The Uncaged Bird -My first Hummingbird has arrived 4/26/2024
The Great Blues are not an every day sighting but not a rare sighting around here either. Not rare to see one standing in one of the ponds at the lower end of the Rez fishing. What you really want to see is one flying close up. Up to a six foot wingspan.
bub said:
The Great Blues are not an every day sighting but not a rare sighting around here either. Not rare to see one standing in one of the ponds at the lower end of the Rez fishing. What you really want to see is one flying close up. Up to a six foot wingspan.
That's how I spotted the one that I posted, standing on my garage roof. I saw him flying, grabbed my camera just as he landed on the roof.
I was about to post that I haven't seen any Hummingbirds the past several days, when I looked up today and saw one flying over my head. Later I watched one busy sipping on the Honeysuckle. I've had an arbor covered with the flowers for a few years and the feeder hangs below.
PeterWick said:
A little boy downie! Kira named ours Mr. and Mrs. Frankie.
Its been a small variety here lately. I've had Grey Catbirds again, a large collection of Robins, Blue Jays and Sparrows. Then the little Woodpecker and today a Northern Flicker. Almost no Hummingbirds lately.
Science Week was recently celebrated in Australia.
One of the features of the week was a competition run by ABC Australia - the country's non-commercial national broadcaster - to find the most popular of the country's animal wildlife sounds.
Birds, of course, featured strongly amongst the 28 contenders.
The Australian Magpie topped the list of favourite animal sounds.
The list, complete with the sounds of the wildlife, is here - https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-07-31/australia-favourite-animal-sounds-list-version/102702734#listversion
This is the winner - a very handsome specimen!
marksierra said:
Science Week was recently celebrated in Australia.
One of the features of the week was a competition run by ABC Australia - the country's non-commercial national broadcaster - to find the most popular of the country's animal wildlife sounds.
Birds, of course, featured strongly amongst the 28 contenders.
The Australian Magpie topped the list of favourite animal sounds.
The list, complete with the sounds of the wildlife, is here - https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-07-31/australia-favourite-animal-sounds-list-version/102702734#listversion
This is the winner - a very handsome specimen!
What a gorgeous bird!
Morganna said:
What a gorgeous bird!
It is!
For other videos featuring the magpie, look for those put up by The Magpie Whisperer.
Then there's this Dodo compilation of some of her videos:
Great Blues -- Difficult to see but the underwing has a patch of pink that gets exposed at the beginning of flight.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Great Blues -- Difficult to see but the underwing has a patch of pink that gets exposed at the beginning of flight.
The one I posted on the page before, came back about a week later.
I was pretty late this year getting my thistle feeder out. Does anyone still have goldfinches visiting?
jamie said:
I was pretty late this year getting my thistle feeder out. Does anyone still have goldfinches visiting?
I had only one visit this year. Also when I put nyjer seed out very few birds like it.
The flurry of Hummingbirds stopped for 2 days and then a small female or juvenile showed up and was pestered by wasps. Next day, yesterday he was using the feeder. No sighting today.
I used an old photo. I've been switching between the Humzinger and the old style feeder, shown in this picture.
October 7 A little Hummingbird out in the storm, drinking at my feeder.
Still here near Underhill field today as well.
Morganna said:
October 7 A little Hummingbird out in the storm, drinking at my feeder.
2 thirsty Hummingbirds spotted at my feeder at 6:45 this morning! I adding a fresh brew of sugar water now!
Old photo
OK, now I'm wondering if they have just decided to stay! They love the protection of my many Holly trees in the 75' range. Here's a cheeky little guy or girl. Old photo.
PeterWick said:
Brag brag... ;-)
LOL, a pinch of bragging with a tablespoon of recommendation to keep your feeders up! I may have a sighting advantage as I'm up so early and around all day.
My feralish cats outside have me picking up their food after sunset due to the shorter days and I'm spying a little more of the after-theater crowd out for a late-night snack. Last night a young opossum, last week two burly raccoons and two weeks ago a stunning skunk with glorious fur. It was too dark for the skunk, didn't get a great shot of the raccoons but I'll post the opossum who was almost white and under the outdoor light.
Aside from Hummingbirds there have been quite a few late night visitors. I love opossums.
And a different class of seasonal encounter.
Rescued this attractive little turtle, from where it was sitting in the middle of the road down in Hillsborough. He/she is now safely across and up in the woods.
It is an Eastern Box Turtle, about as large as they get (7" long).
I’ve been absent from this magical thread for a while; we’ve moved to a new house with fewer avian visitors prepared to wait for a photo.
It’s taken 2 months, but I’ve managed to entice a couple of nervous rainbow lorikeets to visit the fence line outside the bedroom window: as soon as they’re comfortable, a massive currawong swoops to chase them away then enjoy the parrot seed left behind.
Neighbours feed the magpies, butcher birds and currawongs - they’ve even named the regulars. So a lot of our treats in the side garden are ignored. Sigh.
But the most fascinating thing about this street, which is opposite a boat marina, is that it’s a sign-posted Designated Plover Territory. At least 6 houses in a row have been picked by plover families for nesting; that means guards in chimneys and out by trees on the nature strip (berm) or even the street. Guards will even attack cars and trucks!
In the spirit of Halloween, having just watched Hitchcock's The Birds, I decided to share this recent photo.
Not drowning, not surfing, just swimming:
Gosh I love cassowaries. They’re so majestic and aloof! They make emus and ostriches look like wannabe drama-queens 
No doubt you’ve all heard of John Oliver’s successful campaign to push the puteketeke up to NZ Bird of the Year? Well, now many (human) Kiwis are complaining about ‘outside interference’ and suggested the vote needs to be rerun.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/15/puteketeke-new-zealand-bird-of-the-century-winner-nz-john-oliver-campaign
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67376814 (Different pics)
What’s interesting to me is that this bird is also found here in Australia, where it’s not as endangered. Quite a fascinating breed.
joanne said:
No doubt you’ve all heard of John Oliver’s successful campaign to push the puteketeke up to NZ Bird of the Year? Well, now many (human) Kiwis are complaining about ‘outside interference’ and suggested the vote needs to be rerun.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/15/puteketeke-new-zealand-bird-of-the-century-winner-nz-john-oliver-campaignhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67376814 (Different pics)
What’s interesting to me is that this bird is also found here in Australia, where it’s not as endangered. Quite a fascinating breed.
I watched John Oliver when he presented the campaign concept. Tell any Kiwis that you meet that your friend in New Jersey who takes birding seriously, would never interfere with any bird election. We have enough problems here with election results.
certainly could be the same one. You are not far at all!