Timiskaming Birds Forum

This morning we were excited to see a small flock perhaps as gicantic as five coomon redpolls buit it is the first flock we have seen perhaps they will make it to the feeder and will become a dependable feature of our winter landscape. It has me curious what peopel around the area are getting. So i know what I am missing and whether ishould be envious or not. Right now i would guess we have over 20 chickadees and perhaps 5 red breated nuthatches and occasionally we have blue jays when I get better at putting out peanuts but that is where the feathers end. Almsot forgot we have a grouse that we see almost every day. Hope to read about your feeder soon. Happy NewYear Murph. I have to go reshovel the rink now maybe I will have more to report later

We've got three Hairys, at least 3 Red-Br Nuthatches, loads of chickadees, a flock of 18 Goldfinch, 9-12 Blue Jays, and at least 3 Gray Jays coming daily and an occasional Gyrfalcon. That's about it for my local feeder avifauna here in Kenabeek... and just kidding about the Gyr. (Wish I was there to see your eyes pop though, Murph.)

\mike totally got me with the GYRFALCON  but my redpoo,s miraculously turned inot goldfinches which was nice to see and beside the lake where I had to move our picnic table I rediscovered our penguin too bad it is concrete and in the wrong hemisphere. Not sure of what species it is supposed to be . Had blue jays today and i tried to change a grey jay inot a shrike but we had 2 grey jays which we do not see too often

Got back from Sudbury yesterday..at the feeders here I have Hairy woodpeckers, Bluejays..6+, grey jays, blackcapped chickadees...american goldfinches, & pine grosbeaks.

My brother in Sudbury had a brown creeper...and a large flock of evening grosbeaks.

Hope ya'll had a great Christmas..

Gert

 I just came back from Powassan. My wife tells me that we had one Evening Grosbeak, a Downy, and a few Hairy Woodpeckers (a male & a female) Black-capped Chickadees (usually 4 that keep coming back), Starlings, fly-by's by pigeons, and of course, peanut eating Blue Jays (up to 4 of them.)

I didn't get back from anywhere...except, of course, Elk Lake on Sunday.  My feeder is still busy, although the Goldfinches have been absent for some time.  My Black-capped Chickadees start looking for me at first light, followed shortly by a pair of Downy Woodpeckers and at least 3 different Red-Breasted Nuthatches.  3 or 4 Blue Jays (possibly the same ones Serge sees) come to pig out on peanuts, and I have 3 Starlings who've decided to check out the suet when the Hairy Woodpeckers aren't there. Yesterday there was a lone male Evening Grosbeak, but today he brought along the whole extended family, at least 15 of them.  Yesterday my White-breasted Nuthatch reappeared for a short visit, but I didn't see him today, although I may have just missed him.  I thought I saw an Emu walking down by the river, but when I jumped for my camera, my egg nog spilled all over the couch, so I can't prove it.

Hey Mark - what did you put in that egg nog.... and can I have some?

Our most common visitors (daily) are a flock of Pine Grosbeaks. We have seen as many as 36 at a time. There are a couple of pairs of Evening Grosbeaks that travel with them sometimes. We have had Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers several times a week and one Pileated about a week ago. The regular Chickadees are erratic in their visiting schedule but the Blue and Gray Jays show up every day. We had three Bohemian Waxwings around the 20th - they stayed about 3 days and cleaned out the Cotoneaster berries from the hedge. Saw one Brown Creeper about three weeks ago and a couple of Starlings drop by once in a while.

We have two large double-decker platform feeders and two hoppers, all with black oil seed. Also have a Niger feeder that has had no traffic. Two suet feeders round out the bait array. Made a log suet feeder - 6 holes for suet and 6 pegs - took about 20 minutes to make. Birds seem to prefer deer of beef fat to commercial suet mixes.

hey Mike...last time I saw you was at KLCVI..I think we shared a class or two..have to get my yearbook out to check it out...

My Woodpeckers prefer the suet cakes at the moment..ignoring the suet ball beside them and one is at the hulled sunflower seed feeder every day.

Last year the American Goldfinches ignored the Nyger and this year like it but hulled seeds are a very close second.

Marc, are you checking to see if we are really reading your reports or did your egg nog turn??? ( love to laugh...keep it up)

Gert

 Yesterday, in addition to the above, but not at my feeder, a raven,  2 crows, and one grackle.

Today, between about 08:30 and 13:00, Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Evening Grosbeaks, Starlings (do we call these Common or European), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Blue Jays.  Between walking the dog and a quick trip to Wendigo Lake, I also saw Ravens, Crows, Serge's Pigeons, and a Grey Jay.  When can I expect Redpolls back?

Nothing much changed at my feeder in Kenabeek since my last report except that my Goldfinch flock has increased quite a bit. Haven't managed an accurate count, but its somewhere between 60 and 75.

 My variety is down. Chickadees, Blue Jays, Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers come to the feeders & suet ball. I still see pigeons, starlings and crows flying by. I have not seen any American goldfinch, grosbeaks, the grackle, the House Sparrow for quite a while. The official name for our "Darling" Starling is European Starling. As far as Redpoll sightings, we should have seen a few by now. I think they were around in force from mid-February last year. Mark, if you feel left out because the pigeons don't actually go to your place, I would be happy to share them with you, perhaps by helping to bait in such a way as to enhance their discovery of your feeders...

Forgot to menton that I also have a small but regular flock of Pine Grosbeaks - about 8 of them, mostly males.

This spring-like weather has me desperate for some new faces at my feeder.  Don't get me wrong; I love my chickadees, nuthatches, etc. and especially how colourful the crabapple tree is when it sports evening and pine grosbeaks, and blue jays all at once. But I haven't seen a goldfinch since before Christmas, and a redpoll since last spring.  I did get a glimpse of a pileated woodpecker flying over my commute to Elk Lake on the 2nd.  Then, while letting the dog out at about 11 pm on the 3rd, I was thrilled to find a flying squirrel munching happily on the back feeder.  I called Pam to come look at it, and we got saying how we hadn't seen a flying squirrel since the big spruce were removed from the front of the house.  I mentioned that I hadn't seen a brown creeper since then either.  Next morning....

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2755/4417620289_d2c3451ae1.jpg

I even went to the marsh Saturday, hoping to see something different or to finally distinguish some horned larks or longspurs among the snow buntings with help from Mike's great new photos.  I did see this (and another, more elusive, one) Ruffed Grouse at the entrance while leaving.

 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4417637129_da35f52749.jpg

 Oh well, soon...soon...

 

Well, I messed that up.  But the pictures should be there if you care to click on them...

I had three Redpolls at my feeder this morning for the first time this year, mixed with my regular flock of 40-something goldfinches.  The goldfinches are starting to put on some brighter colours slowly.

I had my first Siskin of the year this morning mixed in with my flock of goldfinches.