I love the feathered friends in the garden
Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by Thornius on July 06, 2006 08:40 AM
TK, your blue bird is an Indigo Bunting male. The females are all brown and the males turn brown in the Winter. It is funny to see a male Indigo Bunting molting from Summer to Winter Plummage. They look like a piece of tarnished copper at that time, with some blue feathers and some brown ones. Indigo Buntings migrate and are not in our area of the U.S. in Winter.
Your yellow and black flashes sound like American Goldfinches to me. In Spring and Summer they are a BRIGHT yellow, black, and white. In Winter they turn brown with black wing bars, but they do NOT migrate. Incidentally a flock of Goldfinches is what sparked my interests in birds 18 years ago and that is the bird that is my avatar on all my posts.
Do a Google Image Search on Indigo Buntings and American Goldfinches to get a good look at them.
As American Goldfinches fly they call continuously. "Po-ta-to CHIP!"
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
Your yellow and black flashes sound like American Goldfinches to me. In Spring and Summer they are a BRIGHT yellow, black, and white. In Winter they turn brown with black wing bars, but they do NOT migrate. Incidentally a flock of Goldfinches is what sparked my interests in birds 18 years ago and that is the bird that is my avatar on all my posts.
Do a Google Image Search on Indigo Buntings and American Goldfinches to get a good look at them.
As American Goldfinches fly they call continuously. "Po-ta-to CHIP!"
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by Wrennie on July 06, 2006 09:11 AM
Unless they were a warbler.(the gold ones that is) Were they at the feeders?(finch) Or passing by or in a brushy area?
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Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us? 
summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4
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Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us? summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4
by Wrennie on July 06, 2006 09:12 AM
Oh wait, how big were the gold ones? I'll have to look what orioles are in VA.
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Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us?
summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4
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Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us? summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4
by tkhooper on July 07, 2006 12:46 AM
They didn't appear to be talking when they flew into the tree; but, the road noise could have covered it. Route one is very noisy. They were over by the tomatoes when I startled them to the best of my knowledge. They flew to the really tall tulip poplar for shelter. Where they went from there I don't know.
I have no idea about their side. All I got was an impression they were so fast. I'd say they were small but I would only be guessing.
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I have no idea about their side. All I got was an impression they were so fast. I'd say they were small but I would only be guessing.
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by tkhooper on July 07, 2006 12:49 AM
Thankyou for the identification of the indigo bunting. He sure was cute. And his sound was unusual too. But I couldn't classify it. I know it sounded loud for such a small bird.
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by Thornius on July 07, 2006 05:21 AM
Indigo Buntings are famous for their song. They are heard more often than seen, although when they sing it is usually from a high, open, conspicuous perch, like a light line or dead tree branch near the top of a tree.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by debnoel on July 08, 2006 03:02 PM
I do enjoy the birds in my yard. I have seen such a variety. It kind of surprises me because I live in town on a 50x100 lot. I have seen hummers, orioles, waxwings, downy woodpeckers, goldfinches, purple finches, cardinals, bluebirds, and one fellow who has the sweetest song, but I don't know what he is. There is the usual assortment of sparrows, wrens, chickadees, and finches, along with a thrush or two, and a pair of doves. I have feeders and water available. Some of them bathe in the bird bath and some shower in the fountain. My binoculars are handy and my husband told the neighbors that I was not spying on them just looking at birds! This last winter, I even had a hawk swoop down for dinner. It was beautiful to see it sitting on the fence, but I didn't like it to eat the small birds. He came back every few days for a couple of weeks.
by Thornius on July 08, 2006 06:07 PM
Your mystery songbird may be a Song Sparrow or perhaps a House Wren, Deb. Go to eNature.com. They have a library of bird calls and songs that you can listen to. Try Song Sparrow, House Wren, White-Throated Sparrow and perhaps Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. All of these birds have beautiful songs and they all are in your area.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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The sparrows are mating everywhere and the males are getting so stud-muffiny that they will block my way to the garden and refuse to move. It's so funny because they are so tiny.
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