All About Pocket Knives

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 9:55 pm Today's arrivals: Flicker, two Northern Juncos, male Cardinal, White-throated Sparrow.

Good rundown, Garry, it is interesting to hear what others are seeing. I have yet to see any Juncos and I was surprised to see a flock of 25-30 Robins today.
I haven't had a great deal of activity at the feeder, but I am seeing more Yellow Rumped Warblers than I ever have. They are regulars everyday, and one day last week I counted 60+ in yard. Here are a few photos of them.

Well, Ike, I can only look on with envy. I haven't seen a warbler in years. I suppose you are reaping the benefits of being on or near the Mississipi flyway.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 1:14 am Success!
For about the last two months, I have hoped to get a picture of this Red Shouldered Hawk. I see him 3 or 4 times a week sitting in the same area. The problem was, it is alongside a highway bridge, no shoulder on which to pull off. So, I had to be going by at a time in which he was there, and in which there was no traffic behind me, so I could come to a stop on the highway. Then, if those 2 conditions were met, I had to hope he didn't fly before I could get the picture. After many failed attempts, I finally got him today.
IMO, the Red Shouldered is one of the more handsome raptors.

Nice pictures of that hawk Ike! Be careful doin that kind of stuff.

Splash splash I was taking a bath.

Good photos of that Red-shouldered Hawk, Ike. Many, many times I have slowed to a stop on a country road to try to photograph a hawk, only to have it take wing just as I poked my camera out the window. I have seen a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers so far this fall, not like it will be in another month or so.

Migrating birds are still passing through my area. This week I spotted some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and a Black-and-white Warbler in my garden.

Mel I'm amazed (and a bit envious) at great variety of birds you see.

I had two titmice show up the other day then contractors arrived and have scared everything away, maybe even the chipmunk. Was hoping I could entice the titmice to stay thru the winter but now they're gone.

Philco, my one hope is that you will send me a few of your house finches this year.

Garry I would if I could. There were about a half dozen house finches on my feeder today. Later I entertained about that many goldfinches in their winter plumage.

As I envy your variety of visitors, Phil, I can only speculate that you have a much more varied selection of vegetation around your house. Or, if variety is not the key, then perhaps it is the amount of suitable of cover. Anyway, congratulations on your visitors.

Come on down sweetie the humans ain't using the settee. Well Mrs. Wren how's your morning going? Ask Mrs. Cardinal, while waiting for Mr. Rufus to finish using the bath.

Cool photos, Homer. Seems like your bird bath gets used a lot.

Indeed they do Mel, I've got 5 large ones and 2 small glass ones and they all seem to get to get a lot of traffic. The boss just turn the ceramic and glass ones upside down for the winter months.

BH, I like your photos, you have some good activity going on around your place.

Mel, you nailed a couple of good ones there! Getting a picture of a BGG is as impressive as the one you showed of the Redstart recently. I see them fairly often around here in the summer but they sure don't sit still for a photo.
The Black and White, on the other hand, I usually only see a couple times a year in migration. I like their "Nuthatch like" behaviour and you captured that in your pic. Thank you for posting.

I am posting this here tho I already posted in the First Cup Diner.


Yesterday there was a flash of movement in the yard. A hawk shot in towards a large group of sparrows who scattered into the trees. The hawk went into the trees after them. I guess he failed because in a few minutes he zoomed in again but I couldn't confirm whether he had any success.
The two attacks were at incredible speed and I had no opportunity to study it. Cannot make an identification other than it was a type of falcon. Not a Kestral, not a Harrier, at least I have never seen either of them hunt like that. Maybe it was a young Harrier.

Thanks for the comments, fellows.

Black-and-white Warblers are very unusual in my area. Like Ike, I only see them at migration time. Most afternoons I sit out on the back porch for a little while. That is when I get most of my photos. I try to remember to keep my camera handy so that when something cool shows up I can try to get a photo.

QS - I would bet on it being either a Coopers or a Sharp-shinn. When our feeder is busy, sometimes one of those will make an attack by darting around the corner of our house and trying to surprise one of the feeder birds. So far, I have not seen a falcon do that.

Yesterday while I was burning some fallen branches in the back yard I spotted a new species of bird: one that I had never seen in my yard before: Gallus gallus! Some folks a few hundred feet away through a patch of woods keep chickens, and these wandered over to our place. They got my cat's attention, but she was not really interested in attacking.

I had a sharp-shin visit on successive years and claim my bird feeder. It's attacks were always ambush around the corner. I saw it score once but didn't have my camera. Fabulous little hawks.

After I crack a few Hickory nuts and pick out the big pieces, I will take what's left and dump them on the tray of one of the birdfeeders. Today as I did that, I looked up to see this fellow peeking at me from 2 ft away. I was able to get to "camera" on my phone and get one pic before he left. I get W B Nuthatch everyday but the Red Breasted only seem to come around once or twice a week, hopefully a better picture will come later.

Great pic and experience.

Cool photo, Ike. I find it interesting that you crack Hickory Nuts and pick out the meat. That is quite a task!

Thanks, Floyd and Mel.

Had a little time at home this morning and counted 14 different species at feeder. Here are some pics of a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Red Breasted Nuthatch and a Downy .

Here are a few better pics from the morning action. I will back off now and quit hogging this thread.

You are not hogging a thing Ike. If you got em, flaunt em. You are in an obviously fine birding area.

Special thanks to Philco for sending a small flock of House Finches to my house yesterday. There were a couple of Gold Finches as well. The first of these Finches I've seen in over two years. Unfortunately these visitors left rather quickly.

In the meantime a couple of Tufted Titmice seem to be hanging around for while.

Nice birds, Ike. Do not worry too much about hogging this thread. I do not think that the folks who follow this thread will be overly disturbed by a plethora of photos from one poster.

Ike I wish you'd get busy hogging this thread some more as I really enjoy your photos. I had the rare privilege of seeing a red brested nut hatch this morning. I was walking the dog so no photos. My bird book says
They winter here but I think it's the first one I've seen at my feeders. I have oodles of the white brested. I hope it stays around.