Yesterday (2/14) I gifted the homeowner with about 10 lbs of jumbo white-striped sunflower seed that I was still hoarding from the grosbeaks that visited my yard last May and are expected to show up again this year. Will be curious to see if it takes a keener interest in those opposed to the black-oil seeds being offered presently. On Monday, February 14, 2022 at 8:45:17 PM UTC-7 Carol wrote:
> It’s still a couple of weeks early for the Quince to be really budding up. > When I see the bushtits getting interested in it in a couple of weeks or > so, I’ll check carefully for aphids and scaly stuff. However, last year I > was able to see actual petals in their beaks on a few occasions, so I did > decide they were after flower buds. > > > Carol Blackard > carolblackard.com > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 14, 2022, at 8:29 PM, Jennifer Powell <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > We have some shrubby wild plums that grow around our yard and every spring > I see birds, usually house finches, methodically going up and down the > stems eating early flower buds one after another. > > Jennifer Powell > > Jeffco, near Standley Lake > > > On 2/14/2022 9:27 AM, 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds wrote: > > Lateral but still birdy shift here: I’ve been watching bushtits picking > off and downing buds from our Flowering Quince bushes in March for years, > sometimes chickadees. At first I thought they might be going for insect > larvae, but I now think it’s the flower buds. > > Carol Blackard > carolblackard.com > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 14, 2022, at 9:16 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <[email protected]> wrote: > > > At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at > or near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the > pyrrhuloxia was associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time, > maybe doing the same thing. The "tree parts" are buds. Trees have two > primary types of buds: flower buds and leaf buds. At this time of year the > flower buds, which are first to open for most types of trees, swell. As > such they are nutritional sinks and a valuable source of bird food, > especially for finches, cardinals and the like. The tree shown in the pics > I've received looks like Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering > earlier and earlier in my experience. In recent years I have seen a few > elm flowers in late February, with March being the peak. It would be cool > if somebody could document the pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower > buds. Birds actively consuming large numbers of buds, which is a messy > operation, often show considerable "debris" on their beaks. Maybe one of > you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could be > determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds. A photo of the > pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with swollen dark > brown buds would be better proof. > > We all know animals are opportunists. Studying fox squirrels over the > years, I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in > which our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species > when one sees squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over > twigs. The squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely > be in a different type of tree next week. Keep track of the sequence and I > think it would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that > same set of trees weeks hence. Somehow, probably related to smell in the > case of squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite. > The pattern doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds. My thought would be > that birds are going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which > indicates a recent or on-going investment in the growing points by the > plant), and that visual assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic > acuity possessed by squirrels. > > Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are > free. Join today. > > Dave Leatherman > Fort Collins > -- > -- > 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 > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB37631387DEB357B5429B74A7C1339%40CY4PR0601MB3763.namprd06.prod.outlook.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB37631387DEB357B5429B74A7C1339%40CY4PR0601MB3763.namprd06.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > -- > 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 > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/9D0E0EEC-5472-4895-9220-99A5B244166F%40icloud.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/9D0E0EEC-5472-4895-9220-99A5B244166F%40icloud.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > -- > 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 > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/b2b974ac-5315-cb0e-17fd-5e4bde0a6e9d%40well.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/b2b974ac-5315-cb0e-17fd-5e4bde0a6e9d%40well.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- -- 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 * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/6693bc5c-0455-43d2-959a-f9e4c0db7419n%40googlegroups.com.
