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Babies?
Aug 26, 2016 18:24:52 GMT -5
Post by downylover on Aug 26, 2016 18:24:52 GMT -5
Its a girl! Her red sprouted a day or two ago. She's been coming with mom all the time now.
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Babies?
Aug 26, 2016 23:23:25 GMT -5
Post by BarbK on Aug 26, 2016 23:23:25 GMT -5
Lucky you, downylover. I rarely see babies, unless I'm just not recognizing them. I'm going to have to hire a bird whisperer.
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Babies?
Aug 29, 2016 19:12:09 GMT -5
Post by hazelrunmama on Aug 29, 2016 19:12:09 GMT -5
Congratulations, Kim!!
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Babies?
Aug 29, 2016 19:16:56 GMT -5
Post by downylover on Aug 29, 2016 19:16:56 GMT -5
BarbK, you mentioned you don't feed in the summer. That's probably why you don't see any around. I see the youngsters when the parents bring them around for food.
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Babies?
Aug 29, 2016 19:28:18 GMT -5
Post by BarbK on Aug 29, 2016 19:28:18 GMT -5
I never use to feed in the summer, but now I do. I found I missed seeing my birds every day. The grackles had me crazy, but I rarely see them around. Now, like I said, it's the house sparrows.
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Babies?
Aug 30, 2016 12:15:23 GMT -5
Post by downylover on Aug 30, 2016 12:15:23 GMT -5
Oh sorry, I thought you said you didn't feed in the summer. Maybe change the time of day if you can? I generally feed them around dinner time and that does seem like the cardinals favorite time to come around. Then the early morning birds clean out the food and they're done for the day. I used to feel bad not putting out more and started going way over the bird budget so I went back to the evenings. They seem to do just fine, they all look well fed I really think if you put out 50lbs a day they'd eat it. I haven't had many grackles this summer but instead I had a few bouts with starling invasions. Worse than grackles IMO! Its mother nature paying me back for bitching about the grackles, lol. Pigeons also found me. For most of the summer I had the same 3 but for the past week or so I've had 6 or 7 coming around. I try chasing them off but they're like boomerangs. I don't want a dozen but I kind of enjoyed having the 3 regulars. They're awesome cleaner uppers, they don't eat the peanuts or bother any other bird. I have no idea where they nested/are coming from. The train station is the only place I ever have seen pigeons. Its 2 miles away. I know they can fly and all but I just figured they'd eat close to where they live. I get house sparrows in spurts. I'll get lots of them for a couple of weeks in the late fall when (for whatever reason) I don't have too many birds around. Then all the regulars are back full swing for fall/winter and I'm back to a couple of sparrows around.
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Babies?
Aug 30, 2016 13:06:35 GMT -5
Post by hazelrunmama on Aug 30, 2016 13:06:35 GMT -5
We're seeing grackles this year, too, for the first time. Sometimes up to 20 at a crack--which isn't a lot, but it's more than the 1 or 2 I'd seen all year in the past, and doesn't bode well for the future if they all come back to breed! O.O
I only feed once a day, too--but in the morning so there's not much left by nightfall. I have to bring the feeders in before dark or the bears visit, so feeding before dusk wouldn't work here--but I've always wanted to do it because I think the cardinals would come to call more often if I did. I see them more in winter at dusk because the feeders stay out 24/7 once the bears are hibernating.
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Babies?
Aug 30, 2016 14:15:21 GMT -5
Post by l2b on Aug 30, 2016 14:15:21 GMT -5
Some times I get an invasion of common Grackles.
Video o follow:
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Babies?
Aug 30, 2016 19:10:01 GMT -5
Post by BarbK on Aug 30, 2016 19:10:01 GMT -5
downylover, I don't worry about feeding in the summer. Whatever time I get out there, it's okay with me because they have plenty of natural food. I only put two feeders out in the summer, whereas I think I put out about 6 in the winter. It's usually afternoon time, so I do get the cardinals at dusk. Also getting so many house sparrows at the bird baths, too. They're pretty leery bathing--hop in and hop out. I'm surprised I don't get too many starlings. Once in a while they come but they're gone just as fast. I must get the suet out as I never see a woodpecker, otherwise.
l2b hope your invasions of grackles are few and far between. They really take over.
Hazel, that's real dedication when you must take the feeders in and out in the evening because of the bears. If, by chance, you do get one in your yard, do the dogs let you know the bear is there? It's great that you do get a no-bear spell in the winter. Great for the birds since they depend on the seed so much during the cold weather.
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Babies?
Aug 30, 2016 20:16:09 GMT -5
Post by downylover on Aug 30, 2016 20:16:09 GMT -5
Having to take all the feeders in nightly is a big job, especially for you since you have so many. In the winter I'm completely opposite. I put the food out in the morning because its dark so early.
l2b, that's a lot of grackles. I think I'm in their migration path because coming and going I will get a couple of weeks where them come in waves, 100s and 100s at a time. There's usually a day or two where the entire street has grackles on all the lawns. Then all of a sudden they take off in one swoop. They annoy me but watching them all swoop up into the sky at once is pretty incredible.
hazel, I consider 20 grackles a lot! Of course 20 cardinals, woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, catbirds, etc would be just fine with me.
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Babies?
Aug 31, 2016 11:42:04 GMT -5
Post by hutchgigi on Aug 31, 2016 11:42:04 GMT -5
Yes I have been watching a baby red bellied grey head. HMM have vultures flying over. Our osprey babies are making a lot of racket. They have to start getting their own grub. Seen lots of flying fish this summer. lol One got dropped on the lawn as it wiggled out of the flying. Around he came to grab it and off to the nest. Froze i my boots. When the geese go flying off the field we take cover. Now we have to watch for dropping firsh. They usually have a great grip. I think he ate some before he brought it to the nest. We took a boat ride one HOT day. It was a pontoon at the Manasquan Res. in Howell. Saw lots of blue heron, cormorants. swan and young. murder of crows. the eagles did not show. Our eagles left the nest about three weeks back. Our blue jays are multing and cardinals. Chipping sparrows are busy, tree swallows, purple martin are getting ready to leave. in crease in black cap. tufted, shy but i try and count. We have had whale sighting close to the beaches. Now big waves due to tropical depressions. Looking forward to the fall. Ginny H.
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Babies?
Aug 31, 2016 14:18:22 GMT -5
Post by BarbK on Aug 31, 2016 14:18:22 GMT -5
Ginny, you sound like you are camping out in the middle of a bird and wildlife sanctuary. What wonderful sights you are seeing. Lucky, lucky you!
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Babies?
Sept 1, 2016 14:50:10 GMT -5
Post by hutchgigi on Sept 1, 2016 14:50:10 GMT -5
When we can get out to see the sights it is nice. Now with all this rain coming i will be in watching the feeders, cancled all plans to see the kids. Will enjoy the kid birds. lol Hope you are all well. Ginny H.
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Babies?
Sept 3, 2016 21:44:59 GMT -5
Post by hazelrunmama on Sept 3, 2016 21:44:59 GMT -5
If I'm lucky, BarbK, the dogs will let me know. The last time I saw one, though, the dogs were clueless. Luckily I checked through the kitchen window, which looks out on the feeders, before going out to bring them in. If I had just gone out, I would have rounded the Norway spruce and come face-to-face with the raider! O.O Holy cats, l2b, that's a passel of grackles! O.O And hundreds of them at once, downylover? Oy... I sure hope ours don't amount to that many come spring! We have a juvenile Cooper's hawk hunting the yard the last week or so--that seems to have run the grackles off. Haven't seen many at all since about Wednesday. Ginny! Bounty from the sky! LOL So funny about the fish!
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Babies?
Sept 3, 2016 22:06:09 GMT -5
Post by l2b on Sept 3, 2016 22:06:09 GMT -5
If I'm lucky, BarbK, the dogs will let me know. The last time I saw one, though, the dogs were clueless. Luckily I checked through the kitchen window, which looks out on the feeders, before going out to bring them in. If I had just gone out, I would have rounded the Norway spruce and come face-to-face with the raider! O.O Holy cats, l2b, that's a passel of grackles! O.O And hundreds of them at once, downylover? Oy... I sure hope ours don't amount to that many come spring! We have a juvenile Cooper's hawk hunting the yard the last week or so--that seems to have run the grackles off. Haven't seen many at all since about Wednesday. Ginny! Bounty from the sky! LOL So funny about the fish! 300 or more at one time, they cleaned up every bit of birdfeed. Later on I'll post another video when the Brown-headed Cowbirds invaded.
l2b
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