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Wildlife!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 1:17 pm

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Last night, just at dark, I saw a racoon up on the tree draped over the bird feeder. Then I saw a small face peaking around the side of the tree. Momma had brought her baby. I tried to get pics, but it was just too dark and they didn't turn out. I tried flash but they were too far away. They left and came back about 30 minutes later, except there was 3 babies.

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They always amaze me!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:46 pm

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I have a small basket from an old dishwasher that I have hanging from a shepherds crook that I put peanuts in. Usually the Titmice take them. Then the Downey Woodpeckers were coming and getting them. Soon the Red Bellied Woodpeckers and the Redheaded Woodpeckers learned how to get them. I have one enterprising Cardinal that had figured out how to get into the basket and collect the prize. This afternoon I saw motion out of the corner of my eye and saw that the basket was swinging wildly and figured a bird had landed or taken off from it. So I looked closer and there was a Chipmunk in the basket swinging happily with a peanut in his mouth! He must have seen me move and decided to leave his perch. He jumped from the basket to the pole and when he hit the pole, there was nothing for him to grab ahold of, so he slid down the pole in a spiral. I laughed so loud that he heard me and took off running when he got to the bottom. I was inside the house watching all of this action.

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Taking over!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 12:16 am

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The Redheaded Woopeckers have taken over the yard. They are nesting in the same tree where the pair nested last year. Today one of them caught a squirrel going after one of his peanuts and the bird went after the squirrel. The squirrel backed down in a hurry and took off. Didn't even try to fight! But they really are a noble looking bird. With those colors, you can't miss them flying through the yard.



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New bully of the yard!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 6:06 pm

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The Blue Jays are no longer the reining bullys. The Red Headed woodpeckers have now taken the crown away. The Blue Jays have been chasing the wood peckers away from the peanuts. But now the Red Headed Woodpeckers are retaliating and chasing off the Jays. Now every time the Jays come into the front yard, the Reds go after them. I think it's really funny !

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More new arrivals.

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 1:49 pm

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Have a pair of reheaded wood peckers in the yard now. Last year I had a pair nesting in the one tree. But one got killed up on the road and after a few days the other one left. But now I have a new pair. We are in their range but we don't normally see them.

Yesterday the squirrels dislodged the spring on the bird feeder, so it was closed all night. I went out and reset the spring this morning. I have a chipmonk that has realised that he is light enough that he can get on the perch and it dosn't move.

The humming birds are hitting their feeder pretty regular now.

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It's a female!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 6:13 pm

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She has been back to the hummer feeder several times. She must be one from last year that has come back. She knew just the area where we normally hang it.

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New arrival !

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 1:33 pm

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I was out putting peanuts out for the woodpeckers and Titmice and a hummingbird buzzed. So now the hummingbird feeder is out. I sat out on the porch for a bit, but he hasn't come back yet.

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Funny squirrels!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:21 pm

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Been watching the squirrels trying to figure out how to get the seeds out of the squirrel proof feeder. They grab ahold off of the perch and it moves down and closes off the seeds. They keep trying but haven't figured it out. But you can see their little pea brains churning trying to figure out a way to bypass it!

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I'm an old softy!

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:15 am

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This morning I had birds on the porch railing demanding food! So I broke down and bought a 50 lb. bag of black oil sunflower seeds. But I put some in the second squirrel proof bird feeder. It's one that has the movable perches on it and if something too heavy gets on it, the perch moves down and closes off the feeder. So the squirrels can't get any of the food. Unfortunately, if 3 or 4 big birds get on it at the same time, it does the same thing. I filled it and set it up, but after 2 hrs. the birds hadn't found it. I hadn't used that feeder at all this past winter. So I put 3 peanuts on the perch and the Titmice found them. And they found the seeds also. Then it didn't take long for the other birds to find it! So now they are no longer setting on the porch rail stareing at me with long faces! :)

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Slowing down.

Category: Bird Brain Blog | Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 1:50 pm

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Action at the feeder has been slowing down. I ran out of sunflower seeds, and put that feeder away. I did hang a seed block out and am waiting for them to polsih that off. The Goldfinches have returned to the woodland for their normal feeding. One the seed block is gone, I will suspend feeding until late fall. I don't want the birds to become reliant on my feeding them year around. Late May, I will start putting my Hummingbird feeders up.

This morning I saw a different kind of Sparrow on the ground under the feeder. I looked it up and it was a White Crested Sparrow. A very white little tuft on top of his head with a grey chest and belly. Brown wings and back. They do appear in this area but are not common. Their primary area is Northern Californis, Oregon and Washington State. Their range then filters down into the Rocky Mountain area. I wonder if he may have gotten blown in during some of the recent storms that we have had. This one is on the eastern limit of his possible area.

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