Today I saw:

[recurve]

great article scarecrow thanks for sharing

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by scarecrowsdrm

I saw my first Red Breasted Nuthatch EVER here, too! I was blown away, had been hearing the "denk denk" call in my yard for days and wondered what the heck it was when the little guy came up to the feeder and stayed just long enough to grab a sunflower seed and dart away---and for me to get a good look at him.
According to the below link, these birds are having an "irruption" year, where they are spreading far beyond their normal ranges.


http://10000birds.com/why-are-red-br...-irrupting.htm

Yay!

...Maybe I'll be seeing them too before too long.

[scarecrowsdrm]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

Yay!

...Maybe I'll be seeing them too before too long.

I hope so, too, Dap, they are absolutely delightful little birds! Got your sunflower seed feeders up?

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by scarecrowsdrm

I hope so, too, Dap, they are absolutely delightful little birds! Got your sunflower seed feeders up?

I can tell.

Nope, not yet...but I've been putting out peanuts off and on for a couple of weeks now. ...and there were some sunflower seed heads there for a while, but they are picked clean now. I hope to grow a lot more next year, for me and for the birds.

I'm wanting to steer clear of feeders, but I'm not there yet. I'm wondering if a farmers market would still have the sunflower seed heads....I'd rather but those and put them out--they could be "disposable" (used for compost in my garden), would allow for fresh perches each time they are replaced (to cut down on possible disease transmission), and would help the local economy. Even if I plant my own, I'm thinking I should suggest it at a farmers market.

I'm late in getting seed put out, but at least the weather hasn't been bad.

[scarecrowsdrm]

Those little guys do love the sunflower seeds---they normally eat conifer seeds so I guess sunflower is a suitable substitution. The sunflower "heads" might work, at any rate lots of other birds should go for them, drawing in a possible nuthatch if there's one around...ya never know!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by scarecrowsdrm

Those little guys do love the sunflower seeds---they normally eat conifer seeds so I guess sunflower is a suitable substitution. The sunflower "heads" might work, at any rate lots of other birds should go for them, drawing in a possible nuthatch if there's one around...ya never know!

I've got the white-breasted nuthatches. They come for the sunflower, peanuts, or other nut pieces I put out...so, if the red-breasted ones are around or show up, they should come for the same stuff.

[scarecrowsdrm]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

I've got the white-breasted nuthatches. They come for the sunflower, peanuts, or other nut pieces I put out...so, if the red-breasted ones are around or show up, they should come for the same stuff.

You lucky dog! I've never seen any nuthatches on my place before now. My friend who lives south and east of me (north of Houston) has seen the white-breasteds. Since they all like conifers (I think), I am surprised to see any at all this far west---not very many conifers here in the oakland savannah/ blackland prairie, though I have maybe four mature pines on my five acres.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by scarecrowsdrm

You lucky dog! I've never seen any nuthatches on my place before now. My friend who lives south and east of me (north of Houston) has seen the white-breasteds.

I've seen the white-breasted for years--since I was a teenager at least.

Originally Posted by scarecrowsdrm

Since they all like conifers (I think), I am surprised to see any at all this far west---not very many conifers here in the oakland savannah/ blackland prairie, though I have maybe four mature pines on my five acres.

If that is the case, maybe YOU are the lucky dog!

[Rebek56]

Originally Posted by recurve

great article scarecrow thanks for sharing

Ditto--but now I'm sorry I missed last year's snowy owl irruption. They didn't get to our neighborhood (and this year we had an irruption of chipmunks!).

[linrose]

We still have only the gregarious white-breasted nuthatches here but soon the red-breasted will be here. They are fun birds to watch. We've had the red-bellied woodpeckers and the downys here for a couple of weeks which always tells me winter's coming. The goldfinches have come out of the woods and are visiting the feeders now in flocks. I haven't seen any warblers for a while but we did have a flock of cedar waxwings come through, sadly one flew into a window and perished.

We've been hearing coyotes and owls at night now, I wonder if they get more active in colder weather. Deer and turkeys are definitely gathering in groups, getting ready for the winter.