Return of the hummers

For whatever reason the annual arrival of the hummingbirds was really late this year. I've had hummingbirds every year and in fact this year invested in a few new things for the little guys but they simply never showed up, well till now. Better late than never I guess.

I have a new feeder for them but they seemed to prefer the ole stand up. Doesn't matter to me I'm just happy to be able to watch them feeding and chasing each other around the yard. I'm going to enjoy every day they have left here and hope they return a little earlier next year.

Vacationing in Maine

So I've returned after spending a few weeks in Maine which is one of my favorite places to visit. To my surprise for whatever reason there was not as much bird sightings as trips in the past except for the osprey. There seemed to be more osprey then any trip in the past especially in the Freeport and Boothbay areas. We did manage to spot one bald eagle during the trip but not on any of the hikes or trails, it was actually while sitting at a gas station, but hey it was a bald eagle and no matter where you see one it's always a good thing.

Sad but Happy Day

So I came home from work day and thought 'you know what I didn't see the bluebirds yesterday' and looked around and they weren't here today either. Hmmm, I wait a little bit and nope NO BLUEBIRDS! Time to break my 'once a week look in the house' rule and sure enough it's empty.

Sadness overcomes me but all evidence shows that they left the house on their own so I'm really really happy about that but I was hoping to see the moment when they left the nest and get some good pictures and officially get a head count. But I guess I'm left with sharing the last picture I got of the little guys which was taken three days ago. I never could get a good picture of them because they would sort of hide as you can tell.

Anyway, I wonder where they are and wish them all the best and hope they call my place home for a long, long time. Their house is cleaned out and waiting in case mom and dad want to start another nest so here's to a great future filled with bluebirds!

Picture and quick story

This post is really just for the picture. Of course the subject is my bluebirds. This time was the other evening with a beautiful sunset in the background. Of course they wouldn't pose where I really wanted them but their normal wire sitting worked out okay.

On the bird front, I did see the first Baltimore Oriole I've seen in a long long time today what makes it great it that it was at a friend's house and he saw it across their two acre yard. My love for birds is catching a little bit. Of course, I didn't have my camera but honestly I never got close enough to get a picture but we did see it a few times. I will be taking my camera to their house this weekend in hopes of a return visit of the orange delight.

Get out of here! No, you get out of here!!!

Okay I wasn't happy years ago when they moved trashy trailers in across the street from me and really not happy when the one was raided for a meth lab but who would have known an abandoned trailer would be so amusing.

This past weekend I was out side and heard a crow going nuts. This isn't too strange but this one just wouldn't stop screaming. So I walked to the front of the house and saw him across the street at the 'meth' trailer fighting with another crow. I thought 'Oh, so that's the problem' and went back in the house. On my next venture out I still heard him and thought it should have ended by now. Upon walking back out front and looking that's when I notice it WASN'T another bird he was fighting with, it was himself in a mirror. Too funny!

I'm not sure how long it took him to figure it out but I'm really happy that whoever cleaned out the trailer put that mirror there. Sorry it's not a better picture but it be honest I didn't want to be sen taking a picture of a seized meth lab. LOL

I'm feeling mighty blue

I know it's an unwritten rule that you are not to show favorites when it's come to family, but I can't help it - my bluebirds are by far my favorites. It's been an amazing spring to have the bluebirds show up early, start to build, leave and then come back to build on the deck where I can watch them up close a personal all day everyday! The youngster hatched about one week ago and mom and dad are busy feeding them all. I believe there are five in there but really hard to count at this point.

I finally got up the nerve to open the house and try to get a picture of them but the door doesn't leave me many option of angles so the above is the best I can do right now. Anyway, hope you enjoy the images and look for more updates.

Out of their own

The yard is full of feathered friends - some hanging out at the feeders and some hanging in the grass. Some are very busy gathering food and making numerous trip to their nests and some are just out sitting trying to take it all in - those are the newest additions to the bird world. Watching the youngsters can be quite fun. They're not sure when to fly and when to stay where they are. Mom is still feeding them yet they have freedom. I have the great honor of watching them figure out what the reality of freedom is and I'm going to enjoy it all summer.

Dad and their home

Here a quick picture of the bluebird house so you can see what I mean about the location. I literally sit it there till I figure out where I might put it. The bungee was added after the eggs showed up. Plan it to raise the location to a safer place once these babies fly away.

Sound the trumpets...

...the big arrival has occurred. Finally after years, I have baby bluebirds. I've lived in my current home for almost 10 years and this is a first here - in fact a first for me period. When I was house hunting the main reason I settled for this house was because of the large overgrown field in the back. I'm wasn't looking at other houses just an old cow pasture let to grow which meant wildlife to me.

The first two years I had bluebirds around but they won't go near the many birdhouses I had put out. I moved them everywhere to try different approaches. It was almost torturous to have them around but I couldn't figure out the right match to get them to nest. Over the years it became a yearly challenge. Then about three years ago, they finally started building in one of the houses and I thought 'FINALLY' but for all those years they would start to build and then abandon their nest. This happened again this year, they built stayed a little while and then disappeared again as you can see from my first blog entries it was quite a high then low.

So again I was thinking 'what can I do differently.' So again I found myself in the bird supply aisle at Lowe's and once again I bought a new little different bluebird house. I came home that day and took down the one they NEVER use and replaced it with the new one. I took the old birdhouse and throw it in my garbage can. On trash day I had a change of heart about throwing the house out and figured I could put it somewhere later, so I simply sit it on the deck railing.

About a week later, there was grass sticking out the back of the old thing. I figured the chickadees had moved in. But a few days later the nest wasn't finished so I cleaned it out and left it there. Next day there was grass again but this time a full nest. I laughed and thought okay I'll let whatever it is use it. Within no time I saw them, the bluebird couple on the cable wires above and thought strange and then BAM she flew into the 'garbage' house. I laughed to myself and thought 'all these years and they build there' too funny.

So today is the record day. Bluebird babies in the 'garbage' house secured to the deck with a bungee cord - proving sometimes things just happen!

Yet another nest

Well, yet another shocker in the nesting arena. I've got a pair of nesting Brown Thrashers. They have chosen to nest right in the top of the hedge row beside my house. So I've marked where the nest is so that when I go to trim the bushes down I'll leave that area alone. It will look funny to those driving by but I'll know the real deal.

It's been quite a year here for nesting birds. I can now sit on the sit on my deck and watch pairs of chickadees, house wrens (2 sets), bluebirds and brown thrashers. Not bad and I've still got a few more houses for rent if there are anymore takers out there.

Attack....

So the indigo bunting was at the feeder and I decided to try again to get a 'good' picture of him which is easier said then done. I was snapping the shutter and watching him through the lens when BAM something freaked him out.

Well, the picture says it all. I guess this finch didn't want anything blue on 'his' feeder. Not the best picture but not one you can really plan for.

A flocking good time...

I was already thinking it's about time for a new blog entry but what should I write about. I was thinking I could do an update that my crazy bluebirds are still here but no signs of the eggs hatching yet but didn't think that was enough for a new post. Then thought I could talk about the indigo buntings but not much there either other than they are here. So I was debating on just what to talk about when I walked out at almost dusk and there is was - today's blog entry!

I walked out and looked around for the bluebirds when something in the top of the tree caught my eye. It was a group of birds but not a normal group of starlings or cowbirds. This group was reflecting color back at me, so in I ran back in the house for my camera. I use it as binoculars now. Take a picture at full zoom and then zoom the picture in on the little screen. So what was the group? It was cedar waxwings. Wow, they a beautiful with the setting sun on them and especially in a group. It's been a long, long time since I've seen these guys and I can say it was worth the wait.

Here's to hoping they stick around. If their name means anything then they should love the field of cedar trees in my back yard.

Fun little guy

If you have a feeder and especially a suet feeder then you've most likely seen this little guy, the Nuthatch. Talk about a bird that loves to be upside-down, that's this feathered friend. I've rarely seen them on flat surfaces except when they jump from my suet feeder to the deck for one quick review of whether to fly off or jump back on the feeder.

At my parents house they are often climbing up and down the bark of all their trees and really fun to watch. Their claws are meant for holding onto bark and not like any of the other 'normal' birds you'll see around the feeder especially in proportion to their size. They also have a nice sized beak which looks like it'd be good for getting bugs but I have to be honest and say I've only ever seen them eating at the feeders which doesn't require much of a beak just ask the neighborhood squirrels.

But one thing about the nuthatch that I can't figure out is how it got it's name, but I wonder that about a lot of birds like the Catbird! But that's a story for another day.

Spring is in the air

I can walk outside and tell Spring is definitely in the air. The bird couples are everywhere. Besides the pair of bluebirds that I'm happily watching, a pair of Titmouses were happily visiting the feeder together, a pair of towhees were jumping around in the grass and multiple pairs of House Wrens have their nests packed into the birdhouses. Of course there were also Mourning Doves, Cardinals and Blue Jays and those Cowbird whores (read earlier post for details on that one.)

There is one more pair that I need to confirm but I believe I have a pair of Indigo Buntings too. The male is obviously here all day everyday but I can't confirm the female. I believe I saw her once a few days ago but haven't seen her again. Believe me there will be more about these birds when I get a good picture but that male can leave the area faster than I can click the shutter. I have a few shoots but none good enough YET!

The above picture was taken this afternoon at the birdhouse in my back yard while watching a pair go in and out of the house I bought for my neighbor to put in his yard.

Bluebirds - Round 2

Well, I'm very happy to announce that the reason I started this blog is back in motion. My pair of bluebirds have taken up a new residence in another one of my birdhouses. Of course, this one is sort of funny. It's an old house that when out in the yard no feathered friends showed an interest in it. After about five years, I decided to replace it this year.

What makes it funny is that I actually put that house in the garbage then thought maybe I would put it out somewhere different so saved it from the clutches of Waste Management. I hadn't decided where to put it yet and simply set it in the corner of the deck railing.

A few weeks ago I went to move it and notice grass sticking out the bottom, thought it was strange, looked inside and there was the beginnings of a nest. About a week later I looked again and the same beginnings so I thought once again they simple hate this house. I cleaned it out and left it sit out of the way. Well, low and behold last weekend it started filling up again, this time more than before.

Earlier in the week I caught a female bluebird near it with a beak full of nesting material and thought "no way" - well 'yes way!' I decided to take a peek this evening and BAM at least three eggs and yes they are bluebird eggs. The proud parents are right there on the wires above. I've now secured the house to the deck and hoping that this nest lasts through the entire cycle of life.

Fitting Name

How could anyone not love the little chickadee? This is one bird that if you have a feeder out you will see and if you don't know it's a chickadee then just wait till you hear its call. This little guy proudly announces his presence over and over...chick-a-dee-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee-dee. If you hear that then you've got one of this little feathered friends near by.

One other thing about this guys is that they are loyal to their home, no migration here. If you have them in your yard they will be there all year round through snow and rain and heat of day, they will gladly visit your feeder usually for a quick seed grab and run but don't worry they will be right back for another.

I was lucky enough last year to have a couple take residence in one of my bluebird houses and actually got to see the one little chick they raised. Talk about cute - the young are the cutest with their fluffy feathers. Now, I'm happy to announce that I believe this year they have moved next door to my neighbors wren house so hopefully we'll have one or more little fluffy friends again. I hope to get pictures of the young this year and if and when I do I'll be sure to share.

To love a mockingbird

Everyone has heard of the term "mockingbird" but have you ever really heard one? They are a pretty amazing bird if you think about it. They have the ability to imitate other birds but the have a reputation for being quite annoying and thus you find scenes like in the movie "Failure to Launch" where a significant piece of the story line went the demise of one.

While I have one in my yard it's not quite movie material but my friend has one that really could be the stunt double for the Failure to Launch character. Of course some days are better than others but this mockingbird knows way too many sounds and he out to impress during all hours of the day.

Yesterday I was watching and listening to him thinking "I wonder if he naturally knew all those sounds or truly learned them all." This lead me to my favorite tool - Google where I found out that mockingbirds are one of the very few birds that continuously learn sounds throughout their whole life. There have been some that have been known to have learned over 200 different calls. They not only learn other bird's calls but they will also imitate any short repetitive sound like a car alarm, door bell, croaking frog and even a human whistle.

I'm planning on telling my friend this so the family can sit out and train their neighborhood mockingbird. I only hope that six months from now they don't hates themselves for teaching it new sounds.

Afterlife as a vulture

While I often say if there is an afterlife and you come back as a creature I want to come back as a bird, a vulture would not be my choice at all. However I do find myself often staring jealously at the occasional vulture that sails over. Especially on windy days like today.

Have you ever really watched a vulture fly? While the thought off there daily mission for food is not exactly appealing, their gift for floating on a breeze is amazing. On most if not all days, the vulture will circle the sky without a single flap of their wings. They have an amazing ability to glide effortlessly once airborne. I often find myself staring with amazement as they fly and then saying "I wish I could do that" and thing about an afterlife as a bird. But then remember that it's a vulture and who would ever want to come back as road kill cleaner. I wouldn't want that job in my human life so why in hell would I want it in my afterlife. I guess it would be like if the Department of Highways Road Kill Crew got to drive a Maserati then maybe more people want that job too.

Anyway, next time you see a vulture just watch it and forget about it's job and try to pay attention to the gracefulness of its flight!

Masked Bandits

Okay so I'm a nature loving fool but my neighborhood masked bandits have stolen one too many suet bricks and now it's war. It all started about 2 months ago when the first raccoon was spotted on my deck at the regular bird feeder. At first it was cool because I actually like raccoons. It was about this time that my first suet brick disappeared. About a week later, I spotted three bandits on the deck and thought okay that's a little much and I need to do something.

The local stores didn't have anything that I thought would work but online I found a 36" pole that attached to the deck and swings in and out to fill up. Perfect - order two! Well, this worked for about a week and sure enough another suet brick disappeared during the night and the arm was swung in like they were asking me to refill it. Now, if they can't swing it in they just climb out it and with their weight they have managed to break one of the deck boards. So this is WAR! I finally have woodpeckers at my suet feeder and these bandits are not going to ruin that. Tonight I decided to research what to do and thought I'd share one set of "Tips" with you.

• Fastening a pipe around the pole of the feeder that moves when raccoons step on it. This can be an old stove pipe or a piece of hard plastic tubing. Make sure it's not ridged on the outside, or the squirrels and raccoons will find a way to climb up. Pairing this with a baffle may deter the raccoons from trying to climb the feeder. (Going to try this one)
• Hang your feeders away from tree branches, structures or sheds that raccoons can use to get to them (DUH)
• Try a “bird feeder clothesline” - drive two poles into the ground and string a line between them. String empty pop bottles lengthwise along the line, and hang the feeder between the bottles. If an animal attempts to step on the clothesline, they'll be spun off by the rotating bottles. (White Trash bird feeding - not going to happen in my yard)
• Use a raccoon or squirrel repellent. They're perfectly safe for the animals and can be found at any pet or birding store. (I can only imagine what this smells like - so NO WAY)
• If nothing else works, try taking your feeders into your garage or shed at night, or, if you don't have an enclosed area, invest in a raccoon-proof container to store your feeders and seed. (Double DUH but too much work to bring all the feeders in at night)

Well, that's the research. Look for updates on what happens!

Nothing like a good field guide or two

So as you can imagine any good birdwatcher has their "go to" bird book. I actually now have two. The Sibley's Field Guide to Birds, which I like all the Sibley's Field Guide books for all things nature and the other bird book is the Kaufman Focus Guides Birds of North America. I always had the old trusty blue covered field guide that I think everyone in our family had but one day in Barnes & Noble I decided to look at their bird section and was shocked by how far bird guides had come.

The Sibley's series of books are great. They are all done with drawings but very detailed drawings and lots of other good written details about our little feathered friends. This is my "go to" bird field guide and in most cases all I need. However, I decide to get the Kaufman book strictly because it is full of real photos and sometimes that's exactly what you need to make the final call on those difficult to identify little guys.

If interested you can check them both out on amazon.com and there are photos of the inside of both books.

Sibley's - http://www.amazon.com/Sibley-Field-Guide-Eastern-America/dp/067945120X/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272414374&sr=1-11

Kaufman - http://www.amazon.com/Birds-North-America-Kaufman-Guides/dp/0618073248/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272414408&sr=1-19

Game on

Last year, I went for a bike ride on the C & O Canal near Oldtown, MD. During that trip we saw lots of the "normal" birds like cardinals and such but at one point on the trail we came across a Great Blue Heron which happens to be one of my favorite birds. I've spent years trying to sneak up on this bird. Growing up they would visit our pond and I would try every different trick to get close enough for a picture without them seeing me and leaving. It simply never happened, you just don't sneak up on a Great Blue. It's become kind of a game for me over the years to see just where that 'fly away' line is and when I cross it.

But back to the C & O Canal, as we first saw this guy I started moving slowly to get my camera out to snap at least one "not good enough for the wall" photo. So I snapped that first picture and now "Game on" it's now time to see how close I can get before it flies off. One step, snap a pic. Another step, another snap of the shutter. Again the same and about 30 clicks later it was like "Okay, something isn't right." The Great Blue had take a few steps but not flown away. This was by far the closest I've ever been to one and didn't make sense after 20+ years of playing this game. There is no such thing as a tame Great Blue especially in an area like the C & O Canal so why wasn't he playing?

So, did you know that a Great Blue Heron can't fly with a fish in their throat? Well they can't and this guy taught me that. After watching him so closely, it was obvious that his last meal was not cooperating. We watched as he tried to coax his catch down. We decided to let him be and ride on. On the return trip, we wondered whether he would still be there but we were happy to see he was gone and that he must have figured out how to readjust his catch and move on.

To this day I wonder if he was more traumatized by us being there or maybe it made him trust humans a little more. I hope to return this year and see.

Someone's Canary got out...

As I look out the window at the finch feeder, I can't help but remember the day I came home from work only to be met by two different neighbors. The German neighbor from across the street came running waving her arms and all I could think is "what happened" and "this can't be good."

As soon as she got to my car and I got out, she was yelling that "someone's canary got out and it's been in your yard all day." I of course was concerned and instantly starting thinking about how to catch it because canaries aren't meant to live in the wild in Kentucky. As I'm listen to the neighbors and thinking of what to do I hear "THERE IT IS, THERE IT IS." I turn look at the feeder and instantly start laughing. They were not amused when I said "that's not a canary, that's a gold finch." Since they didn't believe me, I proceeded to go in my apartment and get my bird book. Only then did they believe me that it wasn't someone's pet canary.

That day I felt good that I had educated a few people on the birds of Kentucky. When I bought my house and moved I presented each of those neighbors with their own finch feeder and bag of seed. They were so happy that they would still be able to see the "Kentucky Canaries" after I left. I only hope that they still have that same enthusiasm for those little gold finches.

Crack whores of the bird world

My yard has been taken over by the birds I like to call the "Crack Whores" of the bird world - the Cowbird! It's the one and only bird we were allowed to shoot growing up and right now I wish I owned some bird shot!

Why do I call them crack whores? Well, it's easy. They get pregnant then say "Hold up! I don't have time to build a nest, sit on an egg and feed my kid" so they let others do it for them. They find other birds' nest, kick one of the eggs out and lay their own in that birds' nest. The unknowing victim birds then raises the Cowbird young for them while the Crack whore goes on partying without a care in the world. Oh and it's not a one time thing either, that crack whore female can lay up to three dozen eggs in one summer. Other thing is that usually the Cowbird chick is larger than than other chicks so it will take most the food and the other chicks will die.

Now tell me if you agree with the name. I think rather than the Brown-headed Cowbird I might petition the Audubon society to change the name to Crack-whore Cowbird.

I would put a picture up by I will NEVER take a picture of this bird unless it's after I purchase and successfully test the use of bird shot or maybe a high-powered bb-gun.

Top graphic

I made the header graphic for this blog using some of my many photos so I thought I would tell you where they were taken.

From left to right: Great Blue Heron taken on C & O Canal near Oldtown, MD; Ruby Crowned Kinglet taken on West Thumb Geyser walkway in Yellowstone National Park, WY; Sanderling taken at Assateague National Seashore, MD; Indigo Bunting taken in my backyard in KY; Eastern Bluebird taken in my backyard in KY; White Pelican taken in Grand Teton National Park, WY; Turkey taken in Custer State Park, SD; Thayer's Gull taken in Assateague National Seashore, MD; American Bald Eagle taken near Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, WY; Tufted Titmouse taken in my backyard in KY; Western Bluebird taken on Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, WY

Recovery time

So I haven't yet got over the fact that I'm not going to be able to watch the bluebird family this year. Still not sure what happened but time to move on. It's late April and the hummingbirds should be showing up any time now. So it's time to get out the hummingbird feeders. This year I purchased a new glass one that pretty to look at even without the hummingbirds but I hope they like it. I still have their old favorite out but time will tell if they like the new one.

When looking for bird supplies on the web, I came across Hummingbird Houses. Well, they call them "houses" but they are just a metal branch with some fake leaves. Of course they sound like they work great in the description and instructions but then again that's just plain good marketing. The instructions also seem to be really focused on the New Mexico area where the company is and of course a high population of different hummingbirds. Here in Kentucky, we have one type but they are still an amazing little bird. My little Ruby Throated friends come back every year but we'll see if they like the new feeder and what they think of the "houses" which I have two of.

The houses like I said are just metal branches with a built in area that's perfect for their little nests. The fake leaves are for them to perch on or at least that's what the instructions say. But we'll see. I also purchased a cage of nest building material to hopefully encourage they a little bit more to build a nest right under the eaves of the house.

If interested in the hummingbird houses or nest material check out www.duncraft.com/.

Not a good start...

Well, as my first post stated I was so excited that this year was the year that the bluebirds were going to stay. Let me say today is a sad day. I came home from work and noticed that the male was no longer proudly sitting in the chestnut tree as he has been every moment of every day for weeks now, so I watched the house for awhile. Waiting a few hours with no sign of either bird I decided to check the house and the eggs are gone. No clue what happened. No sign of the raccoons digging through the hole which has happened in the past so maybe a snake but doesn't much matter now does it?

Well, tomorrow we'll find something else to focus on and we'll go from there.

Blog name...

Well, let's hope this blog that is for the birds doesn't end up being "For the Birds." I've wanted for awhile to start a blog. First criteria was a subject that would give me enough good content to justify what I want to be a nice blog. Second was that it wouldn't get me fired! So, this one goes to the safe and ever loving love of birds.

Birds are something that I grow up loving. Blame it on my Audubon loving Grandmother that kept a daily chart of all birds seen. From as young as I can remember it was always a special treat to mark off the birds for the day. The mornings at her house I would run out to be the first to mark off the chickadee or maybe that titmouse or cardinal or whatever feathered friend caught your eye first. I would happily grab that clipboard and put a little check mark in the box on the appropriate line of that perfectly aligned graph paper. As I grow older I gained the honor of creating the next month's chart, first row - dates - first column contained the names of the birds. No birds could be added till they were seen but the first day was always full of those everyday feeder visitors so there was a good many to write. What an honor to be the one to write the bird in your own handwriting for the whole family to see!

So fast forward quite a few years and here I am still loving birds. Every spring I find myself wondering if this year will be the year that the bluebirds stay in my yard. Well, I've been in this house almost 9 years and I'm happy to report that year has finally come. Every year the bluebirds start building a nest in one of my birdhouses but would always abandon it and others would happily move in - usually the little house wrens. Last year, however I has very happy to have a chickadee family move in and produce the cutest little chick. But this year, for whatever reason they STAYED! I'm so happy! So as you can imagine one big subject will be my family of bluebirds among a few other subjects.

Well, hope you enjoy and here's hoping it's a good blog "For the Birds"