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[scotia]

They've taken over the bird feeder in the back.  See if I fill that one again!  I also put water out; the crows took over the backyard bird bath but seem to be leaving alone the bowl of water I have out in the front yard.  Any hints for getting rid of <cue scary music> big, angry, stupid crows?

I have a couple of feeders that are enclosed in a larger mesh structure that allows little birds in but not the big ones (in my last house I had a lot of problems with magpies taking all the food, but after several years they still could not figure out how to get at the contents of the small bird feeders - though maybe I just had particularly stupid magpies).

As for The Birds, well, after the crows began hogging the front yard feeder yesterday, I began hearing a tapping on one of the outside walls (perhaps a wooden door to the garage?); it wasn't a woodpecker kind of tapping.  I swear the crows were trying to get into my house, and visions of Janet Leigh dominated for a while...

These same magpies used to make a good job of ripping the roofing stuff off my shed - I was baffled by all the bits of roofing I found on the ground, even in good weather, until I saw them one day when I was working in a newly rebuilt part of the house: they were perched there and ripping the stuff off and then flinging it on the ground for no good reason I could see (there was absolutely no food value in the roof felt or the wood underneath, and no critturs to feed off).

[southerntransplant]

I like mockingbirds. I think their protective sense and fearlessness is just cool. Our cat used to get pecked on the head all the time by mockingbirds when he traveled too close to their nest. It was amazing to see.

I've even gotten rushed by them, just turning a corner around a hedge that happened to contain their nest. It was the damndest thing.

[anthroid]

Southerntransplant, apparently the neighborhood here is lousy with mockingbirds.  I'm looking forward to seeing them.  Do they sound like James Taylor and Carly Simon?  (That may be an obscure reference to the younger forumites...)

Scotia, thanks!  I may look into that.  However, Barred Owl, demonstrating the wisdom of, well, an owl, is correct.  No crows around today.  And I have a thistle sock as well, and when I came home today, clinging to said sock was:  a goldfinch!  Yea!

And, Scotia, my experience of magpies, while not exhaustive, matches yours.  They are truly obnoxious birds.  If crows are the bullies of the bird world, magpies are the juvenile deliquents.  I can just imagine them, tossing the roofing stuff around, with a Silk Cut hanging from their beaks, smoke curling around their rotten little heads.

[scotia]

And, Scotia, my experience of magpies, while not exhaustive, matches yours.  They are truly obnoxious birds.  If crows are the bullies of the bird world, magpies are the juvenile deliquents.  I can just imagine them, tossing the roofing stuff around, with a Silk Cut hanging from their beaks, smoke curling around their rotten little heads.

This is a fabulous image - here they would also be wearing beanie hats and be clutching a bottle of something obnoxiously sweet and alcoholic (one of my ex-neighbors did once put bread and raisins laced with rum out at Christmas. The magpies were particularly raucous that day).

A couple of days ago I saw my first skein of geese heading south - I guess Fall is on the way.

[norvell]

A couple of years ago I was on a long run and decided on a whim to leave my clothes on a rock for a swim in a creek a good mile or two from any paved road. After about 15 minutes a wood duck drake flew right overhead and landed 30 or so yards away. It was the first (and to date only) time I'd seen one in the wild. It was a good show.

Almost as good as the show my naked white bum inadvertently gave the kayakers coming through a few minutes later.

[anthroid]

Of course, loons are the coolest birds in the entire world...and cormorants are the scourge of the earth.  At least they are in Georgian Bay, Ontario....

[systeme_d_]

Okay <deep breath>, here goes.

My name is Système_D, and I am a recovering bird hater.  For many years, I hated being woken up at odd early morning hours by screaming birds.  I resented these squawking sleep-molesters so much that on many occasions, I actually wished I had a BB gun, or even some explosives. 

A few years ago, I decided to put a thoughtful, non-violent plan into action.  I decided to learn a bit about birds so as not to hate them as much.  I am learning to identify them by their calls, their markings, and even in some cases, their behavior.  I am slowly making sense of taxonomies.

Recently, I discovered this website, and a few others.  I now have a calendar with pictures of hummingbirds in my office.  Slowly, I am learning not to hate.

[asa_phelps]

Cool Thread!  

I haven't noticed any fall migrants yet here in Middle America.  However, while "back east" this past summer spouse and I visited Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania and had an up close and personal flyby from a resident Redtail.  She was the only hawk we say all day (Early August isn't a good time.) but was less than 15 feet over our heads and even looped around once as if to check us out.

Hawk Mountain was also the location of our first date back in the last century.  We have to go back every couple of years.  It somehow helps to keep us grounded and appreciative of each other.

[asa_phelps]

Cool Thread!  

I haven't noticed any fall migrants yet here in Middle America.  However, while "back east" this past summer spouse and I visited Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania and had an up close and personal flyby from a resident Redtail.  She was the only hawk we say all day (Early August isn't a good time.) but was less than 15 feet over our heads and even looped around once as if to check us out.

Hawk Mountain was also the location of our first date back in the last century.  We have to go back every couple of years.  It somehow helps to keep us grounded and appreciative of each other.

RIGHT NOW I'm listening to a couple Barred Owls calling to each other outside my window.  "Who Cooks for You, Who Cooks for you all."

[thundering_m]

Okay <deep breath>, here goes.

My name is Système_D, and I am a recovering bird hater.  For many years, I hated being woken up at odd early morning hours by screaming birds.  I resented these squawking sleep-molesters so much that on many occasions, I actually wished I had a BB gun, or even some explosives.  

A few years ago, I decided to put a thoughtful, non-violent plan into action.  I decided to learn a bit about birds so as not to hate them as much.  I am learning to identify them by their calls, their markings, and even in some cases, their behavior.  I am slowly making sense of taxonomies.

Recently, I discovered this website, and a few others.  I now have a calendar with pictures of hummingbirds in my office.  Slowly, I am learning not to hate.

Now I have an image of System_D as the dad of the bride (and bane of Shirley McLain) in Steel Magnolias.

[systeme_d_]

Now I have an image of System_D as the dad of the bride (and bane of Shirley McLain) in Steel Magnolias.

Hilarious!  I always liked Ouiser, though.

[msparticularity]

Lovely thread--thanks!

My Very First Bird (officially, on my list) was the black oystercatcher that I saw when MrP and I went on our honeymoon with our brand-new binoculars that my parents bought us as a wedding gift.

Several birds later, we have now moved to the Midwest and need a new bird book! We have a pair of cardinals that live in our back yard (my mother is SO jealous because she can hear the male sometimes when we're talking on the phone). We get great blue herons all the time on the nearby lake, and I saw my first indigo bunting when I was out walking a couple of weeks ago. Way cool!

[pollinate]

There was a male Ruby-throad Hummer on the feeder this morning.  They should start migrating sometime about now, so I'm not sure if he was 'mine' from the summer or just travelling through.

[barred_owl]

Excellent!  I love those little guys (and gals).  I have a neat picture of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird taking a bath during a downpour at our site in Costa Rica--it looked like he was just having fun!  (There are lots of different hummingbird species in CR, too!)

[johnr]

Of course, loons are the coolest birds in the entire world...and cormorants are the scourge of the earth.  At least they are in Georgian Bay, Ontario....

Hey, give the poor cormorant a break. Here's how to have fun with them: 

Whenever you see one, pretend like you're French; really, really French.  Then, with the thickest French accent that you can muster, say, "Ahhh, zere is zee cormorAUUUUN, mon cher, she flies so nize, no?".  You can think up lots of other fake French stuff to say about the bird, but cormorant is definitely one of the most fun fake French words to say.