Bluebirds of happiness

[marcmaubert]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Pictures?

Let me try to get a good picture tomorrow

[katrina]

Awwwww, so cute! We don't get bluebirds at our feeders...we are too "city" to be visited by those beauties.

We have what we loving refer to as the "food court"...many feeders...many, many feeders. We enjoy watching them all seasons. I know some of you hate the squirrels but we think they are adorable and we feed them too. Hubby has even built them special feeding stations...corn and peanuts being a big hit w/them.

We also have 2 Merlins that use our "food court" as their hunting grounds. It can be brutal to see them in action...and yet, fascinating to watch, as well. Poor Mourning Doves seem to be the preferred menu item for the Merlins.

The only time we aren't super happy about the "food court" is during the times when the Starlings descend and take over the area. Talk about noisy, messy birds! They are a pretty bird but I'm not a big fan.

[Mountaineer370]

The bluebirds are beautiful, Dolly! I rarely see them around here. We enjoy feeding and watching the birds. Our most most common winter residents are bluejays, cardinals, various types of woodpeckers, juncos, and doves. Our robins leave for the winter.

Oh, and Katrina, I agree with you about the obnoxious starlings! The come in huge flocks in the spring and clean out the feeders quickly. Fortunately, they don't stick around long.

We also like the squirrels, and they are welcome to come and eat, too. We do have the type of feeders they can easily climb, and we have never minded because they are very polite and cause no damage.

We had what I think was a merlin sitting on top of one of our feeders the other day. I could only see it from the back, so I couldn't make a certain identification.

I enjoy watching birds any time of year, but being stuck in the house in this weather, I'm doing a little more of it.

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Lots of reasons to smile! And I got two bag babies at Lowe's, lots to choose from, too!

Carol, what are bag babies?

[Dollythehun]

We also like the squirrels, and they are welcome to come and eat, too. We do have the type of feeders they can easily climb, and we have never minded because they are very polite and cause no damage.

We have polite squirrels and obnoxious squirrels. The former are fed well in a squirrel under glass feeder. The later were trapped and rehomed to a woods a few miles away. I'm going to try to attach a video from last winter of Mama Blackberry my now departed favorite squirrel. I doubt the OB will let me... We have much your same assortment of birds but with Carolina Wrens, bluebirds, nuthatches (no red ones this year) titmice, chickadees, several types of finches and sparrows. We have had resident Red Tail and Cooper's hawk, which we feed the problem animals we trap. Nothing around here goes to waste so, we have Turkey vultures too and wild turkeys.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

Carol, what are bag babies?

They are 2.5" or 4" orchids from Lowe's. They come in cellophane bags in trays which they set out to tempt us. Like moths to a flame...

[No-Pro-mwa]

There darling. I wish I had some of them. We have mostly in the winter 2 kinds of sparrows and a big flock of Rosy Finches. We did have a Redpoll but I haven't seen it for several days. We don't have squirrels but the rabbits come and eat and I also feed them some hay for there green.

We do get a Merlin and had a Coopers Hawk fly through the other day. Last year a Shrike came and most of the birds left. He was a nasty thing. Dear hubby wanted to kill him. He would stick the little birds head on a thorn on the Russian Olive trees. But it's really a pretty bird.

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

We have polite squirrels and obnoxious squirrels. The former are fed well in a squirrel under glass feeder. The later were trapped and rehomed to a woods a few miles away. I'm going to try to attach a video from last winter of Mama Blackberry my now departed favorite squirrel. I doubt the OB will let me... We have much your same assortment of birds but with Carolina Wrens, bluebirds, nuthatches (no red ones this year) titmice, chickadees, several types of finches and sparrows. We have had resident Red Tail and Cooper's hawk, which we feed the problem animals we trap. Nothing around here goes to waste so, we have Turkey vultures too and wild turkeys.

Cute picture of one of your squirrels. It appears to be eating out of the cup of corn without tipping it over. Amazing.

Some will think I'm weird, but I love turkey vultures. I don't find them ugly, I find them fascinating and primitive in their appearance. I love watching them ride the updrafts. Around here, they leave for the winter. I can't wait to see them come back in the spring.

[Leafmite]

Our yard has always been filled with birds. We have berry bushes, cherry trees, flowers that produce edible seeds and plenty of trees and shrubs for nesting. I keep a birdbath filled. I am wondering if there is any way to discourage the neighborhood cats from killing the birds? When we have the grackles, they drive off the cats or at least give warning to the other birds but they are not always visiting our yard.

[Dollythehun]

I have a video if her daintily munching from that cup, never knocking it over. It was too big to upload.
Yes we like turkey vultures too.