What bird shouldn't be in this picture

He's looking pretty robust still, but doesn't belong in a cold climate for sure.

Some other birds in the yard today as well, 3 pairs of cardinals, only managed to get shots of a few of them, they're too busy fighting over the territory right now. We had 13 cardinals here the winter before last. It was amazing.


Cindy

Our first white breasted nuthatch ever.
A chickadee and a female red winged blackbird getting a drink at the pond.

Cindy

I love your bird pictures.
Chickadees, white breasted nuthatch and red winged blackbird are all birds I enjoy seeing. I often get the white breasted nuthatchs on my pear tree.
I find birds so much fun to watch, and some day hope to see a pileated woodpecker, a Mountain Bluebird and a Scarlet Tanager.

Great bird pictures! Are you sure that's a Red-winged blackbird??? The ones I've seen don't have that light stripe down their heads/necks and are quite black.

That poor little blue boy - I do hope he finds an indoor home or he just won't make it through the winter...

Are you sure that's a Red-winged blackbird??? The ones I've seen don't have that light stripe down their heads/necks and are quite black.

That poor little blue boy - I do hope he finds an indoor home or he just won't make it through the winter...


It's a female red wing blackbird. Not as black and flashy as the males.

Yes, I worry about the budgie. It's been so cold here at night. I'm happy he's eating well anyway. Putting the cage outside to see if he'd go in it has been a waste of time. No birds will go in it. Even if the feeders are empty. Now the squirrels will go in and eat the seed. :laughing:

Cindy

It's a female red wing blackbird. Not as black and flashy as the males.

Yes, I worry about the budgie. It's been so cold here at night. I'm happy he's eating well anyway. Putting the cage outside to see if he'd go in it has been a waste of time. No birds will go in it. Even if the feeders are empty. Now the squirrels will go in and eat the seed. :laughing:

Cindy


Awww poor little Budgie:sad:it's way to cold for him now. To bad you can't catch him, throw a net over him or something/

Poor budgie! :sad: I don't suppose he's chummy with humans, eh? Sigh...

I absolutely love chickadees and nuthatches (both red- and white-breasted). They're so tame at the feeders. Some days I'll be filling the feeders with my hands all over it and I'll hear a bird whir in from behind. If I freeze, chances are the chickadee or nuthatch will still come to the feeder with me standing there :cloud9:...until the dogs rush over, anyway! :laughing:

I think your red-winged blackbird is an immature male, Cindy. The females look very similar but have no rosy wing bar like the bird in the picture. That's a great shot, by the way! :thumbs up

Lukka'sma--we have pileated woodpeckers here all year (there are a pair nesting in the next yard) and we have scarlet tanagers all summer. When you comin' to visit? Eh? :D (You'll have to bring your own mountain bluebirds, though--all we have are the eastern variety. :shrug:)

Lukka'sma--we have pileated woodpeckers here all year (there are a pair nesting in the next yard) and we have scarlet tanagers all summer. When you comin' to visit? Eh? :D (You'll have to bring your own mountain bluebirds, though--all we have are the eastern variety. :shrug:)


Eastern variety will do! I'm on my way

If they won't go into the cage, why not try introducing hand feeding? People do that with hummingbirds all the time on YouTube. lol

But seriously, there's a guy that has a website out there on how to gain trust of wild birds that come to feed. I'll try to find it.

Poor budgie! Used to have a couple when I was a kid. Fun birds! We used to tape toothpicks underneath glass on a combo chair lamp/table, and when the birds were let out for play they would peck the glass and try to get the toothpick but never could. lol

When all else fails, stalk out the area with a huge net. :evil:

What the heck is that budgie doing outside ? :sad: people just let them go ? :frustrated:

What the heck is that budgie doing outside ? :sad: people just let them go ? :frustrated:

I swear there are some people who get tired of the mess they make and just let them go :frustrated: I get some around here every year. I've managed to catch a couple over the years. The ones who've had little human contact are the ones that are the hardest to catch. You know, the people who get the birds, never play or talk to them, never finger tame them. It's a shame but they tend to be really skittish and impossible to get close enough to to catch if they're outside.

Cindy

I would just die if my Boo-boo bird budgie ever got out side How sad looks like a little boy bird :cry: The wild bird pictures are beautiful

I swear there are some people who get tired of the mess they make and just let them go :frustrated:
Cindy

:mad: how responsable :frustrated:

I've had Budgies here too,the last 2,after trying Birdcages from HS,posters up and other tricks,were found dead in my frontyard one day in december,they cannot survive the cold,for sure:sad:
I had some pics,but I must have deleted them:shrug:
People are such monsters sometimes:sad:

my mom's friend's hubby's kid has a budgie and his dad keeps joking he'll set him free in the spring cos he feels sorry for him being trapped in a cage. But he'll let him go in the spring...not NOW..cos you know the cold will get him...but of course next year won't have a winter obviously:rolleyes::loser:

I haven't seen him for 2 days now, but it's almost dark when I get home at night with the time change:frustrated:

I should get home a little earlier tonight. I hope the poor little guy is still okay.

Cindy

Jiorji,a Cage-Budgie will not survive in the wild,I watched the 2 I had at my feeders beeing attacked by other birds.
IMO,never set a domesticated bird"free"..they'll die.

I haven't seen him for 2 days now, but it's almost dark when I get home at night with the time change:frustrated:

I should get home a little earlier tonight. I hope the poor little guy is still okay.

Cindy

Have you tried baiting an open cage with a largish mirror? Likely the bird is more lonely than hungry--and all our budgies used to love their reflections. Don't know if it would work :shrug: Worth a shot, maybe?

Well, I was home early enough this afternoon. Filled up the feeders again and no sign of him. :sad:
I hope someone caught him and not something like a hawk, cat or owl.

Cindy

I hope so too. :pray: :fingerscr :fingerscr :goodvibes:

clm,the Oakville HS lent me a birdcage and gave me some budgie-food hoping I would be able to catch the 2 Budgies,but it did not work,maybe it would for you..but it's been soo cold and miserable :sad:

Thanks Chico2, I have a few bird cages and did try a few. I've never had success catching budgies that way in the past, but I gave it a try anyway. I haven't seen this little guy since Sunday now.

Cindy

Aww poor thing,it's so difficult when you are totally helpless to rescue them:sad:
Depending on how scared he is,you might be able to catch him in a net,ours were always too high up..

Well, much to my surprise, he was at 3 of the feeders this morning. I guess he doesn't feed later on in the day and that's why I didn't see him all week. He must not be active after 4:00 when I get home. He's still looking very healthy. Amazing considering how cold and wet it's been. No easier to get close to to catch mind you. He's hanging out with a flock of sparrows. He's learned from them well. He takes off when they do if they're frightened, he's learned where to hide to avoid the hawks and the cats that hunt them and he's sleeping in the big evergreens with them at night. I saw him head up into a huge spruce with them this evening.

Cindy

Any chance of finding a recording of budgies singing? Maybe setting up a recording and putting a mirror in a cage would bring him in?

He looks just like my Ami did... :sad:

clm,a long time ago we had another Budgie here(it's happened a few times)I don't know if he might have been just weak,or very tame,but he was on the ground and we just scooped him up and brought him to HS.
2 summers ago we had one of those white parrots,I think they are Cockatiels(sp?)in out tree,the owners were here and tried desperatly to get him,but to no avail,he flew off:sad:
Sparrows can be very agressive,I've even seen a group of Sparrows attack a Mourning-Dove,but it sounds like your Budgie has found some friends..

I forgot to mention I LOVE your birdie-pics,I too have a Nuthatcher,I've never seen one before,had to check my bird-book:D
The Hawks are back too,but "my"3 Crows are great sentinels(sp?)look after their little cousins.
It's strange,but I've learned their behaviours,know when they are panicking,the Crows especially,they always let me know when a threat is around.
Crazy bird-lady???:laughing:

Any chance of finding a recording of budgies singing? Maybe setting up a recording and putting a mirror in a cage would bring him in?

He looks just like my Ami did... :sad:

I was also thinking if you could ask around to see if anyone had a budgie of their own... weather permitting set it's cage next to the one with the open door.
I had a female blue budgie for 12 years. She was my pet while growing up from pre-teen on. I loved her, she used to ride along in my shirt pocket, no joke. She died the day before she had surgery scheduled to remove her tumor... cancer of the preen gland. I haven't had a budgie since but I love to hear them. They have that chattery kind of talk.

Great pics btw!

most free budgies are lost when the back of the truck is open for the transfer into pet shops, at least thats what I was told, when I caught the loose one two years ago, I just kept going out and talking to it when ever I'd see it, then I'd place a cracker between my fingers and say" well there's the pretty bird etc etc" I eventually got close enough to it to grab it, mind you, my fingers sure hurt for awhile *L* sharp beaks, she was so intent on the cracker that she didn't watch my other hand

I never would have believed it, but the budgie is still coming down to the feeders and doing fine. It's been really cold here at night, especially this weekend. It was -5 when I took the puppies out this morning. As soon as it was light, he was down to the feeders with his flock of sparrows. He still commands prime spot at the feeders and drinks freely from the pond. This is one tough budgie. I don't get to see him during the week, but the weekends he's still here and hanging tough.

Cindy

clm,I am surprised he's still around,maybe he's been free for a while??
I have a beautiful big Hawk coming every morning,I think if I had a Budgie here,he would be brekki for a Hawk..
As soon as it get colder,the Hawks are here,although they are amazing to watch,I hate to see them getting one of "my" Pigeons,but that is the way of nature.:sad:
Here are a few of my Pigeons...

Oh, I love your pictures.

I have a feeling he has been free for a while Chico2.

We too have many hawks who hunt in the yard. Love pigeons and doves mostly, but they're not above taking something smaller, especially the kestrel who isn't too big himself. I actually like to see the hawks, we have a few really big ones and a couple of medium size ones. They have to eat too I tell myself.

So Mr Budgie has survived despite a large hawk and owl population here. He's smart as well as lucky.

Cindy

Don't get me wrong,I am in awe over the hawks,kestrels or any birds of prey,we don't have any owls though,at least not what I've seen.
I will hopefully be getting a 7X zoom camera,then,watch out birdies:laughing:

Don't get me wrong,I am in awe over the hawks,kestrels or any birds of prey,we don't have any owls though,at least not what I've seen.
I have green bulbs in the flood lights at the back of the house. The subdued tone makes possums and owls feel more at ease when they come to hunt for mice under the feeders or to feed on the seed on the ground in the case of the possums (yes I must feed everything).
I will hopefully be getting a 7X zoom camera,then,watch out birdies:laughing:
So is this an item on your wish list to Santa? I think the camera you have now takes pretty good pics.


I bet the new camera would get quite a work out on the 3 amigos there for sure. Lot's more kitty pics :lovestruck:

yes clm,it does,but it only has 3Xzoom,not good enough for my birds.
I used to have Possums around too,I got a picture of one eating on my deck when I used to feed the raccoons.
I got a little overwhelmed with raccoons,at one point I had 18(lots of adorable babies:yell:so it had to be stopped:sad:
The green light is a good idea,maybe I'll try that,it means you can also see them,right?
Here's my Possum,taken through the patiodoor and one of my coon..

those are nice pictures:thumbs up i have never seen a cardinal in real life before, and i really hope to some day, they are beautiful. aww possums, i have never seen a real one of them either, but we do manage to have a family of raccoons that come and steal all of the bird food:frustrated: al though there was a baby raccoon one time. and it was just too cute! i hope the budgie is all right.

Hey, have you seen the bird lately? Is he still around? :sad:

No I haven't seen him for weeks now. :sad: I'm hoping someone caught him and he's safe and sound somewhere. That's what I think with my heart. My head tells me that the Kestrel got him.:sad:

Oh, I hope you're right that someone caught him. :fingerscr

yes clm,it does,but it only has 3Xzoom,not good enough for my birds.
I used to have Possums around too,I got a picture of one eating on my deck when I used to feed the raccoons.
I got a little overwhelmed with raccoons,at one point I had 18(lots of adorable babies:yell:so it had to be stopped:sad:
The green light is a good idea,maybe I'll try that,it means you can also see them,right?
Here's my Possum,taken through the patiodoor and one of my coon..

Love your Possum pic. And I love raccoons too. :lovestruck:

I have to try to keep them all away from the backyard here lately because of the puppies. Baxter and Bentley are still stupid enough to go after them. :laughing: Possums and Raccoons have good sets of claws and teeth, so that wouldn't be a good thing. They come to the cat food dishes out front at night though. My big outdoor cat sits and watches them eat, then bangs on the door to let me know his dish is empty. :laughing:

You guys have possums in Ontario ? :confused: We don't have any here !!!

(thank dog because they don't look too friendly!)

You guys have possums in Ontario ? :confused: We don't have any here !!!

(thank dog because they don't look too friendly!)


You see the possums hiding in the vinyards around here. They hitchhike in trucks coming from further up north. I used to live three hours north of here and we had lots there. Neat little things.

You guys have possums in Ontario ? :confused: We don't have any here !!!

(thank dog because they don't look too friendly!)

:laughing: I saw my first Possum here over 20 years ago. Hubby thought I was nuts. Then he saw one walking across the back fence one night himself.

They're actually not very aggressive animals. They just move rather slow, so the puppies would get to them before they could get away. They would only attack in self defense I'm sure, but I don't really want to encourage them to hang out in the backyard right now just to be on the safe side. I turn the floods on about 5 minutes before I let the dogs out so they have time to get out of the yard. It's been working fine.

You may be surprised and really have possums where you are. Try putting a dish of dog food outside at night and watch and see.

Please keep them over there :D they look like big rats ! :eek: http://bestsmileys.com/animals/9.gif

You may be surprised and really have possums where you are. Try putting a dish of dog food outside at night and watch and see.

No thank you :laughing: I thought moving from Montreal to here (boonies) I would see lots of critters but I guess they don't feel comfortable with open areas , like fields , I really don't see any. Other than a fox , I only saw him once.

Please keep them over there :D they look like big rats ! :eek: http://bestsmileys.com/animals/9.gif

:laughing::laughing: Yes they do look like big rats. I like these guys though. Only north american marsupial I think so that's neat.

Oh Frenchy,you are one big(petite) sissy:laughing:
I don't feed raccoons,or possums anymore,but I know they are here at night,especially around the bird-feeders.
I love spring when everything comes alive and have babies and if I am lucky enough,I'll see them,even skunkaroos:thumbs up
If I had dogs,I might feel different,but my cats are just watching wondering what the heck those creatures are,from the safety of the window.
I have a big flashlight,also nightvision binoculars to watch what's going on:laughing:
The neighbor is convinced I am a nut-case!!!!