For the Birds!

[grasshopper]

Great photo of one one the birds I miss from the East.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Audrey, I think you won the unofficial bird viewing medal for Jan 27, 2012. Most of those birds I've never seen.

Location, location, location.

Audrey

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brdofpray Towards that end, what birds are you seeing, right now, in your backyard?

It's almost time for our 5 PM brown quail family to come scuttling through the backyard shrubbery.

Plenty of mockingbirds, Brazilian cardinals, mejiros (whiteyes), red-vented bulbuls. They breed in our fruit trees, especially the mango and a mock-orange bush.

This time of year we have a kolea (plover) standing guard on each block of the neighborhood. I sometimes wonder if they have kolea sergeants with little clipboards under their wings directing them to their watchstations.

Dozens of zebra doves. Just about every window of our house has a bird-print of a zebra dove doing a face-plant at full speed. I don't understand how they live long enough to reproduce.

A flock of 24+ green parrots. During hurricane Iwa in 1982 a breeding pair escaped into Pearl City Industrial Park (really an overgrown jungle valley of warehouses) and they've thrived. They fly over our house a couple times a day and hang out in the haole koa trees next door. The noise is unbelievable, like a haunted house full of rusty metal gates swinging in the wind.

I've seen pueo (Hawaii owls) twice. Once I was buzzed at 5 AM when I was sitting on the back lanai, and it scared the heck out of me. (I think he was just making sure that I was too heavy to lift.) The second time I was bicycling to work before sunrise, and he kept pace with me for a hundred yards before peeling off for breakfast...

[Brdofpray]

Today I am watching a yellow-bellied sapsucker, working his way up a tree. The sapsucker will make many parallel holes into the trees trunk. Most often a basswood, or other smooth bark tree. Once the sap starts flowing, insects are attracted. The sapsucker returns to lap up the sap covered insects.

So really, he should be referred to as the yellow-bellied sap lapper! (it probably won't fly!)

[MBAustin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grasshopper Great photo of one one the birds I miss from the East.

+1

Love this thread!

Related question - how long does it take for the birdies to discover a new source of food? Our feeder was down for the past 6 months (long story) but is now back in operation since last week. But there haven't been many birds yet. Just curious.

[Brdofpray]

We put up a thistle feeder last year, and it took about a month before goldfinches and siskins found it. Once they did, we could not keep seed in it. This year we put it up and they found it within a week.

Birds use a system of habitat sampling. They rotate through a number of feeding sites. This is a natural adaptation so that when any high quality food source is available, they will be ready to exploit it. Think of it like a paper route. They go from source to source, looking for the best available food. They will spend the most time at the site that gives them the most energy for the effort. If that source dries up, they know exactly where the second best site is located. That way they will never be left without an option. I have heard to many times that once you start feeding the birds, you have to continue. Otherwise the poor birds might starve. Birds may be dumb (you know, bird brains), but they rarely put all of their eggs in one basket. Oh wait, I guess they do, but you know what I mean.

Give it some time. They will arrive soon.

[bbbamI]

The most colorful birds I've seen in my yard are Bluejays and Cardinals. Other than that....nothing really exotic.

I did manage to catch this bird a while back and he stayed still long enough for a pic.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI ... I did manage to catch this bird a while back and he stayed still long enough for a pic.

What about the bird with the fancy nails?

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal What about the bird with the fancy nails?

Ahhhh...she's never still.....

[Avalon]

Took a while to find this one. My best friend and I with two great horned owl chicks we rescued from a destroyed nest many years ago. We successfully raised them to adults and they were released into the wild after we were certain they could catch live prey.

[Brdofpray]

Great picture. Takes me back to my days when I was trained to handle raptors on the glove. The raptors I worked with could not be released. They all had some permanent injury due to some interaction with humans. They could not fend for themselves in the wild. Even so, this did send a powerful message to the many audiences I encountered.

To have a full grown great horned owl looking eye to eye with you is something I will never forget!

[jebmke]

We have several Great Horned that nest around the house. Usually in the summer, a first year bird comes down to the back yard and runs around eating bugs and toads. I've never been able to catch him with the camera.

I did catch a screech owl pair that decided to move into our wood duck house last spring.

[Lsbcal]

DW does realistic and imaginative paintings, some involving birds. Here's one at a local gallery titled "Secret Garden".

[bbbamI]

Wow...what great pics y'all! Thank you!

[Avalon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI Wow...what great pics y'all! Thank you!

I agree. Cool thread you started here Brdofpray.

Love the art Lsbcal. Very pretty

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon I agree. Cool thread you started here Brdofpray. Love the art Lsbcal. Very pretty

I'll tell DW you liked it, thanks.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal DW does realistic and imaginative paintings, some involving birds. Here's one at a local gallery titled "Secret Garden".

Fabulous! Wow!

[Avalon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brdofpray Great picture. Takes me back to my days when I was trained to handle raptors on the glove. The raptors I worked with could not be released. They all had some permanent injury due to some interaction with humans. They could not fend for themselves in the wild. Even so, this did send a powerful message to the many audiences I encountered. To have a full grown great horned owl looking eye to eye with you is something I will never forget!

Sorry. My pic was accidentally deleted. Here's a re-post.

[JOHNNIE36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon Sorry. My pic was accidentally deleted. Here's a re-post.

How neat is that! Fantastic feat by you boys back then. I'll bet you never forget the moment you released them.

[Avalon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOHNNIE36 How neat is that! Fantastic feat by you boys back then. I'll bet you never forget the moment you released them.

Thank you Johnnie. Providing fresh food was a full time job. They were about half the size in that pic when we first got them. Release was a gradual process. When they finally left for good it was what I'd call bittersweet.