It's for the Birds

Pine Siskin

Edith Prince — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:23:35 -0600

I am so excited! I just saw my first Pine Siskin for this year. They did not show up last year at all, so I am so pleased to see that at least one has come back. According to the Big Backyard Birdcount last year was such a mild winter that they stayed further north through the winter, so we didn't see any. This year has been a much colder winter so far, so they have come back! Yea! I do have a thistle feeder out there and I know they love thistle, but it's a very small one and not conveniently located - I will have to change that!

But not today - it is far to windy and blustery and rainy today. According to the weather guys we are in for another wild windstorm. And altough the wind hasn't started yet, the rain sure has. I did go out and fill bird feeders and the squirrel feeder and threw a little corn out. But the only reason I did that was that one of the squirrels was on one of the suet feeders. Those little critters are so smart. I bought these domes to keep the squirrels from climbing down the chains to the suet feeders and that works just fine, but this squirrel was too smart for that, he JUMPED from the fence over to the suet. It swung and swayed like everything, but he hung on and then was eating to his heart's content. The little rascal. So I had to go out and fix that right away.

While I was at it, I also changed the sugar-water in the hummingbird window feeders. I do that from inside, however. I just raise the window and reach out and pull them in. The little hummer came while I was doing that and he just helped himself to the feeder I wasn't taking down. Didn't seem to bother him that I was there at all. Then when I came back, he was still at the feeder, he flew away momentarily while I switched the feeders, but came back and started right in on the freshly filled one. I just love these little guys.

The little wren was also back this morning. He is so cute with his little perky tail. He was digging around in the dirt that I have beneath one of the planters. Right now there is just black plastic and a little dirt there, in the spring I am going to plant something there, not sure what yet, but for right now, it's a catch-all for seeds dropped from the feeder up above.

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House Party

Edith Prince — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:58:21 -0600

Late yesterday afternoon I was inundated with House Finches for some reason. They were everywhere - on the ground, on the feeders, all over the lilac bush, twittering, and flying about everywhere. It was quite something. I tried to take pictures, but they didn't stay still long enough. The males ranged in color from deep dark red to light yellow. They were all very pretty. It was fun watching them; I don't know what brought them all here; but I'm glad they stopped in for a visit. I always have House Finches at my feeders, just not such a large flock at one time.

Then at the very end of the day I had a real treat. The little immature male Anna's Hummingbird always comes to the feeder until it is just too dark to see anymore. And since the window feeder is his favorite, he is always just inches away from me. He seems to have become quite used to me and isn't jumpy or scared of my movements or my watching him at all. Last night I guess he got tired because this particular feeder does not have a perch so he perched on the windowsill and just sat there looking in at me - turning his little head this way and that. It was so doggone cute! I tried very hard to get a picture, but it was so dark and I'm still such a novice with this camera that I couldn't get the camera to focus on him - I think it was focusing on the window itself. But I did manage to get this one blurry, not very good shot, but it's the only one I have, so I am keeping it. Isn't he just the cutest little thing?

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Thrushes, Wrens and Wind

Edith Prince — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:35:47 -0600

We are having more wild weather - this time wind. On last night's news they equated it to the Inaugral Day storm, but so far not quite that bad, but I've been warily watching trees this morning, hoping none fall on my house. It's pretty scary when the wind blows 100' Douglas Fir trees like they are sticks.

Of course, it doesn't stop the birds. That pretty male Anna's hummingbird was here before it was even daylight this morning. I could see his beautiful red shiny gorget and red head from the light reflected from my office. He was just gorgeous. He was here yesterday, too, and that was the first time in a while that I have seen him. Mostly I see the little immature male and one female.

And very early this morning there were two Varied Thrushes here and they were right up here by my office window. They don't normally come that close to the house. They usually stay back under the Holly Tree like the Spotted Towhee does. But I am trying out some new bird seed and they seem to like it. It's a mix of white millet, cracked corn, striped sunflower, black oil sunflower, and sunflower chips. All the birds seem to like it, but the squirrels more or less leave it alone, so that's a real plus.

The other day, I was trying to take pictures of some Bush Tits. I just have a hard time with them because they flit around so fast - hardly stay in one place long enough to take a picture and there are so many of them in a flock that it seems like the flock is constantly in motion. But for the first time I saw them go to the seed feeders. They usually just go for the suet. So they were more or less still and I snapped quite a few pictures. I also noticed the Bewicks Wren was back. But he was here and then gone and I didn't have a chance to get a picture at all. I just love the little wrens, so I was really disappointed.

However, when I uploaded my pictures and looked at the shots I had taken of the Bush Tits in the platform feeder with the cage on top of it, lo and behold, there was the little wren in amongst the Bush Tits. And the wren was in perfect focus and the Bush Tits of course were not (as usual). I was thrilled - now I just have to get that photo editing software so I can crop and edit out the blurry parts.

With the upgraded computer, my old photo editing software will not work with Windows XP, it was an old Adobe Photo Deluxe 2000 and Adobe stopped making and supporting that in 2002, but I never upgraded because I liked it. Now I HAVE to upgrade because it simply won't work with Windows XP. But I have checked out Adobe Photo Elements and it will do all the same things and more and is similar in style to Photo Deluxe, so I shouldn't have any problems using it. Now I just have to get busy and order it! The photo editing software that came with my camera and my new computer do not have the same flexibility or capabilities - they are very simplistic and generic.

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Wings

Edith Prince — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:04:20 -0600

Monty has been helping me with my camera. I have been trying to get pictures of the hummingbird that comes to the window feeder. He is just inches from me and I have taken a ton of pictures - but I can never capture his wings. It really bothers me because he looks deformed in the pictures. Monty told me I need to change the shutter speed or something like that - I don't understand those things, I just want to point and shoot like I did with my film camera, but I want his wings to show.

Monty played with the camera and adjusted some of the manual settings and viola - it worked - the wings showed up great, but the picture was much too dark. So now I have to figure out how to fix that. I deleted all the pictures because I was disgusted with them and now for the past few days it has been raining steadily and I haven't been able to get any pictures. Frustration upon frustration. This is one of the pictures with no wings - well they are just a blur.

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Missed Opportunities

Edith Prince — Fri, 8 Dec 2006 02:16:58 -0600

I've only been birdwatching for about five years, actually trying to identify birds and keeping track of where and when I see them. Prior to that I had bird feeders and I ocassionally took pictures of birds through the years in various places we lived - Bald Eagles and Snow Ptarmagin in Alaska, Brown Pelicans in Puerto Rico, Great Blue Heron on the Olympic Peninsual, WA, an unidentified hawk at my feeders, Grey Jays at Hurricane Ridge in Washington (they eat right out of your hand). But it was just casual interest and not in any way organized.

Looking back I regret all the missed opportunites. I had occasion to go back to Corpus Christi, TX recently to the Padre Island National Seashore and the birds were amazing. We were onlly there for a short visit, so I didn't get to see that much. But I actually lived there in the early 70's with my sailor husband and never took a single picture of a bird, I don't think I even noticed the birds. Boy did I miss out, I understand it is one of the most rich birding areas in the country - especially migrating birds. Darn!

I lived on Adak Island in the Alaskan Aluetion Islands two different times and the only birds I took pictures of were the Bald Eagles and Ptmaragin - all those missed opportunities. I don't even remember seeing any other birds, but I'm sure there were lots - a look at my field guide tells me I missed a lot of opportunites there.

My husband is from Texas and I'm from Washington and we have made the road trip from WA to TX or vice versa I can't even count how many times and I took pictures of Antelope and Prairie Dogs - no birds - all those missed opportunities. We did a road trip one year to the Grand Canyon via Crater Lake and Las Vegas and home through Bryce Canyon and Utah. I took ONE bird picture - a Raven at Crater Lake - more missed opportunities.

I lived in Memphis, TN for a couple years, Jacksonville, FL, a short time in Arkansas, a short time in San Diego and the three years in Puerto Rico. All those wonderful birds that I've missed over the years. I think it is Laura Erickson who calls the Cuban Toady the most adorable bird in the world or something like that - and there's actually a very similar bird in Puerto Rico living in the El Yunque Rain Forest - shoot I went there several times - never even thought to look for a bird - I was mesmerized by the orchids. Another missed opportunity.

I made two trips to Germany - never thought to take a single picture of a bird - not one. I don't even remember seeing any birds. Wow! Huge mistake - I'll probably never make it back there.

At least when I went to South Korea to visit my son, I had the sense to buy a Korean bird book and I actually visited a couple of bird sanctuaries. And my son, who told me there aren't many birds in Korea, was amazed at the birds we did find. And now on a recent trip to Australia, he took pictures of the birds he saw - just for me!

Cockatoos - Australia

Kookaburra - Australia

Loikeets - Australia

Grey Woodpecker - South Korea

Too late for regrets and I can't go back and change the past - I will just have to be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities ahead. I am going to San Antonio soon and then again to South Korea to visit my son - you can bet I'll be on the lookout for more birds to add to my list!

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New Hummer

Edith Prince — Thu, 7 Dec 2006 01:58:15 -0600

Today there was a new hummer at the feeder and she was here on and off all day long. But boy, she was a nervous little thing. She would hardly light at all, just hovered and flew around nervously. I did manage to get quite a few pictures of her, though. The little immature male did not chase her away at all. He still chased the other males away, but not her. Not sure what all that means, but he didn't bother her. You can just barely see the white in her tail feathers in this picture, but when she spread her tail when she hovered I could see them quite clearly.

I took some pictures today of the little birds drinking out of the ant guard cup that I described in a previous post. But when I uploaded the pictures to my computer, I was shocked to see how green the water was. Those poor birds - I just had not noticed how ugly it was. I was intent on the birds and not the water, I guess. I went right out and cleaned it and put fresh water into it and I discarded the pictures - they were very ugly! Ugh! I think it is so cute when they drink out of that little cup. It is so dainty looking when they do it. I hope to get some good pictures tomorrow - I just could not keep the ones I took today, those were just awful.

I have one feeder that is supposed to be "squirrel-proof" but we all know how that goes. Those little fellas are pretty doggone smart and they are constantly amazing me at how they get into these squirrel-proof feeders. This particular one has an umbrella shaped dome over a round plastic tray. The little birds love it, but if I put the dome down too low, the squirrels can climb right in. If I raise it too high, then the pigeons and starlings and crows get in and I don't want them there; this feeder is for the little birds.

So I have to find a position for the dome that allows the little birds in and keeps the squirrels, pigeons and other large birds out. I thought I had it exactly right. It's been working just fine for a while now. But today a squirrel breached it. And the way he did it just cracked me up. He would slide over the dome, til he fell off, then as he was falling to the ground, he would reach out and grab the tray and pull himself in. It was comical. I mean you gotta love that. Such grace, such skill, such determination.

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Clean-up Time

Edith Prince — Wed, 6 Dec 2006 01:08:53 -0600

The snow is gone now thank goodnes, but what a mess it left behind! Today I just could not stand looking at the mess a minute longer and I went out and raked and raked and raked and only got about 1/4 of the back yard done. But at least the weather cooperated at last. It wasn't raining or snowing and it was fairly mild. I'm not sure what the temperature was because I don't have an outdoor thermometer, but it was sweater-weather - that's all I know and care about. I love that the little Chickadees don't pay the least attention to me while I'm out there working, they just fly around me. It's so cute.

It always amazes me that after I rake, the birds and squirrels love to dig in all the little piles that I leave behind. Oh, I should explain, I rake, but I don't pick up. I leave that for Monty - that's his contribution to the backyard and the birdfeeding operation! Last week, due to the snow, our trash was not collected, so tomorrow (our regular trash day), they will be picking up for last week, this week, and then both recycling and yard waste - in other words, everything in one fell swoop. So I really should have filled up the yard waste can and not just left the piles in the yard, but coulda, woulda, shoulda - that's me. Besides, the birds and squirrels enjoy the piles of debris.

I also took time to fix the squirrel baffles that I placed out during the cold weather to keep the squirrels off the suet feeders. I get a LOT of Northern Flickers and they love the suet, so I don't like the squirrels on it at all. I have four free hanging suet feeders and two that are on either end of a wooden seed feeder. But the free hanging ones are the ones the squirrels love and they have defeated my every effort to keep them away. So I bought these squirrel baffles at Wild Birds Unlimited and they seem to work just great - too well, in fact because now the Northern Flickers don't use those feeders either. So I had to make some adjustments to them today. Now tomorrow will tell the tale. Will the adjustments keep the squirrels away, but still entice the Flickers to feed . . . stay tuned!

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My Little Corner of the World

Edith Prince — Tue, 5 Dec 2006 07:58:23 -0600

I was looking at pictures of birds and reading comments on Flickr yesterday. One person commented that her computer was right beside her birdwatching window and her camera was right at hand and that's how she got some really nice bird pictures. Another person commented that she had the same set-up but added that her TV was also right there. That started me wondering - how many others of us are out there? Because that describes my little corner perfectly! My desk, my computer, my TV, my bird books, camera, and binoculars; everything I need to make my day complete. And here I sit day after day, watching those birds. One would think a person would get tired of watching birds, but I haven't yet - they are so entertaining.

I remember years ago, before I ever thought about birdwatching, a co-worker complaining about her retired father who had a birdfeeder in the backyard and he would endlessly point out birds to her and name them and tell her all about them. And she would get really bored and fed up with this behaviour and asked me, "who cares!" I think about that often and now wish I could tell her, "Well, Karen, I care." And I wonder is her father still living and is he still watching birds. I've lost touch with Karen, but I still think about her father and his birds.

Here's the view from my window in the recent snowy weather. I do have a lot of feeders and I do get a lot of birds, but I enjoy them so much. How can anyone not???

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Snow Pictures

Edith Prince — Mon, 4 Dec 2006 23:19:23 -0600

It is far too easy to take pictures with this new digital camera. And the snow was so pretty and the animals so cute, I took a TON of pictures. I just reviewed all of them and deleted those that did not turn out well - but still there were lots that I kept. Those darn squirrels are so cute anyway, and the snow just enhanced their "cuteness." And the hummer, he was such a frequent visitor to the feeder during the snow that I just couldn't get enough of him. I especially like this shot:

During the summer I had trouble with ants at one of the hummingbird feeders. So I went to my favorite bird store, Wild Birds Unlimited, and bought this little clear plastic water cup. You fill it with water and then the ants can't get to the feeder because they won't or can't cross the water. The instructions suggest putting a drop of oil in the water, but the saleslady at WBU said that here in the PNW we don't need to do that and besides that the Chickadees use the little cups for drinking. And I was surprised and delighted that they really do. It's so cute. But during the snow and ice, this little cup kept freezing up, no matter how many times I defrosted it with hot water. The little Chickadees were so cute, they'd peck, peck, peck at the ice and look mystified then fly away. I never could get a clear shot of them tho - they are just so quick.

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Bird Blogs

Edith Prince — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 18:00:07 -0600

I have been busy with my new computer and trying to learn Windows XP (which is a challenge for me since I've been using Windows 98 FOREVER). One of the things I have been doing is adding some of my favorites sites to my favorites list. Yes, I saved my favorites from my old computer, but I decided to start fresh with this computer and only add those sites that I REALLY need. I had far too many before.

Of course my birding, photo and genealogy sites were the first ones that I added. This afternoon I was catching up on my favorite bird blogs. I was surprised and delighted to see that Laura Erickson's blog described a rare sighting of a Rufous/Allen's hummingbird at her feeder for 18 days in November to early December. It was very, very interesting and the pictures and videos were fantasitc. I especially liked the audio of the hummer's wings. That is one of the things I love about hummers; I always know when mine are at the feeders; I listen for the "hum."

I also noted that she worried about the little hummer at her feeder as much as I worried about my little Anna's when we had that cold snap last week. My Anna's made it through just fine; he's been back every single day and still fending off all the other little hummers. I think there are three total. There may be more, but I have definitely seen three at one time, so I know for sure there are three. One of them sneaks in every once in a while, he is a mature male and very pretty, but I don't see him very often any more. The immature is the one I see the most and the one defending the feeders.

There is still snow in the yard, but it is finally, finally melting. The front yard has more than the back because that is the North side of the house. This morning I went out and raked the bird feeding area. It was a total mess. Branches, pine needles, pine cones, just a comglomeration of weather-related debris. I find it funny that after I rake it into piles the birds and the squirrels like to dig through the piles. I always wait for Monty to pick them up and put them in the yard waste container, so they sit for a couple days - the birds and squirrels seem to like that. Now to do the rest of the yard - the Cedar tree really lost a lot of needles or whatever you call them and the rather than grass in the back, it's all brown from the needles.

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