Our feathered friends, birdbrains, and wingnuts

[littleoc]

What's in that Harrison's food?

A high potency bird food that gets them all the vitamins they need! Tastes like seeds and works great mixed with organic palm oil for some extra vitamin A :)

 

[Changing4Best]

When we drive through the valley and mountains and fields surround us, I look for birds. I saw something like 2 dozen carrion birds souring way up high in the sky, looking, I presume, for some supper. My friend thought they were vultures, but I don't think so. Just not sure what kind of birds they are. I have to ask around. I see them everywhere here. If I were still in Florida, I would know they are Osprey, but here, in this area, I am not familiar yet with 100% of our birds. They are majestic and beautiful though!

 

[Changing4Best]

My fellow bird loving friend thinks the birds that soar high up in the sky here are falcons. I think that makes sense. I just love watching them circle and soar and swoop....

 

[Changing4Best]

This is a painting I did of some of them. There were more than this, but you get the idea. This painting is called

"3 Falcons"

 

[gealach]

I was away from the forum for a while...

@Changing4Best what a beautiful painting, you're very talented.


Cicero suddenly learned how to say peek-a-boo. Very suddenly. Just one night a couple of weeks ago he was being his normal noisy squawky self, and it was CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP peek-a-boo peek-a-boo peek-a-boo hi peek-a-boo peek-a-boo! ? shocked!!!! he's so cute.

 

[Changing4Best]

Glad you like the painting. I will be doing more of them as time permits and inspiration hits.

My blue jays this morning were very restless and noisy. They were flying back and forth between the trees and they sounded like they were cussing! LOL... I don't blame them though, because we are in the path of the hurricane (western NC) and well, they can feel it, even though it is not here yet, I am sure. I CAN FEEL IT! Yet it looks so harmless out there, sunny, balmy, slight breezes... who could guess what we are in for, but they know. I am sure they were talking to one another about it. My gut instincts told me so!

 

[Changing4Best]

I tried to post a link, but it had ads in it, so I deleted it. It was neat though. It had humming birds in it!

 

[Changing4Best]

Ever notice that birds like to line up on our power lines and sit there together, rather than in the trees? I saw a bunch of starlings doing that today, probably sunning themselves. They were yacking among themselves, not aware of what it coming our way at all: Florence. There were trees all around them! Nope. They preferred the power lines.

 

[littleoc]

Awwww, well I hope Florence doesn’t hurt that power line

Haha, but seriously, I’ve heard from an ornithologist I studied under one time (he was very bird-smart but I haven’t looked this up personally) that birds like the warmth of the wires.

I’ve also heard that some animals can see the ultraviolet arches that come off of power lines, and birds might be one of them! Don’t quote me though, I feel like that would terrify a bird but I’m not sure

 

[Changing4Best]

Speaking of Florence, I do wonder how birds survive in the 125 miles an hour winds of a hurricane? Florence has thankfully been downgraded to a TS, but if that had not occurred, seriously.... do they hide out somewhere or what?

 

[littleoc]

....that is a great question!



Edit: I looked it up and found two really interesting articles!
How do birds survive storms and other harsh weather?

How Do Hurricanes Affect Birds?

Looks like many of them just fly away, sort of

I wonder if that’s why my cockatiel gets excited during storms?

 

[Changing4Best]

Thanks for researching that, @littleoc that was interesting reading.

As to our winged friends, today I have butterflies on my mind. They seem so delicate, I wonder how they survive the rains that are about to arrive here. I do see a few of them injured on the ground occasionally, but far more often I see them fluttering with the breeze and enjoying what seems to be the good life. I always love seeing them! We get yellow ones here a lot, also ones that are a deep indigo/ blue black. When you see them in the distance they look black, but when I see them close up, I can see the irridescent blue in their wings. Then of course, there are the monarchs. Stunningly beautiful. I never tire of seeing any of them, the more the better!