I know spring is here! In addition to the allergies from all of the oak and pine pollen I saw my first cardinal this morning. He was busy looking for nesting material. Almost time to fill and hang my hummingbird feeders. Local practice is to put feeders out March 15th.
I think of you folks in the north suffering from horrible blizzards. I hope you are all doing well and not having to deal with power outages in addition to the snow and ice.
Take care all!
- ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I don't understand... cardinals hop around on the snow all winter. You are clearly in their winter range too:
cardinals winter range:
https://www.bio.purdue.edu/ecology/ross- ... _range.png
cardinals winter range:
https://www.bio.purdue.edu/ecology/ross- ... _range.png
-
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1544
- Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 11:48 pm
We have year round red birds too. This is the time of year that I help the birds with home building. When my wife cuts my hair, we leave it near the feeders on a table. It's usually gone overnight. Apparent;y I produce good nesting material. I watch them carry it off.
I really enjoy the cardinal courting ritual. The female perches on a fence and flutters her wings. The male brings her food from the feeder. Happens every year.
I really enjoy the cardinal courting ritual. The female perches on a fence and flutters her wings. The male brings her food from the feeder. Happens every year.
- ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
IDK - cardinals show up in the spring. Very few or none at all over winter. They nest and stay all summer. Robins used to be a common sign of spring. The city has grown too much and they are now a rare sight. My sister has robins in her 5 acre yard and on her 35 acre horse farm.
I love the sound of the cardinal song. BTW I have many wild doves that great me each morning, summer and winter, with their lovely cooing.
I love the sound of the cardinal song. BTW I have many wild doves that great me each morning, summer and winter, with their lovely cooing.
-
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1544
- Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 11:48 pm
My favorites to watch are the chickadees. They know how to put on a show. Our cardinals are plentiful but we keep quite a few feeders. The waxwings just came and cleaned the berries off of our giant holly tree. They take about two days to strip it top to bottom.
Somewhere between Charlotte and Aiken we lost goldfinches. They pass through in spring and fall but I miss them in the summer. The goldfinch, chickadee and titmice are the only birds we have that feed at the hang upside down feeders.
Somewhere between Charlotte and Aiken we lost goldfinches. They pass through in spring and fall but I miss them in the summer. The goldfinch, chickadee and titmice are the only birds we have that feed at the hang upside down feeders.
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I live 4 miles from downtown in a city about 10 times the population of yours and we have lots of robins. I think it must be either a climate thing or the availability of habitat and big old trees.
Birds we have seen in our backyard:
woodpeckers: red-headed, red-bellied, hairy, downy
large birds: blue jays, cardinals, crows, starlings, grackles, robins, morning doves, occasional red-wing blackbirds, swallows, mockingbirds, once a cedar waxwing
small birds - house wren, carolina wren, tufted titmouse, chickadees, red & white breasted nuthatches, we have some warblers that migrate through, but don't spend time at the feeders, so it's difficult to identify which ones. And of course ruby throat hummingbird, the only species we have.
sparrows & finches - white throat, song sparrow, field sparrow, chipping sparrow, house sparrows, slate colored junco, gold finch and house finch.
We hear the towhee sometimes ("drink your teeee"!!) but difficult to spot it.
This is without being much of a birder or going anywhere, just keeping the feeders full.
When we lived five blocks away but on five wooded acres we had all of the above, plus barred owls, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, brown thrashers, indigo bunting, pileated woodpeckers, catbirds and cowbirds..
Birds we have seen in our backyard:
woodpeckers: red-headed, red-bellied, hairy, downy
large birds: blue jays, cardinals, crows, starlings, grackles, robins, morning doves, occasional red-wing blackbirds, swallows, mockingbirds, once a cedar waxwing
small birds - house wren, carolina wren, tufted titmouse, chickadees, red & white breasted nuthatches, we have some warblers that migrate through, but don't spend time at the feeders, so it's difficult to identify which ones. And of course ruby throat hummingbird, the only species we have.
sparrows & finches - white throat, song sparrow, field sparrow, chipping sparrow, house sparrows, slate colored junco, gold finch and house finch.
We hear the towhee sometimes ("drink your teeee"!!) but difficult to spot it.
This is without being much of a birder or going anywhere, just keeping the feeders full.
When we lived five blocks away but on five wooded acres we had all of the above, plus barred owls, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, brown thrashers, indigo bunting, pileated woodpeckers, catbirds and cowbirds..
-
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1544
- Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 11:48 pm
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
On the Columbia River there are eagles and ospreys, the ospreys like to build their nests on the poles of the navigation markers. The birds dive into the water and come up with fish, we watch them feed their young in the nests; large nests at that.
The birds are coming back to our yard as well, I have seen a number of smaller birds. The birds I did not see often if at all when I lived in the city are; eagles, hawks, owls, quail, turkey vultures, grouse, pheasants, pleated woodpeckers.
There are a number of smaller birds like sapsuckers we see that we never did before.
The birds are coming back to our yard as well, I have seen a number of smaller birds. The birds I did not see often if at all when I lived in the city are; eagles, hawks, owls, quail, turkey vultures, grouse, pheasants, pleated woodpeckers.
There are a number of smaller birds like sapsuckers we see that we never did before.
- prettygurl
- Senior Member
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:52 am
- Francis Barnswallow
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 696
- Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:28 pm
- Location: Orlando
I'm in-town, and have yr round cardinals, and.....yes, should make a list.....
Cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, doves, finches, sparrows, bluejays, wrens. There are a couple of woodpeckers including the flickers and either downy or hairy. Hummingbirds travel through, a few sticking about in the summer. The blackbirds come through the yard in swarms. Then the few traveling through warblers. I see the brown thrashers this time of year as they must be setting up housekeeping. I have had towees, and may have seen a junco today (not usual here).
I have started to work with g-son (4 next month) on basic bird ID. I have him more now, and as the weather gets prettier and days longer, we'll have more chances to watch the feathered friends.
Cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, doves, finches, sparrows, bluejays, wrens. There are a couple of woodpeckers including the flickers and either downy or hairy. Hummingbirds travel through, a few sticking about in the summer. The blackbirds come through the yard in swarms. Then the few traveling through warblers. I see the brown thrashers this time of year as they must be setting up housekeeping. I have had towees, and may have seen a junco today (not usual here).
I have started to work with g-son (4 next month) on basic bird ID. I have him more now, and as the weather gets prettier and days longer, we'll have more chances to watch the feathered friends.
- Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Our sign of spring bird is the red winged blackbird. Haven't seen one yet, but a friend says she heard one this week.
Robins are not considered migratory here since they don't travel too far.
A friend in southwest Ohio said male bluebirds are showing up at her house.
So even tho it's cold and snowy, spring is right around the corner.
Robins are not considered migratory here since they don't travel too far.
A friend in southwest Ohio said male bluebirds are showing up at her house.
So even tho it's cold and snowy, spring is right around the corner.