dlq04

I don't recall ever seeing more than two at ours and they are fighting. We are still getting Orioles at the hummingbird feeder. We gave away the orioles feeder; they never used it.

valentine

I've been beset upon by redwing blackbirds and their skanky friends, grackles and starlings. They come in flocks of about a 100 or so and clean out all my feeders in about 30 minutes. I bought two weighted feeders that should accommodate the smaller birds and hung them out yesterday. So far so good. I think when the grackles descend the feeders will shut off. We'll see. I'm seeing constant hummingbird activity and hope the little guys are fattening themselves up for migration which should occur very soon.

MsPerky

Every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset, we get lots of black birds swooping around outside the balcony. Not sure what they are up to. Catching bugs? It looks a lot like the scenes from the movie The Birds.

valentine

I think the blackbirds are beginning their migration south and have probably stopped over for a little r & r as they head our way.

Lainey

Hummingbirds are still here, just saw one this AM, along with a white breasted nuthatch, my chickadees, and a few others.

dlq04

We bought a new style hummingbird feeder and they definitely like it better. Instead of the normal tall cylinder with flowers at the bottom, the new one is just a narrow flat dish. The selling point was it discourages bees! And, it works. Here's a picture of the style http://www.rubythroat.org/feedinghintsmain.html

dlq04

Some of you may recall we had an albino northern cardinal.



Well, it seems we now have another albino bird. But we are not entirely sure what it is. At first glance, it looks like a gold finch. Ideas?

valentine

Wow, Dave. It does appear to be an albino finch of some sort. Wonder why you keep getting albinos? Must be the water. The finch on the feeder beside the albino is a house finch, right?

dlq04

Yes, and that was our first thought on this one since they are the same size, beak, tail feathers but the other markings seem different but then the whole bird is different.

Lainey

Cool bird, Dave. Maybe a local Audubon Society can give you a positive ID on the bird? Email them a pic?

We had three chickadees at once at the feeder this AM. I love seeing those little guys before I go to work.