The Uncaged Bird - Hummingbirds have arrived in South Orange! As well as Great Blue Herons!

So far I've seen 5 different Woodpeckers around my home and 4 of them were eating the suet cakes at my feeder. The Red Bellied pictured below, the Hairy, Downy, Northern Flicker and even the huge Piliated Woodpecker who was high up in a tree. The visitors at the feeder do not seem to be very shy.

I never really paid much attention to birds but since we moved to California that's changed.  Our birds our loud and will not be ignored!   We have several resident Mockingbirds that tend to chase away newcomers.  Last week we spotted a new one for us - a Hooded Oriole that was the most brilliant yellow.  We have hummingbirds all day every day but I still get excited to see them.  We have lots of good things for them to eat around the yard.  The other day the dog was laying beside one of their favorites and the HB just hovered right above the dog trying to decide what to do.

saw these babies learning to fly today..so cute

eliz said:

I never really paid much attention to birds but since we moved to California that's changed.  Our birds our loud and will not be ignored!   We have several resident Mockingbirds that tend to chase away newcomers.  Last week we spotted a new one for us - a Hooded Oriole that was the most brilliant yellow.  We have hummingbirds all day every day but I still get excited to see them.  We have lots of good things for them to eat around the yard.  The other day the dog was laying beside one of their favorites and the HB just hovered right above the dog trying to decide what to do.

I looked up Hooded Oriole and wow they are stunning. No hummingbirds came back after being chased by one of the large birds. I'm looking for a new spot to hand the feeder.

judy3x said:

saw these babies learning to fly today..so cute

They are adorable.

I'm trying to see the initial flight of the baby starlings. I see one of the young with his head out of the birdhouse window. I read that they new ones will be brown so I verified by color that this is a baby.

I'm finding that the hummingbirds adore our salvia, which are a very very dark blue. They seem to like almost any trumpet-shaped flower. 

Yesterday I spotted two "baby" sparrows that were the same size as the parent but were squatted next to the bird feeder wheezing and fluttering to be fed. In an absurd way it reminded me of the thread about college grads who don't want to look for a job (NOT to belittle that situation, though).

haha @PeggyC! I love seeing them do that!

Still no hummingbirds here.  

Horror of horrors I saw a raccoon shimmying up the giant Holly and climbing on top of the starling nesting box. I ran out and he took off. I deliberately picked that tree for the box as the trunk is so thick and smooth I knew a cat couldn't get up there but I hadn't considered raccoons since I haven't spotted any in over a year.

One of the babies with his head out of the window yells for food while his parents fly  back and forth. Talk about ordering in.

All that glitters is not gold.

Of course it could be a goldfinch.

I found a truly squirrel proof feeder at Home Depot.  It has a spring so that the weight of the squirrel pull the outer cage down to close the holes.

And then there are the ones that are not squirrel proof.

Blue magpies have moved into the neighborhood. 

dave said:

Blue magpies have moved into the neighborhood. 

Is this the neighborhood that is East of the Sun and West of the Moon?

The red dot on HK Island.

dave said:

The red dot on HK Island.

I miss my Star Ferry Typhoon Warning t shirt. Loved Hong Kong. Considered living there.

Are there still those legendary tea houses where people can bring birds in cages? Read about them, but never saw one.

I've been hearing woodpeckers but finally saw one today - Nutall's woodpecker.  Very cool.

Morganna said:

dave said:

The red dot on HK Island.

I miss my Star Ferry Typhoon Warning t shirt. Loved Hong Kong. Considered living there.

Are there still those legendary tea houses where people can bring birds in cages? Read about them, but never saw one.

I think the health dept pushed the caged bird walkers out of tea houses and into local parks in the 90s.  

https://youtu.be/XUYjDXDzdEI

I thought this was a nice touch (from that video).

dave said:

I thought this was a nice touch (from that video).

I couldn't believe that! One culture takes birds out to lunch and another stuffs them and puts them on hats.

 I'm trying to remember where I saw bird sellers with cages balanced on long bamboo poles. Bali? Where did I see that? Brazil? I'm going to do a search.

Singapore?

Morganna said:

dave said:

I thought this was a nice touch (from that video).

I couldn't believe that! One culture takes birds out to lunch and another stuffs them and puts them on hats.

 I'm trying to remember where I saw bird sellers with cages balanced on long bamboo poles. Bali? Where did I see that? Brazil? I'm going to do a search.

eliz said:

Singapore?

Morganna said:

dave said:

I thought this was a nice touch (from that video).

I couldn't believe that! One culture takes birds out to lunch and another stuffs them and puts them on hats.

 I'm trying to remember where I saw bird sellers with cages balanced on long bamboo poles. Bali? Where did I see that? Brazil? I'm going to do a search.

Could have been, but I don't remember being anywhere in Singapore that would have had someone walking around with lots of cages. I just remember either huge malls or night markets.

Could have been Mexico. How weird that I can envision the cages but not the person and their garb. They were like giant squares divided with birds in each. This is going to make me crazy.

Nepal? Thailand?

Deniroesque Robin

Are you talkin' to me?

There's a big park in Singapore where people bring their birds.

eliz said:

There's a big park in Singapore where people bring their birds.

Hmm, I was there passing through, on my way to Bali connecting through Java.

https://youtu.be/BmlAZxha8Pw

eliz said:

I've been hearing woodpeckers but finally saw one today - Nutall's woodpecker.  Very cool.

In SOMA?

Los Angeles.  

sac said:

eliz said:

I've been hearing woodpeckers but finally saw one today - Nutall's woodpecker.  Very cool.

In SOMA?

eliz said:

Los Angeles.  

sac said:

eliz said:

I've been hearing woodpeckers but finally saw one today - Nutall's woodpecker.  Very cool.

In SOMA?

Ah, ok.  I was just googling and saw that they are only in CA.  (I thought I knew about all the woodpeckers around here, so I'm relieved that I wasn't totally ignorant on this.)

sac said:

eliz said:

Los Angeles.  

sac said:

eliz said:

I've been hearing woodpeckers but finally saw one today - Nutall's woodpecker.  Very cool.

In SOMA?

Ah, ok.  I was just googling and saw that they are only in CA.  (I thought I knew about all the woodpeckers around here, so I'm relieved that I wasn't totally ignorant on this.)

Found this picture of a Nuttal Woodpecker.

The little bird house with the American flag seemed empty after the new tenant hopped in. I thought it didn't suit the little wren, but today I saw a bold little pair of wrens moving in their bedroom furniture. One would pick up a choice twig  from the ground and in a few instances could not get it into the entrance. It was held across its beak and it didn't bend to go inside. Finally the little bird flew on top of the house and maneuvered the tiny twig on an angle and then flew to the entry, tilted its head and dropped it inside.

I wanted so much to help. I've read that you can fill suet cages with choice bits to supply the small builder with ready material. I think I'm up for it. I read a warning about supplying dryer lint, so none of that, and no yarn or ribbon longer than a certain length as they can get tangled.

Both birds were very busy. One stopped for a song heralding his or her new home. A musical Welcome Mat!