We have a Coopers Hawk here right now worrying the sparrow population. When I went out to fill feeders the sparrows flew and that hawk went right after them. I couldn’t tell if he was successful after the whole nine yards hit the park land but the hawk hasn’t returned yet and the sparrows have.
I wonder too what % a hawk, especially a bird eating one, is successful. I know I saw the cardinals evade the hawk one day by flying into thick bushes.
If I learned anything from duck dynasty tonight, its that peregrine falcon hit sucks at 200 mph… 
This is just nuts. Yesterday I saw a Coopers Hawk hanging around the yard a bit chasing sparrows. Late yesterday I saw the hawk atop of a Bittersweet bush where the sparrows like to hide and the inside of the bush had maybe 100 sparrows hiding in the twigs and vines. I put the spotting scope on the hawk and it was indeed a Coopers. Now this morning I find two of the hawks out there, one on the Bittersweet and the other in the neighbor’s walnut tree. There isn’t a bird anywhere in the yard, even in the pine outside my window here or in the bush. I can see the neighbor’s feeder from the window here and there is nothing birdy there either. I’m not sure I like the hawks hanging around if the other birds are going to avoid the feeders. I might have to flip a firecracker out there to persuade the hawks to move on.
Well that was a first. Heard the red shouldered hawks making a racket in our oak tree. Went to take a look and found a couple making baby hawks. The excited calls drew 2 more voyeur hawks circling above the tree.
I haven’t seen the Coopers for a couple days now but I have one Sharp Shinned that is persistent. For those having problems telling the two apart the Coopers has feathers on the upper legs that looks like its wearing baggy pants down to the knees. The Sharp Shinned is slightly smaller and has way fewer leg feathers right above the knee.
The Downy Woodpeckers must be getting ready to breed here soon. The suet cages are busy non-stop in the yard with both male and female birds. And of course I had one rapping on a gutter yesterday so the noise could start any time I guess. I always thought it was warmer when these critters got it on but maybe its a long, drawn out courtship. Even the crows are scarce right now. I wish the starlings would go wherever the crows went.
My finches have thinned out now too, but the chickadees are thick.
Down here I think I saw 1 small flock of starlings. Also, its rare to see a house sparrow. Very weird not to see house sparrows at the feeder, they were always at the feeder in MN.
So tonight on our walk I saw a bunch of starlings. Good timing.
The blackbirds are flocking too. The redwings squawking makes me think of April/spring in Minnesota
Had a flock of swans go over yesterday…not unusual to see here, but highly unusual to see this time of year. What a weird year.
It has been an unusual winter thus far. I can’t get over all the downy woodpeckers we are seeing here. All day long they are on suet. And I haven’t ever seen this many chickadees.
I was watching my feeders the other day and watched a small hawk nail a bird under the feeder. I don’t know what kind of hawk it was but it pretty cool to see him standing there with the bird under his feet.
Stan….
Sharp Shinned and Coopers Hawks are the most common where you are at. There could be others but if the hawk was somewhat smaller than a crow [think a skinny pigeon here] and larger than a Bluejay it was most likely one or the other of those two.
The Mayo Clinic here in Rochester is home to a peregrine falcon or two and its really something to see a pigeon cruising along and get drilled by a bird ripping along at about 100 mph.
As quickly as it happened I don’t even remember what it looked like. I was fascinated by how fast it happened and how accurate he was. After watching it I can see why guys get into falconry . I would love to see a peregrine take out a pigeon that would be pretty cool.
Chilly at 5 degree but bright this morning. The Goldfinches have returned this morning. They’ve been elsewhere for the last three days, at least in the morning. The males are beginning to yellow up quite a bit and they seem to be getting territorial already….seems early for the bickering. The Chickadees almost appear to be getting territorial too.
Out in the park behind our home the big cottonwood tree that acts as a roost for the local Bald Eagles had a visitor late yesterday afternoon….a Golden Eagle. Most likely its one of the resident Goldens from the Whitewater Valley. This is only the second Golden I have seen here this winter, but always a great bird to get a glimpse of. They dwarf a Baldy and are stunning in color if the sun is on them.
Awesome sight Tom. I’ve never seen a golden that I’ve confirmed but there have been some sightings that I wasn’t sure which it was. They were at a distance so it was tough to tell. Those things are quite the predator…
The naturalist in our county has pictures up of a snowy owl that is hanging around. Hard to spot them out in the white abyss though.
To our east the Whitewater Valley has a couple Goldens that winter there, maybe even nest there I guess too. Along the Mississippi River near Alma, Wisconsin there are two pairs that call it home. Its not all that unusual to see a Golden around this area since these birds will range quite freely in a day. I’m pretty sure the one I saw was one from Whitewater, Alma would be a hike for a bird out snooping.
We’ll get Snowy Owls at the cabin at Two Harbors in the winter, but we don’t get up there that often anymore when its white. Getting old ya know and we’ve seen plenty of the winter pretty over the years. Now I like sitting here where its warm and watch my tweeties right out the window. Or big bird in the park’s cottonwood. lol Snowy Owls are a very beautiful bird though.
It has been an unusual winter thus far. I can’t get over all the downy woodpeckers we are seeing here. All day long they are on suet. And I haven’t ever seen this many chickadees.
We have chickadees all winter, but more than usual this year. Woodpeckers: This year it’s the Pileated woodpeckers tearing up my suet. Normally they disappear in the winter up here for a couple weeks or so, but they’ve been thick all year. I resist the urge to clear some of the dead trees and blow downs in my woods, the birds just love them and the Pileated’s make pretty short work of any dead standing birch and alder trunks. Never had them hit the suet so hard this year though.
One thing I don’t have, except for a week or two in Spring and Fall is cardinals. I live in some prime cardinal real estate, but just don’t have many around. We are just on the northern edge of their usual range, but still wish I’d see more.
Not at my feeders, but we have the snow buntings hanging around now near the field edges up the road-like a flock of black edged snow balls against the snow. 
Tonight’s newspaper has some interesting data on a raptor count done on January 19th that encompassed SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin and NE Iowa. The survey Is called the Wintering Golden Eagle Survey and is done by volunteers, 180 for this count and they work thru the national Eagle center in Wabasha, Minnesota.
1509 bald eagles were counted
770 red tailed hawks
108 rough legged hawks
66 Kestrels
1 peregrine falcon,
1 merlin
11 coopers hawks and 2 great horned owls….and now, get this
147 golden eagles.
Thru radio tracking the golden eagles are known to summer and breed in Artic regions of North American and many come to the Mississippi River blufflands to winter. As I mentioned before, I see goldens here on occasion but having that many counted in a day blows me away. Wow!
Reverand. I see a lot of snow buntings as soon as I drive off paved roads here. Pretty little birds. We have some Cards that stop by each day but only for a taste then they’re gone. Bluejays are common here too. Every now and again we’ll get a Pileated but not all that often.
Nice to see there are other IDO birdwatchers out there 
We had a slightly larger hawk here a while ago that had the crows around here agitated big time. Wasn’t a red-Tailed, not that large and its back was facing me so another view wasn’t possible. I’m thinking it may have been a rough legged since they are around in numbers and size-wise fits into the bracket. Maybe it’ll come back and give me a better peek. I have the binocs at ready now.
I need to get binocs. I also need a digital SLR camera with a good optical zoom or attachment.
I think I just saw some Gnat Catchers in the big oak tree in back.
Time for some pepper spray. There is one squirrel, at least it seems like the same one, whose eating the leaves and buds of our hibiscus and digging in pots.
I think it’s only one, because one squirrel seems to fear us and our harassing dogs a little less than the rest.
Anyone on here involved in this
the Great Backyard Bird Count
on
February 12-15, 2016
at
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/
Thanks for the link! I think I’ll help out.
In other news, yeah I wish I had an SLR with optical zoom this morning. 2 Red Shouldered Hawks (I think) perching on the dead branches at the top of the oak tree in back with the morning sun reflecting off their chests.
I really need a good camera. All kinds of different species of birds perch up there making for a great shot.
Does it matter what type of suet cakes? Anybody prefer one brand over another?
They brand fat?
Does it matter what type of suet cakes? Anybody prefer one brand over another?
I get my bought suet at either Menards or Fleet Farm. I look for those that look less like they’re full of corn meal and/or corn. Others that have a higher fat content look more like pale lard with seeds in the mix.
I get fat from deer trim too, grind it and heat it until it resembles real thin, loose mashed potatos and then mix in peanut butter, millet seed and black sunflower. I pour this in cheap aluminum pie tins and allow it to cool and harden. At room temperature this is fairly simple to stuff into holes in log feeders. Woodpeckers and chickadees love this stuff.
Anyone submitting any bird counts?
They brand fat?
Yep, I guess so. I bought Kaydee last year and this year I bought some generic stuff Fleet Farm had. Price was right. Birds are eating it but I’m not changing near as often as when I was using Kaydee. Now, is it because the birds like Kaydee better or because there are less birds with the generic brand? Are there less birds with the generic because there are less birds or because they don’t like this stuff as much?
Puzzling situation. 
Dutchboy….
Birds are smart and know what they need to eat. If a suet block doesn’t have the fat content that they need, they won’t feed as heavily on them as those that do. Its a matter of the birds knowing what they need rather than what they like. Right now fat of any kind will get used up in a hurry since the birds can’t store much of it and fat equates to heat and energy for them. I mentioned before that I save all of the kitchen fats from chicken to pork to beef that gets skimmed off from pan drippings before making gravy or soup. I keep this in empty cool whip containers and when one is full I heat it up a little so I can stir some seed into it then pour it back in the container to cool and harden up some then I set it out, container and all, for the birds. This stuff doesn’t last more than a couple days. Bacon drippings are a good bird fat too.
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