Orioles have arrived, another hobby I enjoy
- Thread starter Jim62
- Start date
Cardinals are so 'punk' with their 'hairdos' ! 
user 22148
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Lovely little birds!
Those are some great shots!
kevin
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I don't know what he is, but he is chirping by the window and checking up on my build progress.
blakeh1
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blakeh1
Well-Known Member
I love seeing all the various birds showing up at the feeder. We also have some of that coral for the hummingbirds.
Although we have some really annoying cat bird that decimates our blueberry bushes every year and a crane (blue heron?) that always like to nab the pond fish.
And in the winter, the wrens love trying to nest n the door wreath we put out. You walk up to the door to open it and it takes off right past your face. Makes for some amusing moments on the doorbell camera
Although we have some really annoying cat bird that decimates our blueberry bushes every year and a crane (blue heron?) that always like to nab the pond fish.
And in the winter, the wrens love trying to nest n the door wreath we put out. You walk up to the door to open it and it takes off right past your face. Makes for some amusing moments on the doorbell camera
Harsh, but true.
Though on the two occasions in the last five years we've been living here in our downtown neighbourhood, and saw one flying down the street, just above the utility lines, wings spread wide and coasting down the hill to the river!
They were majestic!
Down by the river today...
user 22148
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Some lovely shots Gents - what a lot of lovely looking birds.
It's mad in my garden at the moment - the House Sparrows are nesting and we've got hedges full of them.
It's mad in my garden at the moment - the House Sparrows are nesting and we've got hedges full of them.
Holz44
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Wow! Some of you guys take outstanding photos. I haven't used my old Nikon in a decade or more and just use the simple cell camera. That's a shame, I need to revisit good long lenses.
We have a variety of bird species up where we live and winter is always a treat for my wife to feed the birds during tough weather and food finding for her feathered friends. She can only actively feed them during the cold harsh months (Dec.-March) due to some neighborhood restrictions which do not allow for hanging bird feeders!
These are some of our frequent visitors, along with Cardinals, Towhee and Finches
And here's the reason for no feeders after mid April !!
Our bear population KNOWS that feeders left out give them high protein, high energy, an easy pickings food source. We've had bears climb up 25' on a 6"X6" post to our upper deck to destroy a feeder we left out when we first moved here and didn't "know" the reason why no feeders. The bears still have muscle memory and passed down knowledge that something "hanging" from a deck might be food. Thus the bear on the left picture that came up the tree (20') to scope out my wife's hanging flower basket! Makes it quite interesting when sipping a cocktail on the deck and hearing a noise to your left!
Bear horns are kept at front and rear doors for the rare but interesting encounters. Gotta love it!
We have a variety of bird species up where we live and winter is always a treat for my wife to feed the birds during tough weather and food finding for her feathered friends. She can only actively feed them during the cold harsh months (Dec.-March) due to some neighborhood restrictions which do not allow for hanging bird feeders!
These are some of our frequent visitors, along with Cardinals, Towhee and Finches
And here's the reason for no feeders after mid April !!
Our bear population KNOWS that feeders left out give them high protein, high energy, an easy pickings food source. We've had bears climb up 25' on a 6"X6" post to our upper deck to destroy a feeder we left out when we first moved here and didn't "know" the reason why no feeders. The bears still have muscle memory and passed down knowledge that something "hanging" from a deck might be food. Thus the bear on the left picture that came up the tree (20') to scope out my wife's hanging flower basket! Makes it quite interesting when sipping a cocktail on the deck and hearing a noise to your left!
Bear horns are kept at front and rear doors for the rare but interesting encounters. Gotta love it!
Spring migration, down by the flooded river in a sheltered pond.
Merlin says it's a Lesser Scaup, just passing through.
Merlin says it's a Lesser Scaup, just passing through.
American Robin, having a quiet moment in the rain, maybe smudging itself in the mother of thyme? It stayed quite still for the longest while, with me sitting inside enjoying a morning cuppa.
I should get my better camera out...
But as they say: a phone in hand is worth two DSLRs in the closet!
I should get my better camera out...
But as they say: a phone in hand is worth two DSLRs in the closet!
Spent some time at Upper Canada Village earlier this week.
This young fellow was perched on discarded equipment outside of the flour mill.
... And these on the other side of the St Lawrence in Saint Anicet, Québec.
I'd always wanted to visit that area as my grandfather told stories of crossing the river by cutter in the dead of winter pre-WW1, for a week of festivities with parenté, (relatives). Approx 32 miles or 51 km from his home town in Ontario.
There'd be coals to keep feet warm and fur blankets, and someone might break out a fiddle as they cut through fields on their trek!
These (I'm guessing purple martins) by their accommodations next door to the stone church from 1887 overlooking the Seaway.
This young fellow was perched on discarded equipment outside of the flour mill.
... And these on the other side of the St Lawrence in Saint Anicet, Québec.
I'd always wanted to visit that area as my grandfather told stories of crossing the river by cutter in the dead of winter pre-WW1, for a week of festivities with parenté, (relatives). Approx 32 miles or 51 km from his home town in Ontario.
There'd be coals to keep feet warm and fur blankets, and someone might break out a fiddle as they cut through fields on their trek!
These (I'm guessing purple martins) by their accommodations next door to the stone church from 1887 overlooking the Seaway.
Wig41
Well-Known Member
I too enjoy bird watching. I used to live in a house with a three acre backyard and I had out there numerous bird feeders and bird houses. We could see most of the feeders from out kitchen breakfast table or go out on the deck. So many types of birds. Now I live in the suburbs and an above ground pool takes up most of the yard. There's really no good place to put a feeder. Such a disappointment.
This little gardener is helping clean up the Mother-of-Thyme in the front garden. 
I'm fascinated with the hummeingbirds that come into our backyard.
I'll work on itPic please!
You'll have to be quick!
On Barley walk (the dog) today in a re-naturalized gravel pit, found this poor little baby Cedar Waxwing, identified by those bright yellow tail feathers.
It must have fallen or been blown by a gust of wind from a nest in the 75 year old pines soaring above us, and the needle bed on the forest floor wasn't enough to survive the fall.
It must have fallen or been blown by a gust of wind from a nest in the 75 year old pines soaring above us, and the needle bed on the forest floor wasn't enough to survive the fall.
Regrettably a common sight at this time of year.
My wife was telling me yesterday that there is a retired local guy who goes around our region shoring up poorly made Bald Eagle nests. It turns out that a fair number of the nests fall to the ground. I understand they wait for the parents to leave then one guy scurried up the tree and works as fast as he can to reinforce the bottom of the nest. He then scurried down when the spotter reports the parents on the way back. An interesting retirement pastime.
She said each pair of Bald Eagle's are reproducing at a rate of 1.3 per year. Not a super growth rate for the species. But at least it's on the positive side.ɓ
Wow. We have plenty of hawks in the city, and I've seen an Osprey, fish in talon flying away from a wetland marsh near our previous home in the burbs.
Are they like Osprey that seem to opt for the top of poles and like locations to nest?
That reminds me. We were at the Grand Canyon out on an outcropping when I heard a whoosh sound above my head. I looked up to see a giant condor maybe 15 feet directly above me. I stood there with my mouth hanging open and like a dream it was gone. Absolutely incredible moment I'll never forget.
My wife said that they stay away from the platforms, and instead prefer to build in the crooks of trees.
I had to google their nests. I'm impressed. It said the average Bald Eagle's nest, in the first year, weighs between 300 and 1000 lbs. They average about 2000 lbs, when added to in following years. That was news to me. No wonder a number of them collapse.
So the story of a man being killed by a falling birds nest was not fake!
I know of what you speak.
While standing on a ridge in the Langtang Himals, like a small plane and seemingly without flapping its wings, one soared up and away from below me. It happened so fast yet seemed an eternity.
And it was gone.
February, 1982.
How fortunate we are!
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