Encouraged by Polly Neldner's posts (she lives just across town from me here in La Veta), I thought I would add my current yard list to her Lathrop & yard lists here in Huerfano County. Please forgive the long post...I am bird-brained enough to like to see this sort of post from other folks, too.
In my La Veta yard, halfway through May, as often as not I see: Eurasian Collared Doves 15-20 White-winged Dove 2 Mourning Dove 1 Red-winged Blackbirds 25-30 Yellow-headed Blackbirds 2 Brown-headed Cowbirds 15-20 Common Grackles 8-10 Great-tailed Grackles 2 European Starlings 12-15 Blue Jays 2 Black-billed Magpy 5-7 Turkey Vultures 20-25 House Sparrow 3 House Finches 8-10 Pine Siskins 20-30 Lesser Goldfinch 2-3 American Goldfinch 10-12 White-crowned Sparrows 1-2 Song Sparrow 1-2 Chipping Sparrow 1 Yellow Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers (both) 4-5 Lazuli Bunting 2 American Robin 3 Gray Cat-bird (heard regularly) Brown Creeper (seen occasionally) Downy Woodpecker 2-3 Hairy Woodpecker 1-2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1-2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Black-capped Chickadee 2-3 Mountain Chickadee 2-3 Evening Grosbeaks 6 Black-headed Grosbeaks 23 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks 2 Bullock's Orioles 25 Western Tanagers 2 Broad-tailed Hummingbirds 6 Black-chinned Hummingbirds 4 I am happy to say the White-winged Dove found a friend and now I have two here; the Mourning Dove was the first in a very long time. The other day I found another single Black Phoebe, but it is likely they are here by the river; I often find fly-catchers later in the year. I no longer see the Lewis's Woodpecker that spent the winter here (maybe he went to the Neldner's place) and I've not seen a Northern Flicker in weeks. Tanager numbers are way down from last year. I don't know if it's just early or the Orioles are too agressive. I believe they bred here last year. Oriole numbers are way up. Hummingbird numbers are down; I think the Oriole's intimidate them (I've read Orioles will kill hummingbirds.) Evening Grosbeak numbers are down since I quit spreading seed; Black- headed numbers are up this year. I discovered they eat grape-jelly and feed on oranges-halves right along-side the Orioles. With the Rose-breasted ones, all the grosbeaks love the Safflower seed. While I have seen the occasional Stellar's and Scrub Jay here, I've never seen a Pinyon Jay at my feeders. Nor have I ever spotted a Towhee in my yard, though the Neldners have them regularly. Preditors who drop in now and then include Great Horned Owls, Red- tailed, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks and the speedy little American Kestrels; and occasionally others. I live near a river, surrounded by large cottonwoods, willows, aspen, maples and several huge evergreen trees. In my yard are several old apple trees, a couple small cherries, very old lilacs and a couple wild plumbs. In addition to unsprayed native plantings, weedy-edges and fruiting vines, bushes & trees that I have planted, I offer maybe a dozen feeders: * nectar (some ports carefully drilled to accomodate both orioles & hummingbirds); * finch-feeders (with a less expensive mix of nyger, canary seed & sunflower chips...they love it); * Sunflower seeds offered un-mixed and generally in 'large-bird/ squirrel resistant feeders' that doesn't seem to stop either large birds nor squirrels; * Safflower seeds offered in feeders for larger birds (all the grosbeaks absolutely love it) * a flat-bed feeder with shelled peanuts, unshelled peanuts and large- junk kibble for jays and magpies, orange halves and small bowls of grape jelly that tanagers, orioles and black-headed grosbeaks all eat. Sometimes I add older grapes or chopped apples. * I don't waste money on anything with milo (a filler-feed birds don't even eat) and usually don't offer mixed blends. Occasionally I add fatty, sweet cakes & donuts people donate for the feeders (cheap bread is not good for birds, ducks or humans); the fat & sugar offers quick energy. * Usually I also offer fat-worms (thin strips cut from meat- trimmings) and suet (usually home-made)...but right now the starlings will eat a whole cake a day, so it's off the menu. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >From Polly & Paul Nelder, also in La Veta, Huerfano County: This morning, while walking the dog at Lathrop State Park we saw the following: 40+ Spotted Sandpipers 2 American Pipits mixed in with the Sandpipers 1 Rock Wren Both races of Yellow-rumped Warblers Yellow Warblers American Robins Osprey American Kestral Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Western Tanagers Chipping Sparrows White-crowned Sparrows At our feeders in our yard we currently have: Red-winged Blackbirds Brown-headed Cowbirds Common Grackles Pine Siskins Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch Western Tanagers - they have never come to the feeders before this year Northern Bullock's Orioles White-crowned Sparrows Song Sparrows Lewis's Woodpecker continues to come in several times a day Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Black-chinned Hummingbirds Broad-tailed Hummingbirds Black-headed Grosbeaks Evening Grosbeaks 1 Pinyon Jay continues to come in daily Spotted Towhee House Finch I know they also have chickadees, nuthatches and cat-birds, too. She may have left off others, as well. While both our yards are very birdy...I find it interesting the different mix of birds our different yards (habitat) offer; my yard is more open, their yard has more trees & brush. Their unfenced yard is regularly visited by racoons, deer & bears, my fenced yard contains a large dog who runs off such critters. I've counted over half a dozen woodpeckers in their yard at a single time and they get as many as 40+ Pinyon Jays, but I've never seen one here....and they don't get Rosy Finches. Go figure! We both like visitors...please call first. I'm curious about plants or foods you offer birds in your yard. What do they eat; which plants do they love? I know meal-worms are great for blue-birds and warblers...but I have wayyyyyyy too many starlings that would clean-up in seconds. Beverly Jensen, 719-989-1398 La Veta, Huerfano County www.RuralChatter.blogspot.com To see the Neldner's stunning photos go to (all on one line, no spaces): http://coloradobirder.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=323pffwhqn2iy -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en
