Hope it is okay to test houzz's upload display difference between cropped vs. uncropped photos. (if you want this deleted, Claire, I will.)

Uncropped

Cropped

Looks fairly similar to my eye, Jane, just bigger, so easier to see.

Several mornings in the last couple weeks there have been warblers (I have no ability to ID non-breeding plumage on warblers, but the beaks and body are key to the general type of bird) in the shrubbery out front and in the dogwood by the kitchen window. I imagine that they, along with the phoebes and other flycatchers will be leaving once it gets colder, but for now they seem happy to forage since the bugs are still out in full force. The mosquitoes chased me in from the garden yesterday about this time, but today the breeze is keeping them at bay.

I love towhees but have yet to see one out here. Can't remember if they're in my Z6 range -- will check. Added WPMillet, nuts, and fruit to my BOSS this year, so we'll see. All the birds that loved my safflower, now won't touch it.

Lumpectomy outcome definitely stellar, thank you. And thank you all for the bird magazine/membership comments.

Delighted for you, Pat!

Jane

She was right outside my window supping zinnias. Someday I'll have to investigate what the gold is for on the end of the antennae and in the dragonfly's wings.

Painted Lady

Don't know which dragonfly this is, but the gold blocks are interesting.

He swears he did not bite his brother.

Seriously, I didn't!

I thought BC Chickadees and Terns were hard to capture because they don't stay in place for long, but, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is the fastest. (I want to write flitteriest.) This guy flits faster than all the others in the yard. There are 2 of them here, but I have yet to see the male who sports the ruby-crown. Oh, well, I'm (cough) young yet, lol.

Jane

Well, it's the middle of October and no Juncos have arrived. At this point, there is no frost forecast either through the end of month. In previous years, Juncos have made their way here by this time and then it snowed a bit within 2 weeks of their arrival. Not this year.

A pileated woodpecker was in my favorite maple tree yesterday. Fortunately, he was preening and not making holes. I've always said that if that maple goes, I'll be going with it, so we'll see.

Jane

Not my photo, but a parent at school captured this bald eagle at school drop-off this morning!

Beautiful photo, suzabanana! Better to see a bald eagle at the school drop-off than a vulture.

It was a chilly night last night and this morning a cardinal seemed to be soaking up the sun this morning. It looks like a young male so this may be his first winter coming up. He looks more quizzical than the usual suspicious cardinal expression.

Those are winterberries behind him and for once the berries are redder than the cardinal. At first I wondered if the cardinal had a striped tail but then I realized that these are shadows (I once emailed a photo of a striped bird to an expert and got the response that it was a catbird in shadows).

Claire

The Painted Ladies love the Tithonia (Mexican Torch sunflower). I have the orange in the vegetable garden and and the yellow near the house.

This junco showed up today. First one this Fall.

This is what's left of the Swiss chard (Bright Lights) in the veggie garden. Looks pretty sad, but left it there for now since deer are making good use of it! They are also tanking up on the winter rye.

So glad we could get together for a drink after work.

Susan

Susan, really wonderful! Were all of those taken in October? I envy you. Hoping that my future plans result in more "visitors," but for now I can only hope to have that kind of diversity.

Thank you, Deanna. Yes, the butterfly on the Tithonia was just taken yesterday, as was the junco. The deer and bluebirds within the last week (we have them year round). We haven't had a frost, and some annual flowers continue to bloom. I think this has likely delayed the butterfly migration.

Super shots, Susan! Please keep the Juncos till Christmas... thanks. :)

Like right church, wrong pew, the eagle was on the other side of the Connecticut River last week. However, it was a joy to see him or her. (Eagle is at the bottom of the 2 on the roof)

Thanks to cropping...

Not sure if this is a Fish Crow or American Crow, but I like crows and he had a good driftwood perch. Doesn't that neck radius ability look similar to an owl's?

The mums add a nice touch to the sandbar. There must be a gardener in a boat somewhere. Those are common Mergansers with gulls on the sandbar.

Susan, your birdbath is really gorgeous. Did you make it yourself? I seem to have a thing for birdbaths and this summer almost spent a small fortune for a very tall concrete one from Germany. A neighbor set me straight with her speculation of how I would ever get it out of my trunk since I'd hate to pay an extra fee for delivery. May have to dream of it this winter and then splurge in spring if I get to feeling sorry enough for myself. But if you made yours, I may have a new plan.

Also, you pictures are stunning and the Swiss Chard is to die for.

Jane -- maple trees and crows. Nothing else matters.

Lovely shots, Susan and Jane!

I really need to get a taller shepherd's hook...

I used to have a squirrel baffle on the pole but they quickly learned that they could jump up on top of it and continue on to the feeder. After they knocked it down a few times I just left it on the ground.

That fog on the left at the beginning of the video is condensation on the kitchen window. It was chilly this morning (but no frost yet).

Claire

Thank you, Pat! The base of the birdbath is a red clay one I bought and my granddaughter and I used some kind of white medium to stick glass beads all over it (art project). The bowl that was on top was done that way too, but disintegrated over time. The pretty blue top that is on it now is just a large plant pot saucer that I was glad to find at a local garden center. It just sits on top (not attached).

Susan

Height looks perfect to me, Claire. Great job, Susan!

The last couple of weeks there has been an eagle hanging out at least part time around the flood plain of the Merrimack River in Concord that I see on my commute to work. No photos since the interstate doesn't offer a good spot for photos.

Everybody needs an umbrella today.

Hope you all fared well in yesterday's NE storm. Claire, are you and your property okay?

Lots of downed branches here, Pat, and the fall pine needle drop was vastly accelerated (boom, the old needles are all on the ground or hanging on shrubs). There are shredded leaves all over the place but no major tree damage.

The power was out for a while last night but the whole house generator switched on seamlessly. I brought in the last of the houseplants yesterday and battened down the deck furniture, gritting my teeth because I still want to be able to eat out there sometimes.

They're talking about possible frost tomorrow night, for Halloween. At least I got my pumpkin carved.

Claire

You NE guys really got socked this year. I am so sorry.

I responded to Jane on Ed's post.

This afternoon I saw a young (all brown) bald eagle and a tufted titmouse. I only quite rarely see titmice (or is it titmouses) here, perhaps because I don't have feeders. So both were unexpected delights.

The first Junco arrived in our yard (to my knowledge) on Nov. 2nd. That's about 3 weeks later than usual. My records show that they have arrived Oct. 12-16 for the past 8 years. So what does this say about how do birds know when to migrate? For these Juncos, I'm guessing that it is about food supply. Today, 11/10/17, there are now 6 of them here and we had a hard frost night before last. They usually foretell snow within 2 weeks of their arrival.

Jane

I have never seen an eagle flip like this, I'm assuming in pure enjoyment of the wind. He was flying right over our house/driveway.

That's wonderful, Deanna! It's almost as if the eagle was performing for the audience (you). They do have great eyesight, and it's sometimes even better to share your joy, even if it's with an earth-bound observer.

Claire

Amazing video, Deanna! That's a new one to me.

I know there is a love/not-so-loved feeling about chippers, but the guy had a great tailor. To me, it is an upside down self-watering flowering pot. To him, it's a new condo.

Northern Mockingbird hiding in the chokeberry.

Bluebirds are out in the open.

I saw Ms.Bluebird through the kitchen window and her disgust at the condition of the birdbath was obvious.

What is that floating in there?

I simply can't drink from that swamp.

Hey, Jane, you want to come clean this?

Jane, I've been thinking of you as I watched the juncos this week, the first one over the weekend. I don't know if I didn't notice them earlier, or if the previously unseasonably warm weather meant that they hung out farther north later than usual.

Is your birdbath made of a frost-proof material? I noticed that we had a skim of ice on the old cattle watering "pond" early this week when it didn't get out of the 30's for a couple of days.

NHBabs, yes, it is. It is THIS BIRDBATH I've had it outside steadily for about 7 years, no problems. It is very popular with everybody (even Juncos) and when I remember, it is not hard to clean.

Jane

Wow. I originally posted this with a link to Amazon for the same product - $10 less - then realized that I had one-click buying turned on and the embedded link showed MY page! Not that I wouldn't have been delighted to buy a heated bath for everybody, but... whoa, still chuckling. I wonder how much my bill would have been? hehehehe, whew!

I have had the same birdbath for maybe 3 years? I bought it after admiring Jane's. I only use during winter months since I have other ones for spring through fall. I will be hooking it up soon!

To the birding experts, how can I have a "safe" birdbath with cats? First, I think do have options. We have a "walk-out basement," meaning the upper level of our house is ground floor on one side and the lower level is ground floor on the other side. The slope between the levels does provide areas where there are overhangs of the house that are too high for cats to reach. I currently have my hummingbird feeder hung outside the kitchen window, about 10' - 15' off the ground. It makes changing the feeder solution a circus as I climb onto the kitchen counter and hang myself out the windows so I can grab it, but the birds are safe. I could do a similar thing with a birdbath if it would really work. Birds swing in the branches. Would they like a suspended bath? Will they come that close to windows? Last year I hung birdseed out a window higher than the kitchen, and I didn't get one bird. I didn't know if it was the windows or the fact that birds weren't aware of the food. I wouldn't say my yard has had much to attract birds in winter for a long time. I've trying to create a bird-friendly environment. Except for woodpeckers, eagles, ospreys, seagulls, and crows (and now a couple of hummers), we're not on the bird travel map. We do have enough crows to make Alfred Hitchcock happy, though. Not exactly my first choice in birds.

Deanna, I'm not an expert on anything, but your bird feeding adventure sounds too hard to me. One thing I do know for sure, is that life is not safe, so do the best you can. None of our cats ever went near the bird bath. They watched the activities, but didn't touch even though one walked the deck railing daily and knew how to hunt. Your cats may brave water, but they may not.

A few simple attempts are shown in this Youtube video Hanging bird bath -start at 1:45

Personally, I'd go for a traditional (ground or pedestal) approach using either a large plant saucer, tag sale variety of any birdbath, or a shallow rubber feed pan, a Rubbermaid dishpan - anything that is a cheap and easy container just to try and see if the birds will come. Small birds aren't safe with ospreys and eagles flying about. Bluejays go into a sparrow's nest and drag a baby out to eat it. Many people will say that your cats shouldn't be outdoors. None of it is our design. Everybody has an opinion on how to 'do' life. I know that the more I learn the less I know, but climbing over a kitchen counter to refill a bird bath sounds a tad too death-defying when your heart is in the right place. IMO - Don't over-think it, keep it simple. Claire may have other opinions and better ideas.

Jane

Deanna: I agree with Jane that you're making your life too hard by limiting yourself to feeders hung 10 to 15 feet off the ground and accessible only by climbing on the kitchen counter. Your intentions are admirable but this kind of effort is not usually sustainable for four seasons; particularly when you don't want to open a window in a snowstorm.

I have neighborhood cats occasionally hunting in my yard, as well as foxes, coyotes, and lately a pair of American minks, but I still get birds at the feeders and the birdbaths. Note that I saw the minks climbing down an oak tree so they do climb. I will occasionally find a pile of feathers on the ground but that could well be the sign of a Cooper's hawk.

A feeder on a shepherd's hook with a baffle should stymie a cat. Hanging suet feeders please other birds besides woodpeckers.

I have both ground birdbaths and a pedestal birdbath and all are used by birds.

Jane's suggestions are good - I would add that you want to place the birdbath fairly near some trees or shrubs where the birds can check out whether it's safe to land there. Heated birdbaths are ideal for the winter but you can also refill rubber baths every day.

Birds are very aware of their environment. They're always watching from the trees or shrubs and give warning if predators are around. As long as they have a relatively concealed place to perch and watch they will know when they can safely eat or drink. Squirrels yell when cats are in the yard too.

I've also been known to chase a neighbor's cat when I saw it hunting (I told the neighbor I would- she was OK with that).

Claire

Before the arrival of bears, for many years I had both a cat and bird feeders. I placed the bird feeder where there was a 10' or so diameter of open ground (lawn) so that the birds would have good sight lines for predators, including the cat who seemed far more interested in mammals. I never saw her catch a bird and I never saw any evidence of bird predation. There were a variety of trees and shrubs just beyond the open area for birds to perch, eat, or shelter from hawks. I imagine that you can do something similar for a bird bath.

Today as I was working outside doing a final tidying up for the season, I saw an immature bald eagle winging its way upriver. At least some eagles remain all winter, moving between areas of open water.

They've done it again! The Junco scout arrived on Nov. 2, but the flock came Nov. 10. It snowed for the first time early this morning. It always snows within 2 full weeks of their arrival. I'd like to have what they have within their consciousness. Amazing. It may be that we do but we don't pay enough attention. Anyway, it snowed.

Hope you get a picture of those minks, Claire. They're fast.

Jane

Well, that's a load off my shoulders! You all gave great advice. You just greatly opened up my birdbath/feeder options. You are indeed right: If they can survive predators in the wild, they're smart enough to survive my yard. And one good thing about Ospreys is that they have a strictly fish diet unless it is absolutely necessary for them to resort to mammals. I've been told they don't get along with eagles, which seemed to be born out this summer when two Osprey couples set up shop around our house and we stopped seeing the eagle(s). The Ospreys are now gone and the eagle is back. While eagles are pretty, I knew the Ospreys wouldn't be a predator for anything in the yard.

I also puzzlingly note that I for some reason feel like I have to capitalize Osprey, but not eagle or any other name. Weird hang-ups...

Deanna - Robin or robin

I struggle with capitalizing Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall myself, Deanna. With bird names it depends on whether I'm identifying them or just mentioning their presence.

I thought about the 'Osprey' situation and it occurred to me that maybe you want to capitalize it because it sounds like a proper name (there's Joe Osprey over there) while everyone knows 'eagle' is a word meaning a bird?

I just saw the first junco of the season this afternoon. Hopefully it's just a scout and not a harbinger of snow.

Claire

Keep track; let's see if 2 weeks is applicable to you as well.

Jane, thanks for the link. I should start capitalizing them all. I assumed I naturally capitalized Osprey because it's a common boat name.

Claire, it can be confusing! I know that Spring is far off, and the spring flowers will eventually come (ignoring the ones blooming now >:-( that is). Spanish is easier. It ain't capitalized unless it really is a name. No capitalization on days of the weeks or months, etc., just names of people, pets, counties, and cities...I think.

That 2-week junco thing is flat out cool. Rad. I've been told the common word for "good" now is Lit. Those juncos are Lit.

(I think it's short for "legitimate," but I'm choosing to believe it's because kids have decided to love Literature. Right?)

Speaking of bird baths, if there was a prize for the most energetic bather, I'd award it to this song sparrow.

Jane - off to refill the bath

Jane, is Lyric Supreme the only mix you feed?

Hi Pat,

No, I also have a tube feeder with BOSS and safflower. Woodpeckers, bluejays, assorted sparrows, cardinals, goldfinches, et al, like the Lyric - and go through 4 lbs a day. The chickadees, nuthatches, titmouses, house finches seem to go more often to the safflower/BOSS feeder. The Lyric has seeds and nuts for all beak sizes. I am a non-discriminating birder. I feed crows, starlings, crackles, anybody that shows up here gets a meal and a drink. Having said that, their seasonal activities affect what I put out and when. I put the safflower and BOSS out originally to discourage the large flock of house sparrows which dominated the feeder and bath in the spring breeding season, to the exclusion of all others. I will stop the Lyric in the early spring when more natural food becomes available and breeding season brings every HS for miles. In summer, I use safflower/BOSS only when there are plenty of bugs and fruit available.

A picture is worth...my feeding area this morning: RB Woodpecker, Juncos, Mourning Dove, Bluejay, Titmouse

Jane

That's a big help, Jane, thank you. I finally woke up and became a non-discriminating feeder also. My mix is similar and local (Meijer Premium Blend) except for corn, which I don't miss; and yes to BOSS in tubes, unless I phase it out to make life simpler.

Do any of you have problems with stray cats at the feeder? I never used to until this year. This one cat has killed several birds including blue jays and mourning doves. I have caught a few younger cats and animal control has adopted them out but the two that I want are still on the loose. I had one the other day but it went so crazy in the trap that it pushed the door open and ran away. I am hoping that when I catch them that the animal control officer will at least find them a shelter. She gets them fixed at a local vet but if she can't find them a home she lets them loose back in the neighborhood.

Hi Ritchie,

No, I don't have a feral cat problem. The doves and other birds at my feeder are mostly at peril due to hawks which happens here about once a week. Bird kills also happen in the woods where I do not have feeders. Feral cats die in the woods as the prey of fisher cats, foxes and coyotes. Everybody's got sumthin'. However, cats do (usually) respond to sight, smell and/or sound. If you repeat an action they dislike, like a whistle, air horn, clapping your hands, running after them, or spray around the feeding area with a citrus oil and water solution, you may have some success in discouraging them to return. But it has to be some repetitive action to drive the point home. Do the best you can with repetitive scare tactics that won't hurt the cat - that's all I can think of other than just accepting life the way Mother Nature designed it and maybe using a window feeder instead of hanging one.

Jane

I guess I'm just lucky. My birds seem to know when a cat or hawk is around and they all disappear. Sometimes I walk around the yard to shoo (sp) off anything that might be hiding. The cats are not stray, they belong to some new neighbors, and they don't seem to mind being shood away -- they're not hungry -- just being cats.

This is just too neat not to share.http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-42087088/nasa-timelapse-paints-most-complete-picture-of-life-to-date

A Northern Mockingbird moment:

Might be ready...

Decisions

Pluck

Nope, not ready yet.

Jane

Great pics, Jane! I'm imagining how exasperating it would be to have a bowl of unripe berries sitting in my house.

This thread is getting long - I'll set up a new one soon (and maybe continue the birds and berries motif).

Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2017 #6

Claire