The Uncaged Bird -Hummingbird feeder is up!
One bird I've really been noticing recently are house martens - do you have them? They're small, with swallow tails, and are usually found in what I'd call flocks or flights since I know nothing about birds. You'll get maybe 15 or 20 of these small, quick, cheerful birds darting from roof/eaves to treetop to gatepost to swooping/looping over a green grassy space or watery area (like our lake) then back to a higher leafline...they're feeding on the small insects buzzing around the different heights. Beautiful to watch, musical calls.
Google pic
trying to find more info on our house martens and swallows, I stumbled on this interesting site and thread. Do read the comments!
https://www.trevorsbirding.com/a-question-about-swallows/#comments
Swarms of 6 different butterflies on our huge butterfly bush today but haven't seen one hummingbird moth yet
I'm in Western Morris Cty.
@joanne, I know they require large open areas. I researched putting a purple marten house up, which contains several openings for a flock but I do not have the required open space. I think they flock to open fields.
@blackcat, since you are in the vicinity why not take a ride over to Morris County Farms, lots of birds, bugs and butterflies and you just might see that amazing Hummingbird Moth.
(just because I'm "that person" this morning)
Martin - see joanne's love pic above
Marten - https://www.google.com/search?...
mjc: I'm happy to take the correction! I used the spelling because a local bird authority gave it to me in person, and I though it was preferred for here. We obviously don't have the four-footed kind! My bird-watching friend who was visiting last weekend is a former school principal, and even he was unsure of the correct Aussie spelling 
My neighbor has crepe myrtle trees. I wanted to put the hydrangea trees in, but they were wildly expensive, as were the crepe myrtle trees. However, the crepe myrtle bushes were very reasonable.
I'm down the shore, and most people (if they do have landscaping) have non-flowering perennial bushes. So that is probably the reason why I don't have different birds, etc. around (other than a couple of robins, seagulls and ordinary wrens). However, I saw a couple of small butterflies in the butterfly bushes yesterday -- another first. That, coupled with the bee I saw, and the warbler who still comes and sits on the shepherd hook by the hummer feeders, makes me feel that my small garden, just planted this spring, may be the catalyst for attracting more. I hope so!
Morganna said:
mumstheword said:
I saw my hummers buzzing around my newly-planted and blooming crepe myrtles last evening. I had closed the blinds, but the sun was still shining, and I could see their shadows buzzing around. Wished I could have gotten a video of that -- it was really neat!
I love crepe myrtle. My friend bigben gave me one but it didn't make it. Beautiful shrub. I just started noticing them a couple of years ago. Maybe they are growing in popularity. I saw one of my Hummers buzzing around the dead flowers of my Mountain Laurel.
Do you get any goldfinch in your area?
mumstheword, that sounds exciting: from small beginnings, big things can grow
I thought everyone would be interested (perhaps encouraged?) by this advice published on our ABC news site this morning:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-13/tips-to-keep-animals-from-eating-your-garden/8788746
Have you heard the exciting news about this Canadian oriole?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/15/canadian-oriole-bird-ottawa-british-columbia
Spotted our first hummingbird moth yesterday. Also, there were a couple of Monarch caterpillars out near our pond this morning. Last year, I did not see one Monarch here until almost October, and I thought it was odd to be around so late.
First time spotting 2 Hummers. One sat at the feeder watching or waiting and the other sipped from the hanging baskets. Then suddenly a chase began.
Yesterday sitting near the fountain one flew out, then hovered watching me. Maybe the sound of the water. I read that they like misters for bathing and drinking so off to the wilds of Amazon.com.
And from the wilds of Australia.....drumming cockatoos!
Hummingbird courtship
https://www.facebook.com/natgeowild/videos/10155319819415930/
thanks, Morganna; we've discussed various YouTube cockatoos and their apparent musical abilities (dancing, 'singing', drumming) in the How Music Moves You course on futurelearn.com. (Uni of Stockholm, I think, was the campus for this online course but around 8 thousand of us around the world studying this fun and broadranging course).
In that module, we discussed how the human seeks 'music' and 'rhythmic order' in the sounds around us. Most of the animals we've studied generate sound for communication or as a byproduct of movement; they're not consciously creating and later replicating a pattern for enjoyment, nor do they teach that pattern to others so that it's passed on for enjoyment, the way we do music and theatre arts.
So it will be interesting to see what further study reveals.
joanne said:
thanks, Morganna; we've discussed various YouTube cockatoos and their apparent musical abilities (dancing, 'singing', drumming) in the How Music Moves You course on futurelearn.com. (Uni of Stockholm, I think, was the campus for this online course but around 8 thousand of us around the world studying this fun and broadranging course).
In that module, we discussed how the human seeks 'music' and 'rhythmic order' in the sounds around us. Most of the animals we've studied generate sound for communication or as a byproduct of movement; they're not consciously creating and later replicating a pattern for enjoyment, nor do they teach that pattern to others so that it's passed on for enjoyment, the way we do music and theatre arts.
So it will be interesting to see what further study reveals.
But wrens sing for the enjoyment of the female and teach the pattern with perhaps variation to their young, don't they. As do most birds. I realize that it does fall under the category of communication but if it is meant to lure the female isn't each competing and isn't that based on the allure of the song?
The course sound interesting. And singing aside, take a look at the dance patterns of that Hummingbird.
there's also our lyrebird, which is simply stunning. And the whipbird. But it's not classed as 'music' in the sense of composition, rhythm, beat. Proper academics would explain it better!
joanne said:
there's also our lyrebird, which is simply stunning. And the whipbird. But it's not classed as 'music' in the sense of composition, rhythm, beat. Proper academics would explain it better!
Having once taken a course in Ethnomusicology I feel confident that my theory currently stands unchallenged!
Of course in my part of the hemisphere, that would probably be classified as fake news.
changing the subject slightly to ballerina babies, what do you for hot feet? Hand knit blue booties, apparently
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-40974130/blue-boots-for-baby-flamingo-squish-in-singapore
Blue booties, never saw them when I was in Singapore.
Back in South Orange, this is my first year seeing Hummers chase each other! I can't believe the constant coming and going at the feeder. It seems busiest in the morning and at the end of day.
I wonder how birds will respond to the eclipse.
I've been present on a bushland dairy farm in Gippsland (Victoria, Australia) during a solar eclipse - sun disappeared around lunchtime, from memory but the birds all thought it was early evening! Flocks all did their late afternoons swoops, collecting what insects etc they could, then screeched and settled down for the night...they were most put out and disconcerted when about an hour later suddenly it was morning again, and then another hour later the sun seemed to be getting lower in the western sky ...!!!
However, it was the nocturnal mammals and marsupials that were most put out, they didn't know whether to hunt and socialise or not. Too many landed up squished in road accidents during afternoon school hour and early peak hour traffic because they'd come out early.
Morganna said:
Blue booties, never saw them when I was in Singapore.
Back in South Orange, this is my first year seeing Hummers chase each other! I can't believe the constant coming and going at the feeder. It seems busiest in the morning and at the end of day.
I wonder how birds will respond to the eclipse.
So far I haven't seen one hummer this morning, at either side of the house! Hmmmmmm....
mumstheword said:
Morganna said:
Blue booties, never saw them when I was in Singapore.
Back in South Orange, this is my first year seeing Hummers chase each other! I can't believe the constant coming and going at the feeder. It seems busiest in the morning and at the end of day.
I wonder how birds will respond to the eclipse.
So far I haven't seen one hummer this morning, at either side of the house! Hmmmmmm....
Well they have been visiting the feeder all day so apparently nothing disturbing.
Morganna said:
mumstheword said:
Morganna said:
Blue booties, never saw them when I was in Singapore.
Back in South Orange, this is my first year seeing Hummers chase each other! I can't believe the constant coming and going at the feeder. It seems busiest in the morning and at the end of day.
I wonder how birds will respond to the eclipse.
So far I haven't seen one hummer this morning, at either side of the house! Hmmmmmm....
Well they have been visiting the feeder all day so apparently nothing disturbing.
They came back later in the afternoon (I couldn't even tell there was an eclipse -- heavy clouds came overhead right when it was supposed to start) and were fighting with each other, as usual! LOL! It's funny, they seem to favor one feeder only, and then a week or so later, they go to the other one exclusively. Very odd!
Sweet story of a wild bird rescuer:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-22/rocky-and-edward-the-odd-animal-pairing-still-friends/8832226
The old lady behind me had her huge flowering pear tree taken down about a week ago, and I think my hummers nested there. I now see them flying two houses down to a grove of trees there. Today I only saw one, for about 30 seconds, feeding. I'm feeling the loss already!
mumstheword said:
The old lady behind me had her huge flowering pear tree taken down about a week ago, and I think my hummers nested there. I now see them flying two houses down to a grove of trees there. Today I only saw one, for about 30 seconds, feeding. I'm feeling the loss already!
As ours leave we will still be feeding the hummers coming through from the north. They have a lot of weight to put on so keep the feeders up for a few more weeks.
Morganna said:
mumstheword said:
The old lady behind me had her huge flowering pear tree taken down about a week ago, and I think my hummers nested there. I now see them flying two houses down to a grove of trees there. Today I only saw one, for about 30 seconds, feeding. I'm feeling the loss already!
As ours leave we will still be feeding the hummers coming through from the north. They have a lot of weight to put on so keep the feeders up for a few more weeks.
Oh, yes, I'll leave them all up. There is one left who comes to feed. If he's from the same family of 3, I wonder why the other 2 left without him? Did they have a fight? LOL!
mumstheword said:
Morganna said:
mumstheword said:
The old lady behind me had her huge flowering pear tree taken down about a week ago, and I think my hummers nested there. I now see them flying two houses down to a grove of trees there. Today I only saw one, for about 30 seconds, feeding. I'm feeling the loss already!
As ours leave we will still be feeding the hummers coming through from the north. They have a lot of weight to put on so keep the feeders up for a few more weeks.
Oh, yes, I'll leave them all up. There is one left who comes to feed. If he's from the same family of 3, I wonder why the other 2 left without him? Did they have a fight? LOL!
I believe males leave first. I've never had as many Hummingbirds as I do this year. Today as I was standing I watched a very chubby Hummer feeding at the red salvias right near my feet! I stayed still and he was totally unbothered. Again I saw a couple chasing each other by the feeder. Hummers in the flower beds while I was in the garden with my friend. I never had this many so it may be the plantings combined with the Humzinger or just the consistency of doing this a few years in a row. I'm delighted.
I was happy to see a goldfinch tweeting. They are drawn to the sound of running water. Nuthatches are showing up, Tufted Titmice and Black Capped Chickadees joining the throng. All in all a very merry time in the garden as the cooler air reminds us to enjoy these days while they are with us.
That's a wonderful photo! I've also never had so many hummers visit, and am really going to miss them.
I saw lots of gold finches on Saturday when I rode my bike over at the Great Swamp.