The snow birds are moving in ...

[Tilde]

The local birds have been chasing off snowbirds but there is not hing they can do to stop the invasion. Right now i've got some warring cardinals and blue jays trying to scare off the small birds ...

[john gault]

The bird that loves to drive off other birds, at least around here, is the mockingbird http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockingbird. For most of my life I thought its name was "Catbird" because that's what I was told when I was a kid. I've now learned that the real catbird http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Catbird gets it's name from its cat-like vocalizations. Although, to call a mockingbird a catbird is also an apt name since it love chasing cats, even when the cat is no threat and the birds nest is nowhere around they just love dive-bombing cats.

However, it's not just cats, these birds harrass anything and everything; they are just simply mean birds. I've even seen them attack morning doves, which really are no threat to them since their foodsource is so different. I never see a mocking bird eat out of my birdfeeder, like the doves; they much rather chase insects.

[Tilde]

Yeah, either I'm noticing them more or they're showing up earlier.

We saw a flock of egrets the other day and an immature one today - also a bunch of little birds that seem to be (yahoo tells me) eastern chipping sparrows. I'm going to talk to the school and ask if we can put up some feeders ...

[john gault]

Once in a while I get egrets in my yard munching on the little lizards. I've also fed turkey vultures leftover chicken carcasses, although they are very shy, unlike the black vulture.

[Tilde]

I will. They like to do nature lessons so maybe it will be a class project ...

[Tilde]

Thanks, I've got a few due to the well-stocked GoodWill and used book stores here. Talked to teacher, said they might do it for their craft next week. We'll see.