Early Winter Birds

yeah, that can be a problem. i've had it happen sometimes but other years, i don't see a single one. it's mostly honey bees that i see. if you spray the feeder (and lightly spray the jelly) with olive oil vegetable spray, it'll keep the bees away. i also spray all 10 of my hummingbird feeders with it. not sure why it works but it does!
 
faithenfire said:
jelly was put out, only hornets and wasps came. :(
Click to expand...

It was ants for me. I put out an oriole feeder which is orange in color. Once they were comfortable with that, I put out the cut orange where I wanted them to come. Set up my oriole call on my ipod and they came quickly. Once they found the orange I no longer needed the call. They would pick an orange half clean in a day. Its a good idea to secure the orange so they dont knock it down or carry it off.

The jelly is a very well accepted, proven method to bring them. I just chose the orange because the oriole feeder is orange in color.
 
Speaking of feeding birds. another fun thing to do if you aspire to be a bird nird ;) LOL (I can sense all the eyes rolling) is to make your own suet cakes. Ive done this many times and its fun. You can modify ingredients to bring specific birds. Ive added freeze dried meal worms and grape jelly to attract different birds. Peanut butter, oatmeal, raisins, millet, thistle, sunflower, etc. Lots of good information on google. Most butchers will sell you raw suet. Get it ground if you can, otherwise you have to grind it yourself. Just render it (melt it down) and strain it thru some cheese cloth to separate the chunks from the liquid. While its still hot stir in all the goodies. I save all the little plastic suet trays that store bought suet comes in. That way your diy suet fits in the standard feeders. I did learn to let it cool just a little or the plastic trays melt.

Its pretty rewarding to see different birds swarming your home made suet cakes.
 
i've made my own suet for years, just like yours. the birds love it! i also make my own hummingbird nectar. i'm pretty sure many of the same birds come back year after year and bring their friends.

i have a carolina wren that builds a nest every year under the hood on my propane tank. i always check my supply and have it topped off in the spring so she won't be disturbed during nesting. they are the cutest little birds! also used to have them make nests in my hay stack. my hay barn would be full of c. wren fledglings!

two years in a row now, i have caught a glimpse of a pileated woodpecker out in the woods. i would give a kidney to see one at my feeders!!!
 
wow!!! maybe i should try hanging some suet from a tree at the edge of the woods instead of at my feeding station. gonna do that this summer and see what happens. if you hear a loud scream.... :D

don't know where you are, jay. do you get rose breasted grosbeaks? they're another favorite of mine. beautiful birds! and indigo buntings?

several years ago, we had a wicked storm go through here with a small tornado. the next day, i looked out at my feeders and saw a bird i had never seen before. i posted pics on a birding forum and was told it was a lazuli bunting. never heard of it, looked it up, and they are not native here and in fact, mine was only the 3rd documented sighting in the state of illinois. they are not normally seen east of the rockies. i sent vids and pics to the ornithologist at the chicago field museum and he validated them. he said it's possible he rode in on the storm. after i posted the pics on the forum, i had e-mails from iowa, missouri, and indiana...people wanting to come and camp out in my yard just to get a glimpse of it. it was here for 4 days and then poof, gone.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg"/></a>

and with an indigo.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg"/></a>

another lifer for me was a painted bunting at my feeders. he was here for two days and gone. i've heard there are several breeding pairs down around st. louis. would love to see another one!
 
Nina51 said:
wow!!! maybe i should try hanging some suet from a tree at the edge of the woods instead of at my feeding station. gonna do that this summer and see what happens. if you hear a loud scream.... :D

don't know where you are, jay. do you get rose breasted grosbeaks? they're another favorite of mine. beautiful birds! and indigo buntings?

several years ago, we had a wicked storm go through here with a small tornado. the next day, i looked out at my feeders and saw a bird i had never seen before. i posted pics on a birding forum and was told it was a lazuli bunting. never heard of it, looked it up, and they are not native here and in fact, mine was only the 3rd documented sighting in the state of illinois. they are not normally seen east of the rockies. i sent vids and pics to the ornithologist at the chicago field museum and he validated them. he said it's possible he rode in on the storm. after i posted the pics on the forum, i had e-mails from iowa, missouri, and indiana...people wanting to come and camp out in my yard just to get a glimpse of it. it was here for 4 days and then poof, gone.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Lazulibunting4_zpsa861db0a.jpg"/></a>

and with an indigo.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Lazulibunting3_zps50785378.jpg"/></a>

another lifer for me was a painted bunting at my feeders. he was here for two days and gone. i've heard there are several breeding pairs down around st. louis. would love to see another one!
Click to expand...

Those are indeed Lazulis Nina and I am shocked you had them out this way! Freakin wild! Nature is awesome!

I am in Central Wisconsin. And yes, I get the roses..



And the Indigo's



However, I am an Oregonian (In fact Im moving back next month) And I have photographed many Lazulis and Im pretty excited to play with those western species again.
This is from spring 2011




I dont know if youve ever seen the movie "The Big Year"? Its kinda corny but quite factual. They make reference to migratory birds riding storms. And I have seen it in a big way here in Wisco. A strong overnight storm in May and I awake to a whole new chorus outside my window!!
 
Last edited:
i just love your photos! i had a crappy little point 'n' shoot camera back then and since i didn't wanna scare the bunting away, i took pics out the window. his coloring was much more vibrant, more like what your pics show.

never saw that movie but googled it. it looks hilarious!!

do you see many bald eagles? i live about 3 miles from the illinois river and we often have them circle the farm on their way to the river. they have quite a few nesting areas not far from me. i've had one perch in a high tree branch in my back yard a few times. always breathtaking to see them!
 
Nina51 said:
do you see many bald eagles? i live about 3 miles from the illinois river and we often have them circle the farm on their way to the river. they have quite a few nesting areas not far from me. i've had one perch in a high tree branch in my back yard a few times. always breathtaking to see them!
Click to expand...

Many is an understatement. I live at the edge of the McMillan marsh. A bird/wildlife sanctuary and the flyway is right over my house. They soar overhead daily. Very abundant!!

Eagles are very high on my list of wildlife and never pass up a chance to photograph them, or even just stand and watch them....



 
Last edited:
amazing pics!!! i have one of an eagle in the tree in my back yard but i'm not posting it. looking at yours, mine looks like a drawing done by a kindergarten kid!

what a great place you have for bird watching!
 
Nina51 said:
if you have any farm supply stores near you, you can get a bluebird nest box pretty cheaply. here is the best website out there for bluebirding info...
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/nestboxes/nestboxplans.htm

this is my fancy oriole jail. it has a little plastic bowl inside that holds about 1/4 cup of jelly. oh and, believe it or not, welch's jelly is the bomb! i tried the generic stuff because it was getting expensive buying a jar of welch's every couple of days. the orioles turned their beaks up at it. i couldn't believe it! spoiled much? <a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/smilies/roflmao.gif.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/smilies/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt=" photo roflmao.gif"/></a>
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/oriolejail_zps927c251f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/oriolejail_zps927c251f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo oriolejail_zps927c251f.jpg"/></a>

the rest of my jelly feeders (i put 4 or 5 out) are just those plastic saucers that go under flower pots. i drill holes in them to let rainwater through and just hang them here and there with twine. as for the jelly getting icky, that just doesn't happen here because the birds make quick work of it. especially during nesting season, they are constantly back and forth from the feeders to the nest. i have seen them fly away with beaks full of jelly to take back to the nest. i fill all of the feeders at least 2 times/day. there are a few other birds that will eat the jelly, too...catbirds, mockingbirds, and i have even seen hummingbirds eating it. :) it's mostly orioles, though. i have seen as many as 9 baltimores at the various feeders at the same time.
Click to expand...

That is all great info, I'd actually been on that site before :) I'm going to keep the jelly in mind for the spring, and I'm going to order/pick up some boxes once I do some more shopping around :) When I'm ready to put them up and deter predators, I'll let you know!

Nina51 said:
yeah, that can be a problem. i've had it happen sometimes but other years, i don't see a single one. it's mostly honey bees that i see. if you spray the feeder (and lightly spray the jelly) with olive oil vegetable spray, it'll keep the bees away. i also spray all 10 of my hummingbird feeders with it. not sure why it works but it does!
Click to expand...

Good tip, never heard of that!

JaYbIrD1969 said:
Speaking of feeding birds. another fun thing to do if you aspire to be a bird nird ;) LOL (I can sense all the eyes rolling) is to make your own suet cakes. Ive done this many times and its fun. You can modify ingredients to bring specific birds. Ive added freeze dried meal worms and grape jelly to attract different birds. Peanut butter, oatmeal, raisins, millet, thistle, sunflower, etc. Lots of good information on google. Most butchers will sell you raw suet. Get it ground if you can, otherwise you have to grind it yourself. Just render it (melt it down) and strain it thru some cheese cloth to separate the chunks from the liquid. While its still hot stir in all the goodies. I save all the little plastic suet trays that store bought suet comes in. That way your diy suet fits in the standard feeders. I did learn to let it cool just a little or the plastic trays melt.

Its pretty rewarding to see different birds swarming your home made suet cakes.
Click to expand...

Nina51 said:
i've made my own suet for years, just like yours. the birds love it! i also make my own hummingbird nectar. i'm pretty sure many of the same birds come back year after year and bring their friends.

i have a carolina wren that builds a nest every year under the hood on my propane tank. i always check my supply and have it topped off in the spring so she won't be disturbed during nesting. they are the cutest little birds! also used to have them make nests in my hay stack. my hay barn would be full of c. wren fledglings!

two years in a row now, i have caught a glimpse of a pileated woodpecker out in the woods. i would give a kidney to see one at my feeders!!!
Click to expand...

I don't have the time to do my own suet, but I certainly have found that different birds prefer different types of suet. I've been having trouble finding suet plugs, but got some bark butter plugs that are peanut flavoured, and my Carolina wrens are nuts for it (no pun intended). They certainly like suet but I've never seen them so voracious as they are for this stuff.

Carolina wrens are one of my favorites... I went out this morning to fill my feeders, it was -22 C (-8f), and I had a Carolina wren in the tree in my backyard singing away! Tough little things, and very curious.

Some nice bunting shots you both have Nina and Jaybird, pretty certain there will be some indigos around my place in the spring. We are about a km away from the river as the crow flies, have seen one bald eagle fly over since moving. They are pretty much a dime a dozen around these parts nowadays, hard to believe the comeback they have made!
 
JaYbIrD1969 said:
Post it Nina! Its not about a great photo. Its about a beautiful animal ;)
Click to expand...

ok but i told ya so! LOL
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/baldeagle22402_zps4ba00854.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/baldeagle22402_zps4ba00854.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo baldeagle22402_zps4ba00854.jpg"/></a>

that ^ was back in the day of rudimentary digital cameras that were sucky and more expensive than a year's worth of raw dog food!

jroovers said:
When I'm ready to put them up and deter predators, I'll let you know!
Click to expand...

okie dokie!

the indigo buntings started coming probably 10ish years ago. the first couple of years, they only stayed a few days and then moved on. as years went by, they started staying longer and for the past several, they have been here all summer and i often see them feeding fledglings.

when i had horses, i had a barn full of hay bales. one year, i could not, for the life of me, figure out what all the holes were in the sides of the bales. that same year, my hay barn was full of c. wren fledglings, they were perched all over the rafters. finally figured out, the holes were actually c. wren nests. :)
 
LOL. Its...... GOOD! LOL But seriously, I really like the network of branches in the setting! It makes the photo. I am really big on the environment I like to shoot birds in. I will walk long distances to get something specific.

Heres an example. This White Tailed Kite was hanging out here and the mountain was way over to the left. I hiked a huge loop that brought me to a vantage point that I wanted. I was very lucky the bird didnt bail.

 
Nina51 said:
i just love your photos! i had a crappy little point 'n' shoot camera back then and since i didn't wanna scare the bunting away, i took pics out the window. his coloring was much more vibrant, more like what your pics show.

never saw that movie but googled it. it looks hilarious!!

do you see many bald eagles? i live about 3 miles from the illinois river and we often have them circle the farm on their way to the river. they have quite a few nesting areas not far from me. i've had one perch in a high tree branch in my back yard a few times. always breathtaking to see them!
Click to expand...

lol, bald eagles. i spent time in college in stevens point, wi. saw them all the time. the locals/townies didn't even bother looking up when one was in flight and thought them more akin to flying rats.

i however nearly had the poo scared of me. i was in my dorm and there was a squirrell on my window sill. i gave him some peanut butter. then i turned back to my computer and then suddenly the sunlight went away. like an unexpected eclipse. and i turned to see a bald eagle snatch up the squirrell and fly away
 
faithenfire said:
lol, bald eagles. i spent time in college in stevens point, wi. saw them all the time. the locals/townies didn't even bother looking up when one was in flight and thought them more akin to flying rats.

i however nearly had the poo scared of me. i was in my dorm and there was a squirrell on my window sill. i gave him some peanut butter. then i turned back to my computer and then suddenly the sunlight went away. like an unexpected eclipse. and i turned to see a bald eagle snatch up the squirrell and fly away
Click to expand...

I wish the bald eagles around here ate the damn squirrels!!!!

Stevens Point! I live in Marshfield :)
 
it was a lovely area.

it was very scary. you don't realize how big they are until they are less than a foot away from you. i was very very glad my window had a screen, lest i ended up with a squirrell/bird party unexpectedly in my room
 
Very nice Jordan. Your image quality is incredible. I love the little yellow accents on the siskin. Love the background color on the cardinal. Makes him really POP. And the red belly in the snow is just fantastic! I like the redbellies and have spent a lot of time chasing them. I love their chatter.
 
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