The Uncaged Bird -My first Hummingbird has arrived 4/26/2024
Morganna said:
Well speaking of attacking birds this takes the suet cake. This morning I watched a wren chase a squirrel back and forth across my yard, dive bombing and flying right above the frantic squirrel. Wish I had my camera rolling. This is the wren father or mother that moved into the previously unused bird house. It seems to be in use since about June 12th when the other family left the small house. So @mumstheword, it appears that the blue jays have nothing on the wrens!
LOLOL! Was the squirrel stealing food, or was the wren just trolling him?
We have magpie attacks at nesting/hatching seasons, and they're vicious - so vicious even posties (postal deliverers) need to wear protective gear while on their rounds. Best pro-active gear is hats or caps with large eyes painted on them, so the birds think you're an even bigger bird. 
On a different note, thought you might be interested in this article on a migrating bird, released from its home to a breeding ground across the State. It's taken just under 2 years, but has returned home.
Well, maybe I am starting to attract different birds. Yesterday I saw a fat bird with bright yellow neck and chest, with grayish wings and back hanging on to my bedroom window screen. I went to take a picture of it through the window and it flew away, and then returned to perch on top of the shepherd's hook in the same spot. I have no idea what kind of bird it was -- never saw one like it in person.
When I lived in Maplewood I began feeding the birds as soon as I moved in. It wasn't long before I found a dead bird by the bird feeder who had been killed by a big puncture wound to his/her chest. I was disgusted. I never fed the birds again, and I blame the blue jays. They are nasty.
mumstheword said:
Well, maybe I am starting to attract different birds. Yesterday I saw a fat bird with bright yellow neck and chest, with grayish wings and back hanging on to my bedroom window screen. I went to take a picture of it through the window and it flew away, and then returned to perch on top of the shepherd's hook in the same spot. I have no idea what kind of bird it was -- never saw one like it in person.
Could be some kind of warbler. I searched yellow necked birds and found quite a selection.
mumstheword said:
Morganna said:
Well speaking of attacking birds this takes the suet cake. This morning I watched a wren chase a squirrel back and forth across my yard, dive bombing and flying right above the frantic squirrel. Wish I had my camera rolling. This is the wren father or mother that moved into the previously unused bird house. It seems to be in use since about June 12th when the other family left the small house. So @mumstheword, it appears that the blue jays have nothing on the wrens!
LOLOL! Was the squirrel stealing food, or was the wren just trolling him?
As wrens usually eat bugs, I'm thinking it was not food related but a bird protecting his nest as the squirrels are up and down those hollies. I once saw a raccoon shimmy up one of the smooth hollies. Actually I saw one shimmy down a smaller holly at night not long ago to reach the feeder.
joanne said:
We have magpie attacks at nesting/hatching seasons, and they're vicious - so vicious even posties (postal deliverers) need to wear protective gear while on their rounds. Best pro-active gear is hats or caps with large eyes painted on them, so the birds think you're an even bigger bird.
On a different note, thought you might be interested in this article on a migrating bird, released from its home to a breeding ground across the State. It's taken just under 2 years, but has returned home.
http://www.bordermail.com.au/s...
That is a gorgeous bird!
As far as postmen under attack, these guys are a bit more to deal with than magpies.
We had a flock of wild turkeys on our street a couple of years ago. They didn't like cars, and they especially didn't like vans, or the people who drove them. They used to attack the mailman and the UPS guy. Several times my husband had to go out and rescue the mailman. They're big birds, and when 6 or 8 of them come running at you, making their weird gobbling/barking noise, it can be a bit unsettling. Thank goodness they've moved to some other location, but I'm sure they'll be back again some time.
lizziecat said:
We had a flock of wild turkeys on our street a couple of years ago. They didn't like cars, and they especially didn't like vans, or the people who drove them. They used to attack the mailman and the UPS guy. Several times my husband had to go out and rescue the mailman. They're big birds, and when 6 or 8 of them come running at you, making their weird gobbling/barking noise, it can be a bit unsettling. Thank goodness they've moved to some other location, but I'm sure they'll be back again some time.
The males are pushy. I always had a female around until I assume they raised their little ones and flew off. My neighbors would comment that there would occasionally be one on my front porch. Then we started having entire flocks and they would snooze on my patio. The last straw was the time they surrounded my car so that I couldn't get my groceries out.
lizziecat said:
We had a flock of wild turkeys on our street a couple of years ago. They didn't like cars, and they especially didn't like vans, or the people who drove them. They used to attack the mailman and the UPS guy. Several times my husband had to go out and rescue the mailman. They're big birds, and when 6 or 8 of them come running at you, making their weird gobbling/barking noise, it can be a bit unsettling. Thank goodness they've moved to some other location, but I'm sure they'll be back again some time.
I had only heard of them when I lived in Maplewood, but one day I was riding down Valley in West Orange when the traffic came to a standstill when a flock of wild turkeys surrounded the cars in front of me and started attacking the cars. I started to blare my car horn and the cars in front of me slowly rolled forward and the turkeys finally relented and we all sped off. I'd never seen anything so bizarre!
Morganna said:
mumstheword said:
Morganna said:
Well speaking of attacking birds this takes the suet cake. This morning I watched a wren chase a squirrel back and forth across my yard, dive bombing and flying right above the frantic squirrel. Wish I had my camera rolling. This is the wren father or mother that moved into the previously unused bird house. It seems to be in use since about June 12th when the other family left the small house. So @mumstheword, it appears that the blue jays have nothing on the wrens!
LOLOL! Was the squirrel stealing food, or was the wren just trolling him?
As wrens usually eat bugs, I'm thinking it was not food related but a bird protecting his nest as the squirrels are up and down those hollies. I once saw a raccoon shimmy up one of the smooth hollies. Actually I saw one shimmy down a smaller holly at night not long ago to reach the feeder.
Yikes! I've never seen any raccoons around my house, but something has been attacking my garbage bags on trash night. Only mine, not my neighbors'!
I looked up the bird -- it looks like it's a common yellowthroat warbler. I never saw it before, but hope I see it again. There aren't many different birds around here other than seagulls and wrens and a couple of robins.
I was pretty sure I spotted a warbler once. Today I caught my first flash of yellow and I think it was the return of the goldfinches. Hoping. My coneflowers which I planted for them last year came back but they are being ravaged by the woodchucks. It looks like the self seed freely as I see shoots here and there. Butterflies are dancing around the Butterfly bushes and the hummingbirds are showing up at the feeder mornings, afternoons and evenings. I see at least one male. My crocosmia, planted for the hummers, sprouted one flower before the woodchuck snapped it off. None of the others have flowered. Maybe their attitude is "why bother."
Check this out. Albino Hummingbirds!
we were thinking about having a lunch picnic on our little patch of grass out back, but the ducks beat us to it! I grabbed some quick pix.
Pacific black ducks cruising the lilies and also checking out the neighbours' grass. Two plump chestnut ducks paddled past; invitations were obviously issued or semaphored and they joined the others on the edge of the neighbours' grass. Meanwhile, a cute darker bird calmly walked around on the other side of our grass, pulling up tender green blades and munching them quickly. (My sister and I are debating whether it's a pacific black or dusky moorhen; not all 'blacks' are spotty and in fact this looks more like a cross of purple moorhen with black duck).
@joanne, thanks for the pics! It looks so peaceful.
I'm pleased that some of my plantings, specifically salvia, both the annual and perennial, have attracted hummingbirds. I had pretty much decided that since they prefer the feeders, I had wasted my efforts. Yet on 2 recent mornings, I watched a male sip at each variety. I haven't seen any taste the calibrachoa, (mini-petunias) which are right next to the humzinger and were popular last year. Still it is all about timing. I'm outside working and sometimes see no hummers. Then I'm looking out the window and one will show up. They definitely do not linger.
On a frustrating note I may be losing the coneflower battle to the woodchuck. Last year I planted them full grown and enjoyed many goldfinches. This year he is barely letting them grow. The tender shoots must be to temping. I'm not giving up.
can you scatter something that might put him off? Not knowing the critters, I can't suggest anything. But like, you know, lavender oil annoys cats; garlic annoys aphids and nematodes; fine sawdust deters snails because it gets into their shells...
We've decided some of the ducks are practising for the September talent show that the various inhabitants of our little 'village' will enjoy. Currently, D informs me, the ducks are holding final auditions (or FX training, he hasn't worked out which) for the Shower Scene from 'Psycho' then excitedly evaluate each other's performance....!
Honestly, I swear that's exactly what it sounds like: the eek-eeek-eek! followed by cackling laughter and whispered gossip. Every night, around 10:15-11:50pm. Just the location of the practice session changes
here you go! Talc, or black pepper! That'll put Mr Greedy on notice!
https://www.almanac.com/pest/w...
That might not be easy to read. Here's a snip:
CONTROL AND PREVENTION
HOW TO GET RID OF GROUNDHOGS AND WOODCHUCKS
- These critters may have been attracted by your garden. Encourage them to go elsewhere.
- Sprinkle blood meal, ground black pepper, dried blood, or talcum powder around the perimeter of your garden. You can try using hair clippings as well.
- Puree and strain hot peppers and garlic, mix them with water and enough liquid soap to make it stick, and spray it liberally around the garden.
- Put some harmless but strong-smelling substance just inside the burrow (such as urine-saturated clumps of kitty litter). Loosely seal the entrance, so the smell stays inside the burrow.
- Would you eat lettuce tossed with bobcat urine? Neither would a woodchuck! Fox, coyote, wolf, and bobcat urines are among the forbidding predator scents now sold as woodchuck repellents.
joanne said:
here you go! Talc, or black pepper! That'll put Mr Greedy on notice!
https://www.almanac.com/pest/w...
From that site:
- Would you eat lettuce tossed with bobcat urine? Neither would a woodchuck! Fox, coyote, wolf, and bobcat urines are among the forbidding predator scents now sold as woodchuck repellents.
I don't know what the urine of American predators smells like, but I can tell you that dingo urine and faecal matter pongs to high heaven!
I was trying some to see if it would deter the possums that were eating my plants. I couldn't even open the container after a couple of weeks, it was that strong. Talk about gag-worthy! I ended up securely wrapping it in multiple layers of newspaper and disposing of it the garbage bin. I hope the container didn't open until it was well-buried.
you just KNOW someone's gonna quote you in that famous thread, don't you?? 
Actually I've tried the deterrents. There are so many sprays and considering the fact that many of us plant for fragrance as well as color, the noxious fumes defeat the purpose of the garden.
I wanted roses so desperately that I drenched them in eau de coyote, but still I lost the battle. I fanatically went out after every rain to refresh the horrid scent. I tried hair as well.
I then started designing the garden with deer resistant plants, hoping it would not attract the woodchucks. A few do seem to survive.
In a tantrum, I dug up all of the crocosmia and brought pots of it to my friend.
I picked up new plants of less tempting species to replace them.
But I'm hanging in with the coneflowers, spraying and keeping an eye out for the furry culprit.
that's why I was wondering about something cheap and less unsightly/unsavoury to humans such as talcum. I've previously had to resort to black pepper and white vinegar to get rid of stray cats.
Sadly, I don't think even Eau de coyote will deter the sweet old lady next door from thieving my pot plants...! (The ones she nicks are sentimental, too: special presents, or memorials to dead relatives)
Morganna! Great news on endangered hairy nosed wombats! (Sooo cute)
joanne said:
Morganna! Great news on endangered hairy nosed wombats! (Sooo cute)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...
Noted, acknowledged and celebrated!
I went to the farm stand to buy some more giant Beefsteak tomatoes yesterday and they had coneflowers on sale, so I bought 3 plants and will plant them in a planter box as soon as this oppressive weather lifts. So my newly-planted hummer/bee/butterfly garden is actually blooming its first year! The spray bottle deer repellent has finally done the trick and my roses of sharon are growing and blooming flowers now. Yippie! I'm starting to feel "normal" again!
joanne said:
We so need a 'like' button for thread
I agree. I keep saying that about Twitter too. The heart thing on Twitter is so misleading! (Yes, I do have other things to think about!!! LOLOL!)
Well, either a neighbour is radically trimming my prized bromeliads (possible; I'm also missing some plants in pots) or the ducks are chomping hard across those those very prickly saw-toothed curvy leaves so the plants are basically only water-wells. 
The sights that took my breath away, and totally changed my mood (after almost a week of being abed with flu) was being greeting by this glorious, plump, self-assured bird around 8:45am as I stepped onto my balcony.
Now, you have to realise that if you look out my living area windows from the hallway or the back of the kitchen, all you is is lake water - no grass. The bank is seriously narrow at our place; drop anything off the balcony and it'll bounce into the water no problem. Still, we don't often see the ducks directly outside because we're a bit too shady; they like the patches on either side of our place.
Duckie had obviously just stepped out of the water and was facing me, plump freckled breast displayed to catch maximum sun. There was deep thinking going on, I wasn't going to disturb...instead I crept back to grab my phone for a pic, but when I turned back Duckie had gone. Quietly I continued with breakfast and chores inside, coming back around noon to hang some shirts on the camping line we have on the balcony. I turned to come back in, and saw, nestled in the one remaining sunny corner at the far left towards our neighbour - Duckie, having a sunbath in the (short) grass. I crept quietly away.
I couldn't take pics. Here are internet pics to give you the idea - you know we're all grass, no sand here. Duckie is a Wood Duck or Maned Duck, only the mane isn't exceptionally pronounced, just dark. The spotty/freckled breast is just breathtaking, the colours so soft and tawny.
Much later in the afternoon, a long lazy flight of black swans flew diagonally across the lake, with their long necks stretched and white wing stripes shining in the bright sun. Gorgeous.
I've been in cat rescue pandemonium, but in the world of Hummingbirds I've discovered a strange female with what looks like a leg that has atrophied. Here is what is most strange, I saw her last year. I've got to get a photo to send to Cornell to see if they have ever seen anything like it. At first I thought she flew with both legs down but what I see looks limp. How would she land or sit? I even thought last year that she had something stuck to her like a bit of vine. But it must be her leg. I don't know how I can get her in a photo but I'm going to try. Still have to buy that bird cam.
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Well speaking of attacking birds this takes the suet cake. This morning I watched a wren chase a squirrel back and forth across my yard, dive bombing and flying right above the frantic squirrel. Wish I had my camera rolling. This is the wren father or mother that moved into the previously unused bird house. It seems to be in use since about June 12th when the other family left the small house. So @mumstheword, it appears that the blue jays have nothing on the wrens!