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Chilidog
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#451

Post by Chilidog »

TIS THE SEASON.....


For the Christmas bird counts.

Anyone partaking.
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MsDaisy
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#452

Post by MsDaisy »

Someone ate a bird in the dinning room last night, the only thing left was a foot and some feathers. I have my money on middle cat Katie, she's a very bad girl hunting birds all the time. :evil:
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Such a spoiled brat!
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MN-Skeptic
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#453

Post by MN-Skeptic »

Chilidog wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 5:33 pm TIS THE SEASON.....


For the Christmas bird counts.

Anyone partaking.
I'll give it a try...

Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtledoves
AND
A partridge in a pear tree.

Right?

:dance:
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#454

Post by AndyinPA »

:lol:
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler
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Azastan
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#455

Post by Azastan »

Chilidog wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 5:33 pm TIS THE SEASON.....


For the Christmas bird counts.

Anyone partaking.
I haven't seen any of the local people asking for volunteers--I will go take a look.

Even though I live in a rural area, and across the road from a 29 acre wetland where one would think that one would see a good assortment of birds, we actually don't have that many birds on the property.

Juncos, varied thrush, American robin, brown creeper, perhaps some kinglets if we are fortunate, and several species of ducks (wood, mallard, GoldenEye's, buffleheads, and hooded mergansers are about it).
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#456

Post by northland10 »

Chilidog wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 5:33 pm TIS THE SEASON.....


For the Christmas bird counts.

Anyone partaking.
While interesting, tis not the season for me to do something else, even if the nearby circle has its day after Christmas. That is recovery time.
101010 :towel:
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Chilidog
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#457

Post by Chilidog »

The pup and I are going out to the area along the Rock River by Castle Rock in a couple weeks. I'm really looking forward to it
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#458

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Pancake, protectodog extraordinaire, chases squirrels from our deck with righteous indignation. She has a self open door which she opens vigourously when on the chase.

What does that have to do with counting birds? If we put food on the deck railings it attracts birds and squirrels and thus Pancake. Even hanging a bird feeder would attract squirrels as we all know.

If we feed birds in the front yard, Siri, the predator reduces their numbers quickly and efficiently.

I can count birds here by sound or if they are safe from the Dastardly Duo. :biggrin:
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#459

Post by Phoenix520 »

Last month a wood pigeon flock decided to take up residence in the enormous pine tree on the hillside behind us. Every morning at 8 they take off en masse for whatever wood pigeons do during their day and there’s a deep whooshing sound. outside the bedroom window.

Yesterday I was having morning tea in the front room at around 8:30. I noticed a commotion on the roof over the garage which is steeply pitched - our house is a Tudor. A bunch of the pigeons were sitting on the weather vane watching other pigeons slide down the roof to the deck rail. Then thé watching pigeons hopped down and did the same.

It was a chaos of wings and feet but very entertaining. It went in for about 10 minutes.

Birds love to play.
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#460

Post by jcolvin2 »

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:13 am What does that have to do with counting birds? If we put food on the deck railings it attracts birds and squirrels and thus Pancake. Even hanging a bird feeder would attract squirrels as we all know.
We did not have a bird feeder out for years because of the problem with squirrels. Three years ago, my wife's brother gave her a squirrel-proof feeder, which has been remarkably successful.
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#461

Post by jcolvin2 »

Azastan wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 7:44 pm Juncos, varied thrush, American robin, brown creeper, perhaps some kinglets if we are fortunate, and several species of ducks (wood, mallard, GoldenEye's, buffleheads, and hooded mergansers are about it).
This year, we have seen trumpeter swans for the first time on Lake Washington. Maybe climate change ...
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Azastan
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#462

Post by Azastan »

jcolvin2 wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 2:11 pm
This year, we have seen trumpeter swans for the first time on Lake Washington. Maybe climate change ...
Perhaps, but if you go up north you will see hundreds of them in the tulip fields, along with snow geese. I normally see them in the cow pastures if I go into Enumclaw the back way ( through Cumberland). Still exciting to see them closer to Seattle!

There was a Whooper Swan spotted a couple of days ago up by Everett, but I don't think it's been found again.
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sugar magnolia
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#463

Post by sugar magnolia »

jcolvin2 wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 2:07 pm
Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:13 am What does that have to do with counting birds? If we put food on the deck railings it attracts birds and squirrels and thus Pancake. Even hanging a bird feeder would attract squirrels as we all know.
We did not have a bird feeder out for years because of the problem with squirrels. Three years ago, my wife's brother gave her a squirrel-proof feeder, which has been remarkably successful.
We use a shepherd's hook with a slinky on it. Not one single squirrel has made it to the feeder in several years, but it's funny as shit watching them try..
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MsDaisy
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#464

Post by MsDaisy »

We had a terrible time keeping the squirrels and even the occasional raccoon off the bird feeder, they'd tear the damn thing to shit trying to get at the feed. AND the damn dogs would knock the post over trying to get the squirrels trapped on top, that was generally one hell of a comotion!
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Then I had a brilliant idea that fixed the problem and we've not had a single issue ever since.... I put a piece of PVC pipe over the cedar post and the little bastards can't climb it! Plus there are no trees near by for them to jump from :biggrin: :thumbsup:
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#465

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

https://www.audubon.org/conservation/jo ... bird-count
Audubon's 123rd Christmas Bird Count will be held from Dec 14, 2022 to January 5, 2023!

The Christmas Bird Count occurs December 14 to January 5 every season. Sign up to receive information and results about all of Audubon's community science programs through American Birds, our newsletter by email.
https://www.audubon.org/answers-your-to ... bird-count
Answers to your top questions about the Christmas Bird Count

What is the Christmas Bird Count?

Frank Chapman and 26 other conservationists initiated the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) as a way of promoting conservation by counting, rather than hunting, birds on Christmas Day of 1900. Some counts have been running every year since then and the CBC now happens in over 20 countries in the western hemisphere! Read about the history here. Now a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 120 years of community science involvement, it is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada (where Audubon partners with Birds Canada), and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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#466

Post by northland10 »

There are trees nearby my feeders so I often sit and watch woodpeckers and nuthatches take seeds back to the trees and create a crack for the seed. I begin to wonder if there is any tree branch left or if it is just a collection seeds.

Now, when the woodpeckers decide they want to eat and not just hide seeds, they will go to the suet feeder. The house sparrows have not quite figured out that the male downy woodpecker does not like the sparrows getting nearby him on the suet feeder. He will take a poke at them. I support him in this effort.

Chickadees are fun to watch when I have sunflower seeds. They grab their seed quickly, go to the tree and poke away at it.

ETA: Yesterday, I counted 4-5 pairs of house finches at one time. I don't usually see that many at once.
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#467

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

I went on my very first Christmas Bird Count and found a cool place to hike! This bird count location was set 50 years ago so comparisons can be made to previous counts.

I heard birds that are not in my backyard and the green easement behind that. My backyard has about 95% of the species we counted this morning! :biggrin:
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Chilidog
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#468

Post by Chilidog »

"shot of Wild Turkey, anyone?"

From our Christmas bird count yesterday.
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#469

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

🎶Six Wild Turkeys🎶
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#470

Post by Maybenaut »

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture because we were driving, but I saw two bald eagles, flying over the mountain today.

Magnificent!
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#471

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

🎶Two Bald Eagles🎶

We are rewriting the Twelve Days of Xmas. We could make it the 8 Days of Hanukkah.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Chilidog
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#472

Post by Chilidog »

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:14 pm 🎶Six Wild Turkeys🎶
Well to get technical, there were around 50.

The funny thing is, they came down off the hill just as the hunting hours ended.
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#473

Post by northland10 »

Chilidog wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:54 pm
Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:14 pm 🎶Six Wild Turkeys🎶
Well to get technical, there were around 50.

The funny thing is, they came down off the hill just as the hunting hours ended.

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Of course, they did. I have found turkeys to be quite smart.

Many years ago, when I lived up north, I was driving down a back road when 3 turkey hens and many little ones were crossing the road. I stopped to let them cross. One hen had crossed but the other 2, having seen me approach, had not. This confused the little ones still in the middle of the road. I sat and watched while they went back and forth, not sure which side of the road was the correct one. After maybe a minute or so of this confusion, the hen that had crossed the road suddenly ran back across the road to where the other hens were, and all the little ones followed.

I've seen humans who wouldn't have figured that out. I was impressed and entertained.

I miss the slower pace of life up there where you can sit on the road and just marvel at the things like that.
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#474

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Are Cardinals Redder In Winter?
Like many birds, Northern Cardinals molt their feathers and grow new ones in late summer and early fall, after the breeding season is over and at a time when food is abundant. During autumn people often comment about how ratty cardinals look. Molting cardinals commonly have areas of dark, exposed skin on their head or body, and some even molt their head feathers all at once, rendering the birds bald.

But even after its head is covered in feathers again, a newly molted male cardinal isn’t at his brightest. Many of his new feathers, especially on the neck and back, are tipped with gray. During fall and winter these dusky feather tips slowly wear off, revealing more and more brilliant red.

The birds reach the peak of brilliance by midwinter ahead of the spring breeding season. Against snow-covered conifers, it’s a feast for our eyes, too. The richness of a male’s red feathers may make a difference in his reproductive success: One study found that in rural areas, brighter red cardinals tended to mate earlier and nest in higher-quality habitat—factors usually associated with more offspring.


But for cardinals that live in cities, redder may not be better. A study in 2010 found that in urban areas brighter cardinals had poorer body condition and didn’t produce as many young as more subtly hued cardinals. The study’s authors said the surprising finding may have to do with the prevalence of non-native honeysuckle. The redness in cardinals comes from carotenoids—pigments that occur naturally in foods such as red and purple fruits. Honeysuckle is often planted in urban gardens and woodlands and has red berries that some cardinals feast upon. Honeysuckle berries are high in carotenoids, but unlike native fruits such as dogwood and winterberry, they’re very low in fats and proteins.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/are- ... in-winter/

🎶And a cardinal in a cedar tree.🎶
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#475

Post by Phoenix520 »

Say hi to Juno.
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She’s the neighborhood raven. She belongs to someone but she’s very social and spends time at other houses. She’s kind of bitey when she you aren’t properly divining her intentions and desires, but t otherwise she’s a very nice bird.

I hear thru the appvine that she has stolen a blue pocket knife, a blue scrub brush, and a set of markers from someone’s purse. She tried to take the cap from our outdoor outlet but was stopped. Mr is right now feeding her an orange slice.

I’m in Heaven. :biggrin: I’ll post more pics later. I just want to enjoy the moment.

ETA Shes a daddy’s girl. She has chased me off the porch!!
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