[bootster]

I am sad to see the American Grackle,Brown Headed Cowbirds,and Red Wing Blackbirds in my Bird feeder this early. I looked out on Monday afternoon and there were a lot of them swarming my feeders. My noted earliest time for them is on March 15 or so,when I call it quits. They are still here and I doubt that they will go away.

I love to feed the birds but not go broke trying to compete with these voracious SOB's.

Has anyone else run into this problem yet? I won't be putting out much seed if they persist.:helpsmilie:

 

[SteveL]

None in Jefferson MD, south of Frederick, and this seems really early for those birds to be this far north.

Where are you located?

 

[goose70]

Good luck....aren't Grackles supposedly smarter than dogs? I'm in Arnold with a birdfeeder out of my home office window that I'm watching right now. Nothing but juncos, purple finches, cardinals, wrens, chickadees and nuthatches for me, plus a higher-than-usual number of red-bellied and downy woodpeckers. No grackles so far. No blue jays, either, although we were treated to a Canada jay just after Christmas (very cool...never saw one before). A harrier that had been taking birds off the feeder has recently switched his interest to the squirrels.:thumbup:

 

[jnicklason]

Saw about 10 ROBINS last week on the eastern shore... A tad early for them as well yes?

 

[bootster]

Steve,I am on the Eastern Shore in Queen Anne's County. It's almost always around the ides of March that I call it quits with the feeders. This is usually the best time of year to be seeing a variety of "feeder type" birds,and to know that you are helping them out. I just looked outside and there are probaly 40 or so of them swarming the seeds.

 

[bootster]

Saw about 10 ROBINS last week on the eastern shore... A tad early for them as well yes?

I haven't seen any Robins but a few Blue Jays here and there.

I watched a Hawk swoop in yesterday on some House Finches. I haven't identified it yet though. Didn't look like a Harrier,but definitely not a Sharpshinned like we usually see here.

 

[Steve F]

I seen a flock of about 30 Robins in downtown Frederick last week, yes a little early for them but it's a sign that warm weather is on it's way as soon as we get rid of this damn ice.

 

[bootster]

Weatherman say it's supposed to get to 42 here today but it's 32 now and I don't see it happening. I AM talking about weather predictions though.

I'd rather see the tree rats eating the feed than these pesky critters.

 

[goose70]

I haven't seen any Robins but a few Blue Jays here and there.

I watched a Hawk swoop in yesterday on some House Finches. I haven't identified it yet though. Didn't look like a Harrier,but definitely not a Sharpshinned like we usually see here.

I'm a very amateur bird watcher, so I could be wrong. It seemed way too large to be a Sharpshinned and I'm sure it's not a Redtail. It has the odd habit of stalking birds (and now squirrels) by walking down and hiding behind a tree trunk.

At least it's not a Grackle….

A much more serious bird watcher told me that we now have an occasional Golden Eagle in AA County (he insists that it's been verified as not being an immature Bald). That would be cool to see!

 

[Frank G]

At the moment, there are about a dozen robins in a tree off our deck. We have a number of feeders hanging off the trees in our back yard and its fun keeping track of the comings and goings. Most years, we have participated in the national great back yard bird count in Feb. Not this year as we will be gone but I would hope some of you will goggle it and join the activity.

 

[bootster]

I'm a very amateur bird watcher, so I could be wrong. It seemed way too large to be a Sharpshinned and I'm sure it's not a Redtail. It has the odd habit of stalking birds (and now squirrels) by walking down and hiding behind a tree trunk.

At least it's not a Grackle….

A much more serious bird watcher told me that we now have an occasional Golden Eagle in AA County (he insists that it's been verified as not being an immature Bald). That would be cool to see!

The hawk I saw yesterday was a lot smaller than the Sharpshinned. The Sharpshinned hawk is indeed large and it is usually after the tree rats more than the smaller birds.

The woodpecker population here has been way down for the last two years. I put out suet and I usually get all kinds,except Pileated. I haven't seen any yet this year.

 

[gchambers]

I just ran off about 50 of them damn Grackles. The've been here in Laplata almost all winter. What I want to know is, how come you don't see hardly any snowbirds[juncos] until it snows. Plenty of them the last 2 days. George

 

[Shawn Kimbro]

I really hope this is a sign of an early spring.

BTW, my wife is involved in Cornell Univ. FeederWatch program. Pretty interesting: Project FeederWatch

 

[timo14]

You're all going to think I'm nuts... but I've had a pair of blue-birds hanging around the house for the last 10 days or so. I'm in Fair Hill, MD. Today might send them south though.

 

[Timbo]

I don't think you're nuts. I saw a pair of bluebirds in my backyard flying from tree to tree about a week ago which is near Loch Raven Resevoir. I've also seen a couple flocks of robins around here too. I don't think it means anything. Not all of the birds that are thought to migrate go too far, especially if there's still food around for them. It's been a mild winter so far as well. I enjoy feeding the birds sunflower seeds and suet in the Wintertime. Red bellys, downies and even the bigger hairy woodpeckers all come to the hanging suet. I often hean the pileateds even if I don't see them. The blue jays, cardinals, brown creepers, nuthatches, juncos, doves and sparrows all share in the sunflower seed feast! Haven't seen many grackles or cowbirds yet though. During the Summer I put out a humminbird feeder.

 

[bootster]

I just ran off about 50 of them damn Grackles. The've been here in Laplata almost all winter. What I want to know is, how come you don't see hardly any snowbirds[juncos] until it snows. Plenty of them the last 2 days. George

I have had a lot of Juncos here for about a month now. It's hard for them to compete with the larger ones.

A lot of Doves here as well. No Tufted Titmouse though. I usually see plenty of them.

 

[goose70]

I don't think you're nuts. I saw a pair of bluebirds in my backyard flying from tree to tree about a week ago which is near Loch Raven Resevoir. I've also seen a couple flocks of robins around here too. I don't think it means anything. Not all of the birds that are thought to migrate go too far, especially if there's still food around for them. It's been a mild winter so far as well. I enjoy feeding the birds sunflower seeds and suet in the Wintertime. Red bellys, downies and even the bigger hairy woodpeckers all come to the hanging suet. I often hean the pileateds even if I don't see them. The blue jays, cardinals, brown creepers, nuthatches, juncos, doves and sparrows all share in the sunflower seed feast! Haven't seen many grackles or cowbirds yet though. During the Summer I put out a humminbird feeder.

Speaking of nuts, last March (I think….around that time, anyway), I passed some folks on the B&A trail looking intently at something with binoculars. I turned around to ask them what I was missing. In hushed, reverend tones, they said "there's a pair of painted bunting building a nest there." Sure enough, there was the most colorful, tropical looking bird I'd ever seen. In winter. They told me to keep quiet about it. The next week when I passed the same spot, there was a large sign with a color photo of the bird asking people not to disturb it. I guess the secret was out.

BTW, I have tufted titmice (my kids laugh every time I say that) all over the feeder as I type.

 

[bootster]

Is it Titmice or Titmouses?

 

[bootster]

A word to the wise,don't buy cheap plastic feeders.

A hawk has swooped down on the el cheapo from the depot and broke off the bottom perch taking the whole feeder down and busting the handle off. The cylinder has come apart and it is "toast".

I have had metal feeders for 15 years or so still in good condition.

 

[granpafish]

"BTW, I have tufted titmice (my kids laugh every time I say that) all over the feeder as I type."

Try buttoning your shirt all the way up.