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Post by nybirder on Apr 16, 2018 12:41:10 GMT -5
Good afternoon, birders. I almost forgot to start a new thread today! The wind is still howling but the rain has let up a bit so it doesn't look quite as gloomy. About 20,000 without power in this neck of the woods but I've been lucky. My SIL lost hers at the senior apartment building this morning around 7 and wasn't happy to find out that their best estimate was to get it back on at noon. Considering the mess they're dealing with, I thought that was pretty good. One of my neighbors a block away hasn't gotten theirs back yet since 5 last evening. One school and a college are closed because of no power.
The remains of my roll-up plastic blinds from the porch are currently being blown around the neighborhood. They've been there for several years--I don't know what made them give way this time. The wind was coming in from a strange direction for us--directly east--which is why they were grabbed, I guess. I tried to pick up a few slats this morning but it is far too wet, too cold, too windy, altogether nasty to stay out there.
The birds are being smart--they are staying on the ground underneath cover in between short trips to the feeders. The wind is too high for them to sit there for long but they've been busy eating nonetheless. So much for my birding today! I did see a small flock of Canada geese go over with a tail wind--boy, were they moving fast. Oh--and I had my first Chipping Sparrow of the season.
I sincerely hope that this is the last week where I will be whining about the weather for a while. We have some snow coming overnight but hopefully it will just be a dusting.
Have a good afternoon, everybody.
Birdy
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Post by bwatcher on Apr 16, 2018 13:04:25 GMT -5
In a weeks time I have now accumulated a flock of Juncos that's in the 50+ range. I only had a couple all winter but now as this weather is so nasty they are congregating under my feeder. I've had Juncos, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal, goldfinches, house finches, pine siskins (12 maybe), grackles, robins (1 robin is still loving the jelly dish). I did see a chipping sparrow and two white-throated sparrows yesterday but haven't seen them today. I did throw out some of my peanut butter suet cakes and the grackles, robins, and juncos liked that, but so did the squirrel and he took off with 3 big chunks of it.
I undid the springs on my one squirrel proof feeder and hung the S hooks with the heavy washers on them to deter the grackles from eating the BOSS from that feeder. The extra washer weight pulls the outer cage down a bit and then when the heavier grackle gets on there it goes down enough that they can't get their beak in to get seeds. Aren't I mean? NOT!! It seems to be working.
I haven't seen any of my chickadees, blue jays, or nuthatches.
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Post by nybirder on Apr 16, 2018 13:19:35 GMT -5
I've got a growing flock of grackles in the yard right now. The Blue Jays didn't get their peanuts because I figured the grackles would clean them up if I threw them on the ground. The feeder where I usually put them blew off last night so I'll be waiting until it calms down to use it again.
Bwatcher--your avatar isn't showing up for me? Am I the only one? Has something changed?
Happy spring!
Birdy
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Post by bwatcher on Apr 16, 2018 13:51:42 GMT -5
I can see my own avatar but I know over on the Backyardbunchchat it wasn't showing up.
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Post by grammyoh on Apr 16, 2018 19:59:00 GMT -5
Birdy, I saw a Chipping Sparrow today. Another bird has returned to be greeted with snow showers and weather that should be here in March. The female Red Breasted Grosbeak is still coming to the feeder, I see her often. Hope she attracts a male and the stay around for nesting. I had a male come to the feeder last summer. I know they nest near by.
I have a few Red Wing Blackbirds that are hanging out on the suet and the BOSS but not enough of them to be a problem. Later I will be trying to find ways to discourage them from the feeders and suet. I do think the Red Wing BB are so pretty, if they weren't such pigs at the feeder and so many of them I would love having them around. They remind me of dandelions if they were scarce they would be treasured! Grackles are not a problem for me. A few doves that clean up under the feeders.
Looking up I usually see Turkey Vultures and Canada G.
Grammy
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Post by nybirder on Apr 17, 2018 7:16:26 GMT -5
Red Wing BB are such a sign of spring when I hear them calling! I love to see the males spread out that red patch on their wings when they do! Nice selection of birds.
My birds are coming out this morning after laying low yesterday during those awful winds. We had steady winds of 30 with gusts from 45-56 during the day. It finally died down late in the afternoon. Thank heavens! Some damage in the neighborhood. My next door neighbors lost shingles and trim on their roof, a small tree fell on someone's new garage, and the street behind me was blocked for half of the day with a big pine tree down across wires. Frankly, I'm amazed that we didn't lose power. Lots of people did--mostly in small pockets so the utility repair people had to run from one place to another. Let's hope that's it for the rest of the year!
There are some isolated reports of early migrants showing up of the small birds like Yellow-Rumped Warblers and such. I hope they won't regret it since it is snowing right now and will be on and off through the rest of the week. Nothing that will put much on the ground but it's the principal of the thing. Ugh! Flakes outside the window right now.
Enjoy your birds. They are beginning to move.
Birdy
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Post by Stella on Apr 17, 2018 10:17:43 GMT -5
Good morning all! It's just another dreary day. So far no rain, but wet snow is in
the forecast for this afternoon.
Lots of birds at the feeders....a real treat. One starling managed to get to the
peanut feeder, but not for long. I am still looking out for migrating birds. So far
they are late. Good thing, because we still have a lot of snow.
Enjoy the song of birds.
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Post by bwatcher on Apr 17, 2018 10:25:19 GMT -5
My big flock of Juncos is still here and so is the snow. Supposedly could get a lot more tonight.
I did see one of the white-throated sparrows Female? and the chipping sparrow.
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Post by grammyoh on Apr 17, 2018 20:10:36 GMT -5
More of the winds, cold temps and snow flurries. Just a peek or two at the sun to let us know it's still there and trying to get thru the clouds. The weather man said a few flurries Thursday and that should be the last of the snow for us!
Birding from the chair does have some surprises. Today I added the Eastern Towhee to my yard list, I only one and it spent several minutes picking up things and under and around a feeder. It was last April that the Spotted Towhee spent a few minutes here. I thought all the White Crowned Sparrows had left but there was one out there today.
Birdy, hope your birthday was a good one!
Grammy
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Post by nybirder on Apr 18, 2018 8:11:50 GMT -5
Hi, folks. It seems that no matter where we are in the north we are getting too much of the same weather. It's gloomy here with snowflakes in the air constantly, although it's just warm enough that the coating on the roofs has melted since I got up. We are looking at more of the same right through Friday. Maybe--maybe--things will start to dry up and warm up by this weekend. I dearly hope so!
Grammy--birding from the chair was what my Mom did for several years when it got hard for her to get around. She got some very good surprises doing it, probably because she was at the window constantly and managed to catch brief visitors. Some of them were really special, like the first Indigo Bunting we had ever seen in the yard. This time of the year, you never know what will stop by!
I've got quite a few juncos in the yard, too. The ground seems to be moving until you take a closer look and see it's juncos going through the leaves. They move to higher elevations to nest so my friend up in the hills has them all summer. But they don't stay with me beyond the next few weeks.
I have decided that I'm not having any more birthdays, only bird-days as someone wished me. That way, I can stay forever young! LOL!
Have a good day, all. The raptors and turkey vultures are on the move again now that our storm winds have died down.
Birdy
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Post by nybirder on Apr 18, 2018 10:39:58 GMT -5
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Post by bwatcher on Apr 18, 2018 12:53:54 GMT -5
It started snowing just a few minutes before 10 and we had 2" the first hour and it's still snowing pretty heavy. Oh well..............................it's supposed to be 45º tomorrow and keep rising up to 62º by next Monday.
I still have lots of Juncos and I've discovered they like my mix of chunky peanut butter, lard, oatmeal, corn meal, and flour. I'm sure they are eating around the safflower and BOSS that I included in that mix. Sad thing is that the grackles like it also. I've been opening the window when they come and for the moment they left.
Here's a really bad picture of what I thought was a white-throated female. Am I correct?
Update: Wow, I just saw 4 male Cowbirds out at my feeders. I've only ever had one pair come through here and that was many yrs. ago. There are none of the brown females. I saw one next to a grackle and it's about half the size of one of them. It's now 2:40 now and we have close to 5" of snow. There's a lot of snow sliding off metal roofs.
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Post by grammyoh on Apr 18, 2018 13:38:13 GMT -5
Bwatcher, that looks like a Song Sparrow. Ask google for pictures of both.
Grammy
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Post by nybirder on Apr 18, 2018 15:35:57 GMT -5
Grammy--I was about to say the same thing. The strong spot on its chest certainly looks like one. Check allaboutbirds.com. They have really good pictures.
Just a side-note. When I was checking this at allaboutbirds, under cool facts they mention that White-throated Sparrow and Dark-Eyed Junco sometimes interbreed even though they are not particularly closely related! The hybrids look like grayish, dully marked White-throated Sparrows with white outer tail feathers. Well, I'll be darned! One more confusing bird to confuse us. LOL!
Sorry to hear you are still getting snow. It has got to melt sometime.
Birdy
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Post by Stella on Apr 18, 2018 17:33:43 GMT -5
Wow Mary....I am sure you are not happy getting more snow. I certainly was not
when it came down on Tuesday, I believe. Mind you it melted fast.
Birdy, that is very nice of you to add the Brome information for people who like
getting information on birds. Yes, it is a very nice site, and not one that bothers
you too much. The folks at Brome are very friendly and so helpful. As for
Dr. Bird, he is a well know professor who taught at one of most distinguished
universities McGill University. He is known all over the world. A nice man from
what I heard.
There was action here, but mostly goldfinches, house finches, and chickadees.
My neighbour mentioned to me yesterday that he saw a huge eagle fly over
our street. I don't think he imagined it as my ex said the same thing this
fall. Now it's my turn to spot one.....oh please!!!!!
It's almots time for the birds to go to sleep. My resident cardinals are yet to
come before it gets too dark.
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