Bird Watching Club

SoCalLisa

those babies are so cute....

auntienance

I usually get house finch nests in the hanging baskets on my front porch. This year they started a nest in one, but didn't finish. Maybe later I guess.

SoCalLisa

We used to have a hanging spider plant they used for a nest..when the babies were ready to fly the momma bird used the slender leaf for a launching pad, kind like an aircraft carrier, with dad on a tree not far away urging them on. It was quite a sight! Onr year there was one baby who just wouldn't fly..I opened the door and scared him into flight. Awesome!

auntienance

They are so fun to watch.

SoCalLisa

another one

Teka

So far, no ruby-throated hummingbirds at the nectar feeder.

auntienance

Teka, this is a very unusual hummer year for us. Usually by this time we have swarms of them but we barely have one a day. I've only seen a female twice. Don't know what's going on.

luvmygoats

I have a few hummers but then I have lots of wildflowers around. Haying has not yet started so fields full of yellow dandelions - big ones- and thistles so there is lots to choose from. The scissortail flycatchers are back. They are one of my favorites. I only found out this week that they are migratory.

Teka

The old folks believed that they arrived on Mother's Day in the North Country.

Wren44

I hope the robin outside my window finds a mate soon. He starts at 5am and continues till 9pm. Last year we had a robin nest just under our deck roof. Unfortunately, the parent was killed by a hawk, so we didn't get to see them hatch.

coraleliz

I'm hoping that the "mean" birds, scrub jays, mocking birds or crows, don't find the nest with the baby finches. Perhaps that's why the parents built it so close to my door.

auntienance

I saw a male bluebird in one of the houses a male house wren has been stuffing sticks into. That could be trouble.

Teka

BIG trouble!!

SoCalLisa

Wren44

I went outside in my yard this afternoon and a sparrow flew right down by my feet, settled on a leaf and proceeded to eat. No fear of me at all.

SoCalLisa

saw these today...who know what the heck they are

auntienance

Very nice Lisa!

coraleliz

The 1st one's a black neck swan. Not native to SoCal. Travelling?? South America? Very cool birds. I haven't a clue on the others. I use geography to help me identify.

Teka

)

SoCalLisa

Oh, I saw them in an aviary..but even so they wouldn't stand still

I think the one is a black striped sparrow, a sunbittern and

spotted tanager... I took a photo of the list but it is hard to read..

Teka

Finally, I got photos of the black squirrel at the seed feeder and the crow checking out the tulip bed. Skittish!

curveball

Teka, is Essex County anywhere near White Plains? My brother lives there and there are black squirrels in his neighborhood too. I had never seen them before.

SoCalLisa

I took my driving test in White Plains NY in 1958

auntienance

I haven't seen black squirrels for many years!

voraciousreader

Kent, Ohio is noted for their black squirrels... They have an annual black squirrel festival. Finally saw my first one on Long Island a few weeks ago.



Hung my fuschias on my front porch two weeks ago and waited patiently to see my first hummingbird of the season. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when I began watering one and out of the plant flew a hummingbird! Wonder if the planter is it's new home.





Told the DH to water the yard yesterday. Lost two beautiful trees that I planted years ago due to Superstorm Sandy. Till now, had two holes in the ground that had to be filled in, seeded and watered every day. Been dry here these last few weeks despite having sprinklers and one downpour. So the DH watered... And what do you know... that robin followed him around the yard!





Told the DH to stop feeding the birds so much. They are eating so much seed that I am worried they will gain so much weight they won't be able to become airborne. Any ideas about how much food to give them? It seems the more we put out, the more they eat. Lugged a 40 lb bag of seed last week and half of it is gone already...

nesw

Incredible late afternoon in my little (50x50ft) backyard yesterday. Over the years I've transformed it to all native NJ forest understory plants, and it attracts the migrants and summer birds - as do my feeders..... Baltimore oriole, scarlet tanager pair, rose-breasted grosbeak pair, black-throated blue warbler pair, ruby-throated hummer....finally spring!

Marple

Send me your addresses and I'll send you oodles of black squirrels. 

auntienance

Not unless they're better behaved than the red and gray ones!

Marple

LMBO, nope.

coraleliz

They can't behave worse than the Ground Squirrel I've got