Does anybody like to watch birds?

[Meadowlark]

 

[Meadowlark]

Sparrows, sparrows and more sparrows. According to "Birds and Bloom" there are 37 different varieties in North America alone.

I count 3 now that have been identified and captured on my camera. The latest is the Song Sparrow.

How many are you familiar with?

 

[Sheal]

How many are you familiar with?

None if I can help it. Although sparrows are a protected species here I've never liked them.

 

[Meadowlark]

None if I can help it. Although sparrows are a protected species here I've never liked them.

I felt that way in the past. However, watching them around the feeders I've changed my opinion of them. Can't help but like that Red Fox Sparrow...a really neat bird.

 

[DiggersJo]

Sparrows are very dull and (I find) aggressive birds here in the UK. We used to have x3 types here in my youth, but it's down to x2 now as the Hedge Sparrow is now a Dunnock! When you look at it, obviously not the same family as the other 2, House and Tree Sparrow, latter we knew as "Tree Spuggies"

 

[Meadowlark]

With bad weather approaching, activity at the feeders is significantly enhanced.

 

[dirty hands]

Wow! I haven't seen more than 3 birds in mine at once but from the looks of it with all those birds yours must be a lot bigger than mine.

Im thinking of putting a feeder a few feet away in front my birdcam to catch more on camera. I have a suet feeder next to it already hanging on the same pole that draws in woodpeckers. That or turn it around to face the trees where there is more activity.

 

[Meadowlark]

Wow! I haven't seen more than 3 birds in mine at once but from the looks of it with all those birds yours must be a lot bigger than mine.

Mine is just under 7 inches across and 4 inches deep. The birds normally do not allow any other birds to feed at the same time without a big kerfuffle...this was unusual, but I did note that some were not facing others. Eye to eye contact is looked upon with aggression at the feeders.

 

[Meadowlark]

By the way FWIW, and for orientation see cows and the "nova" pond in the far background with garden area in front of that background

 

[dirty hands]

I had noticed the different background but it didnt dawn on me you turned it but probably what got me thinking of turning mine.
Today is sunny and going to be the warmest day of the year so far and the birds are very active again.
I watched that big hawk fly through the neighbors yard yesterday after all the birds scattered out of the feeder. Ive seen that scenario a couple times now. He flies through the same area just off the ground.

I have started seeing the blackbirds again. There's one in some suet now. They tend to take over and clean the feeders out so I have been taking the feeders down until they stop flocking around them.

 

[DiggersJo]

What type of Blackbirds are they @dirty hands , web indicates you have a few types over there (only one here in the Uk)

 

[dirty hands]

The nuisance ones are the common grackle.
I get some red wing blackbird also but only a few at a time.
I see a lot of the rusty blackbirds and brewers too but they dont hang out around the feeders like grackles do.

I see the grackles chasing crows and Hawks a lot. They are just mean.

 

[Meadowlark]

...I have started seeing the blackbirds again. ...

That is interesting to me because I haven't seen any migrating north through here which normally happens about now. Curious where they spent the winter.

The brown headed cow bird is in that same family and really a nuisance bird to me. They lay their eggs in another bird species nest and leave that bird to raise their chicks often to the demise of the nesting bird's chicks.

They come through here in waves starting this time of year and completely clean out any feeders. I've only seen two so far, but it is just a matter of time. The good news is they are migrating north and only seen here for about one month...bad hombres.

 

[dirty hands]

Im not sure which type I've been seeing so far. Its just been the last couple days since we started warming up. Its above freezing finally.

 

[dirty hands]

The warmer air is bringing some more birds back to feeder.
I couldn't get a good picture of the one.