Any Bird Feeders: 2nd edition

Brian Klawitter wrote:

I just have a duck next to my boat making more ducks.
Kinda cool, she’s already on the grill.

BK, that is hilarious! I love seeing ducks wandering around this time of year. There was one in my office’s parking lot this morning, a beautifully colored drake, but he flew away as I approached for a photo.

We have an eastern phoebe living at our deer shack. She’s been nesting there on the back window trim for many years. It’s fun to see her when we’re up there and I’m glad to see she’s been adding to her nest this spring.

We’ve been seeing lots of chickadees, cardinals, and LBBs at my feeders. LBBs are “Little Brown Birds”, a phrase my Grandpa Root would use for sparrows, finches, wrens, etc. Sometimes those LBBs move too quickly and I don’t get a good look to see which one they are, so it’s easier just to call them LBBs.

Had a male ruby-throated hummingbird on a feeder this morning. First for the year! At 35 degrees, I felt bad for the little fella!

H birds showed up by us today also!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Had a male ruby-throated hummingbird on a feeder this morning. First for the year! At 35 degrees, I felt bad for the little fella!

You probably saved his life. Are there many wild flowers blooming?

mplspug wrote:

You probably saved his life. Are there many wild flowers blooming

Not too much. Crabapples shouldn’t be too far off.

Got some shots of the Glossy Ibis hanging out with the White Ibis in our backyard. Wish I had the tripod ready. They seem really similar, but the Glossy’s in flight are more deliberate than the Whites. They will circle and glide around before finally landing somewhere. I only knew of white Ibis until a few months ago.

Those are some striking birds Pug. Thanks for the pics. Beautiful. What are they eating? Bugs perhaps?

I think on land they eat mostly insects and grubs, water meat they can find when the probe their beaks into the dirt. I’m guessing in my yard a lot of grubs and cockroaches. Thankfully pest control keeps the roaches out of the house, but whenever I move a pot or dig a little I always find little roaches.

Happened across 3 scarlet tanagers today! I’ve previously only seen 1 in my entire life. Such a striking bird.

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That’s a find. I had one at the feeders early this spring but it was only here the once that I know of.

I’ve never seen a scarlet Tanger. I’m still waiting on a painted bunting.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Happened across 3 scarlet tanagers today! I’ve previously only seen 1 in my entire life. Such a striking bird.

that’s cool. mine was around all day yesterday but didn’t see him today. he was on the suet feeder a lot yesterday!!!

Where do Orioles nest ? Today I saw a small ( I assume) juvenile Oriole in the landscaping by the deck. I’ve seen males and females on the feeder. Is there a nest near by ?

BTW it was colored like a male, but half the size.

I had one this afternoon never seen one before.

Orioles build hanging nests like baskets in big trees.

Thanks Pug. I’ll have to look. We have alot of those in the neighborhood.

wkw wrote:

BTW it was colored like a male, but half the size.

Might it have been an American restart? We’ve had them hanging around here this weekend, and they’re smaller than an oriole.

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That’s what I was thinking. Easily confused if the Red-Start is in motion.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

BTW it was colored like a male, but half the size.

Might it have been an American restart? We’ve had them hanging around here this weekend, and they’re smaller than an oriole.

I, too, had one of these American Redstarts show up this weekend. Took the kid and I a little bit to figure out what it was because I have never seen one before. But yes, significantly smaller than an Oriole.

Red-Starts are fun to watch while they chase bugs. Busy little suckers.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Happened across 3 scarlet tanagers today! I’ve previously only seen 1 in my entire life. Such a striking bird.

Lucky!

I used to see a lot of red starts when fishing the river. They like hanging out in the brush and trees along the bank. Occasionally I would see some in bushes at the house in spring.

Might it have been an American restart?

I didn’t get a photo but going to try this long weekend.
This Redstart came out from under a dock at the Harbor Bar yesterday. I had the help of Carpenters Nature Center to ID it. Never seen one before!

PS Update on mallard hen sitting on 11 eggs on the grill…
She gave up on them and there’s drakes courting her again. I wonder how she knew they weren’t going to hatch? She might have been on them for 35 days, then just left them.

How do I attract Bluebirds and what do they like to eat ?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Happened across 3 scarlet tanagers today! I’ve previously only seen 1 in my entire life. Such a striking bird.

Friday 2 came thru, Sunday 1. Once you’ve spotted a scarlet tanager you’ll never miss another. 20 some years ago we spotted 2 in tree tops. This year makes the 3rd in a row they’ve come down from tree tops chasing bugs in new leaf growth.

All the while the redstarts are flitting about in lower brush leaves.

Indigo buntings & Orioles are plentiful, yellow finches, rosy finches, grosbeaks, cardinals, ruby throated hummers, so far.

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wkw wrote:

How do I attract Bluebirds and what do they like to eat ?

Attracting Bluebirds: Tips and FAQs

Good place to start. They can be challenging if they are not located in your local area.

I love those Indigo Buntings and we just don’t seem to get any here. I’d trade the Indigos for sparrows in a heartbeat.

Today 2 tanagers enjoying a few seeds. Can’t say we’ve seen that before. Normally insect eaters.

Many Orioles grabbing some grape jelly and orange pulp.

One male ruby throated hummer. Been here close to a week al alone. We normally feed 4-12 hummers all summer. Odd to just have this one little feller flitting about.

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Kurt, is that an indigo bunting on the ground with the tanagers? Where are you located? I’ve only seen one bunting in MN. They’re beautiful. My SIL gets them regularly in VA, so I’ve seen them there.