The other day I noticed a couple especially red-headed finches and realized I've got Cassin's Finch here again. Love those top-knots.
You can see that pale, pale belly and know this is no House Finch. You can also see my home-made squirrel-baffles...they work perfectly!
You can see that pale, pale belly and know this is no House Finch. You can also see my home-made squirrel-baffles...they work perfectly!
The Evening Grosbeaks come in larger flocks these days; I've had at least 25 at a single visit. My friend Polly reports as many as 50 at a time in her yard! Wow.
One thing though, those are some of the spookiest birds I know. While they are not too flighty when I enter the yard, if something spooks them at least one a month hits my window. Now, I've got tree-netting over the outside and feeders quite close; so most of the birds see the netting and don't hit.
I've found a dead Grosbeak a couple months ago and this past weekend another hit, hard. That sound nearly makes me sick and knowing I was going to find a bird sprawled on the ground, I immediately went out, covered him in a towel (they bite!) and placed him in a box with another towel at the bottom. I left him to settle down after him accident in a safe and quiet spot. An hour later I took the box outside; he looked bright and alert. It didn't take him long to fly away. I especially like that part!
One thing though, those are some of the spookiest birds I know. While they are not too flighty when I enter the yard, if something spooks them at least one a month hits my window. Now, I've got tree-netting over the outside and feeders quite close; so most of the birds see the netting and don't hit.
I've found a dead Grosbeak a couple months ago and this past weekend another hit, hard. That sound nearly makes me sick and knowing I was going to find a bird sprawled on the ground, I immediately went out, covered him in a towel (they bite!) and placed him in a box with another towel at the bottom. I left him to settle down after him accident in a safe and quiet spot. An hour later I took the box outside; he looked bright and alert. It didn't take him long to fly away. I especially like that part!
I've been watching the Northern Flickers, too. These red-shafted beauties have discovered not only the suet-cakes I make, but also the finch-feeders! The big galoots hang from the bottom of these feeders and lap at the tiny holes for the niger and canary-seed. It's too funny to watch. I believe they've taught the Downys some bad habits!
And every morning I put out a handful or two of what I call 'fat-worms'; thinly sliced fat I get from Charlie's (our awesome little grocery store here in town) meat department. They save their meat trimmings for 'my' birds which I toss in a little corn-meal after I cut it up. Those magpies try for huge beak-fulls at a time, the corn-meal helps me to keep the stuff from all sticking together. I add a cup of kibble and a good handful of of unshelled peanuts and they're in hog's heaven. I mean that literally; they're pretty much pigs! 'Course, this mix also brings in a few Blue Jays and the occasional crow, too. Oddly, the woodpeckers pretty much avoid this flat-bed feeder and prefer the suet-blocks I make.
However, imagine my surprise when I saw a Lewis's Woodpecker at that feeder! I had no idea they ever came to feeders...and have since discovered they don't! But there it was, picking at the kibble. Now, I have a very large dog and the kibble is good sized, too; the starlings can't swallow it; yeah! But this woodpecker apparently thought it looked good as acorns and claimed the feeder for his own. Back and forth he flew, about every two minutes till I had to leave for work, taking a single kibble and flying high up a cottonwood tree. A few times it mixed it up with several magpies at once who tried to score a free meal while watching him try to hide
his stash.
Returning to the yard, the Lewis's would buzz any of the three Flickers who where there, a Blue Jay, too...any big bird he felt had no business in what he obviously claimed as his food source.
his stash.
Returning to the yard, the Lewis's would buzz any of the three Flickers who where there, a Blue Jay, too...any big bird he felt had no business in what he obviously claimed as his food source.
I wonder if he'll be back. Actually, I wonder if there were two, for as often as a Lewis's returned to that particular feeder. It did quickly learn to hang upside down from the suet cage, too. I wish I had had more time to watch...
Addendum: He's baaack! I made sure to put extra kibble out this morning...and sure enough, the Lewis's was on it like he owned it!
6 comments:
A very cool encounter with at a Lewis' Woodpecker and you got great pictures to boot!
LOL You are very kind, Debbie! Just cuz you can recognize the bird doesn't make it a great shot! Someday maybe I'll have a better rig; I really liked that DIY digiscoping setup. Did you see that little video clip? Awesome
Anyway, the Lewis's was back first thing this morning; I was happy to put out extra kibble! I can hardly wait for the weekend when I can watch him a bit...
Thanks for visiting!
I love those birds! While living in Montrose, I had one visit my tray feeder - a one day wonder, but what a treat!
Hiya Connie!
I love 'em too...but have decided NOT to encourage him to stay. Dang, he's so scrappy, I just watched him take on a squirrel. Sheeshhhhhhhh
Thanks for stopping by!
Good shot of the Lewis. I see them here in eastern Custer County, but only rarely. Downey woodpeckers are more common.
And I have *two* suet-block feeders out, only to see the jays often ignore them in favor of sunflower seeds.
Hey Chas, good to 'see' you!
Well, I have Downys, Hairys, flickers, nuthatches and two kinds of chickadees that all love the suet...not to mention the dratted starlings (sigh). But for a few days there, that Lewis's tried to keep them all away. He's still around, but not as much since I quit putting out kibble. He pretty much ignores the 'fat-worms' and peanuts, but does hit the suet cake now and then; today in fact.
Ya know, when I put store-bought cakes in the cage...they last longer. I think my birdies are spoiled with my home-made suet-cakes. I use lard, peanut-butter, oats, corn-meal and a little wheat flour. No sugar or salt, of course. Sometimes I add baked and crushed egg-shells and a little sand, but more often some old, soaked raisins I've chopped. I don't put nuts or bird seed in the mix; nuts are too expensive and the seed is in many feeders around the yard. I had a naturalist (Kevin Cook) tell me it's best not to mix food items much.
Anyway, while I have do have Blue Jays; they LOVE peanuts, and ignore fat-worms and suet, both. But then, how adept are they at hanging upside down on a suet cage? Perhaps they'd go for it if you smeared it on a tree or filled up holes in a hanging piece o'log...
Thanks for your kind comment regarding the shots I got of the woodpecker...I just wanted folks to know it really was a Lewis's! LOL
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