Video: I guess I was
a bit too optimistic about spring… Or actually not. It’s been close to freezing these last couple of days, and today we got this. Gayle is probably happy in her nestbox, and the Juncos are having a blast. On Thursday, we are expecting much milder temperatures. I have added this camera to the livestream page, too.
Trying out new feeders
is a lot of fun to me, and one of the perks of having a bit more exposure is that sometimes I get sent some to try. When Kingsyard contacted me, I checked out their spread and decided to give it a try. And I have to say, these are so much fun. They sent me three. All of them are well-made and sturdy, and two of them I really loved with the Birdsy cam. One is the most adorable little house, perfect maybe as a gift, the second one is a super nice feeder that keeps the seeds dry in wet weather and will go into permanent rotation here, and the wooden platform is also great, and it even comes with a pole mount. They sell on Amazon and are also present on social media, and they are easy on the wallet. Thanks, Kingsyard!
Video: The Juncos
are loving the branch cam, and yesterday they were very active, taking turns at the peanut butter in a manner that reminded me a lot of the Soul Train line. You can see males as well as females, which have more brown hues and are a bit more slender. One of the things I love about the Birdsy camera is that thanks to it, I now also know what seemingly “silent” birds sound like, and Juncos are very vocal, as can especially ne heard in the second video.
Video: Surprise night visitor!
Yesterday in the evening, I decided to put some peanut butter on the branch to see if anybody would come to check it out during the night. We have several species of squirrels in Michigan, and this is one of them - a Flying squirrel. These guys look like straight out of an animation movie, and they are so elusive and fast that it is hard to spot them, let alone capture them on film or photo. This is not perfect but still a lot of fun to watch, and only the second time I saw one in my yard.
BirdsyTV is online!
As you may know, I have been testing and using Birdsy cameras for a while now - I use them for my videos as well as for my livestream. Well, I am happy to annouce that Birdsy has now launched BirdsyTV. It is a platform where you can watch Birdsy live cams and videos from all over the world, and you don’t need an account. Wanna check out an Owl box in the UK or hummingbirds and wondrous critters in Ecuador? Go to birdsy.com. They are still improving things, and new features will be added, and of course the community will grow. My stream and selected videos are there too. This is very exciting news and I am happy to be a part of it.
Video: Winter has returned,
and the locals are not pleased 😬😆
Stay warm and come good into the weekend!
Video: Mr. and Mrs. Snowbird
The Juncos won't be here for a lot longer, so I am enjoying them as much as I can. This was a fun little clip, first, there's the male, and then the female comes. He makes way when he hears her.
For this setup, I placed a camera on a tree and just put a small speck of peanut butter on there in hopes that someone would inspect it. The zoom is very close, and I love that this actually worked out.
Video: The sandwich feeder
Starlings like suet, and since they can be very voracious, people are trying to find ways to keep them at bay. I like an innovative feeder, so I got this one a while ago. It's two plates that you fill with bark butter or suet spread, just like a sandwich, but you leave the edges free. Woodpeckers can reach in, anything with shorter tongues and beaks cannot. This is one of the setups I currently have out. The Finches won’t go there, and the MoDos cannot reach it either. I I overfilled it a bit on the first day, so the edges offered a welcome snack for the Red-breasted Nuthatches and Chickadees.
Pew pew pew - an announcement
This is from February 25, and it shows nicely how vocal the Juncos are. They have already become less in the last few days, a sure sign that migration is underway. This is one of the more boring times of the year, and I have decided to pause feeding for a bit for several reasons. For once, I have seen some Finches that might have the dreaded Finch Eye disease, for two, it is a good opportunity to clean the palate, so to speak, and maybe make the larger groups of MoDos and also the Starlings to disperse. I am cleaning all feeders thoroughly with a 1:10 bleach solution and have changed camera setups to still capture whatever exciting might happen without feeders. This is tough on me but it is a good time for this in the season, and it might also help the BBs with their nesting efforts. I have lots of material so I can still continue to post.
If you see puffed up birds that seem to “nap” on the feeder and look cute and tame, they might actually be sick. This does not mean you have made them sick but you can take measures to keep your birds healthy. Finches are prone to certain illnesses because of their genetic makeup, so they are a good bird to keep an eye on for possible issues. I will keep feeders down for 10 to 14 days to let the birds disperse and let nature take its course.
Video: It's been a wild week
with some really bad stuff happening. During times like these I am happy to have the birds because they keep me busy, hinder me from being glued to the news, and also make me happy. The American Robin’s German name is Wanderdrossel, “wandering thrush”, and this morning after a night of snow fall, this merry group wandered into my backyard. The Grackle is also still around, and while things still look and feel winterish, there is a sense of spring in the air.
Updating this post because just now, a flock of Redwinged Blackbirds showed up too. Things will develop slowly, but spring migration has begun.
Video: Another surprise visitor
The American Robin is the state bird of Michigan, and I have seen people complain about this because many Robins go farther south for the winter. However, some also stay. I heard a flock in the area for several days (there is a Mountain Ash, a Cedar and a Crabapple tree nearby - all bird magnets), and yesterday, this one came to the bath. I don't count this as a sign of an early spring, we are quite a bit away from that, but it was a fun sight. It's very cold this morning, stay warm and have a great Monday!
Video: Shake your tail feather!
It's Friday, and even the birds are ready to shake their tail feather 😁 The Cooper's Hawk was back again today, checking out the bird bath to see if there's a catch to have. He has come twice yesterday, and at some point, the birds actually came back to eat and he just sat there, waiting for his chance. Once he got going, everybody successfully escaped. His plumage marks him as an immature, so maybe he just needs more practice. Such a pretty bird! Come good into the weekend.
We got about a foot
of snow, and the backyard is quiet and looks like it was frosted with marshmallow puff. The lady by the pond has grown Marge Simpson hair, and it does not look like there were any night visitors. Today will be a busy day at the feeders. I am excited to see who comes first to dig out at the Birdsy cams. There will be new photos later today too. I hope you have it warm, here’s to a great Thursday!
Video: Starlings cannot read.
And apparently they feel dirty constantly. I have been out cleaning and refilling several times, and while I generally don’t have issues with that, it is rather frosty outside and maintaining the bath is a bit harder in the winter. My little sign was to vent my frustration a bit, and they took it as a challenge - it only lasted seven minutes 🤣 Anyways, here is a little clip. The music is a copyright free piece by DISMENTOPIA Taiwan. Enjoy!
My little break is over,
the livestream is back on, and tomorrow there will be new photos. I have been on a little family trip, and while we had a fantastic time, I started to miss the birds (and my kitty). I did check on everyone via the Birdsy cameras and even if I could not keep the feeders or baths full the whole time, it was fun checking in every so often. We have a frosty week ahead of us, so hopefully there will be lots of activity.
Video: Thirsty birds!
The bird bath is very busy this morning - a nice opportunity to watch the different ways how birds drink. Some take several little sips, like the Finches and Bluebirds, some drink dramatically with an open beak like the Starling, and others drink like they were on a bender the night before, like the MoDo.
Video: Happy National Bird Day!
There are plenty of Juncos around at the moment, they seem to thrive in ice and snow. I always loved their little pew-pew-pew sounds but this trill was completely new to me. How stinking adorable is that?
Video: Light in the winter
is something special, and I love how Michigan is treating me with it on some evenings. Tonight was one of these, and the resident Red-breasted Nuthatch was one of the last ones to come to the feeder to choose that perfect bite for dinner. Here’s to a good Monday!
Video: Snow day surprise!
I heard about Carolina Wrens in Michigan birdwatching groups but never saw one myself. Until today! What a fun surprise. I hope it sticks aropund for a bit and also checks out the other feeding stations.
Video: The peanut choice
Blue Jays love shelled peanuts. They will take them to a secret spot to hide them for later, a process called caching. They use a simple but effective method to find out which nuts are the best - they lift them one after another to figure out their weight. These two here have perfected that process.
