The Bird Thread

[Amy SF]

 

[Lou]

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/rq1rzg

 

[Lou]

On my hike yesterday some of the Birders got into a long conversation about the Berkely Falcons. Unbeknownst to me this has been a hot topic. Kind of like a soap opera with romance, rivalry, death, births, disappearances, reunions and recovery in the story line.
The falcons have a web cam and millions of followers worldwide.
I'm just now starting to catch up.

Cal Falcons

calfalcons.berkeley.edu

History | Cal Falcons

calfalcons.berkeley.edu

 

[Amy SF]

NPR Cookie Consent and Choices

Christian Cooper, the bird-watching Black man who was the target of false accusations during an encounter in New York City's Central Park in 2020, has a new TV show airing on National Geographic.

The channel announced this week that Cooper, a lifelong bird-watcher, will host a series called Extraordinary Birder. In the series, Cooper will take viewers into the "wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds," according to National Geographic.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

I saw two hawks some time ago.
And when I sit still for a long time writing and drawing under a tree, all sort of birds come close to me. I'm a Disney princess.

I have been thinking for a while now that instead of an adopted pet, I'd like to start feeding birds. I just wonder how to do that without contributing to a rat issue...

 

[KLS52]

I feed my birds and end up with squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, more recently deer, and now a wee little mouse who comes during the night…I see him on the trail cam up on the deck searching through the crumbs lol. I’m not sure there is a foolproof way of keeping unwanted critters away. For me, I don’t mind feeding them all. Of course, rats would be an issue. And even the mice can find their way into the house.

 

[Lou]

I have been thinking for a while now that instead of an adopted pet, I'd like to start feeding birds. I just wonder how to do that without contributing to a rat issue...

My sister is a big big big bird feeder. she has squirrel proofed her bird feeders. I can give you details if you want. I think what works for squirrels - works for rats. Howerer there are nearby better things for the rats to eat - like oranges in the orange trees.

BTW, its become an expensive hobby. My sister buys two kinds of bird food. One with sunflower seeds and one with millet. (I don't remember the reason why.) plus she makes up stuff for the oriole feeder and stuff for the humming bird feeder. and lately she has been buying parakeet food, too. The bird feeders get refilled each day.

 

[Lou]

One of my hiking friends took up bird photography over the lock down. I invited him over to my sister's house last week to take pictures . Here are some of our favorites

Oh, and yes, there is a parakeet that comes to visit twice a day.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

One of my hiking friends took up bird photography over the lock down. I invited him over to my sister's house last week to take pictures . Here are some of our favorites

Oh, and yes, there is a parakeet that comes to visit twice a day.

View attachment 27407View attachment 27408View attachment 27409View attachment 27410View attachment 27411View attachment 27412View attachment 27413View attachment 27414View attachment 27415View attachment 27416View attachment 27417View attachment 27418View attachment 27419

Amazing photos!

 

[Deleted member 3018]

My sister is a big big big bird feeder. she has squirrel proofed her bird feeders. I can give you details if you want. I think what works for squirrels - works for rats. Howerer there are nearby better things for the rats to eat - like oranges in the orange trees.

BTW, its become an expensive hobby. My sister buys two kinds of bird food. One with sunflower seeds and one with millet. (I don't remember the reason why.) plus she makes up stuff for the oriole feeder and stuff for the humming bird feeder. and lately she has been buying parakeet food, too. The bird feeders get refilled each day.

I definitely wouldn't want to spent much money for the hobby. But I would be interested if you want to share more info.
I was thinking that maybe I could start growing sunflowers, then collect some of the seeds and the next year grow sunflowers from those seeds and so on and so forth. That's how it would cost me nearly nothing but birds and other animals could get more food and I'd get to spy on them.

 

[Lou]

I definitely wouldn't want to spent much money for the hobby. But I would be interested if you want to share more info.

Well I suppose its like anything else. there are ways to cut corners.

A good bird feeder is not cheap, but I bet you can find them at garage sales and stuff.

One of my sister's bird feeders is "squirrel proof". it has a spring in it and when anything heavier than a bird lands on it the little doors to the seeds close.

Using a seed catcher reduces the mess below the bird feeder You just got to be careful that the squirrels can't get into it.

My sister's other bird feeder is squirrel proof because its on a pole that is too flimsy for squirrels to climb up and too far away from things that a squirrel can jump from.

One of the reasons my sister's hobby is expensive is that is successful. So many birds come to eat the she has to refill her bird feeders everyday. And one of the reasons that the birds come is that the bird feeders are rarely empty. She has been doing this for years and I suspect that a lot of birds have come to rely on the bird food. I think maybe she has even increased the population of local birds.

She has a hummingbird feeder and an oriole bird feeder - they don't get seed but fruit, jelly and sugar water. I really like them.

There are also plants, bushes and trees that attract birds. You probably know more about what is good in your area than I do.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Well I suppose its like anything else. there are ways to cut corners.

A good bird feeder is not cheap, but I bet you can find them at garage sales and stuff.

One of my sister's bird feeders is "squirrel proof". it has a spring in it and when anything heavier than a bird lands on it the little doors to the seeds close.

Using a seed catcher reduces the mess below the bird feeder You just got to be careful that the squirrels can't get into it.

My sister's other bird feeder is squirrel proof because its on a pole that is too flimsy for squirrels to climb up and too far away from things that a squirrel can jump from.

One of the reasons my sister's hobby is expensive is that is successful. So many birds come to eat the she has to refill her bird feeders everyday. And one of the reasons that the birds come is that the bird feeders are rarely empty. She has been doing this for years and I suspect that a lot of birds have come to rely on the bird food. I think maybe she has even increased the population of local birds.

She has a hummingbird feeder and an oriole bird feeder - they don't get seed but fruit, jelly and sugar water. I really like them.

There are also plants, bushes and trees that attract birds. You probably know more about what is good in your area than I do.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Few times I have seen a bird that almost resembles ciconia nigra, but I think it was smaller. Long peak and I think it might have been reddish in colour too, but can't remember clearly.
I'm probably wrong about what bird it was. It just looked so strange. Like an sandpiper but colours resembling male mallard drake, but more black instead of greys and browns. And then the funny long peak. But it wasn't annas clypeata either. The peak was long and narrow and I think it was also reddish in colour if I remember correctly.

 

[Blues]

I definitely wouldn't want to spent much money for the hobby. But I would be interested if you want to share more info.
I was thinking that maybe I could start growing sunflowers, then collect some of the seeds and the next year grow sunflowers from those seeds and so on and so forth. That's how it would cost me nearly nothing but birds and other animals could get more food and I'd get to spy on them.

You could consider a liquid feeder. 1 cup of sugar to 1 litre of water mimics nectar in the wild .

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Few times I have seen a bird that almost resembles ciconia nigra, but I think it was smaller. Long peak and I think it might have been reddish in colour too, but can't remember clearly.
I'm probably wrong about what bird it was. It just looked so strange. Like an sandpiper but colours resembling male mallard drake, but more black instead of greys and browns. And then the funny long peak. But it wasn't annas clypeata either. The peak was long and narrow and I think it was also reddish in colour if I remember correctly.

Oh duh! It was Haematopus ostralegus. Of course.

@Blues That is a great idea. For bees and other insects? And then birds eat the insects?

 

[Chryssie]

I am on Audubon's email list and this is a new article. Enjoy the pictures!

The 2022 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners and Honorable Mentions

A fledgling raptor learning to hunt. Grouse aiming to impress. Two grebes vying for a meal. This year’s winners caught amazing moments.

www.audubon.org

 

[Blues]

@Blues That is a great idea. For bees and other insects? And then birds eat the insects?

Never thought of it like that StrangeOtter , but yes you do could that.
Depends on your country and the bird life.
Its a winter thing down here for these little wax eyes

I start of with a wine bottle then when the numbers go up I just use a bucket upside down .They clean it out in a day about a 8 cups of sugar and 8 litres of water.
if you get wasps hanging around just spray vegetable oil on the bottle they won’t land on it

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Never thought of it like that StrangeOtter , but yes you do could that.
Depends on your country and the bird life.
Its a winter thing down here for these little wax eyes

I start of with a wine bottle View attachment 27454then when the numbers go up I just use a bucket upside down .They clean it out in a day about a 8 cups of sugar and 8 litres of water.
if you get wasps hanging around just spray vegetable oil on the bottle they won’t land on it
View attachment 27455

Wow. That's cool!

 

[Deleted member 3018]

 

[shyvas]

You could consider a liquid feeder. 1 cup of sugar to 1 litre of water mimics nectar in the wild .

Never add sugar to water for birds. Most of them do not tolerate sugar and will have serious health problems. Just leave a
bowl of plain water out for them.