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BIRDS

Started by Bro. Noble, December 16, 2004, 10:19:33 AM

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chain

I watched our young eagle this afternoon late, he was hunting the lake circling around, finally flew up in a 40' willow snag and pretended he was eating a fish. He really acts goofy sometimes; the old eagles are all business when it comes to eating fish. But, as I could see clearly with zooming my spotting scope, he would bend over and look at the small fish as if he were about to take a bite but then, would stand straight back up as looking for something. He did this acting several times. Just then, one of the mature eagles came sailing in right on top of the young eagle and in one sweep took the fish away and lit upon the very snag to eat it.

Don't know if this was intended but the young eagle was pretentious just enough to get bullied off the dinner plate. ???

SwampDonkey

Between the mill pond and Hartley brook down below it stays open and 3 or 4 ducks stay there all winter. The farmers over in the next community have a feed lot and in an old gravel pit they tarp some corn. For a couple winters they left it untarped and the ducks stayed right there all winter, musta been 200 ducks. I've never seen that before. :D Even the bears where coming out until mid January this year before it got cold and snowy.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

miking

Friday I saw about 300 canvasbacks on the river and the snow geese are massing just south of us. I heard there were ~ 6000 in a flock which is a small flock of snow geese.
Echo CS530, 600 and 680 chainsaws, SRM410U brushcutter, PB500 blower and PP265 power pruner. Also a Stihl 192c for the lil' stuff.

Tom

 



Some of the "pet" buzzards that play around here found reason to congregate in my front yard when a Tom Cat met his demise.

Chuck White

Buzzards will eat just about anything made of MEAT.

The only thing we've found in this area that they won't eat is a "southern delicacy", 'possum!

Don't know why they won't touch it, people in the south have eaten 'possum for years, maybe it's just because they're not natural for this area of the country.

I saw a 'possum in the yard (at night) about 2 weeks ago eating sunflower seeds that Sheila had thrown out for the birds!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

pigman

Buzzards don't like to eat possums because they are afraid they will be hit by by a vehicle. ;)
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

SwampDonkey

Are you guys talking about turkey vultures? I prefer ravens and crows, those vultures are moving in up here. They were never here before, but I see them now in the summer once in awhile. Saw 4 together last summer feeding on a dead hare.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Tom

Yes, we are talking about Black Vultures here.  The picture at the top of the thread is a family of Black vultures feeding on a meal opportunity they found just inside of the woods behind them.  These are the same large birds that I sit in the front yard and watch soar over the field to my east.  The Turkey vulture looks much the same except it has a bald, red head  The Black Vulture is more prominent here.  Occasionally we well see Turkey Vultures.   These Vultures have been called Buzzards for as long as I can remember.  It is an improper classification but the name is recognized by everyone.  Like many of our other colloquialisms, I'm sure someone, from somewhere else, will eventually take it upon themselves to correct us, as they have with so many of the names assigned to animals and things around here.  But, until they do, someone visiting the South, should equate the terms  Vulture and Buzzard to the same birds.  There are only two here that I know of, the Turkey Buzzard and the Black Buzzard.  Both are Vultures and efficient, soaring animals.

pigman

Here is a picture of a turkey buzzard that I think Tom is referring to in his post.

Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

Chuck White

Quote from: pigman on March 15, 2011, 06:35:02 PM
Buzzards don't like to eat possums because they are afraid they will be hit by by a vehicle. ;)





;D ;D ;D
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Tom

Unlike hawks and eagles, Buzzards use their olfactory senses to determine the proper condition of the carrion.  It has to start smelling just right to attract them.   Maybe you folks are cleaning up too quickly, Chuck. :D

sandhills

We have turkey vultures around here now, by the hundreds.  Never had them until the big hog units moved in and started piling all the dead hogs in dumpsters at the end of their drives, and the vultures just sit on top and have a buffet.  A few years ago during calving season a close neighbor was having a lot of trouble with calves scouring and was losing a lot of them, every morning you'd see them circling his place and by noon or so they'd be perched at ours, not a good feeling as far as the disease carrying factor goes, and not many of them got to leave.  I got to be a pretty good shot that spring.

Tom

As it turns out, the Vulture is a pretty clean bird.  It's digestive juices kill most bacteria and it has, what we would consider, unsavory ways of cleaning its legs and feathers.   It pees on its feet.  We would find ourselves in a bad fix without the vultures.  That they are dirty and unhealthy to have around is an old wives tale.  :)

SwampDonkey

Yeah, I don't agree with killing the birds. There is no sport in that. If someone truly wanted to dispose of those hogs they should deal with them properly. Leaving them exposed to animals like the "vultures", and ravens that follow their instincts shouldn't make them the targets of scorn. Take away the source, not the consequence.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

WDH

They may well be a protected species in some places making them illegal to kill.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

thecfarm

I've only seen turkeys vultures here.Use to work outside with some guys.The old joke was when we would see a vulture circling over us we would tell one guy to start moving the vultures thinks you are dead.I don't think I've ever seen more than 3-4 at one time.Probably down to Decoster's hen barns would be many.Saw one in a tree just above the road one day.I had to stop and look at it.Never saw one that close before.It was some ugly looking.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

northwoods1

Walked outside this morning and I can hear the sandhill cranes are back. That is a sure sign winter is pretty much over :)

northwoods1

Now I walk outside and there are Robins sitting on my driveway, hurray!! :D
Never mind that the snowbanks are still 5' high.

SwampDonkey

I expect to see robins here by Monday. They may already be here, it seems to be on the mild side of what remains of winter for here on out. It's almost 50 F here today and more rain expected for the remainder of the work week. The wicked witch of the west says, "I'm melting"  :D 8)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Mooseherder

Bill, you know winter ain't done with you yet. :D

SwampDonkey

Well, I don't want it to get too warm for a while. Can't build a shop fire then. :D A nice little fire keeps the moisture at bay in the shop projects. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

Mom said the robins had returned today on the hill, saw three.  56 degrees here now. 8)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Chuck White

So far, I've seen Redwing Black birds, Robins, Turkey Vultures, Killdeers, and today, I saw a pair of Blue Birds in the yard!

Yesterday I saw a large flock of Canada Geese flying NORTH.

Warm weather isn't far away.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

chain

Had about a dozen 'myrtle' warblers visit last evening. Can mostly tell of new arrivals, they come down from their flight and lite high in a tree then send their scouts down to see about possibilities of food, the whole bunch will soon come down in a apple or mulberry, the limbs quite bare, but the warblers are after insects, they had a feast yesterday as it was 72 degrees, the bugs were out.

A bird to watch for now is the Cedar Waxwing, they are my favorite of the migrants, often dropping in much the way the warblers do. But they want berries or fruits from junipers, cedars, hollies, or whatever is left from winter. The most interesting of habits the waxwings have is, they will line up side by side on a limb, the outside bird will then pick a fruit and give to the next bird in line and so on and on they give the fruit until the last bird in line is fed. Not always but notice they do this when fruits are plentiful.

SwampDonkey

Cedar waxwings stay here year around. I have fed the juvenile waxwings pin cherry by hand. In winter they will fleece the high bush cranberries which overwinter on the twigs. We also get the Bohemian waxwing in winter, it's a western bird. Our cedars have cones since they are not junipers, but the waxwings will eat seeds. I herd on the radio last summer that robins don't eat fruit, but the person obviously has no clue. They eat apples, mountain ash, chokecherries and cranberries which adorn old orchards and fence rows in this country. I see flocks of them especially in the fall gorging themselves on them. The little kestrels will scout these orchards for a meal of robins and do it in groups. Everyone benefits in the harvest. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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