Backyard critters

[HalfSmokes]

It crossed my mind but that might piss off the townhouse owners behind me. 

pellet gun works just as well with less felony (maybe, depending)

[mitlen]

I'd love to go down there with my 70–300 mm lens and a monopod, but it strikes me as a dumb idea because I have no way of knowing whether the bird would still be there!

Sounds like s/he has pretty much taken up residence in the Farragut Square area...probably pretty easy to find, just look for a crowd.  Lots of lemmings on K street.

You may wanna hold up on that trip.

http://wtop.com/109/3552897/Snowy-owl-hit-by-bus-in-DC-taken-to-National-Zoo

[skippy1999]

You may wanna hold up on that trip.

http://wtop.com/109/3552897/Snowy-owl-hit-by-bus-in-DC-taken-to-National-Zoo

Oh man that makes me so sad

[HalfSmokes]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/snowy-owl-hit-by-bus-in-downtown-dc/2014/01/30/05945616-89c2-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html?hpid=z1

Owl got hit by a bus

[GburgNatsFan]

You're as bad as my wife. Swear to God, we spend $125 a month on seed.

I don't hate the squirrels either. They eat peanuts, mostly, then they become food for the fox, hawks, and owls. So we figure we're feeding the awesome local predators, too.

I buy Pennington Wild Bird (juncos, wrens, doves) and Ultra (nuts, etc. for cardinals and such).   I also have a suet feeder in the tree.    I don't mind the squirrels.    I feed them whole peanuts and walnut pieces.    There's one that comes up to me without hesitation.     It's the crows that I don't like around.    They're big, loud and greedy.   

With the warmer weather coming this weekend, I'll let 'em fend for themselves for a few days.    Don't wanna spoil 'em.

[mitlen]

You're as bad as my wife. Swear to God, we spend $125 a month on seed.

       What the hell's she feedin'?    Noah's Ark?   

[GburgNatsFan]

35 lbs of safflower, 35 pounds of black oil sunflower, 20 pounds of peanuts, 20 pounds of woodpecker blend, suet, and maybe 15 pounds of ground-feeder food to lure in the scratch feeders. Five feeders plus suet, plus the hummingbird feeders (which are a complete pain in the @ss, although cheap to fill).

What the hell's she feedin'?    Noah's Ark?

[mitlen]

35 lbs of safflower, 35 pounds of black oil sunflower, 20 pounds of peanuts, 20 pounds of woodpecker blend, suet, and maybe 15 pounds of ground-feeder food to lure in the scratch feeders. Five feeders plus suet, plus the hummingbird feeders (which are a complete pain in the @ss, although cheap to fill).

Holy critter feed G-man !    I have a growing maple in the common area.   I have one feeder for the birds, one suet set up.   I toss somekind of mix I concoct (stale bread/peanut bits/seed, etc.) for the scratch feeders.    I ain't got time for hummingbirds.    I figure your wife is feeding all the hummingbirds in the Mid-Atlantic.         That's a lot of feed.     I try not to feed the critters in the warmer weather (35 plus).    I leave what's there there but don't refill until the weather relapses.    Don't want the critters to become dependent and part of the 47%.

[GburgNatsFan]

We feed year round. Yeah, we're like that.

Hummingbird feeders/feed are a pain, but damn, they are fun to watch. It's especially fun when they decide to claim the seed feeders as their territory, too. Fearless (stupid-fearless) little birds. Or when they decide you are too close, and dive-bomb you.

It may have gone a little to far now in that all the flowers we plant are planned to draw in the hummingbirds. Still. It keeps my wife happy, so how bad can it be?

Holy critter feed G-man !    I have a growing maple in the common area.   I have one feeder for the birds, one suet set up.   I toss somekind of mix I concoct (stale bread/peanut bits/seed, etc.) for the scratch feeders.    I ain't got time for hummingbirds.    I figure your wife is feeding all the hummingbirds in the Mid-Atlantic.         That's a lot of feed.     I try not to feed the critters in the warmer weather (35 plus).    I leave what's there there but don't refill until the weather relapses.    Don't want the critters to become dependent and part of the 47%.

[1995hoo]

35 lbs of safflower, 35 pounds of black oil sunflower, 20 pounds of peanuts, 20 pounds of woodpecker blend, suet, and maybe 15 pounds of ground-feeder food to lure in the scratch feeders. Five feeders plus suet, plus the hummingbird feeders (which are a complete pain in the @ss, although cheap to fill).

Where do you buy all that?

[GburgNatsFan]

We have a local pet store (Pet Valu) where we buy peanuts and sunflower seed. Otherwise, Wild Birds Unlimited in Frederick when we are out there every other month or so. WBU is cheap for safflower, and fair for the woodpecker blend, but expensive for the others.

I should mention we live on an acre and a half of trees, so this isn't as crazy-concentrated as it sounds.

Where do you buy all that?

[Nathan]

I buy Pennington Wild Bird (juncos, wrens, doves) and Ultra (nuts, etc. for cardinals and such).   I also have a suet feeder in the tree.    I don't mind the squirrels.    I feed them whole peanuts and walnut pieces.    There's one that comes up to me without hesitation.     It's the crows that I don't like around.    They're big, loud and greedy.   

With the warmer weather coming this weekend, I'll let 'em fend for themselves for a few days.    Don't wanna spoil 'em.

You just don't like corvids because you hate the Ravens

[mitlen]

You just don't like corvids because you hate the Ravens

 

I was curious what they called a flock of crows.    So, I googled it.    They're a "murder" of crows.    How ironic is that?   

[mitlen]

I should mention we live on an acre and a half of trees, so this isn't as crazy-concentrated as it sounds.

Uh, yes it is.   

[1995hoo]

I was curious what they called a flock of crows.    So, I googled it.    They're a "murder" of crows.    How ironic is that?   

So if you're counting crows and you only see a single one, is it a murder of one?

[GburgNatsFan]

Shrug. It's how we roll.

Uh, yes it is.   

[mitlen]

So if you're counting crows and you only see a single one, is it a murder of one? (Image removed from quote.)

If it's Ravens, it's called "obstruction of justice".   

[mitlen]

Shrug. It's how we roll.

I'm just jealous I don't have an acre and a half.        Do you have deer "issues"?

[Terpfan76]

It crossed my mind but that might piss off the townhouse owners behind me. 

Depends on how far away they are. Subsonic rounds are no louder than a pellet gun and much more accurate. I was amazed at how quiet they were.

[mitlen]

Depends on how far away they are. Subsonic rounds are no louder than a pellet gun and much more accurate. I was amazed at how quiet they were.

I could wait 'til they go to work.    I was thinking claymores.   That way, I could direct the blast into the open space.

[Terpfan76]

I could wait 'til they go to work.    I was thinking claymores.   That way, I could direct the blast into the open space.

this end towards enemy

[mitlen]

this end towards enemy

Yep, that's it.   

[GburgNatsFan]

I know this is gonna get a bad reaction, but crows are great birds. During the season, you'll see three of them together, a mating pair, and a adolescent. Sort of a crow au pair. They recognize human faces, and they pass that recognition through generations. Smart-ass birds. America's largest song bird. When they aren't making that annoying caw noise, the make a nice warbly sound. (I know, I know, all the better to identify them by and blast them off the face of the earth.)


And West Nile virus is wiping them all out anyway.

[mitlen]

I know this is gonna get a bad reaction, but crows are great birds. During the season, you'll see three of them together, a mating pair, and a adolescent. Sort of a crow au pair. They recognize human faces, and they pass that recognition through generations. Smart-ass birds. America's largest song bird. When they aren't making that annoying caw noise, the make a nice warbly sound. (I know, I know, all the better to identify them by and blast them off the face of the earth.)

Naw, for me it's they're so big and bossy.    I like to see the little critters get in on the action.    I have no issue with any of nature's critters  ...  including people.   

[Kevrock]

What kind of heated birdbath do you have?    I've been thinking about getting one.    Nothing too big or fancy (townhouse yard and common area behind the house) but I wanna keep the critters hydrated.

No idea. This was a hand-me-down so I'd have to ask. A minute of Googling did not yield fruit.