Snow-birds are here..

[Redfoot NERD]

.. and a video!

Last summer we had a number of trees taken out of our front yard. We left a couple stumps and put a 'bird-feeder' on each. One with a 'platform' feeder for seeds.. the other is a "suet-tree" to hang suet boxes on. A larger branch was cut and screwed standing.. to the stump and suet boxes are hung on it!

It snowed last night and while I was taking these pics and video.. with an occasional smile of sunshine.

I put new suet in the boxes and filled the platform with seeds and poured some on the ground for the 'ground-feeders' as well.

It didn't take long -

These are different from what we call "Ladderbacks".. much bigger and brown instead of grey and white - anyone know their name? [ A better view in the video ] -

Then came that high-pitched call of the "Pileated".. all of the smaller finches and chickadees scattered knowing that the BOSS would soon be in the "hood"! -

This I think was the smaller 'fledgling' of a pair that visits regularly to our suet boxes.. not real sure of course. The suet boxes are not quite 5" square.. these are the largest of the NA 'peckers' I believe.

Our little girl pileated left and came back.. and the mystery 'pecker' can be seen better below.. here [ taken thru the front window ] -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BovLQy55QN4

If I've got this right the male has the red on his bill and face.

The family from last year - June, 2010 - [ priceless view.. in our front yard ] - taken thru front window.. they spook real easy -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eivGYdEpWI8

See him reach behind to feed her? And that has to be their fledgling!

Terry K

 

[terryo]

Your first picture looks very much like our Morning Doves. Love, love, love the Woody's.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

That second bird is a flicker. Pretty birds. The ones we have have red instead of yellow. Some of my favorites. They peck trees like wood peckers, but are not the same as traditional wood peckers.

FYI, kestrels love to nest in abandoned flicker holes. I bet you could find spring-time kestrel nests just by looking for flicker holes in the trees.

 

[Isa]

Aww I love birds, they are beautiful

 

[Torty Mom]

Great pictures and the woodpecker video was awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!!

 

[Candy]

That's what I was thinking TerryO, that those first pictures look just like doves. How do you people live in that snow? It looks too cold for me. I've got to admit that it is beautiful to look at though.

 

[yagyujubei]

Your video of the three pileated was awesome. You must live right in the woods.

 

[Laura]

yep #2 is a flicker..

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Great!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Another 4"-5" of new snow brought on many birds -

We swept a path to the storage-building and the sunflower seeds.. and spread a couple big scoops on the ground for the ground-feeders and the platform feeder - AFTER sweeping the snow away!

I'll try to get a better angle of these -

And there were 2 Doves on the rail of our front deck.. I was only able to get this one pic - quite 'dark' under the deck and they spook easy -

More ASAP...

Terry K

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Better view of the Ladderback -

Female Cardinal and Finch -

Love those little ground-feeders - BLUES -

Can anyone ID this [ aka Orchard Oriole ] typical 'ground-feeder' in the platform with the female Cardinal? -

Terry K

 

[PeanutbuttER]

She's got kinda a "finchy" beak. No idea though.

 

[jackrat]

Beautiful pics,Terry.Not to hijack your thread,but I must tell this.When I was 12 yrs old,a freind and I went camping,expecting to live on fish.We brought no food with us,just fishing stuff and a .22 .After 2 days of fishing,we still hadn't eaten.Couldn't find a rabbit or squirrel,nothing.So when one of those big pileated woodpeckers landed on the side of a pine,we saw dinner!To make a long story short,we plucked it and stuck it over the fire on a stick.It was vile! Like eating a piece of radial tire that had been marinated in turpentine.