Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2003 00:52:36 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frank Powers Subject: Re: Feeder Watching on a Rainy Day MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Also have seen lots of fledgling feeding in our backyard. At least 2 Carolina Chickadees doing wing-flutter & getting fed by parents, then slipping & sliding awkwardly around the feeders trying to figure it out for themselves. Lots of Common Grackles getting fed, too (parent would fly to the peanut feeder, get something and rush over to the fledgling & feed it. Had a Pileated Woodpecker, male, come to the suet feeder, fill up his beak, then take off. Didn't know if he was just hungry, or was feeding someone else. But have had to re-fill it much sooner than usual. Also a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the feeder. First one any of us had seen in days. Clean white belly, too. Thanks for the tip about what that could mean (not breeding yet)...hadn't put that together! Birding in the rain, Frank Powers Glen Echo, MD frankpowers@comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: Les Eastman To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Date: Saturday, June 07, 2003 8:07 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Feeder Watching on a Rainy Day > "You can observe a lot by watching." - Yogi Berra > > And it really helps if your home is in your atlas area. > >About 4 o'clock this afternoon, I decided to sit in my gazebo and do a >little feeder watching in the rain. I was mainly interested in the >hummingbirds but I quickly realized that the best action was at the suet >feeder. A Red-bellied Woodpecker made several trips to the suet and each >time flew off with a beak full. (Breeding confirmation #1.) About the >same time, a White-breasted Nuthatch flew in and I could hear begging in >the woods behind me. The parents made trips back and forth as fast as >they could. I did manage to find one of the babies through the leaves >although I could hear 2 begging. After about 5 minutes of this, the >begging ceased but the parents still made regular (though not as >frequent) trips back and forth for at least the next hour. (Breeding >confirmation #2.) About a half hour after that started, a male Downy >Woodpecker came in and flew off with a beak full of suet. He also made >several trips. I have already confirmed breeding for Downy Woodpecker >last year when a male Downy brought his youngster to the suet feeder. > >The cherries on my trees are starting to turn red. Unfortunately, it >looks like the peak for those will be this week while I am at work. In >the past I have sat near the trees and watched a dozen or more species >come in and fly off with cherries for their kids. > >At the hummingbird feeders, I think I had at least 4 different birds - 2 >males and 2 females. The females do not appear to be breeding yet since >their bellies where still pristine white and did not show any nesting >marks. In other areas in this atlas block so far this year I have found >2 female hummingbirds building nests. > >Les > >=========== >Les Eastman >mailto:les@birdtreks.com >Havre de Grace, MD >Visit the Harford Bird Club Web Page at http://www.harfordbirdclub.org > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================