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Post by downylover on Apr 13, 2016 16:55:43 GMT -5
I've had crows here for days now. I throw them grapes if I see them. They have to move fast or the cardinals grab them. I hope its temporary because the other birds don't appear too happy when the crow is around. Most flee the yard until they're gone.
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Post by hutchgigi on Apr 14, 2016 11:44:34 GMT -5
I have never seen my cardinals eat grapes. I will try that today, Hoping my birds keep me occupied while I prep for a routine test. The one where you drink lots of clear liquids. lol I was glad to get an early 8:30 slot. I just filled my feeders and are ready to drink and watch. Happy taxes everyone. Ginny H.
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Post by downylover on Apr 14, 2016 12:53:16 GMT -5
Hope you have lots of birds to keep you occupied. The cardinals here eat grapes year round. They seem to prefer them cut in half but will take them no matter what. Grapes are the only fruit that I have takers for. No one ever takes the oranges, grape jelly, strawberries, etc. I end up picking them all up and throwing them out.
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Post by hazelrunmama on Apr 15, 2016 18:36:09 GMT -5
We've actually had a couple of crows visiting the new feeder area. They're taking something from the ground, but I don't know if it's peanuts, mealworms, or sunflower hearts (which are the only things I throw down in the spot they come to). It's exciting to see them! I may try the grapes again, but we think our male cardinal has been eaten. We only ever had the one pair and we've only seen the fem for about 10 days, now. We've had a huge influx of hawks--we might have to shut down the feeders entirely if this continues--and the birds have been rather harried. Very sad.
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Post by downylover on Apr 17, 2016 16:55:56 GMT -5
Oh no, I hope not. Its so sad. I'm hoping you won't have to take down your feeders I'm hoping the hawk traffic goes down once the trees fill in. I definitely have less in the summer when its harder for them to see as they fly by. Today I bought a new, top of the line bird bath (I'm joking - I bought a new one but its a plastic flower pot bottom that is always really popular). My heated bath has about had it. Some of the finish is coming off (its like a fake rock and its kind of peeling). Its had a long life and made it through the winter. So, new clean bath is out there and where is the pool party? In the one that is headed for the trash. It barely had water in it and there was Mrs. Cardinal soaking herself. Of course, when I get the new heated next winter they'll all go to the crappy plastic dish. Its a beautiful evening. I'm going outside in a few and am hoping to see the pair of mockingbirds. I've seen them around the front and the past 2 days they've been around the feeder area taking food. I have snacks ready for them (so they probably won't show!).
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Post by hazelrunmama on Apr 18, 2016 23:25:55 GMT -5
Ha! I feel your pain about the birdbath! We make such grand plans for our birds and they thwart us at every turn! LOL
But, on a good note, Mr Cardinal has reappeared! At first I thought he might be a new male because he was singing from atypical places, but by late morning, he was making the rounds of all his old singing spots. Mama Cardinal was sneaking in to the stump feeder to grab some mid-afternoon snacks. I have a suspicion that she might be nesting already!
Did you have any luck spotting your mockingbirds, Kim?
The banders are coming out tomorrow for the first time since we rearranged the feeders. It'll be interesting to see how they set up the nets this time... It'll be more difficult in winter because the new feeder spot is sunnier--the mist nets will be a little more visible than they were in the shade of the old feeder line.
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Post by downylover on Apr 28, 2016 7:36:13 GMT -5
One mockingbird keeps coming to the feeder area every evening. They're here year round but I don't see them often near the feeders. I'm so happy Mrs. C returned! I hope you get lots of cardinal babies.
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Post by hazelrunmama on May 1, 2016 16:04:42 GMT -5
We never see mockingbirds at all (out of range) so one even infrequently would be very exciting here! Lucky you!
I hope we get lots of cardinal babies, too--but they'll have to be very careful if they come to the feeders since we seem to have acquired a Cooper's hawk. sigh
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Post by downylover on May 2, 2016 8:29:42 GMT -5
I think they will bring the babies. I have a coopers, a red tailed and one I don't know what it is but its huge. I've (thankfully!!) never seen any sign of a cardinal being taken. Going by feathers its a dove or a house sparrow almost all the time (my sister wants to know why they can't take the starlings in her yard, she's not a fan) Its worse with hawks for me when the trees lose their leaves. I think it makes it so much easier for them to spot birds as they fly over.
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Post by hazelrunmama on May 2, 2016 17:57:12 GMT -5
I'm sort of dreading leaf-out, though--once the trees leaf out, the feeder birds won't be able to see the hawk coming as quickly. There's a lot of cover for the feeder birds, but a lot of cover for the approach of the Cooper's, too. We'll have to see how it all pans out... Most of what gets taken here by hawks is mourning dove, judging by the feathers. But something this winter (shrike, maybe?) was focusing on the Hairy woodpeckers. We saw lots of woodpecker feathers on the snow, looking just a bit too large for Downy woodpeckers--and during our banding session in March (the first of the year) we netted a nearly record number of Downys, but very few Hairys As long as they leave my cardinals, chickadees and titmouse alone, though, I guess the hawks can stay...
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