The Joy Of Bird Watching

[1sweed]

I have always loved watching birds and having feeders in the yard during the winter for the cardinals and blue jays, and tiny sparrows. However, in the summer time I really enjoy feeding the hummingbirds.

In our area we have the ruby-throated hummingbirds. It is a wonder to behold when these tiny birds fly toward my feeders at top speed and land abruptly. Another interesting fact about these birds that migrate 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, every spring and autumm, is that their wings beat 75 times a second and they have no joints in their narrow wings, that spin them like rotary propellers and enable them to move in any direction in a microsecond.

The hummingbird's nest is the size of a walnut. It is made from plant down and lichen materials, and spider silk is used to strength and anchor the nest to the tree. They lay two pure white eggs, (pea-sized), and three weeks later the eggs hatch. The baby birds are very tiny at first. The mother bird feeds them by regurgitation, by using her long bill and jabbing the food down the babys throat into its stomach.

I feed the hummingbids sugar water, one part sugar to four parts water. Bring the water to a boil and then add the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool.
Always wash the feeders before re-filling to prevent mold growing.

Each time the hummingbirds visit my feeders, one will zip in for a closer look and I will find myself eye-to-eye with a hovering iridescent feathered hummingbird, who seems to want to say hello and thank you for the sugary nectar. That few moments of contact makings feeding the birds worthwhile.

Do you like birdwatching? If so please share your passion here. ;-)

 

[Michelle2]

Ah yes I love feeding my hummingbirds and am constantly trying to photograph. Out of hundreds of shots I have a couple I am proud of.

Which reminds me the squirrel just cleaned out my feeders and it is starting to snow again. Better go and feed.

Until later, fellow fibro-mate, Spring is coming.

Michelle

 

[twiztc]

Oh I love my birdies. At the moment it's mostly sparrows but they are such comical characters. I have never seen a hummingbird here yet they are numerous just two hours north at the Cottage in the summer. We have the Ruby throated ones there and a green one, don't know what it's called.
Here in Brampton we have all the usual household visitors and also a sizable hawk which seems to have taken up residence here and I'm always watching for it coz I don't want it to carry off Fluffy, our tame adopted squirrel.

 

[1sweed]

I agree those sparrows can be so fun to watch as they chatter to each other while eating the seed spread on my back porch. Once in a while I get a splash of color when a few bluejays come in and watching them fighting over the corn. I get cardinals as well and once in a while a red-headed woodpecker stops in to see what all the fuss is about. I also have a pure black squirrel that comes in once in awhile, but he is quite shy and careful not to come to close to the house.

A neighbor of mine had a bear come in and take the birdfeeder off it's pole, laid on his back and poured the seed into his mouth. He filmed the whole event which though comical at the time, also annoying because the bear destroyed the feeder and now he can not have a feeder out anymore.

 

[Libragirl67]

I work at a hotel as a breakfast hostess. And we have big picture windows in the dining area. Our general manager bought hummingbird feeders to display outside the windows. At first there was nothing there. But after a few days, there they were. It is interesting to watch them. And they are rather pretty. The guest love it too. They almost appear to have a hierarchy, I noticed some birds kind of staking their claim and warning other birds. Maybe it is just my imagination. LOL..But either way they are fun to watch.

 

[schizophreniatype]

I love peacocks.....I think they are just fascinating to look at and they are really very beautiful. I have my neighbors who have 2 peacocks in their yard. I love watching them.

 

[1sweed]

When I lived in Florida, there were peacocks that ran wild around the neighborhood. I only thing is while they are very beauitiful to look at, therte are also very noisey and poo everywhere. they roost in trees or on your house roof at night and make a mess of where ever they are. They also have a very loud screeching call that is annoying to listen to after the first hour of it.
My boyfriend's brother's new truck was scratched up from a male peacock seeing his reflection in the sunlight mirrored sides of the truck. It was funny to watch him attacking the side of the truck thinking it was another male bird. I have seen them in their full-glory and also after molting when their feathers are few. Very beautiful colors in the tail feathers thou.

 

[SulaBlue]

There's a neighborhood here that we drive through every now and then where peacocks rule the roost. I've even seen them chase after cats and dogs. Their call IS very annoying, and it starts very, very early in the morning. Thankfully it's a good block or so away, so we don't hear them over the traffic. It's fun to go there when the little ones have hatched and gotten big enough to follow mom around and watch as they waddle-run after.

 

[schizophreniatype]

OMG is that so? I have never seen peacocks fight thou! I know they are arrogant birds by nature thou.... I would be so funny to actually see these!

 

[Libragirl67]

I love peacocks.....I think they are just fascinating to look at and they are really very beautiful. I have my neighbors who have 2 peacocks in their yard. I love watching them.

Oh my goodness, they are so beautiful. I can't believe your neighbor has them. My kids and I saw them in the Detroit zoo one time. They get to wander around wherever they want to. I do not now why they extend there feathers and flash those beautiful colors but one of them did and it was amazing. It just stood there, and it was almost like it was striking a pose. My kids were just in awe of him. That would be so nice to be able to see them everday.

 

[twiztc]

Where I come from there are many pockets of wild peacocks. They are lovely birds to see but they can be a bit violent.

 

[Libragirl67]

I have been waking up to the most lovely sounds of the birds ever morning lately. There is one bird in particular that has such a distinct tone to his/her chirp. It isn't even a chirp it is a melody. He/she is the most beautiful red cardinal. This bird is like the Mariah Carey of songbirds. It sounds so distinct and pretty. And it is so hard to describe just how bold this bird stands out. We have scragely brush out there that has yet to bloom. And it is usually so grey and overcast. But this bird in his dark red feathers stands out like a rainbow in a storm. And when he sings it is so amazing.

 

[xHysteria]

I've never done such things because I lived down in the suburbs and nowhere near the country. I'd love to do that sometime because I've read that the more I do it, the more it relaxes myself. It's also down on my bucket list!

xHysteria.

 

[1sweed]

Wanted to share about a bird we saw when we went camping. There was an old apple tree with a hole in it's side. A bird kept coming and landing near the hole and then when seeing us he flew away. We got our bird book out and identified him by his colors and hook on beck as an American Kestrel. The male bird has rich dark brown mottled feathers in the middle of his back, with grey/blue wings. They are little falcons and sometimes are seen hunting along roadways or in fields. They eat mostly rodents but have been known to eat a few birds.
This is the first one I have ever seen and now know that nesting in old tree holes is common for this bird. We were so excited to see this bird although I do not think he was as happy to see us, as these birds like to have their private time when nesting.