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Barnyard Buddies:  Bird Watching  |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 11 2015 : 12:28:26 AM
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Reading all your stories about hummingbirds makes me want to try a feeder again. Where I used to live I tried feeders for several years but each time the fireants found them. So far no fireants at my new home so I might give it a go this year.
The fireants would drown in the liquid and contaminate the whole batch.
Linda, great pics.
I see a pair of robins around but they don't feed on the food I put out. I have started feeding in 3 places in the back yard. The smaller birds have their favorite place between the deck & butterfly bush. The cardinals like to feed close to back fence in the shadow of a bush and the blue jays & mourning doves like it a little closer to the big oak. Course when food runs out in one area they will go to the other sites.
Have a blessed day, Sara
FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2015 : 06:40:11 AM
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While catching up on what you FarmGirls have been up to a brown thrasher came to eat with the other birds. I watched from my computer desk as he ate his breakfast. This is only the 4th time I have ever seen one, and this time he was just feet from me.
One way to identify a brown thrasher is by his mockingbird shape.
Have a blessed day, Sara
FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2015 : 07:49:01 AM
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I love birdwatching. When my children were small, I would have them sit still in the bay window and watch. We homeschooled, so I used the experience for several reasons....education, observation skills, love of nature, and most of all, the skill to sit still and quiet for a long time. I never realized that it would become a family activity for us through the years.
As a family, we have traveled to several of the birding spots along the Great Texas Gulf Coast Birding Trail. Our favorite spot is in High Island. People travel from all over the world to that little bitty town to experience the humongous numbers of birds that come through that 'funnel'. It's a fantastic place to see both Eastern and Western birds.
This week, a group of Cedar Waxwings visited my Mulberry tree. They devoured everything on the top branches and then flew off. I didn't even have time to grab my camera and take a pic. It was probably their big meal before heading back north.
Catherine
Sister #76 (2005)
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2015 : 10:09:12 AM
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Catherine, you inspire me to do more bird watching.
A young brown thrasher visited my backyard twice this morning. I guess he is getting comfortable feeding with the other birds.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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AdeleHale
Farmgirl in Training
31 Posts
Jennifer
Columbus
Georgia
31 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2015 : 1:10:13 PM
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| We've had a lot of red-headed woodpeckers around here lately. My son and I have a mockingbird that comes right up to us when I get my coffee in the mornings, as least during the last part of this school year. A couple of doves have been building a nest in my neighbor's shrubs. I love to watch it take shape as they work on it. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2015 : 1:37:33 PM
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Jennifer, years ago I had a mockingbird who trained me. I fed mockingbirds cornmeal & peanut butter on minnow buckets hanging along edge of my carport. Each time I called my dogs & cats one mockingbird came running and set on the minnow bucket until I fed him. He didn't move when I put his food down.
One day I was at my neighbors and she remarked about how close the mockingbird bird was to us. He perched on her prickly pear cactus. When I was ready to go home he was still there so kidding I said "if that's my mockingbird he'll follow me home." I told him to get on home and started walking to my house. Sure enough he beat me there and waited until I went inside for his supper.
He hung around for over a year. I haven't had another mockingbird or any other bird react to me in that way.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6632 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6632 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2015 : 2:04:50 PM
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We have our usual Cardinals, Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Blue Jays, Red Headed Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers and the occasional Titmouse and Purple finches. We love to sit and watch them at the feeders and hear their calls to one another!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2015 : 7:51:29 PM
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We have a lot of gold finches at our feeder. Also the red bellied woodpecker, the white breasted and red breasted nuthatch and downy and hairy woodpeckers. It is such a delight to see color in addition to the cardinals that live here year round.
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2015 : 09:34:24 AM
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Here's pics of some Barn Swallow mud nests under a bridge near my home. I think these nests are incredible. What a wonderful creature of God.
Catherine
Sister #76 (2005)
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2015 : 04:55:18 AM
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At first I only saw a single brown thrasher feed, but for the last week or so two young ones are showing up. I'm glad they are thriving in my neighbor's and my backyards.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2015 : 05:18:53 AM
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I think when we move to the rental house, I may set up a couple feeders. I won't have my garden anymore to keep me entertained, so perhaps it will be time to find a new outside hobby that I can keep on doing after we move out west and have my garden again. My 8 yo ds is also very intrigued by birds - he actually really wants a pet one (we are still trying to get him to understand that a pet cardinal, which is his favorite, is not a suitable pet). Anyways, I think he too would enjoy watching and learning about birds... perhaps we can turn it into a school unit study. Hmmmmm.....
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6632 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6632 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2015 : 06:22:50 AM
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We have a couple of bird feeders in our yard that we enjoy. Most of the regulars include Cardinals, Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Titmouse, Brown Thrasher, Downy Woodpecker, Red Headed Woodpecker, Blue Jays on occasion, Purple finches, and we hear a Hawk every day but only see it on occasion sitting in the tree. This year was so exciting because a pair of Chickadees raised a family in the little bird house on our Pergola outside, and a pair of Carolina wrens made a nest and raised a family in the tall flower pot right outside our back door!@ It was great fun to watch all the action from our outdoor "living room"porch!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2015 : 1:41:45 PM
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I just witnessed the most incredible thing. Either a mama or papa brown thrasher fed two young ones. The two young one were feeding with the other birds when the adult bird flew down and picked up a beakfull of small seeds and fed one of the young birds. Then it fed the other bird. The young birds were fed twice and the adult bird flew off leaving the two young birds to continue eating. I love looking out my window. Never know what I will see.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2015 : 1:45:14 PM
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On June 13 I wrote about seeing a family of brown thrashers feeding. Awhile ago I saw a male and female blue jay with their 2 young ones feeding. Right now it's my three chickens feeding with sparrows. I have to feed extra because of the chicks. My backyard gets busy three days a day at feeding time.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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cj6
True Blue Farmgirl
196 Posts
cj
USA
196 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2015 : 12:45:56 AM
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We moved two years ago and there are so many birds here I have not seen before. It's fun to watch them. I just found out that one is a Swainson's Thrush,it came maybe 15 feet from me one night a few weeks ago and just sat on a fence post for the longest time. We have gold finches,cardnals,a couple pair of mourning doves,once in a while I see a hummingbird by the flowers...it comes up on the porch to the petunias that are in a pot on the edge it. We've seen a few Baltimore oriols I think last year and that's just some that I have figured out besides the robins and a couple different kinds of woodpeckers.
It's nice to see others who like to watch the birds too. By the way the picture of the hummingbirds is amazing! |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2015 : 03:56:37 AM
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CJ, I agree bird watching is fun. Swainson's Thrush is new to me. I don't know if we have any thrushes in TX. I haven't seen a hummingbird this year. I don't feed them because of ants.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2015 : 11:23:41 AM
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Daily, I watch the woodpeckers, mostly hear them. We have three hummingbird feeders, and every other day they have to be refilled. The little yellow finches are always bathing in the bird bath. It's nice to just watch them.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2015 : 06:55:55 AM
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My backyard is quiet these days and I no longer see my favorite birds. When I learned that chickens may get the flu from eating bird seed after the birds I stopped putting out bird seed. I miss the birds but my first duty is to the welfare of my three chickens.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 11:57:14 AM
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Oh dear! I haven't heard about the bird seed being bad for chickens. Thanks for letting us know.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 1:20:35 PM
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Marly, I think it's only bad for chickens when it's on the ground and the birds poop on it.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Bluedog355
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Diana
Alstead
New Hampshire
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2015 : 7:06:15 PM
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Hello,
Just found this thread, and am new - enjoy watching birds with my kids. We are fortunate to live in a rural area & see quite a few. All summer we have been hearing a call that was new to us at night. Generally we get the barred owl & "who cooks for you". Took a flashlight & followed the sound, right to a young barred owl close by! We have a pair of cardinals, but they hide in a multiflora rose thicket. Across the way is a pair of cat birds. A kayak across the lake showed us a loon, a family of Canadian geese, a broad wing hawk fairly close by. The only hummingbirds we get are ruby throated, they like my bee balm. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7020 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7020 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2015 : 04:53:27 AM
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Diana, I haven't seen Canadian geese fly over in decades. Sure would like to see them again. You have quite a range of birds to watch.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Barnyard Buddies: Bird Watching |
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Bird Watching
