Birding

[Chilidog]

My son (the Chili pup) has just been accepted into a Graduate Assistantship position at Austin Peay in Clarksville TN.

He will be working for an MS in biology, studying birds.

He's still working out what he wants to base his thesis on. His initial thoughts were to study Barred owl behavior. Barred owls are beautiful, resourceful predators. They are not endangered. In fact, the species is a problem in that it is expanding its range and wiping out smaller, less common owls. Unfortunately, they can be difficult birds to conduct a short term master's thesis study on.

[pipistrelle]

My son (the Chili pup) has just been accepted into a Graduate Assistantship position at Austin Peay in Clarksville TN.

He will be working for an MS in biology, studying birds.

He's still working out what he wants to base his thesis on. His initial thoughts were to study Barred owl behavior. Barred owls are beautiful, resourceful predators. They are not endangered. In fact, the species is a problem in that it is expanding its range and wiping out smaller, less common owls. Unfortunately, they can be difficult birds to conduct a short term master's thesis study on.

There’s a live feed of a great horned owl nest where one of the parents brought the great horned chick a barred owl for lunch.

[jcolvin2]

Out in the PNW, barred owls are view by many as an invasive species that threatens other, often larger owl species.
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore ... -35062.pdf

[Chilidog]

My son (the Chili pup) has just been accepted into a Graduate Assistantship position at Austin Peay in Clarksville TN.

He will be working for an MS in biology, studying birds.

He's still working out what he wants to base his thesis on. His initial thoughts were to study Barred owl behavior. Barred owls are beautiful, resourceful predators. They are not endangered. In fact, the species is a problem in that it is expanding its range and wiping out smaller, less common owls. Unfortunately, they can be difficult birds to conduct a short term master's thesis study on.

There’s a live feed of a great horned owl nest where one of the parents brought the great horned chick a barred owl for lunch.

GHOs are the only major threat to Barred owls.

Cooper's hawks and barred owls don’t get along, but it’s an even fight between the two.

[Phoenix520]

Congrats to pup!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Responding to N10's frozen dove.
The dove went "tharn" as in Watership Down".

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Congratulations, chilipup!!!!!!!!!!

[northland10]

Responding to N10's frozen dove.
The dove went "tharn" as in Watership Down".

Actually Pipistrelle's frozen dove.

[northland10]

Get the hot pepper suet.

I thought I did (not from Wild Birds Unlimited thought) but the squirrels have been jumping on it and appear to be snacking away. The only actual birds using it that I have seen are chickadees and the occasional ruby-breasted nuthatch (and a Downey woodpecker once).

It is not in a good spot to avoid squirrels. My apartment is on the second floor so I set up feeders hanging off the deck so I can't use a baffle easily and don't want to set up something where they can fall (though I have seen squirrels fall from much greater heights and get up and leave as if nothing happened).

I may order from Wild Birds Unlimited when they use up this. Not sure how much the squirrels are actually eating since it is not all that easy for them to get at it but it is getting smaller so either I have a bunch of customers when I am not watching or it is the squirrels.

[Volkonski]

[AndyinPA]

Yes. The National Aviary is in Pittsburgh, and the local news tonight gave the steps it is taking now.

[tencats]

A worrisome new bird flu is spreading in American birds and may be here to stay
April 9, 20228:01 AM ET

A newly arrived bird flu is sweeping through wild bird populations in the United States, and that may mean trouble for poultry farmers who have been doing their best to control this flu outbreak in their flocks.

Some 24 million poultry birds like chicken and turkeys have already been lost, either because they died from the virus or were killed to prevent its spread. But unlike a similar bird flu outbreak seven years ago, this one is unlikely to just burn itself out.

That's because this particular flu virus seems capable of hanging around in populations of wild birds, which can pass the virus on to poultry farms. While chickens and turkeys with the virus quickly sicken and die, some waterfowl can remain healthy with the virus and carry it long distances.

Scientists believe that wild migratory birds brought this virus to North America a few months ago. Since then, more than 40 wild bird species in more than 30 states have tested positive. This strain of bird flu virus has turned up in everything from crows to pelicans to bald eagles.

In January, government officials announced its arrival in the U.S. after a wigeon duck in South Carolina tested positive. The last time a dangerous bird flu entered the country, Richards says, "the number of instances where we picked that particular virus up in wild birds was very, very limited."

In contrast, this latest bird flu virus is being detected in sick and dying birds all over.

"This outbreak in the wild bird population is a lot more extensive than we saw in 2014 and 2015," says David Stallknecht, an avian influenza researcher with the University of Georgia. "Just a lot more birds appear to be affected."

Waterfowl, and raptors that eat their dead bodies, are bearing the brunt of it.

[Volkonski]

This could destroy the poultry farms on the North Fork of Long Island. They are all free range so the birds are outside much of the time.

I especially fear for the North Fork's wild turkeys, Guinea fowls and ospreys whose small numbers have been growing the past several years. This could wipe them out. As I know from direct observation LI is on the migration route for quite a number of bird species.

[northland10]

I have noticed with the cardinals that it is usually only females that come to the feeder. I rarely have seen a male at the feeder. They are often around when the female is at the feeder, which is often accompanied by the female's constant chirping (don't talk with your beak full), but they do not go to the feeder themselves.

[Phoenix520]

After fleeing the large grey goose that took his nap near our car at the park last week and took exception to Floyd the pug as we returned from our first walk, we decided to just keep walking. I then had two bird “firsts”. Well, being charged by a grey goose is also a first for me.

My first actual sighting of a red winged black bird! He flew quite close to me, heading for a tree.

I’m 69, have spent a large portion of my life outdoors. For the first time ever, a passing birb pooped on my head. Lucky for me, another first - I was wearing a cap! I never wear headgear cuz it flattens my hair and I hate that, but I decided to that day.

This past weekend we were camping at El Capitan. I’d stopped to look at the ocean, and sat on a log next to a bush. Moments later a young scrub jay flew up, landed on a rock, looked up at me, hopped across my lap, and disappeared into the bush.

[Chilidog]

from last Sunday
Illinois Beach State Park

[Phoenix520]

Are there owls in there?

[Estiveo]

Are there owls in there?

There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings

[Phoenix520]

Yeah but who was that horse?

[Estiveo]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[sugar magnolia]

I have noticed with the cardinals that it is usually only females that come to the feeder. I rarely have seen a male at the feeder. They are often around when the female is at the feeder, which is often accompanied by the female's constant chirping (don't talk with your beak full), but they do not go to the feeder themselves.

It's the opposite here. We have a mated pair in the front yard so I watch them all day. The male goes to the feeder to shop for the perfect seed while the female sits on the shepherd's hook or the top of the swing and waits patiently for the male to bring her food. He feeds her beak to beak and about a third of the time, he lays his head against hers while she's eating. I rarely see her at the feeder.

[Chilidog]

Are there owls in there?

no owls were spotted, barred or screeched.

the pup did see an elusive Virginia Rail. for all of 2 seconds.

[pipistrelle]

I have noticed with the cardinals that it is usually only females that come to the feeder. I rarely have seen a male at the feeder. They are often around when the female is at the feeder, which is often accompanied by the female's constant chirping (don't talk with your beak full), but they do not go to the feeder themselves.

Your cardinals are weird. I see males at feeders, and there male cardinals regularly at the Sapsucker Pond Woods cam.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Arkansas has lots of red-winged blackbirds in the farming areas. Our cardinals eat together mostly.

[northland10]

I have noticed with the cardinals that it is usually only females that come to the feeder. I rarely have seen a male at the feeder. They are often around when the female is at the feeder, which is often accompanied by the female's constant chirping (don't talk with your beak full), but they do not go to the feeder themselves.

Your cardinals are weird. I see males at feeders, and there male cardinals regularly at the Sapsucker Pond Woods cam.

I've watched the Gettysburg feeder cam and there are male cardinals at that all of the time. I'm not sure why I generally only see females at mine. In times past the males would show but now, they stay in one of the trees, or on the roof, or once on the deck rail.

I suppose it's possible that the neighbor's tray feeder is more interesting to the guys though it has not been filled in a week or two. The other possibility is that the females are pushier so don't mind popping in even with sparrows being their normal pushy selves. I was watching one earlier and she was doing this round-robin thing where she kept changing which side she was on.

One of them is a regular for around 7:00 am. I will be drinking coffee and reading TFB and then hear her chirp at the feeder.