[cobirds] Goldfinch seed feeding behavior
Birders - I’ve noticed a change in Goldfinch (both American and Lesser) behavior over the past 6 years or so. I live in Roxborough Village, and going back 5-6 years, we had a dramatic increase in the numbers of Goldfinches. Two foot-tall mesh thistle feeders would be covered with a dozen Goldfinches each, with easily a dozen or more waiting to feed. It was normal for them to consume 1/2 to 2/3 of the seed from each feeder daily. Local populations crashed roughly 3-4 years ago, with almost no Goldfinches showing up at my feeders. Oddly, at that time, I noticed that the remaining Goldfinches had gravitated to my (shelled) sunflower seed feeders. This continued for a roughly 3 years, with only one or two Goldfinches showing up at a time. So far, this seemed normal as populations shift, and Goldfinches are known to eat sunflowers, but they were completely ignoring my thistle feeders. This year has brought more Goldfinches - as many as 10 at a time - but the unusual thing is that they ALL are eating sunflower seeds and ALL ignoring my thistle feeders. I dumped all my older seed and have completely refilled my thistle feeders twice, and have moved one to the front yard, but the Goldfinches continue to eschew my thistle feeders and in both front and back yards now exclusively eat sunflower seeds. At the same time, House Finches are also ignoring my thistle feeders. While it’s possible I’ve purchased a bad or old batch of thistle, I’d like to think that the bird supply retailer I use hasn’t received bad seed. So my question to the group is whether anyone else is seeing Goldfinches at their feeders refusing to eat thistle? Thanks! Jim Tyler -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/e95e7795-c4f8-42d5-6a96-98eedc5be7bb%40comcast.net.
Re: [cobirds] Rattlesnake catches Towhee - Douglas
I live in Roxborough Village and one day my neighbor asked me to help him relocate a rattlesnake in his backyard. His house backed up to the hogback and he had low-growing Junipers up against the fence. He went out to fill the bird feeder, located at the edge of the Junipers, and looked down to find a rattlesnake between his sandaled feet, swallowing a House Finch. The rattlesnake was safely relocated. Jim Tyler On 10/6/2021 3:02 PM, 'Hugh Kingery' via Colorado Birds wrote: During lunch today, Urling saw something snap at a ground-feeding Spotted Towhee. Several other towhees and a couple of White-crowned Sparrows perched in plum and oak bushes to see what had happened. We went over to inspect and found a large rattlesnake starting to consume a dead towhee. It rattled convincingly. In about an hour it started slithering up our lawn to the cliffs above. It measured at least three feet in length. We haven't seen this kind of action before -- a bit disconcerting when it happens right under your bird feeders. Earlier in the morning Urling heard, but didn't see, Sandhill Cranes moving south. Hugh & Urling -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/630608637.25629.1633554169864%40mail.yahoo.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/630608637.25629.1633554169864%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email_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 cobirds@googlegroups.com 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/c6448081-6a9d-d14f-4946-8c9a97af8db8%40comcast.net.
Re: [cobirds] Bird behavior in hail storm
I made the mistake once of birding in the face of an approaching cloud formation at Chatfield Reservoir. As I was walking next to the water (about 100 feet from the car and next to a line of trees), the storm front rolled over the reservoir and the electrical discharge and hail started. Birds were flying down into the shelter of the trees, including a Cooper's Hawk, watching (in amusement, I thought) as I sprinted for the car. With all the rain today in Roxborough, we watched a number of species sheltering in our lilacs, including 6 Chipping Sparrows, a Lazuli Bunting, a Mountain Chickadee, and a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird. Jim Tyler, Douglas County On 5/3/2021 12:39 AM, 'Deborah Carstensen' via Colorado Birds wrote: Wow! What an amazing thing to see! I’ve always wondered how these types of birds survive hail. I know that hail can kill larger birds like the pelicans killed at a lake in Colorado. Does anyone remember that terrible hail storm that killed so many pelicans? Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county Sent from my iPhone On May 2, 2021, at 9:34 PM, John Shenot wrote: This afternoon at my home in Fort Collins I was watching a flock of 30 or so tree swallows flying far over my back yard, several hundred feet high, when hail started falling all around me. A second or two later the swallows dove, as a group, in a straight line at full speed. Fast! When they were just 50 feet off the ground they banked hard and disappeared into a large spruce. They sheltered there until the hail stopped. John Shenot Fort Collins, CO -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en <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/ <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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com <mailto:cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAO1Urb0oA2XXheY_2Y%3D2EW%3DcY%2Bm%3DUYg-mFFHXz9Z4RJ4EDGFKA%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAO1Urb0oA2XXheY_2Y%3D2EW%3DcY%2Bm%3DUYg-mFFHXz9Z4RJ4EDGFKA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email_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 cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en <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/ <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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com <mailto:cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CBBB8445-5936-4FBE-84C5-8D1288855CC4%40aol.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CBBB8445-5936-4FBE-84C5-8D1288855CC4%40aol.com?utm_medium=email_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 cobirds@googlegroups.com 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/a84b94a6-e1c3-5435-c514-6f874da96f75%40comcast.net.
