Topic: The Birdwatching Thread

[HeliDriver]

Okay, it's official. I'm old and boring. Just need to get me a Tilley hat, some zip-off pants and a fanny pack and I'll be all set. 

My wife bought a bird feeder for the yard last fall, and we've been getting into this birdwatching thing. Mostly we get sparrows (white capped?), chickadees and juncos, but also the odd mountain bluebird. My wife could give you all the details, and knows their calls, but I'm not quite that keen yet.

We went for a walk along a stream/wetland area near our house last night and saw two pairs of harlequin ducks and a few red-winged black birds. The harlequins are apparently rare here (our town, not the general area) so people say that was a big deal. They're very cool looking birds and we got a good view of them for quite a while. Not my picture:

[ChaosphereIX]

my wife's nickname on the street is Snow White, because our backyard is always filled with animals:

squirrels, sometimes up to 6-7 at a time
chipmunks
rabbits, sometimes entire families
bluejays
sometimes up to 3 or 4 Red Cardinals
red headed woodpeckers
many tiny finches
red wing blackbirds
hummingbirds
a couple of times a huge heron
lots and lots of ducks, at one point we had over 30 in our backyard
a pair of geese are regulars too
a pitbull mix that wants to eat all of the above

ducks:

[HeliDriver]

^^ lol. And what about that “fanny” pack of mine?   

[rrocket]

Many people don't like the sparrows, as they are a common bird and can drain the feeder.

What kind of seeds you using in the feeder?

Also...birdwatching and birding are different. When you sit and watch your feeder, you are birdwatching. When you physically go and look for them, you are birding.

FWIW, if you can recognize their songs, it counts as a bird seen even if you never see the bird.

[Railton]

^^ lol. And what about that “fanny” pack of mine?   

...or the requisite pony tail?
Railton

[HeliDriver]

Many people don't like the sparrows, as they are a common bird and can drain the feeder.

What kind of seeds you using in the feeder?

Also...birdwatching and birding are different. When you sit and watch your feeder, you are birdwatching. When you physically go and look for them, you are birding.

FWIW, if you can recognize their songs, it counts as a bird seen even if you never see the bird.

No idea what kind of seeds my wife is using. But I know there’s no issue with the sparrows draining it too quickly. If anything, she’s started filling it less than half full because she’s worried about the seeds going rancid before they can all get eaten.

I know we have one kind of bird that is apparently a bully and will chase all the others away. Nuthatch, maybe? Or could be the juncos?

Apparently there’s a pileated woodpecker in a tree down the street. Wife just put out a suet feeder to attract it.

Horrible picture from 5 years ago in our back yard. I wasn’t really into birds then, but heard the horrible racket and thought WTF? Took a snap for my wife.

[rrocket]

I'm jealous...we get Downy and Red Bellied woodpeckers....nothing that big. FWIW, those woodpeckers usually need a special suet feeder with a tail rest to feed.

Nuthatches are usually very small and are pretty timid. Juncos usually are ground feeders and eat off the ground (usually). I wonder what your bully bird is? For us, it's Grackles.

If not already, try using black oil sunflower seeds...they attract a wide amount of birds.

[HeliDriver]

^^ That’s pretty cool. We were mountain biking along a ridge in Invermere a year or two ago and stopped for a rest. Bald eagle came soaring by right at eye level and pretty close. Would be neat to have those near the house.

My wife says it’s the red breasted nuthatches that are the bullies. Apparently they barge in and scare away the chickadees.

And we’re using the black oil sunflower seeds, hulled to avoid the mess. Apparently there are mixes that are good around here too, but the chickadees are fussy and will throw all the stuff they don’t like on the ground. 

We’re on our way to walk the dog soon. Wife saw a kingfisher at the pond there the other day, as well as a northern flicker that’s been hanging out for a while.

[rrocket]

^^ That’s pretty cool. We were mountain biking along a ridge in Invermere a year or two ago and stopped for a rest. Bald eagle came soaring by right at eye level and pretty close. Would be neat to have those near the house.

My wife says it’s the red breasted nuthatches that are the bullies. Apparently they barge in and scare away the chickadees.

And we’re using the black oil sunflower seeds, hulled to avoid the mess. Apparently there are mixes that are good around here too, but the chickadees are fussy and will throw all the stuff they don’t like on the ground.  [emoji14]

We’re on our way to walk the dog soon. Wife saw a kingfisher at the pond there the other day, as well as a northern flicker that’s been hanging out for a while.

I prefer un-hulled. They won't spoil. Yes the hulls fall to the ground..but it's biodegradable right? Having them hulled will prevent nuisance birds too. And any seeds that fall to the ground attract ground feeders. Win, win.

We live on the water, so we see many bald eagles here and all manner of water birds. We're also on a migration corridor, so the spring and fall is great here. We live a few KM from Holiday Beach conservation area and they have a Festival of Hawks every year during the migrating period. Down another 40kms is another birding hot spot at Point Pelee..the southern most tip of Canada. Many rare birds show up in these places (though not rare, even had a lost pelican here the one year) in both spring and fall...in addition to being a stop of the massive monarch butterfly migration.

http://hbmo.ca

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/decouvrir-discover/fall

[rrocket]

Oh...if you want to watch an interesting, kinda funny movie about birding, check out The Big Year. Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson all doing their "big year" in birding.

[HeliDriver]

^^ yeah, just saw an article about that. Will definitely check it out.

Saw that belted kingfisher at the dog pond today. Watched it in the trees for 20 minutes, waiting for it to dive for a fish, then just as we were leaving my wife heard a splash and turned around to see it back in the tree with a fish it had caught. Oh, well.

And then a ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeder in the back yard just as I got home.

[rrocket]

^^ yeah, just saw an article about that. Will definitely check it out.

Saw that belted kingfisher at the dog pond today. Watched it in the trees for 20 minutes, waiting for it to dive for a fish, then just as we were leaving my wife heard a splash and turned around to see it back in the tree with a fish it had caught. Oh, well.

And then a ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeder in the back yard just as I got home.

That's really cool! I don't see them as much as you'd think given all the water here. Saw a tiny Kingfisher at a creek by the road. He was sitting on the cement edge looking into the water. Didn't see him dive, but I'm guessing he was hunting tad poles since he was so tiny!

Hummingbirds are cool! If you get up in the morning just before they start feeding, you can hold the feeder in your arm and stand still...and they will come and feed. It's really cool how loud their wing beats are!

[HeliDriver]

My wife watched the kingfisher dive for fish a bunch of times the other day, but I guess it wasn’t as hungry today. We go there a lot with the dog, so I’m sure I’ll see it fish eventually.

And, yeah, it was the noise of the hummingbird that got my attention. I’ve heard them buzzing through the yard before, but this was the first time I got a good look. My wife just bought a hummingbird feeder a few days ago, so he was hanging out there. I guess we’ll see more of them now.

[rrocket]

My wife watched the kingfisher dive for fish a bunch of times the other day, but I guess it wasn’t as hungry today. We go there a lot with the dog, so I’m sure I’ll see it fish eventually.

And, yeah, it was the noise of the hummingbird that got my attention. I’ve heard them buzzing through the yard before, but this was the first time I got a good look. My wife just bought a hummingbird feeder a few days ago, so he was hanging out there. I guess we’ll see more of them now.

Buy an orange hummingbird feeder as you'll get Orioles too!

Or put out a shallow, brightly colored cup of grape jelly...orioles go nuts for it!

[Brig]

Okay, it's official. I'm old and boring. Just need to get me a Tilley hat, some zip-off pants and a fanny pack and I'll be all set. 

My wife bought a bird feeder for the yard last fall, and we've been getting into this birdwatching thing. Mostly we get sparrows (white capped?), chickadees and juncos, but also the odd mountain bluebird. My wife could give you all the details, and knows their calls, but I'm not quite that keen yet.

We went for a walk along a stream/wetland area near our house last night and saw two pairs of harlequin ducks and a few red-winged black birds. The harlequins are apparently rare here (our town, not the general area) so people say that was a big deal. They're very cool looking birds and we got a good view of them for quite a while. Not my picture:

Nothing wrong with convertible pants.  I wear them all the time.   . Great thread, by the way.

One of my favourite online resources is allaboutbirds.org :  https://www.allaboutbirds.org  They have bird cams, and rather extensive "biographies" about the birds you're looking for (migration maps, sounds, images, etc.)  I got interested in birds once I started hiking, and haven't looked back.

Kingfishers are awesome.  There's a pair that fishes in the big pond/creek bend at my boyfriend's property in Dundalk.  We've spent many hours watching them (quietly).  They are a bit skittish.

[HeliDriver]

^^ Thanks for the info. I think I’ve been on that site a few times already. There’s also an app that my wife wants me to buy: Sibley’s, I believe. She swears by it.

And kind of off-topic, but what the heck... my dad used to collect carved, stone figurines. I always thought they were neat, but have kept them boxed up for the past 6-7 years, just because we’re not crazy about knickknacks cluttering up the house.

Anyway, just went digging through the box to find this one in particular. Super cool hummingbird, carved out of I’m not sure what kind of rock. It’s mostly blue-green, with a beautiful blue iridescence when the light hits it right.

It’s a shame to put it back in a box, so am going to leave him on the shelf now.

[rrocket]

That's not a hummingbird IMO..

Some type of shorebird/water feeding bird...that's a stabbing beak

Sure is beautiful! You have more? Would love to see them!

[rrocket]

My set up..

[Railton]

That's a lot of lawn ya got there Ron - no wonder you hate mowing!
Railton

[rrocket]

That's a lot of lawn ya got there Ron - no wonder you hate mowing!
Railton

66x180 iirc

Shocked no one is breaking my balls for no trimming along the fence! (It started to rain)