#93224
March 9th, 2007 at 01:45 PM
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I was driving home from shopping tuesday and saw my first turkey vulture of the year!! Thursday I saw red-winged blackbirds across the street!!! spring IS coming!! What migratory birds are telling you it's spring?? Please add pics if you have them. I want to hear your stories.
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#93225
March 9th, 2007 at 02:49 PM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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My second Red-Bellied Woodpecker at my feeders in the five years since I've lived here. Last night, at 3:00 AM I could hear a Robin singing its Springtime song. A Song Sparrow and an American Goldfinch were both at my feeders which is fairly rare for my feeders although BOTH species are ABUNDANTLY numerous in my neighborhood. The Common Grackles have returned. No ACTUAL migrants yet. They are still about three weeks away, but Springtime activities and behavior have begun.
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#93226
March 9th, 2007 at 05:55 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
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#93227
March 10th, 2007 at 05:53 PM
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I know it's spring because the Starlings are nesting in my birdhouse.....this is the time of year I watch them sitting in there with their heads poking out. I saw 2 cardinals the other day, and I swear I didn't see any all winter long....I thought they stuck around through the winter?
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#93228
March 11th, 2007 at 12:57 AM
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Joined: Mar 2007
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I can tell it's getting closer to spring because the whole backyard is filled with birds of different types. During the winter we had a decent amount of birds but it was mostly just 3 different kind. As much as I hate the hot weather it will be nice to be able to start planting again soon ^.^.
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#93229
March 11th, 2007 at 04:34 PM
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Loz Cardinals do stay all year. They must have been at the neighbors 
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#93230
March 11th, 2007 at 05:22 PM
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I guess so.....I seriously never saw any all winter! The birds know spring is coming, they are out there chirping up a storm right now! Not much longer before I'll be able to put my window feeder back in! 
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#93231
March 12th, 2007 at 12:07 AM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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I have three Cardinals in my yard, along with a Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker (a first for this yard), a male and female Downy Woodpecker together (mated Pair, YAY, babies soon), 10 Grackles (both sexes) and the Usual Suspects.
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#93232
March 12th, 2007 at 08:08 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
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I had several Cardinals, a Downy Woodpecker and my resident mockingbird in my yard today, along with all my other regulars and like Thorny... The Common Grackles have returned. Thorny, do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of the Grackles?  Sometimes my yard look like a scene from "The Birds"! 
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#93233
March 12th, 2007 at 12:44 PM
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Patti, me too. In early spring I get grackles with starlings and red winged blackbirds! Aaaaaah! My last house I had a big flock of redwings one spring. What a sight when they all took off at once!
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#93234
March 12th, 2007 at 06:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
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I have a few redwings but I'd gladly trade with y'all--you take some these nasty, evil cow birds! I hate the little beasties :p Besides what they do the to songbirds nesting efforts, they absolutely take over my bird feeders  I've been enjoying Baltimore orios, cardinals, doves, bluebirds, etc. all winter but the nasty cowbirds have returned in their usual massive numbers.
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#93235
March 12th, 2007 at 06:49 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
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Marleine, I'm going to try to attract some of the Baltimore Oriels again this year by getting a new feeder.  because I live in the city and there is just too much traffic near my house.  I would love to have them. 
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#93236
March 13th, 2007 at 01:12 AM
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Joined: Mar 2006
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every year we can tell spring is coming cause the aleutian geese migrate back to the area 
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#93237
March 13th, 2007 at 03:33 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Originally posted by Wrennie: I was driving home from shopping tuesday and saw my first turkey vulture of the year!!
Wrennie, Do you see them often, and know much about them? We have a flock of them, *anywhere's between 25~40 in the backyard at my mother's house. *right next door* We stand and watch them swoop in here, glide like eagles.. They have several nests in the back property..
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#93238
March 13th, 2007 at 04:51 AM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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Can't get rid of Grackles. Just put out enough food for the Grackles and the other birds. Just get a good camera and get lots of pics of the Grackles, they are one BEAUTIFUL bird.
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#93239
March 13th, 2007 at 05:22 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
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#93240
March 13th, 2007 at 06:01 AM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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#93241
March 13th, 2007 at 06:22 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
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Thanks, Thorny  , but that's four Grackles, so it's THREE more than I really wanted  . Those are really some wonderful pictures!  Actually, Grackles are beautiful birds and I love all birds  even the Grackles. Geesh, they are the ones who seem to enjoy my home-made suet cakes them most, so they must like my cooking  ! It's just sometimes there are soooo many it's overwhelming!!! 
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#93242
March 13th, 2007 at 01:10 PM
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Originally posted by weezie13: Originally posted by Wrennie: [b] I was driving home from shopping tuesday and saw my first turkey vulture of the year!!
Wrennie, Do you see them often, and know much about them?
We have a flock of them, *anywhere's between 25~40 in the backyard at my mother's house. *right next door* We stand and watch them swoop in here, glide like eagles.. They have several nests in the back property.. [/b]I see alot in the warmer months. What do you want to know about them??
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#93243
March 13th, 2007 at 01:15 PM
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My white throated sparrows are back!  We watched them around the feeders last evening. Now when my chippys {chipping sparrows, not chipmunks} are back I know its going to get warm! I had 1 grackle with2 redwings in my yard. Then they went to the top of the sycamore across the street. There were only about 7 up there. When more come back it will sound like an school cafeteria up there! I hope I have a working camera, maybe even with a zoom by then.
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#93244
March 13th, 2007 at 01:18 PM
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***UPDATE*** I just went to the kitchen sink and there were 7 grackle and 3 redwings under the feeder.
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#93245
March 13th, 2007 at 01:23 PM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Well, lets' see... we had a load of them show up about 7 years now... And at first we only saw them circling up wayyy high.. *almost scared me cause I thought there was a de@d body somewhere's... 
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#93246
March 14th, 2007 at 12:28 PM
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The local bird guy needs to do some research... :rolleyes: A turkey vulture used to be refered to as a turkey buzzard. With reclassifications it is now the vulture. Same bird. New era different name. It was believed they were raptors & related to hawks, but its discovered they really arent and are related to ibises & storks. heres a better explanation NOW the one thing I'm wondering is do you SEE nests in the trees? Because T.Vultures lay their eggs on the ground, on a ledge etc. Unless there was already someone elses nest there then maybe. They do perch in groups on tree tops tho.
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#93247
March 14th, 2007 at 01:58 PM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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No, I do not see nests, but didn't go under the tree's to actually look though... They go to the trees' and the same time everynight, whether it's day light savin's time or not..(around 7:00pm) And I've looked them up on the internet, and have seen that picture, but just never can get a good look at them to see all that red.. Click here.. There\'s some pictures...t are the EXACT match of what\'s here... I see them with the babies alll the time, and it looks like they're just learning to fly and we love watching them "TRY" to land in the tree tops, we're like, "Is he going to make it this time, nope, okay, one more try, come on maaaaaaaa, find a shorter tree.. or something..." it's fun to watch them, they are absolutely majestic flying and landing.. *when they're older* 
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#93248
March 14th, 2007 at 02:49 PM
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Mine never seem to look that red on the head either. Maybe its a breeding color 
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