Bird Watchers

I have not put my feeder out this year. My bird dog is far more interested in birds than he ever was. He chases them off the lawn just about every morning.  So I'm hesitant to set it up. Though I do miss seeing them. I used to sit at my art table and look out to the deck and see them hopping around.  And the cats loved watching them too!

Not today but a couple weeks ago after a bad storm a bunch of birds were using the downed limbs as perches.  We had mocking birds, a thrush or two and some of the ones you've already mentioned.  I've seen robins, bluebirds, downies, nuthatches, chickadees and cardinals around our place.  We even have a red-bellied that hangs around every now and then.  I'm going to  miss this place. 

I went to Seattle area two weeks ago and saw a ton of really neat ducks, birds, etc out there.  Six or seven bald eagles as well!  I'm an amateur bird watcher. 

My Mom has a nice Robin Momma in her peach tree! Very low down so we can see her quite well..4 eggs now...only 2 when this was taken...such PRETTY eggs! otherwise all we seem to see are ugly birds...Grackles and Starlings..ick....OH! And those pretty little doves that make a whistling noise when they fly
 
 

Gina, those pretty doves that whistle sound like the chuckar. Do they look like this:
 

Oh no...they're umm...Mourning  Doves I think...definitely little grey doves with pink feet. I looked them up once and I think that's what they were....they sound like they are moaning or crying when they call....lemme look that up... That bird is very cute...the word "cheeky" comes to mind lol!
 
ETA: Yes here they are!
[linkhttp://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mourning_Dove.html]http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mourning_Dove.html[/link]

The bird I posted is what we primarily use at our hunt tests.  Along with a fwe pheasant and quail. But these little guys are really pretty sounding.

Oooh, I love watching the birds!  I have a feeder set up across from my kitchen window, which I leave out all year.  I also have a birdbath, so even the ones that don't eat at the feeder come for the water.
 
I have lots of the ones Terri mentioned, plus a variety of sparrows, nuthatches, red-breasted nuthatches, gold finches, purple finches, and I've even seen titmice (plural of titmouse I think?).  I actually zoom in on them with binoculars - some of the sparrows look ordinary, but some have yellow spots above the eyes or a variety of color you wouldn't see without help from 10 feet away.  Even hummingbirds come around in this area, though my feeder isn't set up for them yet.
 
Last summer I had a stray female wild turkey come by a few times.  I live in town, so that's really unusual!  She stopped and picked at some feed and water, then wandered off. 
 
I love the shot of the robin's nest w/eggs, Gina!  I love the birds because their colors just amaze me.

What a pleasant topic!!  Birdwatching from the suburban backyard to the forest and field, it is sooo theraputic.  I have just set out my feeders only yesterday.  I went through a spell last summer where rats (yup, the rodents) were finding their way to my feeders, so we had to stop. We're in the NJ suburbs, with a river and creeks etc. running through backyards, so the incidental rat will draw them in. 
 
I've got the good binocs so I'm ready and waiting...Tina, its funny that you should mention the wild turkeys.  They have really learned to acclimate themselves to living with people.  In our town, last year, a mailman killed a male turkey that "attacked" him and wouldn't let him back into his truck.  It made the paper, was investigated, and believe it or not, the conclusion was that his actions were appropriate given the aggressive nature of the male.  Pretty bizarre story, tho.
 
This would make a great ongoing thread...unusual visitors at your feeder...A year ago this Feb., we had a great horned owl in our hemlock tree from sunup until dark.  I would have never noticed it if not for the other birds dive bombing it when I went to get the paper in the a.m.  We identified it with books, just to be sure, and called the neighbors' children over who were able to share seeing this magnificent, rare visitor.  It was a religious experience. 
 
Happy birding to all!!

I don't have  a feeder as my cat sometimes escapes and I'd hate to set those birds up! Not to mention the Beagles in the yard lol!
 
One night about....a month ago? My dogs were going NUTS....absolutely crazy barking...I went out expecting a possum...and found nothing! I looked everywhere...BUT WAY UP IN THE TREE...
 
I put the barkers up...and went back to bed...only to hear a bone chilling..."WHOOO? WHOOO?"...there was such resonance to the sound! It scared me....it was alien even tho it was familar. My hubby sat BOLT upright and he sleeps like a log lol....'What the HELL is that???"
 
I said "well I suppose it's an owl..a BIG one..."...and was unable to sleep until I guess it eventually flew off. But that was what set my dogs off...they'd never seen/smelled one before either...and they think birds only come by and stare at them during the day
 
That's my little bird tail!

My parents have one one those vacuum cleaners that are built into the wall and actual vacuum is in their greenhouse.  Well, there are some doves that make a nest and lay eggs there many times each year.  They are so much fun to watch but it makes my mom mad b/c she can't vacuum for weeks when they are there.  They finally got one of those robot vacuums and now my dad runs that things every day.  I tell you what, you want your DH to vacuum, get him one of these toys and he just might do it.
 
They also have a large bird house that the martins come to every year.  They used to have this really cool bird feeder but the squirels were eating too much of it so they took it down. 

When I lived in a rural area of Virginia (known as the Northern Neck back then), we had these little turquoise colored birds called indigo buntings - they were just gorgeous!
 
When I was a kid, we lived in the thumb area of Michigan and we had a turkey vulture that visited our place (lived out in the country).  It was huge!  My mom used to write down the date and time she saw a certain bird in her Audobon book on the page the bird was on.  Nobody believed her about the vulture, but I saw it, too!

Totally OT,.but where in the thumb?

Here are just a couple of the guys that were here at Grand Central Bird feeder.  I almost had a picture with 2 male red wing black birds and 2 male blue jays...but Sydney was "helping" me

Glenda, michigan is shaped like a mitten. I think she's referring to the area north of Detroit...