I haven't had much time in the last week to get out much, and the next few weeks may be more pressing, but I was able to say hi to a few feathered friends during my comings and goings...
Jameson, yes, if time permits, my first priority outside my family is the clinics. But I am game....
Anon, Yes, these are the "resident woodies" at the Louisville zoo, I tend to skip the exibits and go straight for the pon between the metazoo and herpaquarium. Wood ducks, teal, night herons, Widgeons, and merganzers frequent that little pond.
I was the person who asked about the ducks. I have never seen colors on a duck like the top picture. My wife and I had a membership at the zoo but we just added to our family this past year and didn't renew. Next summer I will have to try and find the duck.
We tried to leave seed out during last winter to attract some birds to our back kitchen window. I got some books from the library to learn more about birds. I didn't like any of the book do you have a suggestion. One of the books showed that we are in Oriel migrating area. Is this true and if so have you seen any?
One thing I did to attract a bigger variety of birds to our feeders was to switch to just two kinds of seed, black oil sunflower seeds, and thistle seeds in a finch feeder tube. Since I haev switched away from the seed mixtures (that have mostly cracked corn), we have had an explosion in the number of birds such as tufted titmouse, Carolina Wren, Carolina chickadee, house finch, American Gold Finch, etc.
Orioles.... I have not had any to my feeders before, but I have seen planty of them closer to the river especially Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula). For more information on Baltimores, copy and paste this link:
Suet feeders will also help attract birds different from the typical house sparrow and European Starlings. I have had plenty of nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers showing up to the suet feeders as well, and honestly, Bass pro shops in clarksville has suet on the cheap, generally for $1 per suet cake, for the same brand that is sold at meijers and such for $2 or $2.50
Now you can also buy freeze dried mealworms to put out, but they are a bit expensive, but they COULD help attract "insectavores" like Eastern Blue Birds.
BUt most importantly, to get a consistant misx of good birds, provide them with not only a dependable source of food, but also water, and cover.
Wood Ducks (aix sponsa)
Pileated Woodpeckers
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
Hi, Chris still interested in the City Tree Group?
ReplyDeleteJameson Bledsoe
Wow, I never seen a Wood duck look so vibrant.
ReplyDeleteDid you take the picture around here?
Jameson, yes, if time permits, my first priority outside my family is the clinics. But I am game....
ReplyDeleteAnon,
Yes, these are the "resident woodies" at the Louisville zoo, I tend to skip the exibits and go straight for the pon between the metazoo and herpaquarium. Wood ducks, teal, night herons, Widgeons, and merganzers frequent that little pond.
I was the person who asked about the ducks. I have never seen colors on a duck like the top picture. My wife and I had a membership at the zoo but we just added to our family this past year and didn't renew. Next summer I will have to try and find the duck.
ReplyDeleteWe tried to leave seed out during last winter to attract some birds to our back kitchen window. I got some books from the library to learn more about birds. I didn't like any of the book do you have a suggestion. One of the books showed that we are in Oriel migrating area. Is this true and if so have you seen any?
Jameson
One thing I did to attract a bigger variety of birds to our feeders was to switch to just two kinds of seed, black oil sunflower seeds, and thistle seeds in a finch feeder tube.
ReplyDeleteSince I haev switched away from the seed mixtures (that have mostly cracked corn), we have had an explosion in the number of birds such as tufted titmouse, Carolina Wren, Carolina chickadee, house finch, American Gold Finch, etc.
Orioles.... I have not had any to my feeders before, but I have seen planty of them closer to the river especially Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula).
For more information on Baltimores, copy and paste this link:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/id
Suet feeders will also help attract birds different from the typical house sparrow and European Starlings. I have had plenty of nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers showing up to the suet feeders as well, and honestly, Bass pro shops in clarksville has suet on the cheap, generally for $1 per suet cake, for the same brand that is sold at meijers and such for $2 or $2.50
Now you can also buy freeze dried mealworms to put out, but they are a bit expensive, but they COULD help attract "insectavores" like Eastern Blue Birds.
BUt most importantly, to get a consistant misx of good birds, provide them with not only a dependable source of food, but also water, and cover.
I thought that blue birds like open spaces do you find it a problem in the city with our small back yards?
ReplyDeletewhere do you get the mealworms? How do you prepare the worms for the birds?
Have you ever considered taking and teaching people about bird watching?
previous post was Jameson
ReplyDelete