Grackle Fight - May 13 2013

Grackle Fight

New arrivals this morning - Baltimore Oriole, Pine Siskins, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Harris's Sparrow

 On the 12th I heard the Grackles making a short sharp chirp, something I've never heard them do. I then noted that all the other birds left the feeder and the ground and headed for the far side of our tree from the Grackles. I went to the window with my camera and saw two Grackles bouncing around in the tree and then attack each other. They fell about 7 feet to the ground locked together. It was quite a vicious fight lasting just over a minute when one broke away and fled across the street with the other Grackle in pursuit.

Brown Thrashers - May 11 2013

Brown Thrashers

Two Brown Thrashers have shown up. They are very interesting to watch.
I thought the two of them might be a breeding pair, but, twice they tried to drive each other off. Then later when one left the other followed.
The Thrashers love suet but will eat seed from the ground. We have never seen one eating from our seed feeders.
Today one of them sat in our tree and sang for 15-20 minutes, it was quite a treat.
Canon T1i, Tamron 70-300 VC, Kenko 1.4 Pro TC

 The second attack. These birds can really move on the ground.

Fort Whyte Alive - May 09 2013

Fort Whyte

Made a trip to Fort Whyte today. Didn't see as many birds or waterfowl as we usually do.
After we got to Fort Whyte I discovered that I left my camera battery at home in the charger. We were limited to our Canon SX40HS, a wonderful little camera but not really suited to birding. It was a great outing.

 Brewers Blackbird, I think. At a great distance

 Common Loon

  Common Loon

 Dark Eyed Junco

 I think this is a Flycatcher or possibly a Thrush

 Hooded Mergansers We saw over 10 of them

 Hooded Merganser

 Hooded Merganser

 Hooded Mergansers - These two swam side by side alternately raising and lowering their head feathers. It was very interesting to watch

 Mallards

 Turtle We saw 7 in one little area of the pond and a few more on the opposite side of this pond.

 Turtle

Someone on Google Birding identifies this bird as a partially leucistic White-throated Sparrow

Bird Photos - Spring Migration - 2013

Weather has finally turned, was a decent sunny day, was warm enough to wear shorts and sandals without getting frost bitten.
Robins showed up in incredible numbers earlier in the week, driving around town for 10 minutes we saw at least 100 Robins. There were a few Grackles mixed with the Robins, we also saw a Merlin fly over.
The Robins were incredibly aggressive the last few days, chasing off any bird that was on our lawn. I'm thinking there is a shortage of food as it has been quite cold and I doubt there are many insects around for them to eat.
We had a White Throated Sparrow at our feeder today.
We drove out to the ponds today and got a few pictures, none of which turned out.
Got a few pictures out our window today and they turned out not to bad.
When I took the photos off the camera I found a number of photos from last October.
Chipping Sparrow was right outside our window at about 5 feet.

 Canada Geese Fort Whyte 2012 

 Chipping Sparrow May 2013

 Chipping Sparrow

 Chipping Sparrow

 Chipping Sparrow

 Chipping Sparrow

 Common Grackle May 2013

 Common Grackle 

 Greater Yellow Legs Oct. 2012

 Red Breasted Nuthatch March 2013 - Taken through a very dirty window

 Red Wing Blackbird May 2013

 Tree Swallow May 2013

Hancock Wildlife Cams Update - 25 February 2013

Hancock Wildlife Cams

Hancock Wildlife now has 3 cams monitoring a Great Horned Owl Nest.
Starting the video seems to have changed since last year, once the ad video has played you have to click on the pause button, then click on the play button.

http://www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=VictoriaGHOwl#camera-ptz

Bird Photos - February 2013

February 2013

Had a Eurasian Collared Dove show up near our feeder around the 7th of February, a very late or early visitor. We don't usually see them until late July. 

I went to take a picture of it but my camera battery was dead, which wasn't a huge surprise as I haven't used it since October. It was to large to land on our feeder and it had snowed so any seed on the ground was covered. It left and I haven't seen it since. It was a plump healthy looking dove. 

Charged up my camera batteries and took a few shots of some of our winter birds and have posted them below.

All photos taken through a dirty triple pane window.

Thought I had gotten photos of a Red Breasted Nuthatch but apparently I did not. It was around for several days but has since disappeared.

In winter we put out cracked corn, peanuts and suet. Cracked corn is very cheap, bought 100 pounds for $24 and have only gone through about 40 pounds since October. The remaining 60 pounds of cracked corn will be gone by mid June. 

In summer we fill all the seed feeders every day, the Oriole feeder every 2-3 days and the peanut feeder every 3 weeks. 

Spring through fall we also put out black oil seed, mixed bird seed and an Oriole feeder. The few Hummingbirds we get feed from the Oriole feeder as well as the Orioles.

Wasps swarm to the Oriole feeder. It is supposed to be Wasp proof but as the Orioles feed they tend to cause the feeder to spill small amounts of nectar which seems to be enough for the Wasps to feed on. 

Taken with 500 mm mirror lens

These Blue Jays showed up, one sat in the tree while the other got corn from the feeder, returned to the tree and fed the waiting Blue Jay. Have seen this during the summer when young birds are being fed but never in the winter. 

 Chick-a-dee

 Downy Woodpecker, from Oct 2012

 Downy Woodpecker February 2013

 Hairy Woodpecker 

White Breasted Nuthatch