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Post by chickadeedeedee on Apr 29, 2008 13:09:11 GMT 1
I saw Mr. Black-capped Chickadee carry some furnishings into the house on the Russian Olive this morning! There's another nesting in the natural opening of a nearby Hawthorn. The Brown Creepers are there LOTS too so maybe they have a home as well in that cluster of trees? Need to report that I heard toads yesterday afternoon. That's strange! They sound soooooo loud and sooooo very close! Hmmmmmmmm...... ! I went out on the breezeway to check if we had a visitor of the lumpy-bumpy kind .... LOL! It's the Blue Jay and the Grackle doing their rendition of the toad song! It never occured to me they were the source of the song! Usually they do ~Wolf Whistles~ and the sound of baby birds being fed or some such.  |
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 29, 2008 13:19:02 GMT 1
What lovely birds you have C3D.
Although there are plenty of trees in my area we just seem to have magpies, pigeons, the odd crow and occasionally a robin.
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Post by chickadeedeedee on May 2, 2008 11:38:03 GMT 1
Who's nesting here? We believe *our* Mr. Cardinal has built a new home in the cedar and has a Mrs. Little red chicks with pointy heads soon to follow no matter if it is ~our~ Cardinal or not.
We have 22 nest boxes in the back garden. At least one has a nest of Black-capped Chickadees. One has a nest of Eastern Bluebirds. At least four have House Sparrows with hungry chicks inside! I'm not quite sure what's happening with the rest of them.
Carolina Wrens are building a nest near the front door, as they did last year. Three pair of Mourning Doves have crossed at least two sticks, called it a nest and are content in the yard. LOL! We have placed thick quilts under their trees to safely catch any fallen chicks. (We always do!) Common Grackles are nesting in the front Blue Spruce as are Purple and House Finches. The House Finches are also nesting in the trees in the back yard.
The Downy WPs and a pair of Pileated WPs are nesting in the Weeping Willow Trees. Brown Creepers are *very* busy in a cluster of Hawthorn Trees as well as a pair of Black-capped Chickadees. There are several natural cavities in these trees so we suspect they are nesting or at least checking out the real estate.
In the crook of the gutter near our bedroom is a new nest for Mr. and Mrs. Robin. Another pair has built a nest above a light fixture near the garage door. Vespers Sparrows are nesting on one side of the back door in a honeysuckle vine. Chipping Sparrows have built a nest on the other side of the back door in another honeysuckle vine. The Blue Jays have always nested near our veggie garden but I have not found their home yet.
Waaaaaaaayyyyy high in one of the Weeping Willows is a Starling nest. How sweet (sweet) is that? In the same tree we usually have Common Flicker WPs nesting but I haven't seen them building yet.
There are numerous (20+) White-crowned Sparrows lately. I don't know if they are just passing through or if some would stay to nest. Likewise many Red-winged Blackbirds are emptying the feeders lately. We always see the fledglings in years past but don't know for sure where they nest. At least they visit, eat and poop here. LOL!
WoooooooHoooooooo! We saw our beloved Chimney Swifts yesterday! Last year they were first seen in mid-May. Mike did put up the screen doors to block off parts of the house from the cats already. Our furnace was turned off yesterday too. (The ducts to the furnace exit into the chimney.) We are now Swift-safe! I noticed the other day that the next door neighbours have blocked the top of their chimney. Last year they too had Swifts in their chimney. Looks like this year we may have more guests in our chimneys.
We have not heard the House Wren's sweet song yet. They usually arrive in mid-May too. There's plenty of houses available for them. Our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds won't arrive until June when their favourite food, the Mimosa (Silk Tree) flowers are starting to bloom.
I think that's about it for the birdy nesters outside. ...... Bub the Grackle and Daisy the Blue Jay continue to live together and get along very well. Barry, the Robin, continues to get the medicine drops in his eye twice daily for his glaucoma. This Monday he will get another exam and see how his eye is responding to the drops. Fingers and all other body parts crossed that he is doing well and one day can be released.
That's about it for now from here.
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Post by madonplants on May 3, 2008 0:02:51 GMT 1
I've had 2 gold finches visiting too Keith ;D they seem to love the sunflower seeds - I'm not going to give them nyger seed though as weeding it from around the feeding station is a night mare! They love both, The witch!! On the right, Sunflower seeds, on the left, Nyger seeds. They have been visiting so well recently, I really am pleased with them, proper birds even!! Today they have been quiet and I think I may know why, though had a Blue Tit and a Great Tit this morning. Reason, the starlings are back!! Oh and millions of Blackbirds, mostly males. They have been following me about today, as I have been starting to do the proper 'surround' to the pond, i.e. lifting turf and horrible couch grass. Oh why did I not do this to start with!!  Pictures to follow, when finished, not before!!  |
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Post by The witch on May 4, 2008 14:49:54 GMT 1
I've had 2 gold finches visiting too Keith ;D they seem to love the sunflower seeds - I'm not going to give them nyger seed though as weeding it from around the feeding station is a night mare! On the right, Sunflower seeds, on the left, Nyger seeds. They have been visiting so well recently, I really am pleased with them, proper birds even!! Today they have been quiet and I think I may know why, though had a Blue Tit and a Great Tit this morning. Reason, the starlings are back!! Oh and millions of Blackbirds, mostly males. They have been following me about today, as I have been starting to do the proper 'surround' to the pond, i.e. lifting turf and horrible couch grass. Oh why did I not do this to start with!! Pictures to follow, when finished, not before!! I know they like both Keith - but I don't!  |
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Post by maggyd on May 4, 2008 15:01:59 GMT 1
;D I saw Mr. Black-capped Chickadee carry some furnishings into the house on the Russian Olive this morning! There's another nesting in the natural opening of a nearby Hawthorn. The Brown Creepers are there LOTS too so maybe they have a home as well in that cluster of trees? Need to report that I heard toads yesterday afternoon. That's strange! They sound soooooo loud and sooooo very close! Hmmmmmmmm...... ! I went out on the breezeway to check if we had a visitor of the lumpy-bumpy kind .... LOL! It's the Blue Jay and the Grackle doing their rendition of the toad song! It never occured to me they were the source of the song! Usually they do ~Wolf Whistles~ and the sound of baby birds being fed or some such. Well that sounds lovely ;D never a dull moment in your garden C3Ds Ive never seen a Jay in my garden but I have seen them in the woods near us, are they a shy bird do you think?? |
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Post by maggyd on May 4, 2008 15:07:22 GMT 1
I'm with 4P on this one. More harm is done to birds by cats, than any bird, so leave nature alone to sort itself out, however hard it is. Well I agree the cats are a problem at nesting time K  one took a jump at a blackbird he missed !mind ;D he was in a conifer behind us, but you can see the Crows wizzing past chasing the collard doves! I dont know if the dove had been in his nest or not they can be a menace as well Ive seen them fighting with the black birds. |
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Post by maggyd on May 4, 2008 15:17:19 GMT 1
We have blue tits nesting in the box, and a pair of robins in the holly bush at the bottom of the garden OH put an old stainless steel electric kettle in the back behind the bush but I dont know if they are in it as Im afraid of disturbing them ;D but they are definately in there somewhere he lands on the fence with a moth or something in his beack on flies in, and the blackbirds are in the ivy, and the conifer behind us in next doors garden.
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Post by madonplants on May 4, 2008 17:53:37 GMT 1
We have blue tits nesting in the box, and a pair of robins in the holly bush at the bottom of the garden OH put an old stainless steel electric kettle in the back behind the bush but I dont know if they are in it as Im afraid of disturbing them ;D but they are definately in there somewhere he lands on the fence with a moth or something in his beack on flies in, and the blackbirds are in the ivy, and the conifer behind us in next doors garden. Did you put drainage holes in the kettle, Maggyd? We have blackbirds nesting in the ivy, where the robins were last year. |
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 4, 2008 18:45:40 GMT 1
I had an 'Ent Mother Nature Wonderful' moment this afternoon.....I was sitting in my GH sieving the the sowing mix for my seeds from Mickipoo...just quietly working away...everything to hand...when a song thrush landed on the water but right next to the GH door...he sat there watching me. To begin with I didn't dare move because he was so close I could've reached out and touched him...but he seemed happy enough to just watch...so I carried on. ;D I carefully followed Mickipoo's instructions (to the letter of course) and Mr Thrush dozed off....when I'd stood all the pots in the bowl full of dilute cheshunt compound...he woke up...and gave me a little song....then flew away. It was so lovely. |
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Post by madonplants on May 4, 2008 23:23:29 GMT 1
I had an 'Ent Mother Nature Wonderful' moment this afternoon.....I was sitting in my GH sieving the the sowing mix for my seeds from Mickipoo...just quietly working away...everything to hand...when a song thrush landed on the water but right next to the GH door...he sat there watching me. To begin with I didn't dare move because he was so close I could've reached out and touched him...but he seemed happy enough to just watch...so I carried on. ;D I carefully followed Mickipoo's instructions (to the letter of course) and Mr Thrush dozed off....when I'd stood all the pots in the bowl full of dilute cheshunt compound...he woke up...and gave me a little song....then flew away. It was so lovely. Ooh a thrush, love to see one of them again. They are getting scarce now, too.  Had some different birds in our front garden yesterday! Excuse the quality, mobile again and Stephen was coming back out of car to look, crutches in hand!! ;D By the time I had the second one taken, nextdoor's two little girls came running out, too. Though I stopped them getting too close, the mallards were off! Are they your's The witch? Do you want them back?    |
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Post by The witch on May 6, 2008 12:38:29 GMT 1
I had an 'Ent Mother Nature Wonderful' moment this afternoon.....I was sitting in my GH sieving the the sowing mix for my seeds from Mickipoo...just quietly working away...everything to hand...when a song thrush landed on the water but right next to the GH door...he sat there watching me. To begin with I didn't dare move because he was so close I could've reached out and touched him...but he seemed happy enough to just watch...so I carried on. ;D I carefully followed Mickipoo's instructions (to the letter of course) and Mr Thrush dozed off....when I'd stood all the pots in the bowl full of dilute cheshunt compound...he woke up...and gave me a little song....then flew away. It was so lovely. Ooh a thrush, love to see one of them again. They are getting scarce now, too. Had some different birds in our front garden yesterday! Excuse the quality, mobile again and Stephen was coming back out of car to look, crutches in hand!! ;D By the time I had the second one taken, nextdoor's two little girls came running out, too. Though I stopped them getting too close, the mallards were off! Are they your's The witch? Do you want them back? I don't recognise them Keith! You can keep them thanks! ;D |
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Post by madonplants on May 7, 2008 13:16:34 GMT 1
House martins are here, so does that mean it's officially summer now? |
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Post by Sleepy on May 7, 2008 14:01:38 GMT 1
House martins are here, so does that mean it's officially summer now? Yes Keith, it does. |
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Post by The witch on May 8, 2008 8:58:17 GMT 1
House martins are here, so does that mean it's officially summer now? I love house martins - I wish they would nest on our house. ;D |
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Post by madonplants on May 8, 2008 10:33:53 GMT 1
House martins are here, so does that mean it's officially summer now? I love house martins - I wish they would nest on our house. ;D If it's under your bedroom window, no you don't! |
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Post by The witch on May 8, 2008 21:52:13 GMT 1
I love house martins - I wish they would nest on our house. ;D If it's under your bedroom window, no you don't! Had them above (not under  ) our bedroom window at one house - IMO the worst place for them is on the back of the house, especially on washing days! |
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Post by madonplants on May 8, 2008 23:04:33 GMT 1
House martins are here, so does that mean it's officially summer now? I have had swifts buzzing about, while I was cutting the grass this afternoon, so it's official, SUMMERS IS HERE! ;D |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 9, 2008 6:23:57 GMT 1
And the cuckoos have started too! All this week whenever I'm outside I can hear them/it.....I don't know how many but it's so nice to have them back. They will 'cuckoo' constantly now for months  - and we have a lot more swallows too - OH and smallest sit in the yard every evening watching them zoom about. They are looking for mud and keep sitting in the dry puddles...I am tempted to empty a watering can into the biggest one so they have some mud - is that silly? ;D |
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Post by The witch on May 9, 2008 11:11:50 GMT 1
And the cuckoos have started too! All this week whenever I'm outside I can hear them/it.....I don't know how many but it's so nice to have them back. They will 'cuckoo' constantly now for months - and we have a lot more swallows too - OH and smallest sit in the yard every evening watching them zoom about. They are looking for mud and keep sitting in the dry puddles...I am tempted to empty a watering can into the biggest one so they have some mud - is that silly? ;D Not silly at all 4P - I'd do the same to give them a helping hand or should I say beak? ;D I heard a cuckoo this week too. ;D |
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Post by yakram on May 19, 2008 23:10:34 GMT 1
Sadly there are no cuckoos near me, not even a clock. Great joy, though - a pair of thrushes are nesting in my Pieris. We haven't seen thrushes in the garden for years, so we feel very privileged.  |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 20, 2008 6:35:29 GMT 1
Sadly there are no cuckoos near me, not even a clock. Great joy, though - a pair of thrushes are nesting in my Pieris. We haven't seen thrushes in the garden for years, so we feel very privileged. Oh that IS a treat isn't it? You lucky thing - we have lots of birds but very rarely do we see a thrush these days. Lots of cuckoos around though , they don't shut up once they start here.... : |
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 20, 2008 10:52:37 GMT 1
Sadly there are no cuckoos near me, not even a clock. Great joy, though - a pair of thrushes are nesting in my Pieris. We haven't seen thrushes in the garden for years, so we feel very privileged. Fantastic! We had one in the front garden the other week and I was very excited. No cuckoos by us either - and haven't heard one yet when we've been out walking either. We have put a new bird feeder out as one was broken, same place and design but slightly larger (6 feeding holes), it is still being ignored for the others although it does take time for them to use a new one. |
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Post by debidoos on May 26, 2008 19:22:25 GMT 1
Had a Heron visit!!  |
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Post by madonplants on May 28, 2008 17:40:27 GMT 1
Had a Heron visit!! I, like you don't like herons!  They are OK, if they are on the river or canal bank, just not in your own garden. Yesterday, seemed to be the day of the young starling, as we had loads, all at different stages. Some really quite young, though not many adults about. They came today! I had to laugh yesterday. A male greenfinch was going to land on our big Sorbus, when a gust of wind blew the branches and it did a quick deter! Maybe you needed to be there! |
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Pictures to follow, when finished, not before!!
one took a jump at a blackbird he missed !mind ;D he was in a conifer behind us, but you can see the Crows wizzing past chasing the collard doves! I dont know if the dove had been in his nest or not 
- and we have a lot more swallows too - OH and smallest sit in the yard every evening watching them zoom about. They are looking for mud and keep sitting in the dry puddles...I am tempted to empty a watering can into the biggest one so they have some mud - is that silly? ;D