From Nelli Photography
Last weekend’s beautiful find was a Northern Saw- Whet Owl. They look cute and cuddly, and whenever I see one, I fight the urge to hold it in my hands , but don’t let their looks fool you. They are fierce fighters and skillful hunters. Look what my little friend has in his claws!
I appreciate the sentiment. I like them both, so pay off that is accepting their roles to play.
It hasn’t been around all that much, but I’ve seen it a few times before. I’ve seen it maybe twice a year. It’s got about a 50% success rate to my knowledge.
I do have some coverage near the feeders and there are trees on the other side, but this one got taken out in the middle of the yard. They usually travel together and keep watch for each other, but this one took one too many risks.
We try to change up the places of our feeders regularly. Keeps the birds on their toes.
I once saw a Eurasian sparrowhawk catch one of our great spotted woodpeckers mid-flight. Incredible and superfast but still sad. Later I found the woodpecker on the other side of our house. Don’t know if the sparrowhawk got distracted or its prey was too big to carry.
I was worried it was one of my Woodpeckers at first. I have fewer of them. I’m still not totally sure who it was, as all that was left was most white belly fluff. I looked around his for flight feathers, but didn’t see any.
It can help itself to all those dang starlings that keep cleaning out all my premium bird food! 😞
I don’t mind starlings. They’re quite social. But blue tits on the other hand are bullies. Well, I feed them and the squirrels and some mice will also take their share. At least schlepping 20/25kg bags of bird food are a nice workout.
I share peanuts with the squirrels, and they also munch on what haha from the feeder.
I just have a small patio where my feeders are, and I used to stock them with sunflower seeds, but it made such a mess for me to clean up all the time from the husks. I switched to the upscale “no mess” blend, and the birds love it and the only waste in left with is from the birds themselves.
It costs too much to get gulped down by the starlings! I wouldn’t mind if they took some, but they can clean out both feeders in a day and they chase off the other birds by muscling them off the feeder.
Anyone can eat there, but they have to share!
No mess blend? Cute advertising. Keeping pet birds I have firsthand experience that birds can and will make a mess. That’s what the floor is for in their opinion 😂
But so far all birds here are quite greedy. They are up before me and sometimes when I’m running late I can feel their judgemental stares.
I’ve been really happy with it, and so have the birds. It isn’t cheap though, it’s up to $50 for 25 lbs (£40/€48 for 11.34kg) but it does usually last me from Dec-Feb which helps then through the coldest part of the year.
I go through that bag and I also use 2 blocks mealworm suet and 2 blocks woodpecker blend. The starlings destroyed the first 2 blocks in a weekend though, so the other 2 are being held in reserve for now.
I keep peanuts in the shell on hand all year to give to the jays and the squirrels when they come visit. Some of the smarter cardinals and titmice have gotten in on it too since observing the jays getting the best rewards.