Lately, the bird traffic has been on the light side. But, we have also had very stormy weather for the past few days. Here are some shots of the storm's damage.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Here come the Finches..
I frequently see American Goldfinches now (here the female is on left and the male is on the right) along with a male House Finch.
Lately, the bird traffic has been on the light side. But, we have also had very stormy weather for the past few days. Here are some shots of the storm's damage.
Lately, the bird traffic has been on the light side. But, we have also had very stormy weather for the past few days. Here are some shots of the storm's damage.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Shed Demolition..
Last weekend the shed came down. Yay! I hope to get this mess cleaned up soon. However, work is making things tough. Yay, again!
The new shed is a slow-going process, but will be located off the frame to the right along the BACK of the yard. The reason I emphasize "back" is because the fools before us put their shed right smack in the middle of the backyard. I doubt I will offend anyone when I call these folks complete idiots. Once cleared away, I will plant grass seed where the old shed was. And, we will add some Forsythia bushes to frame the new shed next spring. All along the back fence will be a wildflower garden with Shasta Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, Echinechea, Purple Coneflower, and a variety of Sunflowers (that hopefully get huge). The idea is to attract birds and butterflies, and provide some nesting supplies near my bird feeding stations. 
I hope to have my own wild bird sanctuary in a couple of years right in my backyard.
More details to follow....
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time Is Limited
I just wanted to say that my time is limited right now. I have been busy....very busy.
The bird feeder station renovation is beginning. I have removed my ugly shed. I now have two nice piles of wood and debris in the yard. Maybe tomorrow I will put up a pic or two. I need to get this trash hauled off, though, before it rains because I have some things that are now exposed to the weather....like my stash of fertilizer. Haha..I had a bag of quick-set concrete that apparently got wet, and is now a 50lb block of rock. That was a nice discovery today.
I have also bought a nyjer feeding sock for the finches. Yes, I spent $35 on a nice, durable metal mesh nyjer feeder. But, the birds don't seem to care for it. So, I wanted to buy something to compare. Day 3 and I have a pair of Amercian Goldfinches, and a House Finch, that can't leave the sock alone. I caught the Goldfinch male on it three times this morning alone. And, if they were visiting the other feeder while I wasn't looking (doubtful), they prefer the sock since that is all I see them feeding on. I may switch some of the feed to see if it's a "freshness" thing, but something tells me it's the style of feeder. The goal, however, is to get them used to feeding from the station, and pull the sock, leaving them with nothing but the other feeder. Maybe they will get "hooked" on the nyjer seed in this specific location and keep coming around. If not, I will need to sell the other feeder just to get some of the money back. I am not fond of wasting $35.
Now, I have to get some pics up tomorrow....lol.
The bird feeder station renovation is beginning. I have removed my ugly shed. I now have two nice piles of wood and debris in the yard. Maybe tomorrow I will put up a pic or two. I need to get this trash hauled off, though, before it rains because I have some things that are now exposed to the weather....like my stash of fertilizer. Haha..I had a bag of quick-set concrete that apparently got wet, and is now a 50lb block of rock. That was a nice discovery today.
I have also bought a nyjer feeding sock for the finches. Yes, I spent $35 on a nice, durable metal mesh nyjer feeder. But, the birds don't seem to care for it. So, I wanted to buy something to compare. Day 3 and I have a pair of Amercian Goldfinches, and a House Finch, that can't leave the sock alone. I caught the Goldfinch male on it three times this morning alone. And, if they were visiting the other feeder while I wasn't looking (doubtful), they prefer the sock since that is all I see them feeding on. I may switch some of the feed to see if it's a "freshness" thing, but something tells me it's the style of feeder. The goal, however, is to get them used to feeding from the station, and pull the sock, leaving them with nothing but the other feeder. Maybe they will get "hooked" on the nyjer seed in this specific location and keep coming around. If not, I will need to sell the other feeder just to get some of the money back. I am not fond of wasting $35.
Now, I have to get some pics up tomorrow....lol.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Song Sparrow
April 8th.. Saw usual suspects in the morning. But, I put up a Nyjer Sock yesterday, to compare with my other Nyjer feeder, and it got more attention today. I saw a Goldfinch pair both feeding at the same time, and I saw my first House Finch this year. The House Finch was feeding while the Cardinal pair was feeding on the sunflower feeder. The Cardinals jumped to the ground where the male fed the female by mouth again. A squirrel came out of a tree, and, suddenly, all four bolted for the trees. I thought my dog was nearby, but it was the Red-Shouldered Hawk doing a fly through of the yard. Apparently, the hawk has discovered the feeder, too. That may explain a little of the birds’ anxieties. LOL, the squirrel didn’t flinch even an ear for 5 minutes.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
More Expansion..
I have added brush piles to my feeding stations. I have seen lots of different setups, and I like the natural perch pictures I see. To do this, we need to doctor our photos a little with some staging of the area. First, determine where you want your bird to be when you take your shot. Second, look for a clean background about 15+ feet behind where you want your bird to be when you take the picture. Third, place your perches and build your brush around the perch. Place the feed in some flatter spots of the brush and be patient.Brush piles will also bring in birds that don't like to sit on feeders, but prefer to scratch the ground or even eat insects and bugs. Thrushes, nuthatches, native sparrows come immediately to mind.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Song Sparrow
Thought I would share this photo since I did squat today regarding the feeders and/or photography.
I did, however, learn a few things I will pass on. I will go into more detail in future postings.
- Your backyard setup need not be elaborate. I saw a few examples by some phenomenal photographers that have very simplistic setups. One, whom I very much respect, lives in a trailer park and shoots from his window!
The trick is setting up close enough to where you will do most of your shooting....around 15-20 feet or so. And, then, having a clean distance to your background....another 15-20 feet or so. That will blur out most of the distracting things most people don't know how to get rid of in their shots.
Personally, I rely on a tight crop of my photos to eliminate any distracting bokeh....like in the shot I posted. That lime green background is actually my rotten shed in my backyard. But, because I also shoot on a very low f/stop number, I have a very shallow depth of field (what's in focus). The rest of the out of focus stuff blurs out rather quickly, and here, rather smoothly.
I look to put in lots of photos of my birds in the coming months. But, with grass season kicking in, I will have a lot less time, too.
About the photo, though, this is a Song Sparrow. These are native birds to North America. The more common House Sparrow is NOT. He is an invader imported from England to take care of insects that were destroying crops in this new land. I will have to get on of my pics of the house sparrow for comaparison soon.
The song sparrow is (from AllAboutBirds.com): Size & Shape
Song Sparrows are medium-sized and fairly bulky sparrows. For a sparrow, the bill is short and stout and the head fairly rounded. The tail is long and rounded, and the wings are broad.
Color Pattern
Song Sparrows are streaky and brown with thick streaks on a white chest and flanks. On a closer look, the head is an attractive mix of warm red-brown and slaty gray, though these shades, as well as the amount of streaking, vary extensively across North America.
Behavior
Song Sparrows flit through dense, low vegetation or low branches, occasionally moving onto open ground after food. Flights are short and fluttering, with a characteristic downward pumping of the tail. Male Song Sparrows sing from exposed perches such as small trees.
Habitat
Look for Song Sparrows in nearly any open habitat, including marsh edges, overgrown fields, backyards, desert washes, and forest edges. Song Sparrows commonly visit bird feeders and build nests in residential areas.
I have had many house sparrows in my backyards, but have never seen a song sparrow before a week ago. It was a nice surprise to see him/her. And, he/she comes around every day. I assume it is paired up, too, because I saw another for the first time yesterday come along with this one.
I expected to see many common birds when I put seed out, but I am very interested to learn more about this guy as time goes on.
Another thing I will do, at the risk of running boringly long here, is to post the notes I have been keeping while observing my feeders. I try to take notes of what I see each day, and Katelyn helps, too.
For instance, I got to watch once today for about 15 minutes. Here is what I jotted down...
Thursday, April 1st, 2010...7am...Chickadee calling in a longer, more drawn out song than usual...mating call? Titmice eating in a pair, and together, every day now. Saw 2 Cardinals, both male, and neither saw the other....no chasing today....I think all the birds have paired up for mating...Saw a Grackle pair yesterday afternoon and I have Starlings now attempting to take over the House Sparrow nest site from last season.....although the House Sparrows are not giving up.....If the tree gets shared, it will be housing squirrels, sparrows (2), and starlings in it's cavities.
I am trying to get more detailed as I do more of this. But, it definitely helps. Taking notes is showing me what to expect when I have time to look.
Tomorrow, I plan to show you a piece of Juniper tree trunk I found today and plan to implement as a perch at some point.
I did, however, learn a few things I will pass on. I will go into more detail in future postings.
- Your backyard setup need not be elaborate. I saw a few examples by some phenomenal photographers that have very simplistic setups. One, whom I very much respect, lives in a trailer park and shoots from his window!
The trick is setting up close enough to where you will do most of your shooting....around 15-20 feet or so. And, then, having a clean distance to your background....another 15-20 feet or so. That will blur out most of the distracting things most people don't know how to get rid of in their shots.
Personally, I rely on a tight crop of my photos to eliminate any distracting bokeh....like in the shot I posted. That lime green background is actually my rotten shed in my backyard. But, because I also shoot on a very low f/stop number, I have a very shallow depth of field (what's in focus). The rest of the out of focus stuff blurs out rather quickly, and here, rather smoothly.
I look to put in lots of photos of my birds in the coming months. But, with grass season kicking in, I will have a lot less time, too.
About the photo, though, this is a Song Sparrow. These are native birds to North America. The more common House Sparrow is NOT. He is an invader imported from England to take care of insects that were destroying crops in this new land. I will have to get on of my pics of the house sparrow for comaparison soon.
The song sparrow is (from AllAboutBirds.com): Size & Shape
Song Sparrows are medium-sized and fairly bulky sparrows. For a sparrow, the bill is short and stout and the head fairly rounded. The tail is long and rounded, and the wings are broad.
Color Pattern
Song Sparrows are streaky and brown with thick streaks on a white chest and flanks. On a closer look, the head is an attractive mix of warm red-brown and slaty gray, though these shades, as well as the amount of streaking, vary extensively across North America.
Behavior
Song Sparrows flit through dense, low vegetation or low branches, occasionally moving onto open ground after food. Flights are short and fluttering, with a characteristic downward pumping of the tail. Male Song Sparrows sing from exposed perches such as small trees.
Habitat
Look for Song Sparrows in nearly any open habitat, including marsh edges, overgrown fields, backyards, desert washes, and forest edges. Song Sparrows commonly visit bird feeders and build nests in residential areas.
I have had many house sparrows in my backyards, but have never seen a song sparrow before a week ago. It was a nice surprise to see him/her. And, he/she comes around every day. I assume it is paired up, too, because I saw another for the first time yesterday come along with this one.
I expected to see many common birds when I put seed out, but I am very interested to learn more about this guy as time goes on.
Another thing I will do, at the risk of running boringly long here, is to post the notes I have been keeping while observing my feeders. I try to take notes of what I see each day, and Katelyn helps, too.
For instance, I got to watch once today for about 15 minutes. Here is what I jotted down...
Thursday, April 1st, 2010...7am...Chickadee calling in a longer, more drawn out song than usual...mating call? Titmice eating in a pair, and together, every day now. Saw 2 Cardinals, both male, and neither saw the other....no chasing today....I think all the birds have paired up for mating...Saw a Grackle pair yesterday afternoon and I have Starlings now attempting to take over the House Sparrow nest site from last season.....although the House Sparrows are not giving up.....If the tree gets shared, it will be housing squirrels, sparrows (2), and starlings in it's cavities.
I am trying to get more detailed as I do more of this. But, it definitely helps. Taking notes is showing me what to expect when I have time to look.
Tomorrow, I plan to show you a piece of Juniper tree trunk I found today and plan to implement as a perch at some point.
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