Our friends have come back

[Aggie_Ama]

The first year we owned this house (spring 2007) a barn swallow built a nest and laid a clutch on our porch. My first instinct was to run them off because they poop- a lot! But the lovely ladies of TE told me I had just found free insect control, so the birds (and lizards and frogs) have stayed. The front yard has been relatively mosquito-free. The birds abandoned the nest but we left it intact (more out of laziness). This morning I heard chirping, it was driving me crazy because I really thought a bird was somehow in our attic! But nope, she is back and she has a bunch of babies too. I don't remember her being there last spring but maybe she was? I am happy to see my old buddies but now it means I better start spraying off the poop.

[sundial]

That's neat! You know you'll have to post pictures of your mommy bird and babies. Have you named her yet? :)

[Aggie_Ama]

I got picture of the male sitting in our tree, he has gorgeous red breast but the Mommy got angry that I was there and flew to my neighbor's roof to keep and eye on me. I don't think I will be able to get the babies without angering Mommy and I don't want to do that! Once I figure out how to get pictures off my new camera I will share the snap I got of the guy and keep stalking the girl. I don't know what to name her.

[alpinerabbit]

I used to share a lab with an avid ornithologist (bird watcher); he would bring celebratory cake for the whole group every spring when "his" swallows had returned!

[Aggie_Ama]

I can't say I am that excited but I did make sure to put water in the bird bath. :p

[Trekhawk]

I used to share a lab with an avid ornithologist (bird watcher); he would bring celebratory cake for the whole group every spring when "his" swallows had returned!

What a nice thing to celebrate. Thanks for sharing your story it made me smile.

I love birds but I suck at cooking so I don't think this will ever be me. I love the fact that someone is getting so much joy from nature that they celebrate it.

[Trekhawk]

Once I figure out how to get pictures off my new camera I will share the snap I got of the guy and keep stalking the girl. I don't know what to name her.

Would love to see the snap too Aggie.:)

[salsabike]

That is so wonderful. I am a total bird lover.

[latelatebloomer]

It's always a happy day when "Mr. & Mrs. Chatterjee*" return from their summer place to raise a new family in our barn. Swallows in flight just make my heart SING.

(an Indian surname, but it always reminded me of swallow language)

[SlowButSteady]

We have purple martins and it is about time for them to return.

I''ve been expecting them any day now, but we had gobs of snow (very rare) on Sunday and a generally cold winter, so I'm wondering.

We usually see flocks of American robins starting in January and I'm just now seeing them in medium-small numbers.

Bring it on, baby, time for spring.

[sbctwin]

I remember Zen's post a couple years back of her 'babies'. I would absolulty love to have a nest of babies in my yard to talke pics of. As it is, I get to walk up to pine siskins eating me out of house and home with the never ending nyger see I have around. Please show pics if you take some...

[sundial]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/2dogcrew/killdeer.jpg

Photographed these killdeer chicks that just hatched. :)

[bmccasland]

Aggie_Ama - Good to hear your birdies came back! Considering your area has been so dry, I'm sure they appreciate the bird bath, just remember to change out the water to keep mosquitoes from breeding in it. Other birdies will appreciate it too. ;)

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks for the reminder Beth. We had a friend get West Nile interning, that was no fun and it is in Texas now. I will try to see if DH will humor us all and snap a photo of those babies. I am not a fan of ladders. And maybe tonight I can figure out this new camera and upload the male, he is quite lovely but I am not sure the picture is. :rolleyes:

[sundial]

Oh please do! I love birdies! :)

[Aggie_Ama]

Here is the boy, the girl isn't cooperating but did tweet hello today after I ran. Hmmm... He doesn't look fully red in person, just his head and chest. I haven't seen him since Friday to try to get a better snap.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/AggieAma/2009-MISC024.jpg

[sundial]

Neat! What kind of tree is that?

[Aggie_Ama]

It is an oak, I would have to ask DH the exact type. The builder planted it and I think we have live oaks? They had to use live or red and I think red oaks lose the leaves but this one doesn't. It is also only 6.5' tall but our neighbors are jealous this is the only one of our three houses with acorns. We have a total of 6 trees (2 at each house) and only this one has acorns. :cool:

[7rider]

Here is the boy, the girl isn't cooperating but did tweet hello today after I ran. Hmmm... He doesn't look fully red in person, just his head and chest. I haven't seen him since Friday to try to get a better snap.

What kind of bird is that? It's not a barn swallow. It looks like a purple (or house) finch.

[Aggie_Ama]

I actually don't know what he is, same thing as the all brown girl who has taken roost on my porch? They build a mostly mud style nest but I haven't been able to get a very good photo? My dad said it was a swallow but none of us are birders. DH has a degree in fisheries, he isn't helping much on these guys! :p

This is the only picture I have been able to get of the nest and the girl (you can't really see her).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/AggieAma/2009-MISC043-1.jpg

[mudmucker]

I've just seen this thread. I've been birding for years and I agree with 7rider it is not a barn swallow. A barn swallow will have a more orange color on the breast/throat and darker blue above - and certainly not any plumage streaking as seen in the photo. Swallows will have a more pronounced forked tail than most birds, so look for that.

I believe you have a house finch, which are quite ubiquitous and wide ranging. I have many purple finches at my feeder and they are more raspberry color with much less brown streaking than what I see in the photo. Also I believe that Texas not within the purple finch's breeding range however they may winter there.

Regardless, enjoy the new family.

[Aggie_Ama]

I think I will email my husband's stepmom and my aunt, they are birders and local but I guess finch fits his size/build. I have never seen the males before, he is pretty! I filled up the bath yesterday since I noticed it was low and dirty. I guess they are using it but I haven't seen any birds in it yet. He is probably common but he is our buddy so I like him. :) My husband's grandma has a smorgasbord of birds- hummingbirds, mockingbirds, martens, cardinals, jays. But she actually feeds them, we just let them roost.

[7rider]

Tell your DH I have a degree in Fisheries, too! No excuse! ;) A field guide is a field guide, be it birds or fish. Pick one up...a fun way to pass time. Or, check out the best one on the 'net: Cornell's All About Birds Bird Guide (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/).

Here's the house finch (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/House_Finch_dtl.html).

Here's the purple finch (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Purple_Finch.html) for comparison.

Here's the barn swallow (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow_dtl.html).

I love birds....

[Aggie_Ama]

Tell your DH I have a degree in Fisheries, too! No excuse! ;)

And he is selling plants! I have to drag him away from plants on vacation. We got back from NM and California and were looking at pictures, my mom was like "Why do you have so many pictures of plants?" :p:D

And obviously my friends are house finches. He looks just like the link you posted and the girl looks like the female.

Mudmucker- I actually live on the edge of the House and Purple finch are in central Texas but he is a scarlet color, not raspberry. The link 7 posted looks like a raspberry color too. I think I would like to put up a feeder, maybe DH would go along with it he did agree to the bath and my bird/butterfly plants.

[mudmucker]

Texas has a wonderful assortment of birds (http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/txbirds) - more than in MA. Right about now is the perfect time to be looking out for them. They'll be hanging out in their springtime breeding plumage, all bright and colorful.

I know up here in New England we all wait for the annual warbler migration. Their travel corridor is along the coast and it'll be about 3 weeks in May here in MA where they'll start to show up. Mt. Auburn Cemetery is a historic botanical cemetery in Cambridge, and happens to be one of the most popular warbler spots in the state because it is a very expansive green area along the coast. They fly at night and drop in, in the very early morning and if you're there at the right morning at 6 am there are hundreds of bright colorful warblers in trees, so many it seems like there are Christmas ornaments in the trees.

There are many places like that in Texas. Get a feeder, get a book. It's fun. You won't get warblers or other insect feeding birds at the feeder - only seed eaters but you got plenty of those too. But don't forget to look high in the trees. Your insect feeders will be hovering for food in the trees.

[Aggie_Ama]

I actually live right by the protected area where the Golden Cheek Warbler lives. There is a great hiking trail you can supposedly get a good look at them. And Bald eagles nest down the road a piece. I haven't seen either yet.

Unfortunately my house sits on what was once ranch land, it is just cleared of cedar so no tall trees. I need to get a book before I head back to Ft. Davis, they had tons of neat birds out there! And the coast is good for birding but we always go in the summer when they have left because it is so hot, never the bird months. Go figure.

[bmccasland]

Hard to tell from the photo, but I'll go with the Purple / House Finch, leaning towards the House Finch. Both have a nice song.

As for bird books - I'd recommend the Sibley guides. He's a terrific illustrator, has flight, perched, side, front poses of all birds, so it's easier to compare birds. Probably the best thing is to get to a good bookstore or nature center that has multiple bird books and compare one type to the next. There are several out there, from the classic Peterson, or Golden Guide (is it still published?), National Geographic, to the more recent Sibley, and some others. The only ones I don't really like are the ones with photographs, you just don't see everything you need to with a photo, where an artist/illustrator works to capture all the little bits. It also helps to have range maps, descriptions, and art work all on the same/facing pages. Peterson actually insisted his range maps be in the back because he wanted you to look at and listen to the bird, not concentrate on some map - long ago I heard the man talk and he answered a question about his book format.

[salsabike]

Listen up when that house finch sings. They have the MOST delightful spring songs. Here, it's a sort of long babbling twittering song that ends in a three-note trill. We love it.

[Aggie_Ama]

I have named him Clem because my Pawpaw called me Clem Kadiddlehopper and I think he would like my new buddy, he named all the birds and squirrels that came to his yard. I hope Clem will come back once the rain is gone, these birds do have a nice song.

[emily_in_nc]

I love birds too, and DH and I are very much into birdwatching. We participate in Project Feederwatch (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/) for Cornell and have been counting and observing birds in our yard for years.

We have had many clutches of bluebirds fledge from two boxes on our property. Unfortunately, some of the pairs have taken to attacking our back windows, including our master bedroom ones. They poop all over the windows and siding and wake us up every day. Some years are much worse than others. This year started out bad, and my DH finally got fed up enough that he disabled both nestboxes by opening them wide so the birds would not nest in them. :( I felt really bad about that, but we do live on acres of woods surrounded by more acres of woods, so I am sure they will find a natural cavity to nest in. But not one where we get to see the feeding and fledging as we can from one of our boxes. Sigh...nature....

P.S. Aggie, I agree with others -- I think your birdie is a House Finch.

[Aggie_Ama]

The stupid neighborhood cats are stalking Clem and his lady friend. I keep running them away because I don't want them eating my birdies. :( I had three cats on my porch this morning, I have zero cats!