Common Grackle/Blackbird Update

I swear, whenever I get a ton of blackbirds I always think it'll never stop and the amount visiting the feeders will grow and grow, but I'm always wrong and they eventually stop coming. It's kind of funny. I only had all of those blackbirds that I took and posted two videos of for about a week or so, then I would just get a few every once in a while. I had one cute Red-winged Blackbird; he looked big and fluffed up, and he'd visit quite regularly after I got the big flock of grackles, but haven't seen him in a few days to a week. I still get European Starlings occasionally, sometimes one, sometimes five, but they are so, so bad at pooping anywhere and everywhere, it's ridiculous. They make Mourning Doves seem like sanitary birds (they poop everywhere a lot, too).

I did love seeing the Common Grackles again. Really a cool bird. I miss 'em...again.

House Finch Eye Disease

I've seen two or more birds (House Finches) today with the confirmed House Finch (Eye) Disease (it can affect multiple bird species, not just House Finches). Another female House Finch is closing one or both eyes at times, and looks larger than normal, like she's fluffed up, with big lump-like parts covered with feathers sticking out, like on her chest and her back. Not real sure what that is, if she has the disease, too, or not. It doesn't move too much, and while I was out putting more bird food in the feeders, she didn't move from a branch she was perched on nearby, even though I was making some noise. I was wondering if she could be deaf even. Anyway, kind of sad. I am gonna get out the 10% bleach, I guess, and do some cleaning.

We Must Not Forget the BP Oil Spill

So many birds and animals were affected by this preventable tragedy. Click here to view the photos from The Huffington Post.

A Few Days Later...

A few days after the surprise visit by a flock of Common Grackles, I got even more blackbirds. European Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds and, of course, Common Grackles. There were so many droppings, though; one of my pet peeves.

The Day After

I didn't quite know what to expect after yesterday with all of the Common Grackles at the feeder. I was just so happy and excited to see so many, or even just one, back at my feeder. I really like when they fluff and puff up at one another. I was thinking that there could be about the same amount of grackles, or was worrying that there could be even more than yesterday!!! Whoa. But, no, there weren't as many today. Maybe four or five at the feeder at one time, but usually just one at the feeder every couple of hours, and no grackles most of the time, with my main visitors being the regulars. Yesterday was cool, though. I enjoyed it.

This is the second video I shot. Unfortunately, I stopped recording not knowing they'd all fly off at the same time together about 30 seconds to a minute after recording. ::sigh:: Would like to have captured that but oh well. I just think it looks cool.

As I wrote in the first video, these birds have not visited my feeder since the summer, and I'd only see one rarely at my feeder, not a huge flock of them. It can be overwhelming to have so many; a lot of poop to clean up, and none of my more regular bird visitors can get to this particular feeder, although I have multiple ones they could use. But, yeah, it's cool and scary, all at the same time. Right now, I'm just glad they're back.

Boy, just took this less than five minutes ago and upped on YT. I haven't had this many Common Grackles since the summer. It was awesome! I had one recently, then later all of his friends showed up, I guess. I love Common Grackles!

After I shot this, which by the way my memory card got full and stopped recording, about a minute after the video stops, they all flew off at once, I'd say more than a hundred that were perched in nearby trees. Loved it!

As you can see, I have a new massive platform feeder, Muhahahahahahaha.

Found Another Dead Titmouse...

...on my front door welcome mat. I was so mad at my cat. I had to spank her butt. But then I thought that maybe it had flown into the window like the other Titmouse and died and my cat just "played" with it. I'm thinking that's what happened since I don't think my cat would be able to get most adult birds, being that they're just too fast and alert, and spend a limited amount of time on or near the ground. Still sad, though, to see a dead Titmouse.

My Latest Woodpecker Video

This is my second woodpecker video. I combined all the videos I had taken into one video. Most videos are of the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which visits my birdfeeder almost daily. I also took one video of a Downy Woodpecker in my birdfeeder, which visits occasionally. One video is of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, which is technically a woodpecker. The last video is a distant, not-so-great recording of an awesome Pileated Woodpecker. I believe it lives in or close to the neighborhood or forest. It is a beautiful woodpecker with a big, bright red head with black and white throughout. It's huge, too! The wingspan is very wide, being nearly three feet. The main call/song it makes is so cool; it makes me think of something I'd hear in a jungle. And the drumming it does sounds cool and can get a general idea of where it is when it drums and calls. That's the only way I knew something unique was nearby and eventually found it with my binoculars (it looks AWESOME close-up in binoculars), then got my camera, went outside and started recording. Unfortunately, my camera's zoom isn't very good since it's a point-and-shoot pocket camera (Canon SD 1100 IS) but I hope to soon get either a bigger camera with a good zoom, a wireless outdoor camera, or both.

Relocating Your Birdfeeders

In the beginning I had all of my birdfeeders in the front yard, but it wasn't very private, so I wanted to move some of them to the back yard and deck where it's more private. I was eventually able to do that, but not without a little time and patience. So, I wanted to make a post about how others could do the same.

You have two or three options here.

The first and most recommended option is to put food out in both the old and new location. Now, the new location might not get any "hits" on it for a while, but I think eventually the birds would discover it just flying around or foraging.

The second option would be to just take all the food to the new location and hope they find it. The only temporary problem with this option would be that the birds wouldn't know where the food is or went. I doubt you would lose your regular bird visitors, but it's a risk I didn't want to take.

The third option is a mix between the first and second options. This option is to gradually move your birdfeeders to the new location, a few yards/meters at a time, until it's at the new location.

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I did the first option, and now all of the birds come to the back first thing in the morning, not the front like they used to and not even go near the back.