Look What I Found

Discussion in 'Photos & Video' started by Von Jones, May 1, 2016.

  1. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Outside in my backyard trimming honeysuckle bushes and found this nest. My grandson said, "What if there are eggs in it?" And sure enough, two very small brown speckled eggs were there. I was like a little kid and ran in the house to show Johnny. He said, "Those birds are going to come after you, Von." Well, I gently put it back almost where I found it.

    Shortly after sitting outside I kept hearing a bird chirping repeatedly the same sound. I look around and saw a female cardinal. Uh oh...I'm being told on.

    Here are a couple of photos.
     

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  2. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    @Von Jones I love this! :) A few years ago my husband and I were sitting on our front porch and watching a male and female Cardinal who were really acting strange. Their "baby" had fallen out of the nest or wasn't quite ready to fly so the baby was stuck on the ground and couldn't get back in the nest...and its parents were trying to protect it by keeping "enemy" birds, etc. away from the baby. We finally understood that something was wrong here and checked out the area around the tree they seemed to be protecting...and found their baby who was "cheeping" his head off. I took a picture of him and we looked for the nest in the Crepe Myrtle tree....and when we located it my husband got our step ladder out and "gently" lifted the baby back into the branch right below it's nest and it climbed back into the nest from there. The parent Cardinals stopped their frenzy and once we got away from the nest...they took back over. The next year those same Cardinals came and built a nest in the tree right next to our porch...just like they trusted us to help them if there was a problem again. Cardinals are the only birds we have fed so far that act so human to us. :)
    396048_3333265250941_825849611_n.jpg
     
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  3. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    I always have birds' nest perched in some of the weirdest places usually a robin's nest. It became annoying once when bird poop covered one area of my front porch. After the nest was emptied I'd clean that particular spot and place something there that would prevent birds from building another nest but they would just build a nest around it.

    I've watched mom and pop as they would take turns sitting on the nest; seen the hatchlings as they were being fed; and eventually taking their first flight. Each time it always amazes me as I watch their life cycle.
     
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  4. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    It's such a beautiful thing watching life happening right before your eyes, whether it's a human life or the birds, etc. Cardinals are definitely a favorite of mine to watch. Even though I can't be positive the same Cardinal Mr. and Mrs. have been coming back for the pst few years...it sures seems that way and it also seems they go out of their way to let us know it is them. This year even though their nest was further away they come to the feeders all the time and Mr. Cardinal almost comes to our door to let us know he is there. :) He actually looks for us and we talk to him and he looks straight at us while we are doing that. There is so much "humanness" in them that I am just amazed at them. Even their parenting of their babies is loving and protective while still helping them to "fly" on their own. We have lots of birds that come to our feeders...but none behave as humanly as the Cardinals do. This is especially meaningful because my Mom loved Cardinals and their interaction with us reminds us that her spirit lives on even in this. :)
     
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  5. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    According to the National Audubon Society, cardinals occupy the same territory year round, rather than migrating. They may wander more in the winter looking for food, but they are not migratory.
     
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  6. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Well thank you for that info Ken. Since we moved from the front cottage to the back with the big yard I believed that our Mr. and Mrs Cardinal moved back with us...and with your info... I am even more sure of this now. :)
     
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  7. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    Great pictures! I love seeing the birds. Back at my 2nd floor apartment several years ago, i had a family of birds that built a nest on my balcony. I'm not sure what type of birds they were. I know a little more now than I did then, but still don't know what they were. I haven't had any build nests at this house, probably because there are so many trees in the area. Last year, I was with a neighbor and saw a nest had fallen or been knocked out of one of their trees. I believe it was a mockingbird nest. The eggs were really pretty. One broke in the fall, but there were others that survived. eggs mockingbird.jpg

    Cardinals are my favorite birds. We had a lot of them back home, and also have an abundance down here, so they're always a reminder of home, and my mom and I discuss and compare our cardinal couples quite a bit.
     
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  8. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina Isobe Veteran Member
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    Like Diane at our other apt. we lived in a pair of zebra doves made a nest at our 2nd floor apt by our cable outlet box outside the front of our apt. They nested and had one chick to care for. They were a sight to see daily as they brought up their chick together. Now at our new apt., I have a little container for water for the little birds who wants fresh water. One day as I was in my little backyard a little zebra dove came by to the water holder, tipped it and looked at me as if to say refill please and flew just 5 yards away and waited! That was so sweet, so I refilled it right away with fresh water for the little birds to enjoy! It's so nice to see these wild things so friendly and have very human like qualities!
     
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  9. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Birds are amazingly smart sometimes, and they are a lot of fun to watch. We have a feeder and birdbath out in the front yard, and it is enjoyable to see them fluttering around in the water and taking their little baths.
    Mostly we have cardinals, and the Carolina wrens, but we also have a family of mourning doves that wander around in the yard, too. Besides the bird feeder, we also put out scraps of old bread for the birds and squirrels to eat and we often see small flocks of birds in the yard.

    The Carolina wrens are the ones usually making the most noise, with their little chirps that they repeat 4-5 times in a row, over and over. When we lived out in the country , the wrens would fly right into our trailer house. They came in the bathroom window, and across the hall and out the back door, which was open in nice weather. Now and then, one would fly down the hall and into the living room, so then we had to help him find his way back out again.
     
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  10. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    I'm not putting out bird seed for a bit, because the family of squirrels needs to move on. I think they've been in the attic, or under the eaves, and hog the balcony and feeder. I'm sure the cardinals and other birds will come back when I start re-feeding once the squirrel family has moved on. I know I'll still have squirrels visiting occasionally, but I'm tired of having 5+ of them monopolizing the balcony. My cats tried to follow them before when they jumped off the balcony into the pecan tree, and I don't want a repeat of that. Hopefully they'll move across the street, plus she puts out peanuts in addition to seeds :p.

    When I got to the surgery center the other day, I felt I would be in good hands because they had a bowl of water and another bowl of cat food out front. A stray cat sat grooming herself nearby, and as I sat there filling out the paperwork, I watched a flock of grackles descend and begin eating and drinking. There was also an absolutely gorgeous magnolia tree across the street, in full bloom. I wish I'd had my camera with me.
     
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  11. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    passion flower.jpg
    Happy Mother's Day, Y'all. These grow down at the beach. I would like to grow some, but don't want to steal them from the beach, so I'll have to see if I can get some seeds one of these days.
     
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  12. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Thank you @Diane Lane and the same to you.

    I experienced a sad moment when I found the bird's nest in shreds and the eggs broken. I blame the baby squirrels that I mentioned in another thread. They were running rampant in the backyard this morning which is what drew me outside. Some of the buds on my irises were missing and you could see where they were 'rampaching' in one of my flowers beds. Ugggh! :(
     
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  13. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Squirrels are just little pests sometimes, for all the fact that they are such cuties ! We still have them digging around in the planters, and I have no idea what they want, or are finding in there; but the poor petunias were turned upside down.
    The dug up a corner of the conainer where the mustard plants are growing, but i doubt that they ate any of the mustard greens, the other ones weren't bothered. I guess they just like to root things up maybe.

    I like the passionflower, too, @Diane Lane . One house where we lived there were some of them growing out back, and they finally got the passionfruit; but it never turned color, or seemed to get ripe.
    If it is growing near you then you should be able to get some of the fruit this fall and save seeds from that to sart some of your own.
    I haven't seen any growing anywhere near where we live now; but if I did, then I would try growing some again.
    It is such a pretty and unusual blossom, and the fruit is supposed to be good, too.
     
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    Last edited: May 8, 2016
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  14. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    So far, I haven't noticed mine taking anything from our garden, but they make a mess adding stuff to it. Some of the peanuts that I give them at the feeder on our balcony, they eat. Others, they carry away, and some of these are buried in my gardens. I found a few peanuts when I planted my lingonberries this spring. Red squirrels usually remember where they put the stuff they hoarde, but Eastern Gray squirrels forget where they put their stuff. It could well be that when they are digging in your garden, they're looking for something they put there.
     
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    Last edited: May 8, 2016
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  15. Ike Willis

    Ike Willis Supreme Member
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    Squirrel problem solved.

    Squirrel Sausage
    [​IMG]
    Martha Daniels shows you how to prepare this recipe.

    • 4 ½ lbs. squirrel (approx. 15 fox squirrels)
    • 1 Tbsp. sage
    • 2 ½ lbs. fresh seasoned pork sausage (with sage)
    • 2 tsp. basil
    • 1 large onion
    • 2-3 tsp. margarine
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
    • 4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 Tbsp. black pepper
    • 2 Tbsp. salt
    • 1 tsp. thyme
    Bone the squirrel and grind or chop in food processor. (Squirrel leg meat is full of tendons and may not grind easily, but will be fine chopped in food processor.)

    Mix together with fresh pork.

    Mince the onion and garlic.

    Cook the onion until transparent and add the garlic and sauté slightly.

    Mix together meats, onion, garlic and herbs.

    To test seasonings, form a small patty and cook.

    Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

    Package and freeze in meal-size servings.

    When thawing for use, form into small patties to cook or grill or use with your favorite sausage recipes.

    Great on pizza, with pancakes or scrambled in eggs.

    Key Messages:
    Missourians care about conserving forests, fish and wildlife.
     
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