Bird Watchers

[Clementine_3]

Ours are more tan or even medium brownish

I read (somewhere) that they get all sorts of different colors from the mud where they nest. I guess I have clean mud around me haha

 

[Zigman66]

Jeepers, I forgot about our state bird, the robin. We have a lot of those as well

 

[Zigman66]

Actually, our state bird is the mosquito. We are loaded with the little *^$&#*@#$ 's!

 

[lunatic59]

PA state bird. The Ruffed Grouse.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Nothing like it in my part of Boston. No avian every raised that "bird" to me.
I miss risque emojis.

 

[olbriar]

Everyone is familiar with the Kansas State bird. The Jayhawk.

Seriously, it's the Western Meadowlark

You don't see many of them in Kansas. I think they migrated to a better state.

 

[Unforgiven]

Massachusetts (and Maine) is the Black Capped Chicodee.

 

[Clementine_3]

NY's is the Eastern Bluebird

 

[lunatic59]

How come PA is the only state to have a state bird that looks like a turkey getting a colonoscopy?

 

[zuben el genub]

Colorado has the Lark Bunting.

https://statesymbolsusa.org/colorado/bird/lark-bunting

Saw a small flock of wild turkeys walking down the street. We don't live in the usual habitat and I suspect someone is keeping a flock for eggs.

 

[Clementine_3]

A big ol' Pileated woodpecker was just tearing up a bit of the big stump in the yard. Splinters and chunks of wood were flying around like crazy! Looked like someone was using an axe. Now he's up in another tree pecking away, loudly.

 

[lunatic59]

I'll bet he's a Swedish variant of the sub-genus Husqvarna.

 

[lunatic59]

It isn't a bird, but we sure have got a lot of them this year. Might explain the small number of birds.

 

[Zigman66]

What kind is it? Looks like our grass or garter snakes

 

[lunatic59]

Yeah, it's just your common, garden variety garter. We have a very rocky back yard and a pond, so it's ideal for the little slitherers. They've been so common that the wife is no longer freaked out when she sees one. I just have to be careful that I keep an eye out when I'm cutting the grass. Chopping them up is pretty gross.

 

[Zigman66]

I wish we had more of them here. I am literally over run with ground squirrels (very similar to chipmunks) and could use something to bring the population down to a few million in my yard

 

[lunatic59]

I don't think these guys are big enough to take an adult squirrel, or even a chipmunk (we have excessive amounts of those varmints, too). I doubt they are taking our birds, either (to keep it on topic ) but I do think that birds will nest elsewhere if there is a large snake population as snakes do enjoy eggs for breakfast. (Not sure if they like them with toast and coffee, though. )

 

[Zigman66]

I used this method and it worked the second time. My dog is a rodent dog so I thought this would be an easy and quick way to get rid of a bunch but it took me over half an hour to get the darn squirrel out of the jug. It kept seeing the dog and wouldn't come out. And you can't kill it in the jug or you will never get it out. I am trying for the most humane way I can to dispatch them. Live traps haven't worked at all

 

[Zigman66]

I was hoping for more help from our raptor population but they haven't been around as much as I would like

 

[lunatic59]

Now's about the time we have Spring raptor migrations. Hawks, eagles, kites, falcons ... the whole spectrum. (we're in the purple route)

They seem to prefer the rabbits. Or if they do take the other rodent's they eat them all because it's usually only rabbit parts i find at the edge of the woods.

 

[Unforgiven]

I used this method and it worked the second time. My dog is a rodent dog so I thought this would be an easy and quick way to get rid of a bunch but it took me over half an hour to get the darn squirrel out of the jug. It kept seeing the dog and wouldn't come out. And you can't kill it in the jug or you will never get it out. I am trying for the most humane way I can to dispatch them. Live traps haven't worked at all

Put it right side up and fill it with water... ...they would swim to the top like they are while it empties. When it gets to the top they work their way out and run away.

 

[Zigman66]

Not a bad idea! Just have to work out how to get the water in the jug without blocking the exit. I am in the green line route. I see a fair amount of raptors around but I am far enough away from any significant tree lines that I don't think they bother much with my exact area. It's a shame, they would become quite well fed if they did

 

[zuben el genub]

Walkied our Nature Center today. American Goldfinches back. Yellow and yellow-rumped warblers back, house wrens making a racket, but the redwinged blackbirds are quiet.

A prairie dog had somehow fallen in the creek. The Vulcan thought it was the muskrat, but a muskrat will swim with head submerged and can swim against a current. The dog found a small sand bar and got out.

 

[lunatic59]

Just had 4 goldfinches outside my office window. They are striking against the red leaves of the plum tree. Didn't have my camera handy.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I think my Robin found a mate. He shutup last night.