That’s awesome!Meeting at the feeder. Put up Bluebird house first time. Took about a month then lookers. Checked nest today and 2 eggs so that's pretty cool. View attachment 128568 View attachment 128569
That’s awesome!Meeting at the feeder. Put up Bluebird house first time. Took about a month then lookers. Checked nest today and 2 eggs so that's pretty cool. View attachment 128568 View attachment 128569
The Merlin app's sound ID is mind-blowingly accurate. The step-by-step visual ID is handy, too, but you usually have to recognize some specific detail as it just throws a bunch of possibilities at you and you have to decided which it was.Nerds!
Also thanks for the tip on the Merlin app. Downloaded it today.
We put up our feeders over the weekend.
Our son lives in Columbia, MO. We visited a month ago and loved seeing different birds there than here (central Iowa). He told me about the Merlin app and I love it.The Merlin app's sound ID is mind-blowingly accurate. The step-by-step visual ID is handy, too, but you usually have to recognize some specific detail as it just throws a bunch of possibilities at you and you have to decided which it was.
I've mostly seen the usual suspects this year in Minneapolis. Brown creeper, "butterbutt" warblers, kinglets, Phoebe's
I also heard several "whistler of the north" white throated sparrows this morning walking my dog. That was a lot of fun
My hummingbird feeder gets hung in our little pocket garden just outside the kitchen window right by the deck. So it is about 8' from the house and 5' from the deck. They don't seem bothered at all. Sometimes when we are eating supper out on the deck they will still fly up and eat with us less than 10 feet away. We also have a thistle seed feeder in that little garden.I have seen hummers come close to the house.
Yes!!! Need to see those rare birds. The Paristas are even rarer.@Kinch, if you hurry up and get over here to play a round of golf. I’ll show you the Centerville Preserve Birdie. Rare in these parts but I have seen a couple this early spring.
Agree with you, grackles are nasty.My hummingbird feeder gets hung in our little pocket garden just outside the kitchen window right by the deck. So it is about 8' from the house and 5' from the deck. They don't seem bothered at all. Sometimes when we are eating supper out on the deck they will still fly up and eat with us less than 10 feet away. We also have a thistle seed feeder in that little garden.
I have had to take down our big feeder during the spring because the grackles take over. I have been fighting a battle with the grackles because the take over the whole backyard if I don't take out their nests before they can lay eggs. Nasty, dirty birds that I have seen kill nesting doves and robins.
Congrats!!!!!!@Kinch, if you hurry up and get over here to play a round of golf. I’ll show you the Centerville Preserve Birdie. Rare in these parts but I have seen a couple this early spring.
We have the regular early season starling and blackbird invasion. Ugh.We get a lot of mourning doves and they are a bit big for our feeders. We throw a bit under the feeders and the other birds are sloppy enough, they don’t seem to be hurting much. I’m not sure if they are driving the squirrels away or the crazy dog is, but not nearly as many squirrel attacks and not many grackles yet.
I had problem with bald faced hornets at my feeder last year. Actually watched them chase hummingbirds off the feeder. If you didn't know it bald faced hornets are famous for their nests. People call them paper wasp nests but they are actually bald faced hornet nests. I was told some people use grey plastic bags to make fake nest and hang it by their feeders because the hornets will avoid other hornets nest. Not sure if it works but I may try it if they come back this year.Any of you bird feeders have wasp problems? My favorite bird is the Oriole and we have a family or two every year living in the wooded creek area behind our house. We feed them jelly. Our feeder is on our deck rail and they do come to eat there during summer long. A couple years ago these aggressive white and black wasp looking things showed up eating the jelly. Wasps and bees don't bother us but these things are aggressive. Looked them up and called bald faced hornets. Never seen them in my life until they showed up a couple years ago. Haven't seen one yet but sure they will come back. Anyone know of a good wasp trap? We bought a couple that haven't worked too well and we wasted money on a fake nest thing. I know we can move our feeder but last resort. Thanks
I believe you have a chicadee nesting in your bluebird house!I built a couple of bluebird houses that I have out back. I've never gotten one but most years housewrens move in which have a great song...great little bird. I noticed the other day that one had moved in, however, I needed to latch the door from cleaning last fall. Inside was this perfect layered nest and about 4 little eggs about the size of a marble.
I'll be a son of....... I saw your post this morning, so I grabbed my glass and waited 10 minutes and you are correct! I built two bluebird houses 7 years ago and have always had just house wrens in one or both houses each spring, nothing else.I believe you have a chicadee nesting in your bluebird house!
I'm not good at identifying nests, but I do know that chickadees nest multiple times per breeding season. They'll snag desirable spots early, nest, fledge, and leave to find another nesting spot later in the season. Which can leave the box open for bluebirds later in the season. Bluebirds are smart, too. They will remember your box and might grab it early next year before the chickadees can take itI'll be a son of....... I saw your post this morning, so I grabbed my glass and waited 10 minutes and you are correct! I built two bluebird houses 7 years ago and have always had just house wrens in one or both houses each spring, nothing else.
This year I have a pair of Black Capped Chickadees, so good job outta you! I had been hearing the wrens all spring singing and haven't spent much time outside in the backyard and just assumed it was them again...LOL.
How did you figure that out...by the leaves as the base instead of twigs or the color of the eggs? Thanks for your sharing your thoughts. This is great!
I don't believe they return to the same nest. So if left it there, you may not have to deal with them this year. Next hunters go after those when the leaves fall. Some can be worth $100s.I had problem with bald faced hornets at my feeder last year. Actually watched them chase hummingbirds off the feeder. If you didn't know it bald faced hornets are famous for their nests. People call them paper wasp nests but they are actually bald faced hornet nests. I was told some people use grey plastic bags to make fake nest and hang it by their feeders because the hornets will avoid other hornets nest. Not sure if it works but I may try it if they come back this year.
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