Elk County Forum

I just watched an amazing thing.  I was sitting at the east window with my cat, watching the snow come down when a blue jay flew in to the window bird feeder.  We both sat perfectly still so as not to frighten him and watched him dig through the snow ( it had piled up to about 2 inches) to the feed.  He flung the millet around to uncover the sunflower seeds.  He would then pick up a sunflower seed, tap it sharply against the side of the feeder until he had shelled it and eat the meat.  We watched him for about a minute until Bud couldn't stand it any longer and made a movement toward the glass.  Good-bye, Blue Jay.  Now I know what the sharp tapping noise has been that I have been hearing this morning and couldn't locate.

Aren't jays amazing? Even though they're ornery, I still count them among my favorites.

I saw something interesting today as well. We have two feeders in our backyard. Beneath one was a flock (murder) of about 20 crows. In the surrounding trees of our yard and our neighbors' yards, were about another 25 or 30 waiting their turn at the feeder. As some on the ground would fly away, that many of the others would glide down to take their places. None even noticed the second feeder, about 15 feet away. It was just unusual to see so many crows, as they rarely bother with the feeders. And it was obvious they have a pecking order....talk about squabbling at the "dinner table"!! LOL

I have read that crows are intelligent birds.  I don't think I would like to be one though.  It is almost impossible to kill one.  My little brother (age 12 at that time) thought that if he could shoot one crow, the rest of the crows that were cleaning up the chicken feed would stay away.  Of course they wouldn't fly in if he were outside and if he opened the door to go out, they flew.  So he decided to shoot through the screen.  Shooting through the screen deflected the bullet, so he tried the second shot through the hole from the first shot.  He got his crow and, yes, the rest of the crows stayed away.

I was scolded by a jay this morning because I hadn't put fresh feed in the feeder.  He was sitting on the frozen over feed from yesterday and couldn't scratch it loose.  So I put more feed in on top of the frozen so he could have his breakfast.  I was considering finding the heat gun and thawing the ice but then it started snowing.  It will all still be there when it thaws.  My feeder is mounted just outside a window so I can open the window and fill it.  Bud finds this very interesting.

Hey, another story from my Mother that I had never heard before.  Cool.

Jim and I watched the birds in our backyard today.  We have four feeders.  The birds have just flocked all the feeders today.  We didn't see any blue jays, but the cardinals, male and female, just like Mother's picture were out in force.  Some of the cardinals were sitting on the feeders under the little eave staying out of the falling snow.  It was funny.  I wish I could have taken a picture, but I knew that they would fly away.

Remember to feed them tomorrow as they will need to food with so much snow on the ground.

So far, I have had blue jays, cardinals, chickadees and a variety of sparrows feeding at my feeder.   I had to hang a sheer curtain so the birds couldn't see Bud, but like all cats, he has found his way around it.  What kind of birds have you had?

The past few days we've had a jay, a few cardinals, several juncos, starlings and sparrows, and only one mourning dove (which is unusual, as there are usually at least two pairs). Also, we haven't seen the ring-necked turtle dove that spent the summer and autumn months as a regular visitor at the feeder. I haven't seen any crows in the yard since the other day when I wrote about them. Strange.

Our girls (three cats) love to watch the birds from the sunporch windows. They sit very quietly and don't disturb the birds at all. They also perched in the windows this summer and fall and watched the family of possums that visited our backyard. Neither the cats nor the possums got too excited about each other! LOL

I've had blue jays, cardinals, male and female, sparrows, maybe some finches, I'm not really sure.  It need to find my binoculars and see what they are.  I did see a red headed woodpecker flying from tree to tree.  They seem to fly different than some birds, like a torpedo.  I too have had a mourning dove, just one, or at least I just see one.

I have a question regarding hummingbird feeders.  How does one keep from attracting the wasps and bees, also?  I've also thought it would be nice to attract the hummingbirds, but I don't want the "extra visitors."    In past years, I have put out bird seed for the cardinals, finches, etc.  But I also get aggravated when the sparrows would get into the bird seed and literally kick it out on the ground by the bucketfuls and wasting so much of it.

This year, the finches seem to do lots of fighting over who gets which perch at the feeders. (like little kids squabbling).

I want to share what I saw this morning.  I was tracking a sound that sounded like a cricket and it led me to my open bedroom window.  About ten feet from the window is a climbing rose and in this rose was a family of cardinals.  Papa, Mama and almost grown son.  Son looked full grown but still had bits of fluff and was getting his red feathers.  Papa was beside him and it looked like he was kissing him or had just given him a tidbit.  Son was doing that begging thing that baby birds do and Mama was about a foot away watching them.  Papa sensed that they were being watched and he moved away a bit while son went to picking at the rose bush limbs and Mama stayed close to him.  I backed off so as not to disturb them further.  This rose bush harbors birds all winter.  Quite a few of them are cardinals.

How cool.
I love to watch nature when they are doing their "thing".
I have about 11-14 hummingbirds and I can set on the porch and they literally will be swarming under and around getting to the 2 feeders I have hanging. I have 2 more and they just flog them too. I am filling them about every 3 days.
In fact, reminds me that I have to make more "stuff" for them..

 What kind of Hummers do you have?  We only have Ruby throats here, that are very friendly to us, but are very territorial and chase each other off.  I have several feeders spaced out around the yard and they spend as much time flying back and forth to keep other families away as they do feeding.  They are eating so much now, getting ready to leave, that they are starting to look like little sausages with wings.

We have mostly ruby throat hummers also Diane. Mostly they are gone for the summer now, it is about time to clean the feeders and put them away for the year. We will see an occasional straggler and sometimes a different species that gets way off course in the migration. They are truly an amazing bird! I would love to see some of the species that are contingent to South America.

When we went to Minnesota for all the years that we did - there were so many species that came to our feeders.  The feeders that we have attach to the window with a suction cup -- and our windows in this RV are the reflective ones, so they can't see inside, and we can stand with our nose against the window pane and they don't even know we are there.  They are the most awesome little things to watch.  We had some "babies" hatch out in the tree next to our RV this year and I could hardly believe how tiny they are when they first leave the next and start to feed.  We fill the feeders twice a day - and there are a lot of them passing through.  We have deer - wild turkey, squirrels, a coyote and of course the buzzards and hawks...so Fred and I have a nature show every day.
It is wonderful !!!

I usually keep my hummer feeders going until late October. We do get stragglers and the occasional Rufus that is 'way off track.

Mama.. when did you tell me I should take them down?
I hate to take them down too early , but they stay around too long if you leave them up too don't they?

I just had a house finch at my feeder and he is still wearing his red.  I thought they lost their red during the winter.

no, Wilma, house finches keep their red year round.  House Finches and Gold Finches are sure keeping my feeders emptied.  Wild bird feeders each hold about 5# each, so don't have to fill them but every 3 or 4 days.  As for kicking feed to the ground, if you'll watch there are birds that only eat on the ground so this feeds them also.  They are facinating to watch.  I also have a "double-barrelled" feeder for the squirrels.  Holds two ears of corn. 

I have had my bird bath moved from where I couldn't see it to the climbing roses just outside my bedroom windows.  I am able to see it from the windows and have been surprised at how busy it has been.  Mostly sparrows, but this morning there was a robin taking a bath and this afternoon while I was watching, a bluebird flew in, got his drink and flew away.  I had forgotten how beautiful bluebirds are, especially when the sun is shining on them.  Also, a pair of brown thrush have taken up residence in the roses.  I think the nest is completed, as I haven't seen them flying in with anything for most of the day.  One came to get a drink while I was watching and chased the other birds away.  I would be upset about their chasing the other birds away, but there is plenty of time for everyone.

my birdbath has been a very popular gathering spot these past few weeks.  Course the wild bird feeders are up all winter, but today went down to Mark's and got a couple new hummingbird feeders.  Low and behold, looked out awhile ago and there was a ruby throat at one and an oriole on the other.  I have an oriole feeder, but they ignore it and prefer the hummingbird feeders so I just let them eat from the same table.  Love watching the birds.

I had seen in the paper that the hummers were here!  I don't have my feeders out yet.  Don't have a tree large enough to put one, so will have to figure out something else.  I love watching them. 
Myrna

I never put mine in trees.  They each have poles, some with one hook, some with two. The wild bird feeders have their own poles also.  Matter of fact, one pole has two hooks and it was welded by my daughter, and you know her.  Her name is Pam.  She made it for me while she was in college.

As I posted last year -- I have the feeders that attach to the outside of the window with a large suction cup.  It makes for some very enjoyable hummingbird watching.  I don't have ours up yet - this wind is about to blow us off the hill.  When the wind blows real hard, the feeders tip and loose all the syrup.  So will hopefully get them up this week-end.

Hey, smarties:  How high should a wren's house be hung?  I have a bird house and a little wren has been investigating like he is looking for one.  I have found the perfect spot for it but am afraid it is too high.  So, how high?

maybe whoever has Wilma's answer has one for me.  How do I trim the toenails of the orioles?  I bought two new hummingbird feeders, one without the "wasp" protectors.  I done that on purpose so the orioles would have one to eat out of. (they don't like "their" special feeder I bought.  Guess it's the wrong color.  They like red, not orange.  Anyhow, those smart-alecs have learned that they can hook their toes into that wasp protector and snap that sucker out in a matter of a split second then they just eat away.  Think I"ll super-glue it in the next time I fill it.  ::)

wilma, the birdhouse doesn't have to be high.
I had some nest in the top of a cream separator once and they hatched out 3 or 4
and I sure did enjoy them.

I had cats and all was fine until the babies started peeping for food..........afraid they got ate.

Have seen pictures of them nesting in fence posts (wood  of course) and even a glove that was left lying around.

Flo...........those are smart birds..........I had an oriole this morning  pretty, pretty. It didn't stay around, but I did get to see it.

I am planting for the hummingbirds and butterflys this year and hopefully I will get a good variety.
Try to take pictures of the Orioles.........that would be pretty special.

to answer Flo's question as to how to trim the oriole's toenails------very carefully.

Mom has a wren building a nest in the top of an old pump.
mlw

Our most successful wren houses have been 7-8 ft. off the ground and about 3ft. or so away from the main trunk, but as you all said, they usually aren't very fussy. We put several in different trees and it's funny watching the little male show off the real estate until the female chooses one.

Thanks for the info.  I will measure daughter with her arm straight up and if she can't reach the limb I will find another one.

While peering out my living room window, I was just treated to a ruby throat hummingbird feeding on my red honeysuckle, a cottontail eating dandelion stems and a pair of robins that might have been gathering food or nest materials.  There was also a butterfuly flitting about.

Judy, if you want to have some fun, and have some yarn scraps; cut them into lengths about 2 feet long and hang them where the orioles will see them. They weave them into their nests, and it's fun watching them 'shop' for the different colors. I have bought more than one garage sale bag of scraps just for that purpose. Cheap and easy fun!

Use bright colors and it will be easier to see the nests.  We did that one year and we located 3 nests.

Quote from: Wilma on May 08, 2008, 05:56:15 PM
Thanks for the info.  I will measure daughter with her arm straight up and if she can't reach the limb I will find another one.

Find another daughter or find another limb?  (wink)

Another arm.  What did you think I meant? ;D ;D ;D

You won't believe this.  I just saw a pileated woodpecker and I have a witness.  I was looking out the living room window to see if the black chinned hummingbird were still there and a pileated woodpecker flew in and landed on the old stump about 6 feet from the window.  He was interested in the fungi that the wet weather has caused on the stump.  He worked at it until Bud decided he needed to see, too.  Daughter is here and she got to the window in time to see him.  He flew up into the sycamore tree and then on to the other side of the house.

I found another arm yesterday and had my birdhouse hung in the apple tree.  I think it is too late for the wrens, though.

Here is where all my money goes! The golfinches are thick right now!

    Wilma, what a treat to see a pileated woodpecker. They are so big! We have them in the woods across from our house and once in a while we'll see them in our trees. I have some very friendly gold finches too, but not as many as SDM has. They are so pretty. Love that finch feeder.

I knew there was something missing from this forum and today I realized what it was.  Nobody is posting about the birds they are feeding.

I am feeding the usual cardinals, blue jays, chick-a-dees, sparrows.  Yesterday I saw a black and white warbler in one of the trees.  I don't think they are common around here, are they?

wilma, around these apartments we all seem to feed cats. I would love to feed the birds,
but I won't help the cats catch and eat them. 
The bushes this past summer created berries and that will have to be what the lesser birds eat
around here.

  So far I've had cardinals, titmouses, chickadees, goldfinches, bluejays and a indigo or two...just got my feeders out a couple weeks ago...had to get new ones this year :P

OK, all you bird enthusiasts, it is Feb. 3 and I was just watching three goldfinches in my bird feeder.  You know how I know they are goldfinches?  One of them had a yellow tail and smudges of yellow on it's body.  The other two just seemed to have a yellow glimmer.  Now isn't this rather early for the finches to be turning color?

That does seem early.Ours are still dull. I just checked to see how my bird seed supply is holding up. We got 3 more inches of snow last night and have another big boomer storm set to run up the east coast on Sat . My weather friend, Robb says we'll definitely get between 1- and 84 inches. Isn't that helpful? ;D

Wilma, I don't think it is too early considering all the nice spring like weather we have been having.

Eight inches of snow and freezing temperatures for a week and you call that nice spring weather?  Where are you from anyway?  Or do you mean by lately, the nice unfreezing temperatures we have had for a couple of days?

A typical Kansas early spring, enjoy it.

I am, for few more hours, anyway.

This hasn't been so bad.  The birds have been very busy.  They seem to be pairing off.  Is it earlier than usual for this?  Saw a house finch today that is turning a very pretty wine red.  Had a pair of flickers in the back yard for awhile.

When I was in Bartlesville on Tuesday, I saw a groundhog going down US75, driving a Toyota, and wearing designer sunglasses! He was looking for a dealership, but since I was from out of town, I was unable to help him! Hope he doen't take it out on me by announcing that he saw his shadow, causing six more weeks of winter!  :P :P My 'kids' are all getting cabin fever, fusses and squabbles are on the rise. I saw tomcat out on the patio playing hockey with a chunk of ice this afternoon. Poor guy, he is getting bored too. Guess I'll start some seeds.

Now that I have killed everything I guess it is time to start trying to grow something new to kill next winter.  I do have some green in my yard but I think it is all weeds.

I saw something interesting yesterday.  We have two hummingbird feeders, one in the back yard and one outside the kitchen window.  The one outside the kitchen window is placed where I can be less than two feet from the birds while they get the nectar.  I have had occasions where the birds have accidentally flown into a window and committed suicide.  Some time back, I had one hit the sliding glass door to the patio.  He was dead and his tongue was hanging out.  Now, being stupid, I always thought they just sucked the nectar up through their beak.  I was surprised they had really long tongues.  What was interesting yesterday was that I was watching about three of them at the kitchen window and I saw one actually "licking his lips" by sticking his tongue out and wiping off his beak.  I have watched these birds for years, close up and personal, and I have never seen one do that.

Did you know that in the bird world, the males are the most colorful?  You can always tell the males with the red and green feathers as opposed to the plain brown females.  One male will be at the feeder and chases others away except for the females.  It is really fun to watch them dodge and weave in flight chasing each other.

Larryj

I have counted as many as six male cardinals in my back yard at the same time.  They are beginning to squabble as well as some of the other birds.

Larry, do you have hummers the year round, and are they always the same species? We only have them in the summer, mostly ruby throats with an occasional Annas'. I am certainly no expert, but they are certainly interesting to watch. Window collisions can be reduced by hanging bird pictures or suction cup sun catcher type things. Sometimes hummers just drop dead in flight, I suppose that happens to other birds too, although they have a hyper-charged system.

With our weather, we have them all year.  Most of ours are the ruby throated type although I have seen others.  We have a swing, three-seater, in the front and sit out there a lot maybe about twenty feet from the feeder and just watch them weave and dive trying to get to the feeder.  Our feeders have perches and I have seen as many as five sitting there feeding at one time. 

Has anyone ever answered the question about dead birds?  I mean, there are millions of birds and yet you rarely see a dead one unless it was caught by a cat.  Where do they go?  With all the birds around, you would think there would be a lot more dead ones laying around.

Speaking of birds, I noticed a mockingbird nibbling at the apple tree today, but they are not singing yet.  I used to think when mockingbirds sang it was to attract mates, but I have been told that they sing to mark their territory.  Our neighbor has a huge Sago palm in the corner of his yard and there is always a mockingbird nest in there right above our apple tree.  Years ago, I heard the mockingbirds making their "clicking noise" which indicates they are upset or trying to scare a cat away.  A couple were sitting on the telephone wires in my back yard.  I went to see what all the noise was about.  There was a baby on the ground and they were scolding him.  He couldn't fly.  I pulled a lawn chair over to shield him from the sun and the parents attacked me, diving at my head.  I heard later that if a human touches a baby bird, the parents will abandon him.  I don't know how true that is.

Larryj

Parent birds will often take care of babies on the ground even if humans have touched them. Predators are a problem of course, but as you saw, some birds are very aggressive in trying to protect their babies. I had one very troublesome Mockingbird many years ago that would peck my head as I was unloading groceries from the car when the babies were near. I finally had to wear my hard hat!

Oh Diane, that is funny! Ha Ha! I can just picture it!

I don't think it is too early for the first litter.
Usually our winters are milder then this one has been
and a few of the birds produce as many as five litters a
year.
They must get a head start if that is going to happen.

Yes, lots of them die due to the spring freeze and rain, etc.
Walking home from post office this morning I watched a pair of turtle
doves cooing at each other and it was courtship.

SPRING IS COMING                  SPRING IS COMING.....................SPRING IS COMING!!!!

WE Hope!------------We Hope! LOL!

Here we are in the middle of a major crippling snowstorm and there was a robin calling in a Maple tree in my back neighbor's yard. I can't keep up trying to keep the back feeder clear for the usual birds who are frantically eating. I measured the picnic table again a few minutes ago. 20'' and still snowing hard.

I will remember not to whine when we get our 3 to 5".  My neighbors daughter in Maryland called and said the snow is up to her husbands waist now and they expect another foot.

Maryland is really in the chute for this storm. The coast here has  been hit with wind too, may have taken away a lot of the beach sand. We are finally starting to ease up a little in the last few minutes, so maybe the worst is over now.

As I sit here early this morning getting ready to make an entry to the forum, another hummer crashed into the sliding glass door about ten feet from me.   He is laying at the bottom of the slider in full view.  R.A.M.B.O. is not quite sure what happened, but is content to ignore the whole thing and stay right next to me in my chair.  Meanwhile, I  am watching the bird as I type, sort of a play-by-play thing.  Sometimes, it only takes them a few minutes to regain the composure and fly away.  I have held them in my hand while they do this.  This one seems to be more severely banged up as this happened about five minutes ago.  He did try to get on his feet, but now apparently has stopped moving.  I don't think he made it.  Sad.

Larryj

Second note:  It has been about 30 minutes or so from the time the bird hit the slider.  I just now got up to start doing some chores and grabbed some paper towels to pick the bird up and dispose of him.  I opened the slider and noticed the red plumage and thought at first it was blood, but it was feathers.  As I bent to pick him up (He is laying on his back) he rolled over and took off.  I have never seen one lay there that long without moving.  Totally amazing!!!!

Larryj

Happy ending! :)

Larry, do you know the magnetic cutouts that people put on their doors for different holidays? They make some that are birds; put some of those on your sliding doors, and that should stop birds from hurting themselves by flying into the glass.

Birds crash into my house a LOT can't figure it out............a hawk hit it last week....pretty sure he was trying to get a cat lunch tho lol. That will freak you out tho havin a big hawk hit your window!

This bird may have also hit a glass window somewhere.

Many on the forum have probably seen this photo of an Eastern Bluebird at one time or another. The photo was taken in 1979 by an electrician by the name of Michael Smith, an avid birdwatcher.

We have a "stained glass" reproduction of the  photo. The electrician has said that he does not consider this photo to be one of his best.


(http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/waldoegray/bluebird-1.jpg)

SDM, actually if I would close the screen behind the slider, that would a softer "hit."  The feeder itself is about 30 feet away and the overhang over the patio hangs out about ten feet from the slider and the edge of the roof of the overhang is only about seven feet above the ground.  Although my 6'6" son can walk under this overhang without hitting his head, he still ducks.  So, the point is:  it takes a lot for a hummingbird to leave the feeder fly straight in under the overhang and hit the door.  I don't generally close the screen since we have had R.A.M.B.O. as he might tear through it.  In the summertime, we just leave everything open just enough for him to squeeze through.  Wonder what would happen if the hummingbird came through the open door?  That would be fun!!

Larryj

Earlier this winter a sharp shined hawk hit the dining room slider and died. It was chasing a bird from our feeder and when the bird took a hard right at the slider, the hawk didn't. I finally taped strips of foil on the inside and outside of the door so the birds can see it. As they wiggle in the air they attract the birds attention. Ugly but effective....and cheap.

 I don't have a slider just a double window in the front......I think it's just they get to divin around and the currents throw em off or somethin. They generally hit the side of the house. The hawk was tryin to catch a cat and just didn't pull up soon enough :P the kitten ran for the porch LOL

Diane, you can hang CD's that you don't need anymore and they don't look bad and the birds can see them in time to not hit the window.  We hung these over our blackberries but don't know if they actually helped there or not.

Hey, I like that idea...thanks! I remember many years ago my parents hanging aluminum pie plates in the cherry trees and in the garden to keep the birds and rabbits away.I never was sure if it worked or not. They always planted extra so regardless we'd have enough.

I use a CD hung on a string that I can pull from my recliner to scare the starlings away from the bird feeder on days when their pickings are plentiful elsewhere.

Is it common for flickers to come to the bird feeder?  I have had two of them consistently lately.

I have Flickers at the feeder often when the ground is snow covered, which it has been for weeks now and we have more snow today too. I enjoy watching them poke holes in the bare ground with those long beaks looking for whatever meal they can poke up. We've got a lot of different kinds of woodpeckers at the feeders this winter. Hairy, Downy, Rosy Breasted, and the Flickers. Also both kind of Nut Hatches.
I'm beginning to know what it must be like in winter in the upper tier states.The snow doesn't go away and more keeps collecting on top. AGGH!

Once again we dodged the bullet and the snow predicted for last night missed us! Today is by far the warmest it has been all week, nearing 50 degrees. The birds are very active, and the dogs keep thinking that the weather is nicer than it really is. They go out for an extended playtime, and come back in half frozen, looking for a blankie to wrap in. Even the two cats are ready for spring, pretend fussing every time they see one another. I have new seedlings coming up each day; I need to get some more started. I also have a couple of things needing to be stored in the fridge for a period before starting. I need to get that done today. Of course, there is ironing and mending galore, ugh! I'd rather play in the dirt!  ;)

Just told Jim I didn't mind this kind of "snow" - and hope that Sunday/Monday's snow is just as nice.  :D

I want to report that SPRING IS JUST ABOUT HERE!

I went up to church this morning to put the bulletin out and as I got out of my car I saw flowers coming up.

The hyachinths (sp) and one that looks like a violet, but I think is a piece of creeping phlox. I know, I was shocked.
These flowers are protected from the north by the building...............but there are a lot of them coming up.

I knew my allergies were going crazy for a reason. the sap is a rising. LOL

Yah Judy, a lot of trees are blooming; the big maple in back has had squirrels and blackbirds in it eating the blossom all week. I started daily allergy stuff again, but I'll put up with that just to say that Spring is near! Hooray!  :D 8) 8)

Wilma, I chuckle every time I think of you yanking that string with the cd to shoo away the interlopers from your bird feeder! That is true yankee ingenuity! Lol!

There is a solution for everything.  Necessity is the mother of invention, but laziness comes in a close second.

We have just discovered something.  One of the red-bellied woodpeckers that come to my feeder is actually a ladder-back woodpecker.  The difference is where the red on the head ends.  The red-bellied's red goes all the way down to the beak, the ladder-back's red stops behind the eyes.  Also, the red-bellied has a white splotch on each wing when he is flying and is slightly larger than the ladder-back.

That makes 4 different kinds of woodpeckers that have lunch on me every day.  The flicker, the red-bellied, the ladder-back and the flashy little downy.

The birds are busy this morning, at the feeder as well as at the bird bath.

Do you get Hairy too? I can't tell them from Downy unless they are there at the same time and Hairy is bigger. Love those woodpeckers! We've got both kinds of Nuthatch with us this winter too.

I don't think I have a hairy.  The ones we see are very small for a woodpecker.

Mother, it would be so cool if you were able to get pictures.

I'd love to see some too.You take such good ones.

I was able to get one picture of the downy woodpecker this morning.  I got several of the red-bellied.  There is no red on the downy's head which indicates that it is a female.  You can see the red on the red-bellied's belly and the red on the head extends down to the beak.  I haven't seen the ladder-back this morning. 

Also, the flecks in the picture are not snow.  When you have feeding birds on one side of the glass and a salivating cat on the other side, you get specks of all kinds.  I have since cleaned it the hard way.  By opening the window about six inches, I can extend my arm out and up the length of my forearm and armed with a cleaner soaked cloth, I can clean as far as I can reach.

Nice photos.Thanks.

There is a nuthatch visiting my feeder.  Is this usual?  This is the first time I have seen one in the years that my feeder has been just outside the window.  And where are the turtle doves this year?  There aren't as many ring necked doves as usual either.

I have several turtle doves this year. This morning just at sunup they were cooing their hearts out. nuthatch ususally are here most of the winter. They are picky tho and I don't remember the seed they prefer, I can't afford to feed the special feed and with the cats around here, if I feed the birds, I feed the cats.......so Irene feeds the birds (her left-overs) and I watch and listen. Just enjoy what you have. I think the sweetest sound of spring is the birds all singing. Each one trying to outdo the other.