Curious if there are any avid bird watchers amongst us? I grew up duck hunting in the Great Lakes region, but always equally enjoyed watching and learning about non-game birds as well. For various reasons I sort of retired from duck hunting and ratcheted up the bird watching effort. My wife and I try to do at least one (or two) bird watching festivals a year to see migration hotspots or just to go birding in areas that sound intriguing. I'm wrapping up my first year with some Vortex Razor UHD 8x42 binoculars and really rate them up there with European alpha glass. Last December was my first time participating in the local Audubon Christmas Bird Count and I'm looking forward to doing that again.
Any birders?
- Thread starter SlimChicken
- Start date
I'm one. Always on the lookout for new species. Eyesight's definitely not what it used to be.
I have feeders in the yard and like to watch for birds while hunting pheasants. It is always good to see the variety of birds out there.
Always. Mourning doves keep flipping over my feeder, hmph.
Probably missed the migration of hummers this year, first cold front and they scoot to Mexico.
AA
Probably missed the migration of hummers this year, first cold front and they scoot to Mexico.
AA
Bought a birdfeeder for my elderly stepmother about a year ago. I fill it regularly. She loves to watch the "birdies".
Lots of birds come by to feed from it.
Thus far...
Chickadees
Dark eyed Juncos
Grey titmice (my favorite because their pointy heads make me laugh)
Red breasted nuthatch
Mourning doves
California Towhees
Scrub Jays
Fun to watch.
Lots of birds come by to feed from it.
Thus far...
Chickadees
Dark eyed Juncos
Grey titmice (my favorite because their pointy heads make me laugh)
Red breasted nuthatch
Mourning doves
California Towhees
Scrub Jays
Fun to watch.
Bird food has gotten so expensive ... I added "human" sunflower seeds to mine, and it boomeranged on me - salted seeds apparently are not on the bird's lists. Supplemented with a suet block so they'll be less mad! 
AA
AA
Supplemented with a suet block so they'll be less mad!
AA
I had a basic suet feeder and quickly retired it. The grackles and sparrows - it seemed any decent bird couldn't get to the feeder because of the mob scene from those common ones. It may be hard to believe but every other day I would have to add a new suet cake. They were just smokin' through it. It was a suet feeder like the first picture.
That experience led me to get the feeder in the second picture. HUGE difference. Lift the roof and drop the suet cake inside. The woodpeckers cling to the screen underneath and get their fill. The only birds able to navigate eating upside down are the ones I was trying to attract. Couple that with a feeder geared to finches and the mob scene is gone and peace prevails. Highly recommended!
I wouldn't call myself avid, but I have a lot of parrots and other interesting birds visit the yard, so I keep some binoculars at hand near the back door.
Starlings...... Uuugghh. An invasive European bird species whose genocide I will celebrate at any time. Glad you found the fix.
Having lived near riverbanks for the past twenty-five years or so, I'm a fan of water fowl. Here in northeastern France, we've had a lot of rain since mid-October; and the nearby river, La Meurthe, has been riding high off and on for several weeks. In addition to the normal colverts, a slightly larger version of the common mallard duck, some wild ducks, or plunging ducks as they are called here, have started to become frequent visitors given the deeper water levels. One in particular has fascinated me. Known as an harle bièvre, it is similar to the red-breasted mergansers I knew in frequenting Boston harbor in years past as to the head and bill, except the lower body plumage is quite different.
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I think the Grey Titmice are hilarious. My wife not so much, lol.
Those little brats come and steal my cat feed! One cat is so fat he just watches them, and the girl cat just bats her eyes at them and runs off to chase flies!
One of the first questions I will ask the Lord is why His creatures act so funny? Is it just for my enjoyment? Because I sure do.
I always had pet Budgies as a lad. Incredibly smart, social creatures when allowed to fly around the house at will!
When I was a kid my mother bred budgies and had some that she showed in competition. There was usually one or two hanging out in the house.
I had a neighbor that had a sunroom dedicated to budgies. Indescrimenent (sp?) breeding I think, but she was an odd duck. Lol, I just made an unintentional pun! Duck=Bird=Budgie! Man, if I only had money I'd be a walkin' trifecta doggone!
Wind just broke our bird feeder (!), so I broke out a very good one in reserve and loaded with the be$t birdseed - now is the time these little guys need it! Immediate positive response from the local community ... black oil sunflower seed.
While watching sparrows, saw eagle fly by with fish, signaling a nod from Nature.
AA
While watching sparrows, saw eagle fly by with fish, signaling a nod from Nature.
AA
Thanks for looking out for our feathered friends.
Read where cold is hardest on smaller birds, and it's been pretty snappy out there.
I usually don't put up a conventional birdfeeder because of the bears. $10 worth of seed can vanish in the night, and the feeder too. Risking it until I can make another tray/platform feeder!
AA
Safflower seed tends to be disliked by nuisance birds,
and liked by the more attractive song birds.
Between brane bleeds and dyslexia I could have sworn your tag line was going to change from "The Instigator" to "Just Broke Wind!"
I have a variety of birds especially now with two feet of snow on the ground. I feed peanuts, sunflower and safflower. Also suet this time of year. Also buy "cheap seed" at the grocery store to throw on the ground. The Junko's are greatful and it helps keep sparrows off the more expensive feed.
