This place is for the birds

[donttread]

At least today. I no longer feed the birds because of the local raccoons and an occasional bear. In fact I think one has been through the neighbors back yard after berries very recently. Anyway, I may start again this winter.
But today the birds are stealing the show, first there was a beautiful scarlet Tanager and then a baby woodpecker I was actually able to call closer by knocking on the door from inside. Within about 2 feet.
The blue jays and the young woodpecker are both pecking at the neighbors roof ( abandoned house and in serious disrepair) and despite very little rain I have a Robin pecking at the driveway stones like a chicken.
I hope this isn't a set up for a remake of Hitchcock's the Birds. Although |I think that idea would be pure gold.

Best guess is what little rain we had drove something within the Robin's call range and the other birds are finding insects in the rotting plywood from the neighbors roof.

[Standing Wolf]

We have lots of Mexican doves and quail around the property. The wife puts out quail seed blocks under all the bushes in the front yard for the latter. We love to watch the quail couples scurry along the sidewalk herding their little ones, who look like something out of an animated cartoon. I'm sure we have other species hanging around, but I don't know what they are - the wife is the expert. I've heard woodpeckers occasionally, and mockingbirds. A couple of great horned owls make their presence known sometimes, which spooks my dog; we have a couple of cats who like to take supervised walks in the backyard, but not at night; one of those owls could fly off with either one with no problem and make a meal of them.

We had a raccoon couple, who we named Rocket and Stella, who used to come up on the back porch and eat the catfood we put out for the odd neighborhood stray, but we haven't seen them in several months and they are missed.

[FindersKeepers]

It sounds wonderful!

[donttread]

We have lots of Mexican doves and quail around the property. The wife puts out quail seed blocks under all the bushes in the front yard for the latter. We love to watch the quail couples scurry along the sidewalk herding their little ones, who look like something out of an animated cartoon. I'm sure we have other species hanging around, but I don't know what they are - the wife is the expert. I've heard woodpeckers occasionally, and mockingbirds. A couple of great horned owls make their presence known sometimes, which spooks my dog; we have a couple of cats who like to take supervised walks in the backyard, but not at night; one of those owls could fly off with either one with no problem and make a meal of them.

We had a raccoon couple, who we named Rocket and Stella, who used to come up on the back porch and eat the catfood we put out for the odd neighborhood stray, but we haven't seen them in several months and they are missed.

I saw a great horned while hunting one time. I moved quietly too close to his roost without knowing it. We were in a medium density stand of pines and it was so weird to suddenly see a bird that big fly away from just feet away and hear nothing. It was spooky. The quail sound like a riot. Is a Mexican dove anything like a Morning Dove?
Lastly, be careful with the raccoons and the whole rabies thing. I'm sure you know this but cats, coons and rabies don't mix well.
50 plus years ago, despite my mother being the neighborhood worry wort, we can raccoons in our kitchen fairly often as we fed them and mom and dad just brought the food trail inside. It was pretty cool, but it all ended the night the skunk followed them in! We escaped without it spraying but that was that! LOL
Had a flying squirrel in the house once too.

[donttread]

It sounds wonderful!

There is something peaceful about watching birds .... well... be birds. But I am noticing that it is harder to catch detail from a distance or when they are in flight than it used to be. They must be smaller and faster than they used to be, because it could not possibly be my old eyes. LOL

[FindersKeepers]

We have lots of Mexican doves and quail around the property. The wife puts out quail seed blocks under all the bushes in the front yard for the latter. We love to watch the quail couples scurry along the sidewalk herding their little ones, who look like something out of an animated cartoon. I'm sure we have other species hanging around, but I don't know what they are - the wife is the expert. I've heard woodpeckers occasionally, and mockingbirds. A couple of great horned owls make their presence known sometimes, which spooks my dog; we have a couple of cats who like to take supervised walks in the backyard, but not at night; one of those owls could fly off with either one with no problem and make a meal of them.

We had a raccoon couple, who we named Rocket and Stella, who used to come up on the back porch and eat the catfood we put out for the odd neighborhood stray, but we haven't seen them in several months and they are missed.

We found a great horned out in our field -- hopping, it had broken its wing -- and my daughter caught it and set the wing. She rescues all sorts of injured critters and then lets them go when they're healed. Within a few hours of binding the owl's wing, she was contacted by a wildlife agency and informed that she was not legally permitted to help the owl. She could be fined if she did not turn the owl over to a raptor sanctuary in a nearby town. She drove the owl to the sanctuary and gave it to the people there. She later called to see how it was doing and she was informed they'd euthanized it. They didn't have the room nor the means to help injured raptors.

She doesn't let anyone know now if she has injured wildlife. She just helps the critters and then releases them. Some rules are less than helpful.

[Chris]

At least today. I no longer feed the birds because of the local raccoons and an occasional bear. In fact I think one has been through the neighbors back yard after berries very recently. Anyway, I may start again this winter.
But today the birds are stealing the show, first there was a beautiful scarlet Tanager and then a baby woodpecker I was actually able to call closer by knocking on the door from inside. Within about 2 feet.
The blue jays and the young woodpecker are both pecking at the neighbors roof ( abandoned house and in serious disrepair) and despite very little rain I have a Robin pecking at the driveway stones like a chicken.
I hope this isn't a set up for a remake of Hitchcock's the Birds. Although |I think that idea would be pure gold.

Best guess is what little rain we had drove something within the Robin's call range and the other birds are finding insects in the rotting plywood from the neighbors roof.



At first, I thought you were talking about the forum! LOL.

I once tried to track all the birds that came to my yard, back when I fed them regularly. But then pigeons and squirrels ate most of it.

I do have an extended Robin family that started off as a pair and now consists of over a dozen.

Lately, I get vultures. They scratch around on the rook till I chase them off.

[Standing Wolf]

I saw a great horned while hunting one time. I moved quietly too close to his roost without knowing it. We were in a medium density stand of pines and it was so weird to suddenly see a bird that big fly away from just feet away and hear nothing. It was spooky. The quail sound like a riot. Is a Mexican dove anything like a Morning Dove? ....

This is a Mexican dove or Inca dove.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/66035501-1280px.jpg

We also get the occasional raptor, usually some sort of hawk like the Harris hawk, in the neighborhood. They are welcomed because they like to to feed on the pigeons.

Oh, yeah, and then there was the time my wife looked out the front window and saw a couple of people staring at the roof of our house. She went out and saw one of these sitting on the edge of the roof looking down into her goldfish pond.

http://animalia.bio/uploads/animals/photos/full/1.25x1/great-blue-heron-4.jpg

A great blue heron. (Her goldfish are the large kind - some of them seven or eight inches long, and apparently they looked like a great meal to this particular bird.) A friend gave the wife a roll of kevlar netting, which we stretched over the pond.

[hanger4]

I saw a great horned while hunting one time. I moved quietly too close to his roost without knowing it. We were in a medium density stand of pines and it was so weird to suddenly see a bird that big fly away from just feet away and hear nothing. It was spooky. The quail sound like a riot. Is a Mexican dove anything like a Morning Dove?Lastly, be careful with the raccoons and the whole rabies thing. I'm sure you know this but cats, coons and rabies don't mix well.50 plus years ago, despite my mother being the neighborhood worry wort, we can raccoons in our kitchen fairly often as we fed them and mom and dad just brought the food trail inside. It was pretty cool, but it all ended the night the skunk followed them in! We escaped without it spraying but that was that! LOLHad a flying squirrel in the house once too.We have/had a Cardinal flying into our double windows behind our bed feet first. This happens around daylight every morning, not a prob for me, but Ms hanger4 aint real happy about it. We put a full page pic of an owl in a window and stopped him for a few days. Then he started hitting the other window so we pictured that window also. That too worked for a few days. Then he started attacking the pics, which means he's tearing up the screens. The wife, being a bird lover, poured over her bird books and da net and found a solution. Our window blinds are about 4 1/2" from the window, we placed the pics on the closed blinds and he quit a day or so later. Have no idea why that worked or why the little shit started to begin with, but ma better half is happy therefore I'm happy.

[countryboy]

We found a great horned out in our field -- hopping, it had broken its wing -- and my daughter caught it and set the wing. She rescues all sorts of injured critters and then lets them go when they're healed. Within a few hours of binding the owl's wing, she was contacted by a wildlife agency and informed that she was not legally permitted to help the owl. She could be fined if she did not turn the owl over to a raptor sanctuary in a nearby town. She drove the owl to the sanctuary and gave it to the people there. She later called to see how it was doing and she was informed they'd euthanized it. They didn't have the room nor the means to help injured raptors.

She doesn't let anyone know now if she has injured wildlife. She just helps the critters and then releases them. Some rules are less than helpful.

Good grief. Have you had enough government yet?

[Ethereal]

Good grief. Have you had enough government yet?
It's funny when Trump supporters pretend to be against big government.

[Captdon]

It's funny when Trump supporters pretend to be against big government.

It's funnier when you ruin good thread.

We love the birds. We deed them but our thieving squirrels steal most of it.

[countryboy]

It's funny when Trump supporters pretend to be against big government.

It's funny when liberals pretend they're not America hating fascists.

[donttread]

It's funny when Trump supporters pretend to be against big government.

Other than rand Paul is anyone in DC against big government.

[donttread]

We found a great horned out in our field -- hopping, it had broken its wing -- and my daughter caught it and set the wing. She rescues all sorts of injured critters and then lets them go when they're healed. Within a few hours of binding the owl's wing, she was contacted by a wildlife agency and informed that she was not legally permitted to help the owl. She could be fined if she did not turn the owl over to a raptor sanctuary in a nearby town. She drove the owl to the sanctuary and gave it to the people there. She later called to see how it was doing and she was informed they'd euthanized it. They didn't have the room nor the means to help injured raptors.

She doesn't let anyone know now if she has injured wildlife. She just helps the critters and then releases them. Some rules are less than helpful.

Some "sanctuary"! How does she handle them without getting hurt? Does she have the gear?

[FindersKeepers]

Some "sanctuary"! How does she handle them without getting hurt? Does she have the gear?
She borrowed her dad's welding gloves, but no special gear. She's kind of odd when it comes to animals, they tend to find her when they need help. I know that sounds hokey, but when I drive by myself, I rarely see lost dogs or cats. When I'm riding with her, they come out of the woodwork, and, of course, we have to help each one of them. She bought a place in the country three years ago and she and her fiance raise and train GSDs for police work. She's also in law enforcement, so she gets called when the deputies pick up injured critters. She serves as an overflow for the animal shelter in town. I always thought she'd grow out of that when she grew up but she didn't -- she just found a guy who would build everything she needed to keep animals. She has horses, dairy goats, dogs and cats and an occasional deer/possum/bird that gets injured until she can get it healthy and release it.

[Peter1469]

It's funny when liberals pretend they're not America hating fascists.
E is a libertarian, not a liberal.

[donttread]

She borrowed her dad's welding gloves, but no special gear. She's kind of odd when it comes to animals, they tend to find her when they need help. I know that sounds hokey, but when I drive by myself, I rarely see lost dogs or cats. When I'm riding with her, they come out of the woodwork, and, of course, we have to help each one of them. She bought a place in the country three years ago and she and her fiance raise and train GSDs for police work. She's also in law enforcement, so she gets called when the deputies pick up injured critters. She serves as an overflow for the animal shelter in town. I always thought she'd grow out of that when she grew up but she didn't -- she just found a guy who would build everything she needed to keep animals. She has horses, dairy goats, dogs and cats and an occasional deer/possum/bird that gets injured until she can get it healthy and release it.

Now that's a real animal lover. I might not believe you but when my daughter was little wild critters actually approached her. Good for your daughter doing what she loves.

[donttread]

At first, I thought you were talking about the forum! LOL.

I once tried to track all the birds that came to my yard, back when I fed them regularly. But then pigeons and squirrels ate most of it.

I do have an extended Robin family that started off as a pair and now consists of over a dozen.

Lately, I get vultures. They scratch around on the rook till I chase them off.

At my age when I see vultures circling I just look up and shout. NOT YET!

[Chris]

At my age when I see vultures circling I just look up and shout. NOT YET!

One of my favorite short pieces by Franz Kafka, "The Vulture"


There was a vulture that hacked at my feet. He had already shredded my boots and my socks, now he was attacking my feet. He picked away at them, then he flew around me a couple of times skittishly, before resuming his work. A gentleman came along and watched for a while, then he asked me why I tolerated the vulture. “I’m helpless,” I said. “He came and started hacking at me, and of course I wanted to drive him away, I even tried to strangle him, but a beast like that has a lot of strength in him, and he was about to leap at my face, so I thought it was better to sacrifice my feet. Now they’re almost shredded.” “How can you stand to be tormented like that,” said the gentleman, “a single bullet, and that vulture is history.” “Is that right?” I asked, “and would you oblige me?” “Willingly,” said the gentleman, “I just have to go home and get my gun. Can you wait another half an hour?” “I don’t know,” I said, and I stood for a while, rigid with pain. Then I said: “Well, will you try anyway?” “Very well,” said the gentleman, “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

The vulture had been listening to our conversation, and kept looking back and forth between me and the gentleman. Now I saw that he had understood everything, he flew up, leaning right back to get plenty of momentum, and then, like a javelin thrower, he thrust his beak through my mouth deep into me. As I fell back, I could feel a sense of deliverance as he wallowed and drowned in the blood that now filled all my vessels and burst its banks.

[donttread]

This is a Mexican dove or Inca dove.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/66035501-1280px.jpg

We also get the occasional raptor, usually some sort of hawk like the Harris hawk, in the neighborhood. They are welcomed because they like to to feed on the pigeons.

Oh, yeah, and then there was the time my wife looked out the front window and saw a couple of people staring at the roof of our house. She went out and saw one of these sitting on the edge of the roof looking down into her goldfish pond.

http://animalia.bio/uploads/animals/photos/full/1.25x1/great-blue-heron-4.jpg

A great blue heron. (Her goldfish are the large kind - some of them seven or eight inches long, and apparently they looked like a great meal to this particular bird.) A friend gave the wife a roll of kevlar netting, which we stretched over the pond.

Looks a little bit like a morning dove. Yeah those herons can do a number. My old neighbor had the old inside of a washing machine that he kept minnows in the lake in. the holes allow water to flow but keeps the bait in. One morning around 6:00 AM I looked out the window and saw a heron just going to town on those literal fish in a barrel. The next time I saw the guy I told him what had happened and asked him if the bird left him any. He said yeah, 1 out of 12!

[Ethereal]

It's funny when liberals pretend they're not America hating fascists.
It's funny when you pretend you're not a liberal who loves big government.

[Ethereal]

E is a libertarian, not a liberal.
Reality doesn't matter to countryboy, never has, never will.

[countryboy]

E is a libertarian, not a liberal.

Libertarians hate America? Wow, who knew?

[FindersKeepers]

Now that's a real animal lover. I might not believe you but when my daughter was little wild critters actually approached her. Good for your daughter doing what she loves.

Yes! I totally get it! I don't have that gift but others do. It's like they're in sync, or something.

[donttread]

Yes! I totally get it! I don't have that gift but others do. It's like they're in sync, or something.

There is more that we do not understand than there is that we do understand. i personally wouldn't have it any other way.