

Claire

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Comments (84)

homegrowninthe603
9 years ago
Thank you, Claire. Before I started posting, I had a little Canon point and shoot with very little zoom. It was fine, but once I saw all of the great stuff on here, I had to up the technology. Having so much fun with the camera. Thanks for all of the inspiration!

I didn't think I had pine siskins either. Funny what shows up when I upload the pics.

Susan
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
WTG, Susan! I can relate to the numb fingers and the back caving in waiting for somebody to just give me a wing; then, without warning, the best shots are sometimes had in a nanosecond.

As I face another day of snow blowing, path creation, shoveling and roof raking, this dove pretty much sums up my feeling this morning: Tell me again why we live here?
Jane
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Let's close this thread. It dates back to early 2015 and is way too long and it confuses people when they see two Birds and other mobile features... threads going at the same time. There's a later thread, Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2015 #11, that's current and will continue until it gets too long and the 2016 threads start. In general, I have no problem if people want to continue a discussion on an earlier thread with relevant comment, but newer posts are better put in context with newer threads (that sounds a little convoluted but I hope it makes sense). Claire
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Jane, I'm glad that my simple words gave you comfort. The approaching evening might be a difficult time for you -- it often is for those recently (within years) bereaved. And with dusk, those birdies leave for the night -- except, do you ever notice how the cardinals are often the last to call it a day? And in the summer, those hummingbirds also come after dusk as well. Hold on, Jane. Take all the time you need and grieve how you need. Be gentle with yourself on this awful rollercoaster trip. Time does temper the heartache, but before that, it seems to take forever to find release from the crushing loss. (A friend once described the pain of grief as being also physical pain for its intensity.) But, even if someone has a miracle pill, it wouldn't really help hasten what needs to take time, reflection, remembering and tears. But remember that you are not alone in many other ways. Words are inadequate, but it's all many of us can offer. We need to offer as much as you might need to receive. Claire, I meant to tell you how much I loved those turkey shots. Beautiful. I used to have turkeys milling about, but not so much in the past couple of years. I'm curious what they are looking for on the ground (to eat?). Do you put corn or seed out for them? I just love wild turkeys. Seeing them feels like "everything's gonna be just fine" even if the world seems crazy from one week to the next. One late afternoon I got to watch a group of them fly up into a tall oak and settle in. I don't know if they stayed there all night or only until Leno was over. Susan, love those goldfinches, but you're are so yellow only their hairdresser knows for sure.
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Two out of the three hummingbird feeders are up. Now, the waiting game. Last year I saw my first ones on May 7. I don't have a clear view of the porch feeders from my reading chair inside so I need to get up and go to the window but in better (warmer) weather when I'm out on the porch they are up close and personal. There is one feeder on each end of the porch, about 90 feet apart. The third goes on the wisteria covered pergola at the end of the front walk, maybe 50 feet away. It makes a nice triangle - or racetrack - for them to zoom around and play. I suspect that a nest(s) are somewhere in the cedar hedge nearby that separates my property from the next door neighbor but haven't been able to find them. I do enjoy watching other birds but I'm still very much a novice. The more flamboyant birds I recognize easily, it's the more common ones that still look alike to me that I have no confidence in my IDs. I'm just learning what to look for. Our local Nature Conservancy has been a big help to me and I have many field guides. I also enjoy learning about interesting facts and behaviors that birds exhibit. I'm a big fan of crows because that's just about all I see in the winter. I decided that I'd learn to like what I have and that's been fun. One spring the crows alerted me to a barred owl that was sitting on some patio furniture on my front lawn. What a fuss they made swarming and screeching - the numbers were incredible. Another time a persistent crow let me know that there was something trapped In the downspout of the garage. DH was able to dismantle it and rescue a baby squirrel that had slipped into it and couldn't get out. Excellent! Sorry for such a wordy post!
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claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Jane: That dove looks like a dejected pine cone on a stick.

Off the top of my head, New England summers are much much more liveable than in the South, and we have a nice friendly forum on Garden Web. Snowy winters look much better in retrospect, when they're safely gone by and you can reminisce.

I'm really struggling to find justification, after another round of shoveling and now ice chopping. I just know I don't want to live anywhere else.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
It was rhetorical, Claire. We're in full agreement about living in NE. The extreme of anything is unfavorable and it's only human to react to extremes. Before all the snow, I was okay seeing winter green mixed with dead brown. If I could, I'd like Nature to adjust the seasons: Nov./Dec as winter, Jan. 1st - June 30th as spring, July/Aug. as summer, and Sept./Oct. as autumn. I see that as fair and liveable.

When I was out there moving snow again, like many other folks today, the crystal clear blue sky was stunning, the crows ate all the scraps in the driveway because the snow is too deep to walk through way out back where we normally feed them, and I had joy seeing melting ice dams. I was thinking how lucky I am that with my 40 yr. old Canadian roof rake, that 40 years later I am still able to wield it with 3 extension poles- on the same roof. It's a 12 degree pitch, so melting is quick. Glad I am still nimble enough in the 'Land of Steady Habits' to keep up with it!

I'm a damn Yankee through and through and winter does afford the opportunity to see more birds in my gardens. I just dislike confinement. No different from any other amateur gardener.

Jane
homegrowninthe603
9 years ago
Jane, I think your dove says it all. Winter is getting old in a hurry. At least we have gained an hour of daylight since winter solstice. That's huge for me.

Claire, I lived in MD for a couple of years, Even there, the summer was HOT. I would garden for a little while, then race inside to the air conditioning to be revived. Give me a New England summer. Most of winter I just tolerate, and the other seasons are a toss up sometimes. But this is home.

Here's my heated birdbath after digging it out. No birds in it at the moment, but thistle is scattered. Pretty soon all of my feeders will be ground ones!

Susan
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Susan, it looks like you have a bird grotto!
Marie Tulin
9 years ago
cabin fever set in a week ago, and I put the bird feeders up for the first time in a year. This fall we had large rodents in the house and had to forego providing snacks like birdseed to them. It is not a good feeling having share living quarters with uninvited guests.

I know it could be summer before the birds find my feeders, but are there any tricks I could try? Im throwing some seed on top of the 4 foot drifts, I thought I could put out some raisins and suet. I can't get out into the yard where they'd have more cover. I've got thistle and sunflower seeds.in the duncraft feeders.

I might be able to get set up a pan with water and use the heater I bought 10 years ago. I am dying to see some life in the sea of white. (besides my poor spouse hauling wood and garbage through snow drifts)

Long time, no write but glad to see so many familiar names here/

idabean
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi idabean:

It sounds like you're doing everything right. Providing water may be your best strategy; even if there's food in the woods it's hard for birds to find open water in this weather.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Hi idabean, Claire's right about the water - that could make you very popular with the birds. The only other thing I can think of beyond what you are already doing, is maybe a window feeder that would make it easier for you to fill. If people within a mile or so radius of you are already feeding the birds, it would take longer for them to find you. But they will find you. Let us know when the customer arrives.

A friend in Maine showed a picture this morning of the latest critter to come looking for food in her yard - a huge porcupine.
Jane
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
If I can't get to the garden, then the garden has to come to me! Bought these at Stop&Shop yesterday - label said 'Product of Columbia'. Boy, without the jet engine, there would be no lilies or alstroemeria in February! Now THIS is the way a global economy should work! There is a bird on the bird bath outside the window, so I figure this is still relevant to this thread. Even if it isn't, I want to share my flowers.
Jane
(Anybody know what the tall blue bloom is to the left? I can't remember. )
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Beautiful! Very welcome.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
In bright sunshine this morning, a female Hairy Woodpecker. Lots of pretty dots.
Jane
Marie Tulin
9 years ago
The juncos found the feeders!.....and there's a chickadee at the sunflowers...soon the snow will be high enough that the squirrels will be able to sit on top of it and eat from the feeder, no acrobatics necessary.

Can't find the extension cord for the heater....in the shed?. Gone till spring
Marie
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
You should be good to go now, Marie. The other birds will be watching the juncos and chickadees and will see food! ...and the squirrels will appreciate the booster seat.

Nice hairy pic, Jane.

Claire
skibby (zone 4 Vermont)
9 years ago
I often read here but haven't posted. When I got home from work yesterday I had a barred owl in my front yard. I hope I can post this picture. This was only the second owl I've ever seen. What a thrill! He hung around for about 15 minutes until the crows chased him away. (that was quite the frenzy!) Corunum - I believe that blue flower is Agapanthus.

Skibby
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Great picture of the owl, Skibby! Crows really hate owls (with good reason - owls eat crow babies. Although, to be fair, crows probably eat owl babies if they get the chance).

I've never seen any owls at all, but I've heard them at night.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
The bald-headed cardinal is still alive, after some very cold nights. I hadn't seen her since the last time I posted and I've been worried.

{{gwi:2143772}}

{{gwi:2143773}}

I may be imagining it but it looks to me as if there's some faint feathery fuzz on her head and she looks to be in good condition otherwise. It's supposed to be a bit warmer for four or five days before it gets nasty cold again. Her chances are looking better.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Skibby - thank you! Agapanthus - I could not think of the name. And an owl! Wow. Like Claire, I hear them outside, barred and we have great horned, but have not seen one. So glad you posted.

Good news on Mrs. Cardinal, Claire. Sincerely hope you are able to report on her having a nice crown later next month.
Jane
Marie Tulin
9 years ago
the owl is beautiful, simply a wonder.
marie
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
It isn't the bird, it's the buds. Red and there are 40 days till spring.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Red buds whispering "Spring! Spring! Spring!". More snow coming though, and another Arctic blast before Spring shows its head.

I saw the first pine siskin today. Like Susan, I didn't expect it - I was checking with my binoculars to see which woodpecker was on the suet feeder which is just beyond the nyjer feeders, and on the way back my eyes glanced at the goldfinches. There was the siskin feeding with the goldfinches!

Pine Siskin with American Goldfinches
{{gwi:2143774}}

And this morning I saw the first catbird at the heated water bath. I was too slow getting the camera deployed so I don't have pictures.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
duplicate post deleted.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 13:07
Marie Tulin
9 years ago
mine are covered by snow. cant even find them.
ideas for home-grown substitute that will take my little bird bath defroster?
Garbage pail top....(dh said No!)
???
Will plastic basin crack/break?
marie
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Marie: I've never used the add-on heaters - hopefully someone else has some experience with them. They're usually designed to just turn on when the water is close to freezing and then cycle on and off to keep ice from forming but never get hot.

I would think that any shallow basin or plant saucer, plastic or otherwise, would be OK so long as it's not too flimsy. Some people put rocks on top of the heaters to keep them from moving and to give birds something to stand on. A dog bowl could be used if it's not too deep.

Sorry I can't help much here.

Claire
defrost49
9 years ago
The bluebirds in our yard. They seem to study what's happening around them and don't seem to mind sharing the suet feeder with each other while nearby a few goldfinches and pine siskins will be in a frenzy about sharing space with others.

Ground feeding juncos are innocent of squabbling and just seem happy to find what they can.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Pretty pic, defrost49. Feeders really bring out the different personalities of birds.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Bluebirds are a gift! Nice picture, defrost.

Does a sailing mailbox count as a mobile thing? I guess it did early this morning. The post was struck by the end of the plow - no rotted wood and not broken by the force of snow. Now I get to drill holes in the side of the mailbox and try to clamp it to the already tilted paper post till spring when we all can dig again. Some things are not attractive when mobile.

Of course now I get to replace the whole thing and wonder about what to plant next to it. Plant people ARE different. Standing in a four foot high snow drift with little nuts and bolts affixing a vinyl mailbox to a metal post during a snow storm all-the-while thinking about shorter growing clematises is either healthy or certifiable. I no longer care which one.
Jane
pixie_lou
9 years ago
I had a bird attempting to feed at my buried suet feeder.

Not sure how to insert more than one photo at a time, or how to get the photos right side up.
pixie_lou
9 years ago
Looks like my photo posted right side up, but it was stretched into landscape format
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Looks like the Facebook format for posting photos, we'll see.

Ok, think this may work. I used 'drag and drop' method for photo. Instructions say you can post up to 4 photos at once. I managed to get the mailbox back up, but it looks like we lost our nice NE Forum bouquet this morning. Only change is constant.
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Just wanted to see what happens with the Like button. hehehee, that's 1.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
so how do we get the photos to display bigger? I just clicked on one and it does expand.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My kitchen windows are wet and blurry so I'm seriously limited as to bird views.

You can still edit a post or delete it outright. I'll try to link to a photo on flickr.

Song Sparrow

It doesn't display but you can click on it.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
I wish this meant that it's a harbinger of spring, but I think this robin just wanted a drink of water from the heated birdbath while it waits out the winter.

Claire (sigh)
homegrowninthe603
9 years ago
Nice photos all! Jane, I would love to capture any woodpecker in flight, so far I have been unsuccessful. Also envying Skibby for the nice owl pic. Claire, I haven't seen a catbird since summer. Nice robin, and we can only hope spring is coming. defrost49, pretty bluebirds!

Like everyone else, trying to adjust to the new format.

Susan

Our 1st visit from a carolina wren (as far as we know). Love seeing someone new.

Bluebird riding the iceberg.

Eating dropped seeds under the feeder. When the gang is startled, they all take off at once.
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Have to say, if I had wings, I wouldn't be married to a roof rake. I'd be in Savannah. I bet Claire's robin adrift in a lonely snow-wrapped spa or Susan's ice-riding bluebird end up on FB.

Mobile when the wind blows, look what I found today when I was outside roof raking(again).

Way up high in the top of the maple --

Looks like a parrot coming out of a burl.

I may have been outside too long. BUT!, I have freed the back gutter, ta-da!

Jane - is there no way to preview before submitting? I liked that. Edit will do, I guess.
homegrowninthe603
9 years ago
Jane, that is some burl! I don't think the GW FB page survived the takeover. At least I haven't found it this week. Susan
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Susan: Very nice, as usual: Those Carolina Wrens are very personable birds and I think you'll really enjoy them, particularly since they love suet.

Jane: That's an amazing burl. I wonder why they don't make Teflon roofs....

Claire
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I wrote out a bunch of stuff and uploaded two photos and when something went wrong with upload the third photo, I lost it all. At least on the old format I could hit the back button and my entry was still there, but not with this format. Kind of frustrating.

The ravens were squabbling over the compost pile where frequent additions mean less digging through deep snow to find breakfast.

Finally, the original raven, who seemed to be getting the worst of the squabble, managed to sneak in and grab a mouthful and then took off to eat in peace, leaving the more aggressive bird on his own.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
9 years ago
I have no idea why those photos loaded small, but if I click on them they enlarge. When I click on other photos in the thread, they don't enlarge. I'm a bit baffled.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
I love the raven pics, NHBabs! I've never seen one and really want to - the personality of all the corvids fascinate me. The photos are now column-width. It is a puzzlement.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago

Two Pine Siskins today - a rare sight at my feeder.

Jane
homegrowninthe603
9 years ago
Wow Jane, nice. Those seem to have much darker, more defined markings than those I see.

Susan
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I don't think those are Pine Siskins, Jane. They look like female Red-winged Blackbirds to me -http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id

Scroll to photo 9 of 10 in the Field Marks section of the Cornell guide. Lovely pics anyway.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
I'll try once more to post, then forget it. You two have correct ID. Too much trouble posting on this website.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Jane: I went through a period of emailing photos of streaky birds to PFW and asking "Is this a Pine Siskin". I got back a whole lot of "No, it's a ......" until I finally saw what I thought was a mutant striped goldfinch. That one was the siskin.

Claire
corunum z6 CT
9 years ago
Well, thank you for the company on ID'ing. This website will now not take my pictures. I exported the same way as all above, but now it tells me I have 318000 characters and am allowed 21000. One more try, then that's it. If this goes through, I'm trying to show the wingbar.

I think I can see a faint redness on the 'shoulder'.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Looks like a female red--wing to me. This is a bird that takes sexual dimorphism very seriously (what is that big sparrow doing with the male red-winged blackbird?)

So we're only allowed 210,000 characters? And what does that mean for a photo? I have my imagebrowser settings set at 640x480 pixels for export and so far that's been fine, but who knows what will happen next.

I'm hoping that someone from the GW crew (maybe Tamara?) will be able to negotiate with the Houzz people and get back some of the GW functionality.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
9 years ago
Eighty-three comments is a tad long so I'll set up a new thread, 2015 #3. I don't know what's going to happen to all my links - we'll see.

Claire