Here is one of the two females now regularly feeding.

I hope there are lots of babies to return here. Interesting short article:Hummer life

Nice pic, Jane, and a nice link as well.

They suggest a discussion question for kids:

"Imagine
you are a hummer heading north to return to your schoolyard.
As you get close to the town, what landmarks will you use to
help you find that fantastic feeding and breeding ground?"

I'm picturing a hummingbird flying up the coast and then along the Cape Cod Canal, and hanging left at the Sagamore Bridge, hopping from yard to yard and visiting all the PJM rhododendrons in parking lots at shopping centers, then turning into the roads leading to my yard. "Yup, there's the yard with the two feeders and I see flower buds about to open. Nice to be back at the summer home."

Claire

Sounds good to me, Claire. :)

Just as guilty as he can be. The whole inner edge of this flower pot must be chocolate to chippers and squirrels. It's resin or whatever 'featherstone' is. Hasn't killed them yet after 3 years of gnawing. Maybe it's like dental floss to them.

That is a very very big teething ring, Jane! Dental health is so important!

Orchard orioles again, and an example of food preference. I have apricot preserves in the dish and I decided to try some mandarin oranges in the suet cage to see if it would please a bird waiting in line for the preserves - apparently not.

A male orchard oriole was chowing down on the preserves while a female orchard oriole flitted around hoping the male would leave. She tried the mandarins and wasn't impressed so she eventually left.

The female did come back later when the male was gone and she had the preserves all to herself.

Claire

This evening DH came into the house all excited because there was a mama bear and two 1st year cubs in the field next door. Zooming in with the binocs and the camera, we could see her ripping huge mouthfuls of the hay/alfalfa/clover mix - probably much-needed nutrition to help her feed the cubs, and there's not much else available beyond insects and grubs, rodents, and road kill I think. Initially the cubs were just little blobs barely visible above the grass, but they (or mom) decided they should climb a tree - a birch with light bark providing good contrast. We took photos, but I'll have to wait until the weekend to sort them and post.

Cars drove by on the other side of a couple hundred yards of trees, and a loud low-flying small airplane came over, but it didn't seem to bother her at all.

Those cubs aren't just a little way up in the trees, they're really high off the ground. I can almost imagine the trees bending from the weight, like a kid swinging on birches.

It's a good safe place to be, with mama bear patrolling the ground.

Claire

Mama bear didn't seem too worried about their ability to get down. Great pictures! Got moose?

Jane :)

I've been keeping an eye out for moose for you Jane, but none in the last 5 years or so. In all honesty, the moose scare me, though the bears don't since the bears avoid us while the moose don't feel like they need to get out of anyone's way, and occasionally will charge. Scared me near to death one moonless night on a narrow dirt road near a marsh when the white of a moose's eye as he turned his head from the margin of the road flashed by the edge of my headlights. They are so dark that they aren't visible at all.

Would escaped dairy cows substitute? We get them a couple of times annually. ;>)

NHBABS - YES! I'll take cows! That line, "Scared me near to death one moonless night on a narrow dirt road near a
marsh when the white of a moose's eye as he turned his head from the
margin of the road flashed by the edge of my headlights. They are so
dark that they aren't visible at all.", is just fantastic! No, I don't want you to be scared. Cows - peaceful cows - will be wonderful!

In the Zen world, Chipping Sparrows:

Jane

Yesterday afternoon the weight of the rain pushed 2 lilac blossoms
directly on top of the hummer feeder covering all ports. Donned my
slicker, grabbed pruning shears, stuck flowers in a vase, and later got a
look that said, "Thanks. Don't let that happen again."

Jane

3 posts in a row? last one for now. First time ever that I've seen a Black & White Warbler. Did it have to be upside down and backwards?

Toooooooooooooooo cute!

I thought the hummer nectar was going down quickly and saw that Buddy and the 2 females were feeding often. Last night I discovered there are 5 of them! Never had that many before. Made new nectar immediately. The females will perch at the same time, albeit with some tentativeness.

At least 2 feeders! (hee-hee) Maybe it's like the people who say each cat should have its own litter box....

Claire

Still haven't seen any hummers here, but the columbine haven't opened yet, and that is often what they go to first. They don't seem to like the bulbs or the quince.

There was a yellowthroat in the quince over the weekend, but didn't stay long; this was the only shot I got.

In a group of 4 robins, a couple were chasing each other. I am not sure if it was a pair with mating behavior (seems late for that) or two males debating whose territory included that stretch of lawn.

And mama bear and the cubs were back in the same spot last evening. The cubs seem determined to figure out exactly how high they can climb before the tree branches start breaking. We've seen them at other times, but further down the field beyond the range of the camera.

Beautiful pictures, NHBabs - the yellowthroat in the quince is a lovely, peaceful scene, contrasted with the dynamic robin battle.

Have you seen the bear cubs climbing down? I'm guessing they back down but I've never seen bears in the wild, not to mention bears in trees.

Claire

Claire, I haven't seen the cubs climb all the way back down to the ground, but they do back down.

Bumped up.

Early this morning I saw a raccoon rooting around in the litter under a birdfeeder, probably eating grubs and/or worms living in the litter. That baffle was up on the pole yesterday so the raccoon may have yanked it down. The baffle has survived squirrels jumping on top of it for a while so it took more effort to get it down.

The raccoon also reached up to an oriole feeder and pulled down a dish containing apricot preserves. At least it's been leaving the empty dish under the feeder so I can refill it rather than finding another one.

I wonder if this is a youngster from this year's breeding season. I don't usually see them in the day time and it seems healthy.

Claire

He is cute. The jelly eater is better than whoever is leaving half-devoured squirrels in back of the riding lawn mower in the garage. I have seen a Youtube video of raccoons hunting and consuming squirrels (too graphic), but proved that whoever is storing their groceries in our garage may also be the same one who rummages through the recycle bin. Got to close the cat hole. And, twice this week I have seen a bluejay literally stick his beak into the sparrows' nest box --that the sparrows stole from the bluebirds-- and physically grab a sparrow baby and fly off with it. Boy, there is nothing gentle about gardening out back! I see these not very Disney moments and am so glad it's not my design. The design works though, got to marvel at it.

On the lighter side - because Pat reads these posts before bed - here are 2 female Northern Flickers that 'chatted' awhile in a soft, almost chuckling way while they spread tails, rocked back and forth and totally confused me. Have not seen this type of communication before. They may have been gossiping and laughing. Yeah, let's go with that. Night, Pat.

I like the pics of the flickers schmoozing, Jane, it just seems so lighthearted.

As far as the other side of nature goes, I saw this article this morning in the Washington Post online.

People love watching nature on nest cams — until it gets grisly

Claire

Jane: I understand the annoyance with the squirrel remains in the garage - it's different when it's in your territory. I try to be accepting when I find bird remains in the yard, but one morning I found a bird carcass on my porch - to me that signified a domestic cat that felt comfortable eating its prey on the porch. A hawk wouldn't do that so it's doubly annoying - it's on my territory and it's a predator that probably doesn't need the food, just the fun.

Claire

When I find a "remnant" I just give it to the crows. Back to the original design, I figure. I just wish they'd clean up after themselves.

Another first here: I just looked out and saw a squirrel on an oriole feeder. This is not the feeder the raccoon raids; this feeder had been left alone, at least I thought so.

You can tell how effective the baffle is (during the winter there was a suet feeder there and the squirrel climbs a nearby shrub to get to the feeder).

Claire

Wonderful stories and photos, everyone. I love it all -- those contra dancing turkeys, the bears' nod to Robert Frost ('Birches'), the bluebirds, courting flickers, hummers and, no, I've never seen a bluebird clinging to tree bark. You all take such wonderful photos and videos.

Natural History & Critters · More Info

Natural History & Critters · More Info

Natural History & Critters · More Info

Cottontails -- saw them eat dandelion buds, crabgrass, some weeds. They kindly ignored plantings I care about.

"Night Light" - we hooked up a flood lamp with a remote switch and I've seen a few critters after dark in the back yard -- coyote, snow shoe hair.

No photos but I spotted a small, chestnut-colored weasel on the stone steps. There is a daytime sunflower seed feeder overhead, but since weasels are carnivores, I suspect he was hunting ? chipmunks, birds or (maybe) red squirrel. Very pretty, slinky, agile and fast.

And, this takes the cake. I looked out a short while ago so spot a gray squirrel feeding on the platform bird table _while lying down_. Reminded me of a dog I had that, while lying down, would slurp from a proffered ice cream bowl.

Weasel, starsplitter! I think this is the first time anyone has mentioned weasels on these threads. I wonder if they're around here but just lurking....

Claire

I know we have several members of the weasel family: weasels, fisher and otters, and of course skunks. We only rarely see them, though, except for the skunks. They tend to be out when I am not (evening and night) and are pretty shy around people. I've never seen one well enough to take a photo, but I have occasionally seen them - a pair of fishers one night on the road, a weasel that was half white and half brown in the middle of his spring color change, but showing up well against a late spring snow, or an otter popping up through the ice of a frozen pond or a couple times snow slides otters made down to the stream. Only one or two memorable sightings of each in the 35 years I've lived in NH, so it was a lucky sighting, Starsplitter.

We do have fishers around here, at least others have heard and seen them, but I think the sighting was roadkill, not a live fisher.

Claire

This afternoon some friends were in the gardens with me. Suddenly, the husband exclaims, "that's a weasel"! He'd spotted my buddy the cinnamon-colored weaselette popping up from a stone wall close to the house and scurrying down the stone walled slope into some shrubs. I got a glimpse of it -- the same one or its twin or mate that was on the front steps. But this sighting was out back. So, at least I know that I'm not seeing things ;) This is like the petite dachshund of weasels. Long, low, and small. I couldn't get a look at the tail to see if it had a black tip. I suspect it is a 'long tailed weasel'. We are surrounded by woods, wetlands, brooks, pond, vernal pools. We have a lot of dry-laid stone walls and stone walls are all throughout the adjacent woods. We have a lot of chipmunks, white footed mice, red and gray squirrels and cottontails.

I've been reading a lot lately about weasels and mustelids (there's more than one's stomach can bear on YouTube. I don't have an chickens for the weasels to raid.

I've seen a road kill fisher as well, Claire. Did you get a good look at their claws and teeth? Beautiful fur.

NHBabs, was that weasel you saw on the small side? My weasel is probably only about 5 to 6 inches long, excluding its tail. I hope he leaves my huge frog and garter snake alone (they live in that area). I haven't noticed any apparent reduction in the chipmunk or red squirrel population. Weasel is welcome to all the voles and moles.

I'd love for weasel to hold still long enough for me to get a photo, or at least a better look at it. Such a cool critter, albeit with a serial killer rep.

Starsplitter, I am fairly sure that the two weasels I have seen (one dead & the one alive I mentioned above) were both short-tailed based on their small size.

We do notice that when we have a more active level of preditors (weasels, foxes, and coyotes along with owls and hawks) that the small rodent population decreases. DH has spotted both a fox and a coyote in the last week, so I am hoping that they decide to vole hunt. Right now I am overrun.

starsplitter: I wasn't the one who saw the fisher roadkill, it was a neighbor.

I just checked the MA State Mammal list to see what might be around and found this:

I've never seen any of them.

That Long-tailed Weasel is really cute, although that's easy to say when it's so small. A six-foot long weasel would scare me to death, cute or not.

Claire

Thanks, NHBabs. This critter moves so fast and appears and disappears so quickly, it's been hard for me to 'inspect' it or to notice it's tail. I've watched some videos this morning of long-tailed weasels, including the similar California long tailed weasel. What has blown me away is how small they are (my critter is small snout to rump). I thought it was a "baby" but apparently these little KMs (killing machines) are not that large and can take prey larger than themselves (although mice and mole/voles are fine too). I've read that you don't put feeders up in warmer weather because of black bears. We put a few up during the day (bears are okay with that too, but so far, it's been okay). Unfortunately, the white footed mice (tick host), chipmunks and squirrels are numerous. Ditto with the deer ticks. The more acorns, seeds, goodies, the larger the rodent population followed by a boost in rodent predators. My neighbor has seen red foxes and of course we have a lot of hawks (not enough).

My game cam is a cheapy and the PIR no longer works, but maybe I could set it up and get lucky.

Claire, thanks for that chart. The fisher has incredibly sharp teeth and claws. I believe that they can make a screaming baby cry (which I think is what one of my neighbors heard one evening while in a tree blind -- kept her in check for over an hour, hahaha).

ETA -- forgot to say that I loved the photos of the outraged fox. Great shot! That must have been something to see and hear. Loved the waxwings too - and in the pool of water! I planted a lot of fruiting trees for them but have only noticed them once at a euro cranberry bush viburnum. I have a Hawthorn now (got to "move" it sometimes, it's already large, eek). One of my neighbors has a mountain ash and may be able to get me a sucker.

ETA-2 -- about a month ago, that same neighbor spotted a peregrine falcon on the side of the road (apparently hit by car or truck), just outside of Keene, NH. Gorgeous bird. I'd never seen one in the flesh and it was in pristine condition. I took photos of its wings, talons. She didn't want to leave it by the road to get, well, ick; so she brought it to show me and said she would do what we usually do with window hits or similar -- offer it to the woodland creatures. I took the falcon to a wildlife sanctuary so they can show birders and children the wings and so on. What an incredible looking falcon (stunning, and no pun) and so sad that it succumbed to a truck. The sanctuary manager thought that it might have been just passing through the area. I believe UNH or Keene State has some sort of a program for peregrines. It was not banded.

An hour ago I heard a gobble coming from my driveway. I looked out and saw a hen. and grabbed my camera (reflex action). Another big gobble and I saw a tom following her, putting on a display. They went all around my house to the back garden. She appeared to be ignoring him, but he persisted. She just kept on foraging and finally disappeared into the woods. Deflated, he couldn't seem to figure out how she got around the fence and went into the woods in a different direction.

You can see the object of his affection in the background of this pic.

I was happy to see this in person for the first time!

Susan

Beautiful, Susan! Turkeys are special, particularly when the toms are in their glory.

Claire

Claire, thanks for the Mustelidae chart. I noticed skunks weren't on there, and looked them up to find that they are no longer considered to be in that family.

Handsome turkey, Susan. I see them fairly often, and still haven't gotten used to it.

Buddy. I love this guy. I think there are 2 males and 3 females here now. Time to make more syrup - it's going much faster with a larger crowd. I have seen all 5 at once. And I planted a 6' long raised bed on the deck with cherry zinnias and red nicotiana alata for them. Have to feed them well for 5 months.

one more

He makes flying upside down look simple. Eastern swallowtail.

Thanks for posting a great article, Jane!

Claire

Today two male grackles suddenly started a fierce battle; I don't know what precipitated it. At first the battle took place under a shrub but then moved out into the open where my camera was waiting. One male finally flew away, leaving a triumphant male on site.

Claire

Now that's a serious fight. Just watching Nature all these years made me stop buying Christmas cards that read, "Let there be Peace on Earth". There was a similar, lengthy fight here between 2 male cowbirds that lasted for minutes and covered about 40 ft of land. Blood was drawn and they rolled into a garden and under the fence. Probably survived to peck again another day. Females are easier, lol.

That's a great picture of the cowbird battle, Jane! The breeding season is so unpredictable - the grackle males suddenly start fighting yet they also fly off with a beakful of food to bring back to the nest, and they proudly shepherd the fledglings to the feeders.

Of course, that doesn't apply to the cowbirds who don't get involved with the nitty-gritty of raising babies.

I don't usually see grackles actually fighting, although there have been a few incidents lately - maybe the same two males? Usually there's just the strutting around with the bill pointed up and the chest puffed out.

I'm glad to have them here though - I enjoy watching them and they eat caterpillars that defoliate trees.

Claire

Wow, thank you, Jane, for posting the Machias Island migration article.

I went back and forth over posting this on the Hummingbird Migration thread or here but I decided it was a good counterbalance to the two really violent battles between male grackles and male cowbirds.

Two male hummingbirds were jousting over a feeder - no blood, no feathers lost; it seemed to be more of a choreographed show. There are two other feeders in the area, one next door and one on the other side of the house, but this one seems to be most popular - maybe because it's partly embedded in a rose so it's easy to hang around and defend it.

Claire

Watching The Rolling Stones videos for entire nights is not my intention when clicking on a Claire bird video. I don't understand what happens to me.

Lots of violence and sadness... the grackles and cowbirds and the Keene falcon ... mixed in with grace of butterflies and that magnificent display from the Tom.

And,of course, I loved all the hummers. We haven't seen any for quite a while ... is it because our neighbors don't have flowers and so they moved on to better pickings? We still put out the feeders and are hopeful.

Still, there have been some recent visitors.

Most morning a Mama duck brings her brood to our feeders. We enjoy watching the babies mature and become more independent grazers.

A few of the babies

A chipmunk has made a home in our gardens. He/she travels through the grass, tail up, from the nest to feeders. Love this little guy!

And a young deer has been grazing along the river's edge.

Ears up, heading back into the woods.

All wonderful - keep the cameras rolling. Nice deer, moliep.

It's a wonder more mothers don't quit. They're now slightly larger than mom starling, and pesty...holy cow. Each one was getting a whole worm and she just kept at it.

Jane

Jane - I think that last photo is a clear definition of the word demanding.

This thread is getting long so I'm setting up Birds and other mobile features....#6. As always, you can continue the discussion here, but new topics are better put on the new thread.

Claire