Birdwatching

[DS]

I was del to a house a few weeks ago and I had to stop and watch.
A sparrow was dive bombing a squirrel,that seemed truly frustrated.
He'd run up a tree...the bird would circle the tree and land on his back for a split second and fly off.The squirrel would try to run away but the
bird was way faster.It was like he was trying to pick it up like an eagle
attacking a rodent although the bird weighed maybe an ounce.I thought
maybe the squirrel figured out how to get at the bird feeder,and he
was being disciplined and warned that this was unacceptable.

 

[over9five]

See a Hummingbird once in a while, not this year yet. It likes the flowers on the "monsters" (plant name unknown), and they haven't bloomed yet this year.

 

[over9five]

Over9five calls my Hosta plants "monsters". He has been enlightened.

Over9fives wife

 

[browniehound]

Brownie,

I've seen hawks around with a smaller bird flying slightly above the hawk. It almost looks like the hawk is being chased by the bird. I'm thinking it might be a baby hawk learning how to soar. Have you seen anything like this?

Thanks, Chan

Chan, I've observed this quite often. First time was with Crows. It looked like the crow was chasing that hawk. Then I noticed it in smaller birds such as the common grackles.

I don't having any scientific knowlege on this phenonomon, but my guess is the birds are protecting their nest.

Which brings up another question. How does a bird that would be "dead meat" if it were perched on the ground chase away a hawk? Does this mean hawks are powerless while these smaller birds are in the air and can only get their talons in them when they swooped down from above unexpectedly?

 

[over9five]

Re: Weird bird

OK, on route today, I saw this weird bird, one that I've never seen before. It's pretty large, 9-10" maybe. Long beak. So I whip out my camera phone and start snapping. EMail pic to my wife. She doesn't know what it is, and it isn't in the bird book. So I now take it to the smartest people online.... BrownCafe-ers.







Sorry, about the poor pic, it was just a camera phone!

 

[over9five]

PS. How come when I post a pic it's small, but when DS posts it's big????





And I don't want to hear how his is bigger than mine....

 

[DS]

That Is a weird bird...looks like it escaped from a zoo.
As far as mine being bigger than yours goes...in order for
the pic to be big,I was using photobucket as a host.But Cheryl made it so we can do it right here in the browncafe.At the top you will see a new thingy called VB Image Host...first go to the thread where you want to share a photo and minimize it,just upload an image there and in a 2nd window drag it into your post...its easy its fun AWK

 

[over9five]

I wish I could bring a camera to work and get a better picture. There were three of them there, and they were still there when I went back for the pickup.

 

[DS]

Moreluck found some excellent pics.

 

[browniehound]

Over, I am totally baffled. I've never seen anything like that! Look how long its legs are and how big its feet are! I'd like to think I know everything in the field guides, but I can't begin to guess what the heck THAT bird is! I'm going to go looking now and I'll let you know if I discover something.

 

[Channahon]

A little info for our feathered friends, I thought I would share.

I never knew about the eggshells, so rather than tossing them in the garbage disposal or trash, another way to recylce and help the environment.

Eggshells from your breakfast can provide mother-to-be birds with calcium for their own eggshell production in spring. Rinse and dry your eggshells, then crush them and mix them with seed, or put them out on a platform feeder.

Keep bird houses up over the winter to provide weather sheltering for wintering birds. In very early spring clean out last year's nests!

Add rocks or bird bath fillers to create different water levels within the bath. This is especially helpful to small birds if your bath is deeper than 1 1/2 inches, the ideal water depth.

Special window decals can help save birds from crashing into your windows. Migrating birds – and even year round regulars – can mistake a reflection in your window for a bit of sky and fly right into your glass window or door. A few decals with UV coating which birds see as a solid blue (and we see as transparent!) can help them realize they cannot ‘fly through’! These decals can save countless bird lives and injuries. These decals do work, I purchased some due to a few birds flying into my window that does not open or have a screen. I haven't noticed any birds flying into windows that have screens.

If possible, place feeders in or near evergreen shrubs for shelter, or temporarily close in three sides of a platform feeder to keep out wind. Keep feeders to the south of your home, if possible, out of the north winds

And if you have a live Christmas tree, and have a spot for it in your yard, I put mine out last year, and found a robin's nest in late spring.

 

[brown bomber]

you guys have inspired (forced) me to pay much closer attention to my bird feeders...needless to say I've neglected them during this past peak season...I'll try to fix this shortcoming on my behalf ASAP

 

[local804]

I know some people might find it odd for someone in their 30's to be interested in birds( its usually the hobby of retirees). I have been interested in backyard brids since I was 21.

I truly find these creatures facinating and could spend hours watching them at the feeder or the birdbath. I've identified at least 30 species in my backyard alone here in metro-Boston and many more in the woods by my house.

So, I post this message to see if anyone else is interested in birds. The most exciting thing I ever saw was a Red-Tailed hawk swooped down and grabbed a pigioen from my neihbors roof and proceded to eat it on my lawn. I was hooked ever since and consider myself a semi-expert when it comes to identification and behavior in the northeast. I look forward to any replies.

I always knew something was up with you....

 

[old brown shoe]

Over9five I think I know what kind of bird that is in your picture weirdbird. My father use to tell about those when I was a kid. They are called a milermore bird. They whistle out of their and you can hear it for a mile or more.