We live just about halfway between Taughannock Creek and Trumansburg (or Frontenac) Creek. Ravens sometimes fly back and forth between the creeks. Today seemed to be one of those days. While I was pruning our apple tree, I could hear (but not see) one or two Ravens calling to the south of us in the direction of the corn fields. I also could hear a number of crows, but their calls did not seem to be a reaction the to Ravens.
Gold finches are still coming to the niger tube but not in the numbers of a few weeks ago. We were getting numbers in the 20s and 30s but now there are a half dozen or so. Traffic is so low I took down the second feeder tube a few days ago. The tubes are the long ones with about 20 perches. They were great with the Redpolls last winter but we have zero Redpolls this winter. Some of you are familiar with the two poles in my field. You can see them from Rte 89. I put them up as hawk perches. Only one remains. The other came down in a storm, but it will be replaced because they really work. We often have redtails using one or both. The perches also appeal to other birds. Over the course of a year, there may be bluebirds, crows, redwing blackbirds, mockingbirds, robins, tree swallows, and house sparrows. One time there was a kestrel and another time, a N. shrike. The posts are white ash saplings about 14 feet high. I try to find one with a fork near the top. I screw on a horizontal perch across the fork. The posts are sunk about 2 feet into the ground. Three feet would be better but bedrock is only a foot or two below the surface. Don't forget the Great Backyard Bird Count next weekend. Happy Birding. Bill McAneny, Tburg -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
