The TJTwitter

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

MBIE - if your father-in-law's camera is a Nikon some of the newer (but still expensive) Nikon digital SLRs can use the older lenses, though you need to focus manually. Unless you are extremely attached to the camera, have you thought about selling it to someone who still wants to use film cameras? Some people will pay a fair bit for the older lenses if they are the right kind even if they do't want to shoot film.

Not sure if we want to sell it because of the sentimental value. My father in law just died back in '05.
We'd rather just give it to a friend or family member that would be interested if we choose not to keep it.

I didn't know the Nikon's use those lenses. I want to eventually get one of the Nikon's, so if the camera is a Nikon I'll probably just keep the lenses now until I have the money to do that.

[Dee-O-Gee]

We spotted a male Oriole today in our backyard. He was so vibrant in colour and hanging around my clothes post for the better part of the day.

While relaxing in my porch, he came back onto the clothes post and on the clothes line is my hummingbird feeder. The feeder was near empty but he perched himself onto the feeder and stuck his beak into the feeding hole.

I quickly made up another batch of nectar and topped up the feeder but was surprised to see an Oriole licking up the nectar. Is this normal for Oriole's to feed off of nectar?

[ownedbycats]

MBIE - only SOME of the Nikon's can use the older lenses. The D90 and the full frame cameras can, but the Dx000 series can't.

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by klmccallum

We spotted a male Oriole today in our backyard. He was so vibrant in colour and hanging around my clothes post for the better part of the day.

While relaxing in my porch, he came back onto the clothes post and on the clothes line is my hummingbird feeder. The feeder was near empty but he perched himself onto the feeder and stuck his beak into the feeding hole.

I quickly made up another batch of nectar and topped up the feeder but was surprised to see an Oriole licking up the nectar. Is this normal for Oriole's to feed off of nectar?

I have an oriole that has been feeding off ours. I think they prefer orange flavoured nectar.

[hazelrunpack]

Our orioles also frequent the hummingbird feeders. I always leave one bee guard off one of the feeders so the orioles can feed easier. If I forget to do that, the ingrates will remove one themselves and drop it into the hummingbird garden... usually never to be found again till I cut back the dead foliage the following spring.

They're just as happy with the unflavored sugar water (I make my own nectar) as the hummers are

[hazelrunpack]

L4H, does your nesting sparrow have a chestnut cap and a white eye stripe? Lucky you with two nests in your yard to watch!!!

I checked our bluebird box today--the same on in that last pic of the female bluebird--and there are eggs in it now!

[hazelrunpack]

We have a lot of tent caterpillars this spring.



The warblers have noticed them, too!

[hazelrunpack]

She's certainly interested in them! But why?





Is she hungry? Going after the caterpillars?

[hazelrunpack]

Nope...not hungry!




Yes, she's really hanging there upside-down, fluttering, trying to rip off those strands of silk!

[hazelrunpack]

It seems that tent caterpillar silk is all the rage in home decor this year in the warbler world. Nice to know that the tent caterpillars are good for something!

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

L4H, does your nesting sparrow have a chestnut cap and a white eye stripe? Lucky you with two nests in your yard to watch!!!

I checked our bluebird box today--the same on in that last pic of the female bluebird--and there are eggs in it now!

Yay for eggs

I will have to look closely and will have my bird book with me. I don't like to watch too long as I have to get very close to see her.

She has four tiny blue eggs, momma robin has three.

[hazelrunpack]

Speckled blue for the sparrow, or clear blue?

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

MBIE - only SOME of the Nikon's can use the older lenses. The D90 and the full frame cameras can, but the Dx000 series can't.

Thanks for the heads up. Turns out the old camera IS a Nikon though, so I may be in luck.

Well guys, I've been sick for 3 days . Didn't end up going camping, nor getting out to take any pictures at all, and I was really looking foward to it.
Me and my husband took a little drive when I was feeling kinda sorta well yesterday though and the indigo buntings are still out in abundance.

On the plus side I did wake up at 1:30 A.M feeling a bit less sick and unable to sleep so I went to Walmart and did some shopping, bought some bird seed and some finch socks+seed, plus some suet and suet holders. And I bought some hummingbird nectar concentrate (I usually use sugar/water but I dunno if I feel up to mixing sugar/water later today, and I already have dishes piled up from being sick and unable to do housework) So I can replenish my bird feeder assuming I'm not feeling dead tired and sick again later this morning.

Neat pics of the warbler going after caterpillar silk . Had no idea they do that.

[Chris21711]

Fantastic pics of the Warbler gathering silk Hazel....my what patience thou hast....

You asked the other day "how did the birdhouse lose it's roof"...poor quality is all I can come up with the roof with the nails intact blew right off...it is about 15 years old though if that is a good excuse

I'm going to venture to a neighbour's and take a trek through their wooded area and see if I spot any of the birds that you have posted that "should" frequent this area.

[hazelrunpack]

Sorry to hear you weren't well enough to make your camping trip, MBIE.

I managed to get a few poor quality pics of one of our indigo buntings a couple of days ago.

[hazelrunpack]

Also managed to get some of a golden-winged warbler.

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

L4H, does your nesting sparrow have a chestnut cap and a white eye stripe? Lucky you with two nests in your yard to watch!!!

Momma sparrow has a brown cap, a white line going over her eyes and a black line from her eye back.

[hazelrunpack]

Sounds like a chipping sparrow, L4H. Does it look like this?:

[hazelrunpack]

omd, I can't believe how fortunate I was this afternoon! I was taking down the blind, heard a chip and looked up. And there, in the sumac, not more than 20 feet away, was the golden-winged warbler in all his glory!!!

[hazelrunpack]

[hazelrunpack]

Finally got a decent shot of the male red-bellied woodpecker. The second is just a close-up of the first.





Such a handsome guy!!!

If you look closely through the suet cage, you can see how they got their name.

[hazelrunpack]

I finally caught a glimpse of the female towhee. The male did, too...left off eating to do a little serenading of his sweetie.

[hazelrunpack]

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Sounds like a chipping sparrow, L4H. Does it look like this?:

Attachment 65833

That'll be her!!! She does make little chipping sounds


Guess what? Momma Robin has laid another egg, making it four . But she laid it days after the others, will it be slow to hatch???


Wow, your pics are so awesome, Hazel. I can't believe the amount of birds your have .

You leave out suet all year?

[hazelrunpack]

Hurray for Mama Robin! Some birds wait till the last egg is laid before they start brooding, so the chicks all hatch at about the same time. I don't know if robins do that or if they're like phoebes and start brooding as soon as the first egg is laid. In the phoebes, unless the bugs are very plentiful, the last of the chicks to hatch has a very difficult time of it.

We usually leave suet out all year round. In spring, the nesting birds need a quick energy fix and in summer and fall they need to build up their fat reserves for migration. In winter, they're eager for whatever calories they can get.

[Dee-O-Gee]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Our orioles also frequent the hummingbird feeders. I always leave one bee guard off one of the feeders so the orioles can feed easier. If I forget to do that, the ingrates will remove one themselves and drop it into the hummingbird garden... usually never to be found again till I cut back the dead foliage the following spring.

They're just as happy with the unflavored sugar water (I make my own nectar) as the hummers are

A friend of mine told me the other day to take a plastic container and nail or tie to a fence or clothes post and put out grape jelly for the orioles.

My friend does this at his barn and has a group of six that devour the jelly (not jam) everyday. My orioles are still feeding off the hummer feeder but I found a durable container that I'm going to secure on my clothes post and try the grape jelly.

[hazelrunpack]

I've never had any luck with grape jelly I think I'm going to end up wasting the jar I bought this year, too... Let me know if you have success, klm--and if it's a successful venture, I want details about where you put it to attract their attention, please!

[Love4himies]

I can see three chipping sparrows so far I didn't take the time to look for the fourth one and I can't move the branches too much, I am afraid to loosen the nest from the branches.



Momma Robin is still busy incubating hers:

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Hurray for Mama Robin! Some birds wait till the last egg is laid before they start brooding, so the chicks all hatch at about the same time. I don't know if robins do that or if they're like phoebes and start brooding as soon as the first egg is laid. In the phoebes, unless the bugs are very plentiful, the last of the chicks to hatch has a very difficult time of it.

Momma robin started to sit on her eggs constantly when she had three, maybe she thought she was done, then a few days later she laid another.

[Dee-O-Gee]

L4H; Those are really kewl pictures! I like the one with the mirror shot!

Hazel; I always look forward to seeing your pictures on this thread too! So breath taking.

I found a nice sturdy plastic container which will hold about a tablespoon of grape jelly. I'm going to screw it onto the top part of the T section from my clothes post which it camouflaged by a climbing rose. It will be about 20" away from the hummingbird feeder as well. I'll let you know how it goes and hopefully I'll have a steady hand and "camera in hand" to take a picture if it works!