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Bird Watching - post your thoughts

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spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Starting to try to understand all the birds around me. I've got woodpeckers, family's of robins, bluebirds, hawks, just about everything you can think of. It's very relaxing to sit outside and listen to the birds sing. So far only the robin and cardinal song I can recognize.

So I wanted to try to identify them by their song and shape. It's very difficult and fascinating at the same time to try and observe/identify them. Right now I'm just trying to get my head around all the different family of bird.

Nature++
 
skyking

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,777
5,939
146
Set up a feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, get a book of local birds and enjoy.
We get all kinds of birds, and it is neat to get a sense of the ones that just pass through on a migratory route.
 
L

Lola

:laugh:

OP, I wish I had more time to research as I think it would be very interesting to know a bird by its call. In my area, it seems as though there are not many types of unusual birds, but nonetheless, would be a neat thing to know.
 
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spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: skyking
Set up a feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, get a book of local birds and enjoy.
We get all kinds of birds, and it is neat to get a sense of the ones that just pass through on a migratory route.
Click to expand...

Thanks - that's the thing. I don't want to put up feeders. I've got so many birds that I'd like to identify them beyond "finch, cardinal, bluebird, robin" by ear.

Should just put up some feeders but I SWEAR there are 15 different birds in my backyard and I would like to identify them.
 
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spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Lola
:laugh:

OP, I wish I had more time to research as I think it would be very interesting to know a bird by its call. In my area, it seems as though there are not many types of unusual birds, but nonetheless, would be a neat thing to know.
Click to expand...

Costco has a birdcall book, you can match the bird to it's call.
 
M

MegaVovaN

Diamond Member
May 20, 2005
4,131
0
0
ATOT disappoints me, I'll be first to say it...

I love bird watching... I watch them through the scope on my plink gun.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
984
126
I can't possibly imagine a more boring way to pass the time...well, watching grass grow might have bird watching beat but not by much.
 
E

Excelsior

Lifer
May 30, 2002
19,047
18
81
Just put up a couple of feeders and some suet. You'll be amazed. I got into it a while ago, but i stopped after I didn't notice any new species in my backyard.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
984
126
Originally posted by: Excelsior
Just put up a couple of feeders and some suet. You'll be amazed. I got into it a while ago, but i stopped after I didn't notice any new species in my backyard.
Click to expand...

My cat likes to kill any new species in our backyard. Actually, she likes to kill any species now that I think of it.:p
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I can't possibly imagine a more boring way to pass the time...well, watching grass grow might have bird watching beat but not by much.
Click to expand...

Well, here's the thing.

I pick up a new hobby and something to learn and hopefully master every single year.

You've got your lotus love and SUV hate, year over year.
 
D

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
I enjoy it. We have a variety of woodpeckers, wrens, finches, cardinals, mourning dove (I love the sound of these birds) and quite a few others I'm certain to forget. There's forest all around my house, including an undisturbed area of pines, maples, etc. right behind the house. The whole area is alive with birds when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes we'll see deer in the backyard as well. A doe ate some of my roses (I didn't think they did that) last night.

I have a simple feeder just outside the patio, and sometimes there are as many as 20 birds all around it. I also have a lot of chipmunks. Sometimes I'll see a dozen mourning doves feeding on the ground along with several chipmunks.

I still don't know much about birds, but I like having them around. It beats the horns and yells of a densely packed urban area for sure.
 
D

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: skyking
Set up a feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, get a book of local birds and enjoy.
We get all kinds of birds, and it is neat to get a sense of the ones that just pass through on a migratory route.
Click to expand...

Thanks - that's the thing. I don't want to put up feeders. I've got so many birds that I'd like to identify them beyond "finch, cardinal, bluebird, robin" by ear.

Should just put up some feeders but I SWEAR there are 15 different birds in my backyard and I would like to identify them.
Click to expand...

Why does setting up a feeder interfere with your ability to identify those birds?
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
984
126
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I can't possibly imagine a more boring way to pass the time...well, watching grass grow might have bird watching beat but not by much.
Click to expand...

Well, here's the thing.

I pick up a new hobby and something to learn and hopefully master every single year.

You've got your lotus love and SUV hate, year over year.
Click to expand...

Whatever turns yer crank dude.
 
N

nismotigerwvu

Golden Member
May 13, 2004
1,568
33
91
Yeah, the cardinal and robin both have a very distinct song, but you'll notice the house sparrow does as well. For being ubiquitous, it has a rather pleasant one as well. +1 for the sunflower seed, it is practically a cardinal magnet (and finches in general).
 
episodic

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
2
81
Don't really know if this relates or if this is useful, but I use to adore watching the blue jays chase my neighbor's cat.
 
Cdubneeddeal

Cdubneeddeal

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2003
7,473
3
81
I also like bird watching. I used to have a bird feeder on my porch but had to take it down because the squirrels decided to trash it. It's fun watching the different birds eat and their behavior. The Black-Capped Chickadees just come up to the feeder to take the sunflower seeds, retreat into the bushes and peck on the shell then eat the inside. Then head back up for another one. The other birds eat the regular seed. Every once in a while the red winged blackbird comes by.
 
D

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
I love birds and watch them casually. The yard attracts a lot of birds: chickadees, swallows, robins, unknown type 1 (red throat, small, slender, very pretty and complex song), sparrows, unknown type 2 (very small, gray), blujays (I think they no longer visit), crows (lots, ugh), etc, and even the occasional hummingbirds
 
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