Birds

[Davy Crockett]

I miss the finches. I think the West Nile virus has clobbered the local finch population. 5-6 yrs ago I would have quite a few purple and gold finches, now my feeders sit unused.

Did you happen to have a some dandelions in your yard that you sprayed 5-6 years ago ? Part of the farmyard I mow don't spray and the Goldfinches are thick down there as soon as the dandelions bloom, The bees like them too. Kinda pumped this year , We are going to plant a nice big butterfly garden and pollinator plot. I kind of feel like a fairy to admit I'm planting flowers but we get so many wasps and hummingbirds at the feeders then wasps get in the strawberries and bore right into them and eat them. Hoping to draw them away from the house and take some pressure off the feeders.

 

[Allen]

Living in the country, I have more dandelions than I can shake a stick at.

 

[guywhofishes]

we just now made dandelion jelly

tastes like honey - novel/decent, but can’t touch honeyberries and juneberries

 

[roosterfish]

Had my first Oriole this morning!! Was getting a little worried they didn't make it back. Cool to see and hear every morning while having coffee.

 

[Rowdie]

Had my first Oriole this morning!! Was getting a little worried they didn't make it back. Cool to see and hear every morning while having coffee.

What do they taste like?

 

[risingsun]

What do they taste like?

Orange zest of chicken !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LBrandt]

Orange zest of chicken !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a hint of Bald Eagle.:::

 

[Allen]

About a week ago I spotted an osprey up at New John's Lake. You don't see an osprey in ND, but once in a while one pops up.

 

[Sluggo]

we just now made dandelion jelly

Nope, not even interested in doing that a little bit

 

[Fritz the Cat]

My closest bridge is 4 miles away. These birds build their nest under the house eve's and the other out buildings and usually have two batches a summer. They don't build inside the pole barns like the old barn swallow's did. Wife hates them when they nest around the house eves but I remind her just how many sketters they eat per day. They are welcome in my world for sure.

Sometimes colonies become infested with lice. If the lice make it past the house eves into your house, your wife will not tolerate their nests for long. Where and when they try to build, spray a little no stick vegetable oil.

Last year my wife sprayed at the birds with a garden hose. They started dive bombing her just short of hitting her head. They didn't do it to me or anyone else. For weeks she was the enemy.

 

[guywhofishes]

Nope, not even interested in doing that a little bit

But maple syrup - you're all in. Roger that.

 

[bilbo]

Thanks Guy. Now I know I have tree swallows. I could not find them in my birds of North America book and haven't bothered to look much anywhere else!

My Dad showed me an app called Merlin a while back. It's through Cornell and you answer a couple of questions about the location, color, size, etc. of the bird you saw and it gives you likely possibilities with photos and other info about the birds. Pretty remarkable how often the first bird it suggests is correct. I use it a lot. It takes up a lot of space on whatever device it's on for the 'bird packs' but the nice thing is it will work offline. Since I got the app I haven't used any of my bird books. To be honest, I don't even know where it is in the house any more.

 

[JayKay]

Nope, not even interested in doing that a little bit

I have some raw materials for you. Help yourself...

 

[Sluggo]

I have some raw materials for you. Help yourself...

Enough for the whole neighborhood from what I see. :;:

 

[Kurtr]

our finches showed a drop too

two goldfinches died yesterday - hit the living room window balls out - dong dong dead

had a dove do that puppy got his first retrieve of a bird

 

[Lycanthrope]

Anyone have any luck/experience building raptor nest boxes/platforms or perches? Id like to keep smaller birds away from some areas so Im thinking encouraging any bird eating raptors might help.

 

[MathewsZman]

Just put up your profile picture , problem solved!!!

 

[Fly Carpin]

Anyone have any luck/experience building raptor nest boxes/platforms or perches? Id like to keep smaller birds away from some areas so Im thinking encouraging any bird eating raptors might help.

How "smaller" are the birds you want deterred? Kestrel boxes are easy to make and they find them fairly quick.

 

[Lycanthrope]

How "smaller" are the birds you want deterred? Kestrel boxes are easy to make and they find them fairly quick.

Primarily robin sized birds, they are hell on by berry bushes and Ive read that if you can attract raptors, its a great deterrent...

 

[Fly Carpin]

Primarily robin sized birds, they are hell on by berry bushes and Ive read that if you can attract raptors, its a great deterrent...

Robins eh? Better step up to a Cooper's hawk. Best way to bring the coops to the yard is with bird feeders and a bird bath. But then there's more passerines to decimate your berries...have you tried scare tape yet?