Theeck: Indeed I have been here at the intersection of the Blacktail Valley and the Beaverhead Valley of Montana for 23+ years now and have only seen maybe 10 Pheasants! Alas just 28 miles north of my home (and 1,000' lower in elevation) the Pheasants are rather "thick"! My wife and I were returning from dinner and the gunshop in Ennis, Montana, this spring and I took the back road from Laurin, Montana to Beaverhead Rock (14 miles north of my home) and we counted 105 (one hundred and five) "Rooster" Pheasants on that 18 - 20 mile drive! Sadly Hunting rights in that area are tough to attain - I only have ONE "in" for Pheasants in that area and plan on putting it to use this fall. I would like to shoot one more "brace" of Rooster Pheasants before I cross the great divide. The reason (I think) that there are very few Pheasants in my immediate area is the elevation (5,400'), the amazing number of predators and not as many cattail and swampy areas near me. I have been seeing Chukars near my home over the last 5 years (mild winters?) though. I have had as many as 14 (fourteen) Hungarian Partridge in my yard at one time. Nothing is more fun to see (and amusing!) than a Hungarian Partridge kicking the ass "acrobatically" of a Magpie! And as others have mentioned, I enjoy the "sounds" of the various birds around my home - I did NOT know what the term "angry birds" was until I retired and moved to Montana. Many types of birds get in a noisy snit accompanied by rather enthusiastic "fighting" with others birds of their own breed and of other breeds. I also collect feathers that are shed in my yard - I have also sent along about 20 (twenty) Owl pellets to the local science teachers for the science/biology classes to study and dissect and observe the tiny bones therein. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
Magpies are the only none mammals who can recognize themselves in a mirror , a farmer noticed a female Magpie putting charcoal on her face.
Quote
Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. The black and white Eurasian magpie is widely considered one of the most intelligent animals in the world and one of only a few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test. Wikipedia
We have quite a few different birds around and about. I’m not very educated in distinguishing different bird species....they all look similar in Gumbo! 😉 memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
persiandog, My wife’s family had a “talking” Magpie” when she was a kid! Her Dad had split it’s tongue, and the bird had learned to say a few words! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Jaguartx: You bring up an excellent point/topic. What can I feed the birds that is healthy and yet cheaper than what I have to pay for "Songbird Seed" here in remote SW Montana? I am surmising I spend about $15.00 to $20.00 per month year round for bird seed. I get that much pleasure and more from the birds, but if I could cut that amount in half, I could buy a lot more ammunition every year. What the birds "drop" on my lawn below my feeders the Deer and Raccoons clean up very well - no rotting seeds on the ground at all. The VarmintWife has "Amazon Prime" maybe I will check there and see what they can deliver here - any suggestions are appreciated. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
Does the mocking bird eat anything you put out other than suet.
Birds here clean out a block of suet every day. Even whitewings.
I need an electric board mouse killer to knock down on the freaking sparrows.
My wife orders the suet from Lowes online for a dollar a square. Much cheaper than in a pet store.
Good idea on the suet, I have never tried to feed the mockingbird anything else but it will pick smaller bits out of the dog food and swallow them whole. I'll bet if I cut oranges in half and spikd em on a nail like they do for orioles both the mockingbirds and the whitewings would eat it.
Whitewings get at my suet block too but the mockingbird aggressively chases them off. Interestingly enough the male mockingbird (without the bum wing) is not as tame as she is and I dunno that he visits the suet.
Unlike mourning doves and inca doves whitewings also feed in trees and bushes and and cling to the suet cage while feeding, unlike other doves they will also take sorghum right off the seed head. They can do this because they have relatively soft and flexible feet, these same feet have limited their spread nothwards because their toes freeze off in prolonged cold.
Cooper's hawks have been present in the Hill Country outside the north of town forever, but over the last fifteen years or so urban-adapted Coopers have been spreading west from Florida, in the last few years breeding pairs have appeared in San Antonio. They ain't everywhere yet but I do expect them to eventually hammer these breeding whitewings which are an abundant prey base here.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
We have a 4 acre lot in a fairly wooded rural development and have feeders out. While not seen all in one day here is a list of the birds seen/heard on or from our property:
1. Turkey 2. Turkey Vulture 3. Red-shouldered Hawk 4. Mourning Dove 5. Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6. Eastern Screech Owl (heard only but seen elsewhere) 7. Barred Owl (same) 8. Great Horned Owl (same) 9. Common Nighthwak 10. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11. Red-headed Woodpecker 12. Red-bellied Woodpecker 13. Downy Woodpecker 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Northern Flicker 16. Pileated Woodpecker 17. Eastern Wood-Pewee 18. Eastern Phoebe 19. Great Crested Flycatcher 20. Red-eyed Vireo 21. Blue Jay 22. American Crow 23. Black-capped Chickadee 24. Tufted Titmouse 25. White-breasted Nuthatch 26. Brown Creeper 27. House Wren 28. Carolina Wren (which I hear singing right now) 29. Golden-crowned Kinglet 30. Eastern Bluebird 31. Swainson's Thrush 32. Wood Thrush 33. American Robin 34. European Starling 35. Cedar Waxwing 36. Tennessee Warbler 37. American Redstart 38. Northern Parula 39. Magnolia Warbler 40. Blackburnian Warbler 41. Chestnut-sided Warbler 42. Blackpoll Warbler 43. Yellow-rumped Warbler 44. Black-throated Green Warbler 45. Eastern Towhee 46. American Tree Sparrow 47. Chipping Sparrow 48. Field Sparrow (heard only so far but seen elsewhere) 49. White-throated Sparrow 50. White-crowned Sparrow 51. Dark-eyed Junco 52. Scarlet Tanager 53. Northern Cardinal 54. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 55. Indigo Bunting 56. Red-winged Blackbird 57. Common Grackle 58. Brown-headed Cowbird 59. Baltimore Oriole 60. House Finch 61. Purple Finch 62. American Goldfinch
Quite a few others seen within the 80 acre development. So far there are only 5 homes in the development which is nice.
Jaguartx: You bring up an excellent point/topic. What can I feed the birds that is healthy and yet cheaper than what I have to pay for "Songbird Seed" here in remote SW Montana? I am surmising I spend about $15.00 to $20.00 per month year round for bird seed. I get that much pleasure and more from the birds, but if I could cut that amount in half, I could buy a lot more ammunition every year. What the birds "drop" on my lawn below my feeders the Deer and Raccoons clean up very well - no rotting seeds on the ground at all. The VarmintWife has "Amazon Prime" maybe I will check there and see what they can deliver here - any suggestions are appreciated. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
I just get cheap chicken scratch from the BiMart up the road. Usually around $10 a 50lb bag. Payback brand I believe. Seems most of the birds prefer the cracked corn and red millet and leave the wheat until everything else is gone.
I force my birds to look elsewhere for food on Thurs and Sunday. They will come through the yard to glean what they can out of the grass and stuff, but have to visit the neighbors' feeders or Ma Nature if they want to fill their crops.
Last edited by Valsdad; 07/11/20.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Whelenman, regrettably it is doubtful that I will make it. Some of our friends from Walla Walla, WA are planning to come for a visit then. I didn't know about until this past week.
I like red winged black birds, Robins make a nice tune also.
Yep. And mocking birds. It will be interesting to see how long until the hawk or owl gets the huns.
mocking birds that nest in my neighbor tree are back, going to get some netting for my chili pequin bushes or they eat them all.
God bless Texas----------------------- Old 300 I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull Its not how you pick the booger.. but where you put it !! Roger V Hunter
Jaguartx: Indeed the Robins I observe are all carnivores (they only eat worms!). I am headed to the feed store now to buy some "chicken/hen scratch". Thanks to you and to "Valsdad" also. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
Theeck: Indeed I have been here at the intersection of the Blacktail Valley and the Beaverhead Valley of Montana for 23+ years now and have only seen maybe 10 Pheasants! Alas just 28 miles north of my home (and 1,000' lower in elevation) the Pheasants are rather "thick"! My wife and I were returning from dinner and the gunshop in Ennis, Montana, this spring and I took the back road from Laurin, Montana to Beaverhead Rock (14 miles north of my home) and we counted 105 (one hundred and five) "Rooster" Pheasants on that 18 - 20 mile drive! Sadly Hunting rights in that area are tough to attain - I only have ONE "in" for Pheasants in that area and plan on putting it to use this fall. I would like to shoot one more "brace" of Rooster Pheasants before I cross the great divide. The reason (I think) that there are very few Pheasants in my immediate area is the elevation (5,400'), the amazing number of predators and not as many cattail and swampy areas near me. I have been seeing Chukars near my home over the last 5 years (mild winters?) though. I have had as many as 14 (fourteen) Hungarian Partridge in my yard at one time. Nothing is more fun to see (and amusing!) than a Hungarian Partridge kicking the ass "acrobatically" of a Magpie! And as others have mentioned, I enjoy the "sounds" of the various birds around my home - I did NOT know what the term "angry birds" was until I retired and moved to Montana. Many types of birds get in a noisy snit accompanied by rather enthusiastic "fighting" with others birds of their own breed and of other breeds. I also collect feathers that are shed in my yard - I have also sent along about 20 (twenty) Owl pellets to the local science teachers for the science/biology classes to study and dissect and observe the tiny bones therein. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
