Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Backyard Birding => Topic started by: Napper on January 04, 2015, 02:42:12 PM
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Pretty quiet at the feeders
Picked up during yesterdays storm
group of AM Goldfinches
2 White Breasted Nuthatches
1 Red Breasted Nuthatch
group of Chickadee's
1 Coopers Hawk (zoomed thru the yard couple of days ago) found the remains of Dove beside deck yesterday.
3 Cardinals
group of House finch's
1 downy going over the entire tree. hmm should i be concerned it's an ash tree.
Napper :)
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Yesterday our dog was out in the back yard, she chased a squirrel up the tree then followed it along the back fence as usual. She thinks its her job :roll: , anyway after all that commotion settled down she was sniffing around the feeders when a Coopers hawk buzzed her within inches. She reacted with a couple of barks and then hi-tailed into the house straight to her krate/kennel. and didn't come out for quite some time.
I Thought that was odd reaction from her. She is very reactive but calm even during T-storms. I didn't look for talon marks maybe I should LOL.
I think Mr. hawk does this swoop past the bottom of the feeders on a daily basis.
Napper :D
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I get very lucky looking out my window at work at a dead ash tree. We have many woodpecker species that frequent the tree almost every day including:
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downey Woodpeckers
Hairy Woodpeckers
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In the last couple of months we have had very few birds at our feeders in comparison to past years. Lately neither juncos nor mourning doves are appearing. This is very uncommon, as we've been used to experiencing many visitors. I have niger, black oil, and suet feeders, but this is the first time in 30 years we've experienced so few birds. Anyone else noticing a decline this year? We live in north Scarborough.
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This is the quietest winter ever at my backyard feeders. There have been busy days, but more often they are deserted. I really only see them on weekends, but I can gauge the level of activity through the week from the seed levels. Normally a cold snap or a snowfall means they will be cleaned out in a day or less, but not this year.
Conversely, I have had the most Robins ever visiting the cork tree in my front yard.
BB
Sent from my birdroid using Tapatalk.
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My feeders have been quiet here in North West Mississauga. There is a Cooper's Hawk patrolling the neighborhood, which may be an explanation.
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It's also very quiet here (Just south of Steeles, east of Bayview). I've got a pair of cardinals, a few chickadees and lots of house sparrows but little else. I had juncos in late November but not since then although I'm hoping the new snow cover will bring them back. The tree on the curb is still half full of dried berries and I'm hoping waxwings and house finches show up before spring removes them. Other birds that I miss from past winters include goldfinches and bluejays, but not to worry (sez the great 'expert'). Everything goes in cycles and they'll be back...or won't they?? :)
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Out here on the border of Oakville/Mississauga we've got lots at the feeders. About 6-10 goldfinches, 4-8 juncos, a pair of downy woodpeckers (on the suet cage), a pair of red breasted nuthatches (on the suet cage), 3-7 chickadees, occasionally a house sparrow, and a pair of house finches who nested in the back trees this past summer. The cardinals come and watch but don't usually feed. The blue jays and crows are seen daily flying over but don't stop. We also have a coopers/sharpie and a red tailed hawk who come through often on their rounds. No mourning doves yet this year although they usually move into the yard in the summer. And sadly no male robin in the decorative (small seed) crabapple this winter. We miss him.
Mammal-wise, we have an eastern cottontail living in the yard, bedding down under some bent goldenrod, and a very pregnant (or fat!) raccoon who checks the apple tree along the back fence line on her rounds, plus red and grey squirrels and judging by the tracks, some kind of mouse or vole.
We haven't had a feeder for years and just put this one out in January so I can't compare with previous years. We use layers of black oil sunflower and nyjer in a tube feeder with some black oil scattered on the ground for the juncos.
Many of the birds spend as much time in the black eyed susan, goldenrod, and shrubby thickets in the yard as they do at the feeder.
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Still pretty quiet here in comparison my buddy's place in Newmarket, he has continous action at his feeders.
He showed me a video he took with his phone this past week showing mostly Redpol's, Siskins's, Goldfinches and Chickadee's
overcrowding his feeder setup.
I have the odd Cardinal and an elusive little bunny/hare living under my deck. It drives my dog bonkers LOL.
Napper :D
Milton, 3 inches of snow on ground
expecting another storm Sun/Mon
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It was REALLY quiet this morning and that can only mean one thing - don't open the front door without camera ready because the local coopers hawk is probably staking out the buffet!! So of course I went out without my trusty SX50 and sure enough he was sitting right in front of me, at eye level, but over the street where the next passing car would probably spook him. I got the camera and grabbed a couple of quick shots through the branches but before I could 'reposition' he WAS spooked by a passing car. To be fair, except when the temperature is well below freezing, I always have the camera ready, so I will get some decent shots of him one of these days (I hope).
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Fairly quiet here in southern Scarborough. My Squirrel Buster feeders (new this winter) are really doing there job by keeping the squirrels away and the birds coming back! We've never had Chickadees, Woodpeckers and Nuthatches come to our feeders all day long, day after day before.
Daily visitors: H Sparrows (40ish), BC Chickadees (5), N Cardinals (2), D Woodpeckers (2), WB Nuthatches (2)
Weekly visitors: Starlings (10ish), B Jay (1)
Other visitors over the winter have included: DE Juncos, A Goldfinches, H Finches, M Doves and a N Mockingbird.
Walter :)
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I'm having an average year for birds -- the usual suspects: juncos, chickadees, hairy and downy wp's, blue jays, cardinals...missing are the nuthatches...and they're usually all at the feeders at the same time....plus I'll have a couple of red squirrels and a bunch of bunnies....(awwww....I love bunnies)....PLUS...I'm having white tail deer visit (anywhere from 1 to 5 at a time....and they're surprisingly polite....they just feed from the ground...maybe a little nibbling at the feeders directly....
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Yesteday was quite busy at the feeders
Great for Back yard bird count weekend.
It is frigid out there but was able to get a few snaps of one White Breasted Nuthatch's. Not great
Its time to have the lens serviced again.
GBBC Weekend, Hope we see Mr snowy on Monday at work
:D
(http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/album09/DSC_5158_1.sized.jpg)
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Napper - nice photo! :D
This has been a good GBBC weekend - favourite sighting: Northern Mockingbird. Also thrilling hand feeding Black-capped Chickadees and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Other birds sighted: Canada Geese, House Sparrows, American Crows, Northern Cardinals and House Finch.
Greatest thrill this Winter though is a bird of the "metal" kind - Westjet Disney. Have spotted this one 3x so far at YYZ. Truly one of the most beautiful liveries that I've ever seen! 8)
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The male cardinal started singing this morning (must be the blues!), earliest I've ever heard him, otherwise only sparrows and chickadees at the feeder.
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The male cardinal started singing this morning (must be the blues!), earliest I've ever heard him, otherwise only sparrows and chickadees at the feeder.
Singing? I guess no, he was probably complaining about bitter cold.
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My 5 year old and I set up feeders for the first time ever in early December so I'm not sure if we are going to seem quiet or busy to all of you but it sure has been exciting for us!
We have 4 male and 4 females cardinals and have actually seen them all at the same time!
We have 2 blue jays.
More chickadees, juncos and sparrows than I can count.
A pair of downy woodpeckers.
Two nuthatches.
Some American Goldfinch (i'm pretty sure)
Mourning doves every now and again.
And a Varied Thrush (which I posted a thread with pictures on here yesterday to confirm because it seemed weird we would get so lucky!)
The favourite around here so far is the male downy woodpecker. My son thinks it's cool that the daddy woodpecker is a ginger just like his daddy lol
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Had a Common Redpoll visit our feeders this morning in the back yard, It was mixed in with 4 or 5 American Goldfinch's and the House Finch's
Out front I spotted a Coopers hawk fly between houses and land in a tree across the street.
I can hear a Grackle but its hidden in a tree somewhere near where the Coopers hawk was lurking.
Napper Milton :D
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I noticed how quiet my feeders at the backyard are. Apart from a pair of cardinals nothing else to report. Looks like my fair weather feathered friends have moved on.
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Early this afternoon things are picking up
Junco's singing their spring song
Cardinal's singing away
Large group of Noisy Blue Jays
Robin's calling
A few Grackles
Napper Milton
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Was in and out the front door hundreds of times yesterday and today as our renovations never end :roll: .
The neigbourhood is filled with Grackles, Jays,
Robins, More Am Goldfinch's and a lot more House Finch's.
There seems to many more Cardinalsl around as well and of course
they are all singing at the same time.
Spotted a Turkey vulture fending off Crows in Downtown Milton today and
I heard a Song Sparrow this morning out the back yard.
Napper :D
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Thanks Napper re: Mr. Snowy....another winter passes.....no snowy sighing for me.
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Thanks Napper re: Mr. Snowy....another winter passes.....no snowy sighing for me.
Me too but maybe we can get to Col Sam before the last one leaves? Anyway, things are suddenly picking up in the back yard - several goldfinches, downy woodpeckers, a fox sparrow, grackles, robins and 2 juncos along with the usual suspects, chickadees, house sparrows, squirrels (red, black and grey) and 2 chipmonks (can't wait to pull their tails while they're robbing my feeder!)
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There was a Chipmunk on our deck this morning which is pretty rare for us.
Spotted a Chipping Sparrow this morning.
I heard a Northern Flicker yesterday and spotted one in our tree today. Flickers
never stick around here for long as they pass thru.
Lots of activity yesterday and today.
Friday morning at 4:30 am Am Robin's singing away first time this year.
Napper :)
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There are snows at Col Sam ? I think that I can do....
How are you guys operating your feeders now that....hibernating animals are awake ?
No chipmunks yet up here in West Grey....but the TV's are back in numbers and so are the RWB's.
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My el-cheapo Cdn Tire green gazebo feeder is on a seven foot shepherds hook which the larger squirrels have no trouble climbing (You should see that guilty look when I catch them sitting on the bend above the feeder!) but the red squirrels and the chipmunks have to wait until the end of April when it gets replaced by the hummingbird feeder. I move it to a spot where the smaller rodents have easy access but I only use about a cup of mixed feed a day (Wild bird feed and black oil sunflower(?) seeds) so everyone's welcome and tough luck when it's cleaned out - o well, tomorrow's another day! :) Btw, I wasn't kidding about the chipmonks; when they are feeding (filling their cheeks actually) on the side away from me, I can walk right up and stroke their backs, gently shake their tails, etc. and I have the videos to prove it! I'm pretty lazy but now that the outside temperatures are increasing I occasionally grease the pole with vaseline which works well against the squirrels for a few days.
When the hummingbird feeder goes up I cut the bottom off a 500ml water bottle, punch a hole in the middle, slide it about halfway up the pole and fill it with water to create a moat that is one hundred percent effective against ants. I also use home made 500ml bottle traps when the wasps show up; not as effective but pretty good anyway. It won't be long now - the hummers are about halfway home:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html (http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html)
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I've been watching Coopers hawks in out neighbourhood for years. The last two sightings during this week proves the incredible flying skill they have.
1) Standing out front with our dog a Coopers hawk flew across the stree below eye level between our house and our next doors. It tucked it wings in just as it approached the house. I walked down to the sidewalk and had a look at the space it flew through, unbelievable .The Coopers had juked out 4 Grackles that went high, she went low.
2. Saturday morning on our back deck looking West when two yards over a Coopers at speed pops up above there fence, it dips below top of fence, flys through our neighbours open pool shack, pops up over our fence, dips below our closeline, flys between our feeder and the tree and disappears two yards down. Happenend in a blink of an eye.
Napper:)
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Years ago I lamented that our chipmunks didn't let us near them....so I worked at training one to feed from my hand....and it was great....until she became a nuisance and would climb up my leg whenever I sat down at the deck table....and pee on me....
How crazy is it for me to think I saw 2 immature bald eagles in an old cornfield feeding from a roadkill raccoon ? They were large dark brown birds....def. not tv's but that size of bird....