Any Bird Feeders: 2nd edition

The night heron is still around. Just walked out on him hanging around the spotlight on our palm. Unfortunately I was letting my pug out who chased him off.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

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.

Correct, we live 14 miles west of Rochester. Had them here for all of the 23 years we’ve lived here. Many feeders making a pit stop but consistently have a 3 or 4 pairs who stay.

Same family grosbeaks belong to so they migrate together often arriving on the same day.

Birds provide such a simple way to enjoy life.

Had a catbird in Cottage Grove and a brown thrasher in Woodbury. They’re not as common lately

Almost resorted to asking you guys what this bird I’ve been seeing around my house was, but finally figured it out today because I got a closer look.

We’ll see if my description is enough to identify it though:
Brown bird, about blue Jay sized, when it flies away it has a white circle on its rump.

Up until today, that’s all I could get, then today I saw that it had a red band on the back of its head. That was enough to find it in the googles.

Rod Bent wrote:

Had a catbird in Cottage Grove and a brown thrasher in Woodbury. They’re not as common lately

We have Catbirds at our Oriole feeders all the time. The Thrashers we saw earlier are now enjoying woods with heavier understory. We see them now when out in the woods snooping for mushrooms if the cover is dense enough.

I’ve never had an oriole stick around. They come to oranges for a day and then they’re gone.

Rod Bent wrote:

I’ve never had an oriole stick around. They come to oranges for a day and then they’re gone.

I never do oranges, I usually eat them myself. I feed them the grape jelly and juice.

I’ve never tried the grape jelly. How do keep the ants out of it?

Never really had issues with ants. I hang the feeders from a Shepard’s hook. For some reason the oroiles leave before the ants get bad so I pull them.

I put the feeders up right before fishing opener and already went through 3 32 oz jars. Now noone had any in the stores.

Catbird, Scarlett and Oriole in the cabin yard at same time this morning. Cool!!! Catbirds are at their best this time of year. Their songs are incredible. Very similar to a Thrasher. The rest of the summer it’s mosty “cat” sounds.

Nice triple!

American redstart, right? Friendly little fellow, just about flew into my lap.

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Right. They are very friendly birds and seem to have no problem chasing bugs right next to you. I can’t get over how nervous they seem but all they’re doing is chasing insects.

Going on day 8 seeing these 2 scarlet tanager males. The good news is we spotted 1 maybe 2 females. Would be fun if they stay.

Dozen orioles stopped in & caught 6 in one pic. 32 oz grape jelly gone in 8 hours.

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First thing I saw this morning was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It plucked a dry stem from a bush. Hoping it nests here. Second bird was a Chestnut-sided Warbler. That was a new one for my life list.
By the way if you haven’t read “The Big Year” I highly recommend it. About fanatics racing each other to see the most bird species in N America in a year. The movie with Steve Martin was so-so. Didn’t do justice to the lengths (literally) that these 3 guys went to. True story too

Darn it. The oriole just showed up and I don’t have anything to give it

My life list got some more warblers today: Blackburnian and Blackpoll plus one I can’t decide about. Tennessee, Connecticut and Mourning are similar, probably a female. She stayed up high so it was hard to see.

Rod Bent wrote:

She stayed up high so it was hard to see.

I have binoculars right here at the computer desk with the window handy and I have binoculars in the TV room plus on the work area in my craft room in the garage. When they get up high or buried in the limbs and leaves the binocs come in handy.

As a bonus, learning and practicing to focus on the multitude of layers that trees offer comes in handy during the deer season when on stand or still hunting.

5 scarlet tanagers today. 2-3 females. Going on day 10 for 2 males.

Female hummer arrived today.

Orioles, finches, grosbeaks & indigo buntings thinned out.

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All our ducklings in a row.
23 May 2019
4 minutes elapsed time.

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Raining pretty good here and I didn’t have time to get the picture but two female mallards just floated by in the street in an inverted garbage can cover being guided by a drake wearing hip boots. Omen perhaps?

Tom Sawvell wrote:

Raining pretty good here and I didn’t have time to get the picture but two female mallards just floated by in the street in an inverted garbage can cover being guided by a drake wearing hip boots. Omen perhaps?

funny. just a lite rain here. yesterday I emptied my 4th 32 oz jar of grape jelly. its getting hard to find it in the stores now. there going nuts on the mealworm too!!!!!!

I don’t recall having this many birds in a long time. did see a female grosebeak, no male yet and that scarlet tanager keeps hanging around!!!!!

Is this a Brown Thrasher?

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Orioles making a nest right outside our window. Full view. Never seen before. As close as it is I’m guessing it’s just a mock attempt but if they follow through I’ll see the whole process close and unabstructed.

Fishspike that is a brown thrasher.
The long tail and beak with a bit of a hook. They look like a roadrunner

Tom I have Audubon Equinox 8×42 binoculars. Really good clear glasses. My eyes are much older than the glasses unfortunately!

One of the bird books has a section called “confusing fall warblers” which helps a little. But boy there’s a lot of olive greenish birds that just don’t stay still.

Added a Veery to my list!

Saw an immature Bald Eagle sitting on the ridge of a neighbor’s house.
I was able to walk up and watch for awhile. It was all bedraggled and disheveled. And if an eagle can look miffed and embarrassed this one did. I realized it was all wet but it hadn’t been raining. Then it dawned on me… This is the neighbor with a swimming pool. Not sure what really happened but the ducks have been hanging around there.
Other birds perched on roofs lately have been mallard drake and Canada goose.

i’ve noticed a decline in birds at the feeders recently, at least with the amount of times i need to refill. me thinks nesting and love in the air are reasons why!!!!!!!!

glenn57 wrote:

me thinks nesting and love in the air are reasons why!!!!!!!!

With a lull in your birding activities are you trying say that you’re going to experience some of this “lovin” stuff? What’s Ma got to say about this?

suzuki wrote:

Orioles making a nest right outside our window. Full view. Never seen before. As close as it is I’m guessing it’s just a mock attempt but if they follow through I’ll see the whole process close and unabstructed.

Orioles nest complete. We may get to witness the whole cycle.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
me thinks nesting and love in the air are reasons why!!!!!!!!

With a lull in your birding activities are you trying say that you’re going to experience some of this “lovin” stuff? What’s Ma got to say about this?

sorry Tom, i never kiss and tell!!!!!!!