I have realized that I need to use several different suet bird feeders if I want to keep the Jays away from my good, homemade suet and let the songbirds and clinging birds eat in peace. If you have Jays, Grackles or worse yet, European Starlings eating your suet, there are several different styles of suet bird feeders to help you solve this problem.
I am lucky in that I simply want to keep the Western Scrub Jays and Steller’s Jays from eating my homemade suet. They can have the store bought stuff I hang for them in a regular wire suet cage but leave my homemade suet for my songbirds and woodpeckers.
As you can see from the video, if you get a wire cage with a roof on it, that simple modification will help keep the larger birds that are unable to cling to the feeder from getting at your suet. [continue reading…]
Driving home from work the other night, almost dusk, I see a gathering of Turkey Vultures or TVs as we like to call them. This guy was sitting atop someone’s gate post watching the dozen or so other vultures feeding on a dead deer. Most likely a road kill, although it was several yards off the roadway.
They flew up into the closest large oak to observe me as I approached the bird on the post to get the close up photo.
Turkey Vultures feed almost exclusively on carrion, cleaning up all the dead animal’s remains across North and South America. They roost in large communal groups, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. You may have seen many roosting in snags early in the morning or on rainy days.
They are beautiful on the wing, soaring with wings held in a slight V (called a dihedral) and seldom flapping. The easiest way to distinguish a TV from another large soaring raptor is that Turkey Vutures tip their wings from side to side while soaring and other raptors do not. Enjoy the rest of the wekend and go check out the other photos on Camera Critters.
Looking Up at Threatening Skies all photos by Brigitte Jordan
We are finally getting some rain and colder weather here in Northern California. Last weekend on my bird outing we noticed a decrease in the quantity of birds around, especially water birds. We are thinking it is because we haven’t gotten the migrants down from up North yet due to the unseasonably warm weather. We are hoping that changes before the Christmas Bird Count in Fall River Mills coming up December 14th when we expect to see thousands of water birds coming through. These are some photos taken during June of 2004 in the sequence they were taken.
These last two images were captured with a video camera. Make sure to check out the other Skywatch Friday images posted for your pleasure.
Nuttall’s Woodpecker Chick Sticking Its Head Out Of A Nest On The Underside Of An Oak Tree Branch photo by Frank Kratofil
What is the best way for a brand spanking new birdwatcher, or even a novice birdwatcher to gain a whole lot of knowledge about birds quickly? I mean right now. Easy. Participate in the 109th Annual Christmas Bird Count, taking place from December 14th through January 5th.
You may be a backyard bird watcher. Maybe you have been watching birds from your porch or living room and just want to find out more about the birds you see in your yard. Maybe you have decided that you want to learn more, not only about the birds in your yard, but all those other birds out there.
I have great news for you! The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is almost here! The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is the oldest and largest citizen science event in the world. For over a hundred years, people have gathered together during the winter holiday season to count birds.
This tradition was started in 1900 by Frank Chapman, one of the ornithologists involved with the beginnings of the National Audubon Society. Frank came up with the brilliant idea of counting birds on Christmas rather than killing them. [continue reading…]
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