The TJTwitter

[14+kitties]

And a nice chubby little robin relaxed on the gazebo.

[hazelrunpack]

Was it cold there today, 14+? Your birdies look fluffed against the cold! Very cute! I have the hardest time trying to photograph mourning doves--they're always up in the trees in a shady spot Yours need to teach mine some proper photo-op etiquette!

Was the robin trying to gather nesting material?

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Was the robin trying to gather nesting material?

I was thinking the same thing Hazel, I've seen Robin nests in the most open places.

I love Mourning Doves 14k, they have such pretty underlying colours ....sadly the other day Pepe found a dead one next to the house

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Was it cold there today, 14+? Your birdies look fluffed against the cold! Very cute! I have the hardest time trying to photograph mourning doves--they're always up in the trees in a shady spot Yours need to teach mine some proper photo-op etiquette!

Was the robin trying to gather nesting material?

Originally Posted by Chris21711

I was thinking the same thing Hazel, I've seen Robin nests in the most open places.

I love Mourning Doves 14k, they have such pretty underlying colours ....sadly the other day Pepe found a dead one next to the house

It was windy more than chilly on Thurs when I took the pics. We live on what is called a "mountain". It isn't. It's more an elevation. But it makes the locals feel important. But we get every stray wind that comes along. I thought it was rather neat to see the birds preening that close to the house.

Umm, no, not nesting there. I have a bad habit of leaving my garden plants till the spring to clean up. The birds feed on the seedheads during the winter months. What you see in the background is leftover morning glory stems. I'm sure the birds will make use of them for new nests. Last year I hardly had anything to clean up after they got through.
I love Mourning Doves too Chris. We had one die under our deck last year. No wounds so we figured old age?

[Chris21711]

Yay.....my Tree Swallows are back checking out their usual nesting box...I'd say they are at least two weeks ahead of schedule this year....Our bat colony has been on the move for the past couple of weeks too, let's hope this summer is good and hot with rain overnight

[hazelrunpack]

I hope they don't rue getting back early, Chris! But our 10-day forecast does have us above freezing even at night! So that they find some good bugs!!

The hummers are getting closer--they really made a push in early April but then the cold snap stopped the migration in its tracks. You can see where they are here.

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

I hope they don't rue getting back early, Chris! But our 10-day forecast does have us above freezing even at night! So that they find some good bugs!!

Hazel, Hazel don't go and jinx me....our supposed forecast isn't calling for minus temperatures either

The hummers are getting closer--they really made a push in early April but then the cold snap stopped the migration in its tracks. You can see where they are here.

Going by that map, they are just down the road a bit, maybe they will be a bit earlier this year.

[hazelrunpack]

One even made it into southern WI already!

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

One even made it into southern WI already!

Braggin' agin, first it was about DSL and now Hummers ....j/k

[hazelrunpack]

Yep...that braggin' ol' madame hazel!

That hummer is really no where near here, though... Hundreds of miles yet to go.

I wish I'd known about the map last year--I didn't get the feeders out early enough. The hummers had to come to the window and yell at me to get crackin' at the nectar pot.

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Yep...that braggin' ol' madame hazel!

That hummer is really no where near here, though... Hundreds of miles yet to go.

They're fast little buggars Hazel

I wish I'd known about the map last year--I didn't get the feeders out early enough. The hummers had to come to the window and yell at me to get crackin' at the nectar pot.

I didn't know of such a thing either, thanks for sharing

I was reading some bird trivia courtesy of The Smithsonian Institute:

The Red Knot Bird travels 16,000 km from the Arctic tundra to Tierra del Fuego.

Migration champs: Blackpoll Warblers - non-stop 72 hour flight from the Canadian Maritimes to South America covers 1,000 km a day ....that is equivalent to a human running four-minute miles for 80 consecutive hours............phew.

[hazelrunpack]

Holy catz, Chris! Someone reported a hummer in Hudson (it looks like), which is due east of me, on the 10th! Guess I better start makin' some nectar.

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Holy catz, Chris! Someone reported a hummer in Hudson (it looks like), which is due east of me, on the 10th! Guess I better start makin' some nectar.

If the milder weather continues Hazel, I'm thinking you will have a sighting by the weekend at the latest...so yep, you had better get to work asap. Of course ya' know the required photo is necessary just to prove it

[hazelrunpack]

We've never had hummers here before the first of May, so if they arrive in April, it'll be a standout year for sure!

And with that ol' bat, madame hazel, around, you can bet there will be pics

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

We've never had hummers here before the first of May, so if they arrive in April, it'll be a standout year for sure!

Ditto here Hazel, I've never seen them before May.

And with that ol' bat, madame hazel, around, you can bet there will be pics

It was the Ol' Bat that I was counting on, not the rest of ya's

[Chris21711]

One of my g/f's who lives in big town has an acre of bush...these Pileated Woodpecker holes were made purely for foraging of insects...some of them are at least 4" - 5" deep



Look at the size of the woodchips:

[hazelrunpack]

Nice chips! Gather them up and throw them on the nature path!!! Aren't the holes impressive?

Our pileated woodpeckers are leaving evidence, too...I can see it from the edge of the woods...but I can't catch them at it--they never come out of the woods and I'm not going to venture forth into the tick-infested underbrush in a likely fruitless woodpecker safari

I really really wanted some pics of them this spring I'll just have to look at bendy's and LPs

[Chris21711]

Her is the real big hole:



and another:



Thankyou Frenchy for resizing them

[hazelrunpack]

Holy catz! That first one looks like the bird used an axe!!!!

Does your friend ever get to watch them in action?

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Nice chips! Gather them up and throw them on the nature path!!! Aren't the holes impressive?

They have nature paths wending through their little bush Hazel, also a very nice pond with an island in the middle with Geese nesting, they tried to deter the couple but it was a no go, she has already laid some eggs, so they are not going anywhere soon....considering they live dab in the middle of town it's a nice chunk of nature they have.

Our pileated woodpeckers are leaving evidence, too...I can see it from the edge of the woods...but I can't catch them at it--they never come out of the woods and I'm not going to venture forth into the tick-infested underbrush in a likely fruitless woodpecker safari

They have never had a close look at the Pileated either, they can hear the banging from the house....but no good looks yet.

I really really wanted some pics of them this spring I'll just have to look at bendy's and LPs

Hard to believe that the one LP took pics of waited for her to get back with a ladder and snap some good pics, they are elusive guys as a rule.

[Chris21711]

It is huge isn't it Hazel, I was surprised that it went that deep.....I wish I had a decent camera they get Kingfishers and a Heron/s...not sure if it is more than one....her hubby calls him Harry

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Chris21711

It is huge isn't it Hazel, I was surprised that it went that deep.....I wish I had a decent camera they get Kingfishers and a Heron/s...not sure if it is more than one....her hubby calls him Harry

Yeah, but look how straight the edges are!!! Angled in like an axe cut, even!

Kingfishers and Herons, too! Definitely a nice chunk of nature!

[Dee-O-Gee]

but this is my first time venturing here.

Was going to post a question but I had to stop and look at all those holes from Pileated Woodpeckers! Holy smokes I can't believe how big the holes are. My teeth hurt!

Back to my question; I'm gonna try AGAIN to put out hummingbird feeders but I wanted to find out when is a good time? Are they migrating yet or should I hold off till sometime in May? I have Hazel's recipe on my fridge and am going to try this rather than the store bought nectar. Last year, I did see one hummer but I am being very optimistic and determined to get more this year.

[hazelrunpack]

I've been checking this map: http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

They're pretty close to me, so I have a small feeder out with about a half cup of nectar in it, but I really don't expect to see any till the end of the month at the earliest. The pattern of first sightings in my part of WI tells me they're following the Mississippi flyway and coming up the tributaries of the Mississippi before spreading out to the rest of the state. You'll also see that they've made good inroads right into Canada in the great lakes area. They move quickly on warm days, and then the migration stops when it gets cold again.

How close are they to you?

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

I've been checking this map: http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

They move quickly on warm days, and then the migration stops when it gets cold again.

How close are they to you?

That's just it Hazel...I don't know how close they are and when on warm days they move quick but when it turns cold...where do they go?

So I should put out a small feeder for now eh? How often do you change the nectar, everyday?

[hazelrunpack]

Where are you on the map? Any sightings close to you? The dates are the first sightings only--so if I see one on the 29th and report it, a little 4/29 will go up at my location. Are there any dates close to where you live? There have been quite a few sighted in Canada around the Great Lakes already

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, and as to where they go, I think they just hang out. If it gets in the 40s or lower, they find a sheltered spot and go torpid. Sort of a comatose state... It lowers their metabolic needs (similar to what happens in bears when they hibernate) and they don't need to eat much.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Where are you on the map? Any sightings close to you?

I can see my area of the map and it looks like April 6th was the first sighting. Does this mean that I should put something out now and if so, how much should I put out? I'm such a but I really love the look of these little guys and have been trying for years to get them to come.

[hazelrunpack]

I filled one of my small feeders halfway (it's a cup capacity so it's got about a half cup in it) and hung it out. It's cool enough that the nectar should keep for 3 or 4 days, but if it looks like it's getting opaque, change it. I usually clean my feeders between fillings with a little bit of white vinegar and water, using a hummingbird feeder mop (yes, they really do make such a thing ).

[Dee-O-Gee]

Okay then....I'm gonna break out the recipe, reduce it and start this mission tomorrow.

Umh...what the heck does a hummingbird feeder mop look like and where the heck do you get one of these?