Nature lovers??

[bersaguy]

I don't know how many nature lovers we have here  but I really enjoy the birds. All kinds. I have had a pair of robins that have nested on my house for two years now. Last year they raise 3 babies , with my help of course. I know how hard they struggle to find enough food for them and the babies so i kind help out a little. Last year it cost me about 20.00 in buying crickets and meal worms to raise the tree. This year they have a new nest and have three babies again and I ahve made two trips to the bait shop to help in the feeding. It has gotten funny as they have developed a trust with me and I walk out in the drive way now and put out baby food and both adults are right at my feet getting the food. They pick it up and beat it against the ground till it is dead and soft and then fly up on the nest and you can see those mouths open up and they begin poking the food in. It is really enjoyable watching them. I have taken down my seed feeders and hung 3 Humming bird feeders. I know it's a little early for them but want to make sure any early travelers have a resting point here and they can feed u before continuing on their journey east. When they arrive here or the summer I will have 7 feeders out and normally I will have 25 or more birds remain here all summer. Love watching them fuss and feud over the feeders. Oh well, just wanted to see how many folks here enjoy the birds........ :up:  :up: 

[maroonandwhite]

I enjoy it but unfortunately I don't have the luxury of being in the country since we moved here. I hope to remedy that soon.

 

My favorite memory I can recall is watching a mother raccoon and her three young ones while in the deer stand. I watched them for over an hour until they spotted me. I totally forgot I was deer hunting.

[homeagain]

Try a tub of dried mealworms used for poultry treats from TSC.  $7.99 a tub, ought to last ya awhile.

[maroonandwhite]

Try a tub of dried mealworms used for poultry treats from TSC.  $7.99 a tub, ought to last ya awhile.

I feed those to my chickens. It's like crack to them.

[Dolomite_supafly]

We have a pair of hawks that have built a nest in the same place for about 6 years now. They generally only have one baby. Then in June or July you hear the baby frantically calling for his parents for a few weeks before it flies off.

I haven't seen them yet this year so they may not be coming back. I will know of they have snuck in come June or July.

Last year I watched a bunch of male hawks fighting amongst themselves, presumably for breeding rights. That was an amazing sight.

[Oh Shoot]

I live in apt complex in the urb 3 miles from center of town, but it has strategic little wildlife pocket remaining between a main drainage creek and the interstate.

 

Until a couple of other complexes got built nearby had lots of foxes, possums, coons, and of course squirrels, rabbits, and birds, including crows and hawks .Populations of the four footers have now finally been mostly squeezed out, but still beau coup birds.

 

Keep seed, thistle, and suet feeders on back deck. Don't mess with the hummer feeders, but some other folks on site do, so they are indeed here too.

 

Most plentiful pig birds depending on season:  cardinals, chickadees, red winged blackbirds, cowbirds, house finches, titmouses (titmice?), downy (or hairy) woodpeckers, towhee, mockers. etc. Lots of robins, but nothing to do with my feeders. And of course periodic ravaging herds of the usual suspects, English sparrows, pigeons, starlings, and doves.

 

Lots of others that come and go in smaller quantities through the year like the goldfinches and even a few of the rare blue birds (and no, they're not indigo buntings, which are even more rare here).

 

I actually have more bird species I see regularly here than any of the places I've lived out in the boonies. I've lived here so long and fed them since day one, I may actually have had effect on their niche in the ecosystem.

 

Have the occasional red tailed hawk swoop in and grab a meal, too. Once was standing right by the screen door not 6 feet away when one plummeted down, struck a rising dove, missed, and settled for something else smaller on second grab (happened so fast couldn't tell which was the unlucky candidate). Watched him chow down from a tree limb with binos.

 

I'm also a hangout for stray cats who come to stalk the boids, they'll get one once in a while too.

 

- OS

[Guest Lester Weevils]

We have a family of barred owls been living in a few blocks area of red bank for several years. There are lots of woods between streets. In the hollow behind my house, between two street ridges, I estimate at least 10 acres, more likely 20 acres contiguous woods. The male barred owls are huge, wide wingspan. They move around a little, probably whenever they hunt out the squirrels, rodents and birds from area to area. Sometimes in the back woods for a week or two, then hear them a block or three away for awhile. Noticed occasional fairly large hawks or eagles this year.

Got plenty of cardinals, several kinds of woodpeckers, towhees, etc. Wife can identify birds good, but not me. Wife doesn't feed em lately, but when she spent lotsa money stocking feeders nailed up on trees in the back woods, it looked like a scene from hitchcock's the birds movie.

Have squirrels, rabbits, box turtles, possums, occasional coons, various small ground rodents. Saw a big fat ground hog but he either moved away or got eaten by something. A couple years ago neighbors reported coyotes but I only saw one briefly one time at dusk. Looked like a coyote but he was in stealth mode, hard to see in the dim light. Haven't heard about coyotes lately. Edited May 2, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[musicman]

I enjoy watching the birds in my back yard, but haven't started feeding them.  I live right off of Sam Ridley parkway and I-24 in Smyrna in an pretty quiet neighborhood.  I  think we have 70-80 houses and no through streets so very little traffic.  My house is along the back side of a large wooded area so we have lots of deer, turkey, squirrels, rabbits, etc. I've seen a couple hawks, but I think they were just visiting.

 

I've started enjoying nature in a different way... veggie gardening!  I've never grown anything before, so this is all new to me.  I have pretty much zero soil as I'm on a hill of solid rock, so everything is in pots.  Just last night we had our very first salad made completely of things I grew; Swiss Chard and Romaine!  It was great!  I've got about 10 varieties of medium/hot peppers, as I am a spice lover.  I can't wait for them to come in!  Oh, we also ate our very first homegrown strawberry yesterday, too!  Also on deck are some bush beans, tomatoes, crook-neck squash, white and red onions, cilantro, two kinds of mint, oregano, basil, and some more I'm sure I forgot.

 

Here's a pic from earlier in the week.  This is most of them... I pulled them into the garage to hide out from the storms they said were coming in.

 

I had some leftovers that I didn't have pots for, so I just decided to do something crazy and throw some soil around the base of a few trees in the back yard and do some tree-trunk planting.  I doubt it'll work, but what the heck!  Here's one example:

 

Next year I plan on growing some potatoes in stacked tires.

[hipower]

We have a pair of hawks that have built a nest in the same place for about 6 years now. They generally only have one baby. Then in June or July you hear the baby frantically calling for his parents for a few weeks before it flies off.

I haven't seen them yet this year so they may not be coming back. I will know of they have snuck in come June or July.

Last year I watched a bunch of male hawks fighting amongst themselves, presumably for breeding rights. That was an amazing sight.

 

Yes, we have a similar situation on our property.

 

There's an old tree on a hillside in the back that is about as old as our neighborhood. It has been the nesting place of Cooper Hawks as far back as my wife's family lived here. And that's about 65 years now, including our 11 years here.

 

We love to watch them soar over the trees and hunt crawdads from the creek on the side of the yard, or watch them hunt for snakes sunning on the bank. (Yea, Hawks!) I've gotten to see several snakes plucked off the banks and ripped apart.

 

The sounds the Coopers Hawks make while flying during mating are awesome.

 

And got to see a young one taking his first flight a few years ago. Just happened to be watching at the right time as he (?) was rudely pushed out of the nest. It was amazing to watch.

[K191145]

Is there any kind of a "Road Runner" type bird in Tennessee? I've seen them on TV and pictures but yesterday a bird about the size of a blue jay ran across the road in front of me and i'll swear to this day it was some type of miniture road runner. Tail, build,brownish, fastest running bird i've ever seen. We now have armadillos in Tennessee, why not road runners? Edited May 3, 2014 by K191145

[Oh Shoot]

Is there any kind of a "Road Runner" type bird in Tennessee? I've seen them on TV and pictures but yesterday a bird about the size of a blue jay ran across the road in front of me and i'll swear to this day it was some type of miniture road runner. Tail, build,brownish, fastest running bird i've ever seen. We now have armadillos in Tennessee, why not road runners?

 

Grouse can boogie along pretty fast.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3dfk1NhHs4

 

- OS

[K191145]

Grouse can boogie along pretty fast.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3dfk1NhHs4
 
- OS

This bird was brownish/grey, had the mohawk, slender and ran like a pointed spear. I swear it was a road runner. I read where a few have been seen in extream West TN., seems they have a problem crossing the Mississippi River.

[R_Bert]

Is there any kind of a "Road Runner" type bird in Tennessee? I've seen them on TV and pictures but yesterday a bird about the size of a blue jay ran across the road in front of me and i'll swear to this day it was some type of miniture road runner. Tail, build,brownish, fastest running bird i've ever seen. We now have armadillos in Tennessee, why not road runners?

Killdeer -

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer

 

They can really haul hiney.

[bersaguy]

I am glad to see so many folks that like nature.I also live in town but does not seem like it. I am 3minutes from Kroger and 5 minutes from Walmart and about 10 minutes from down town Gallatin but I have plenty of wild life. When I moved into this little cottage 15 well just turned 16 years ago there were not many critters around. I did have this one really small old grey squirrel that was so old his face was white and he would ho around the back yard tugging and pulling on things on te ground and once he got it lose he would chew on it. One day I was up at tractor supply and saw this squirrel feeder you put a cob of corn on and nail it to a tree. I did and all I got was two blue jays that picked it clean. That was fine and glad to see them but really wanted it for that little squirrel. I found a squirrel feeder that the squirrel had to life the lid on to get at the food. I thought the little critter would never figure out how that worked.....WRONG...........lol.  I bougth some squirrel mix that hand all kinds of goodies in it and I put the feeder down low on the tree and filed it about 1/2 full. Next morning when I got up and went to the kitchen for coffee and opened the blinds I about spit coffee everywhere. The little critter had not only figured out how to open it but climbed in it and was eating like crazy. I fed him all that Fall and winter and he came every day.  I noticed that Spring I had two Hummingbird eating on some horned flowers in the back fence row so went to TSC and bought two hummingbird feeder because the lady there said that two birds would fight over 1 feeder. I hung them up with nectar in one and Sugar water in the other. The still fought over the Sugar water and would not feed on the nectar. That night I went out and emptied out the nectar and put sugar water in both and fighting ended until a few more birds showed up and it began again. Before that Summer was over I had 10 feeders up and about 50 + birds feeding on them and every year it is the same way. I will go through about 12 to 15 pounds of sugar a season when they are here. I also started out with two tube bird feeders of the seed eaters and now I am up to 8 of those and I also put  seed food on the ground for the ground feeders like Doves and Cardinals and all birds that can't sit on the small feeder perches. Oh yea, I am also up to 5 Flip top Squirrel feeders, 50 lbs of shelled corn mixed with 20 lbs of squirrel mix and 25 to 30 pounds of natural acorns I gather every Fall with my shop vac. I have a buddy that has a huge oak tree in his back yard and it is loaded with acorns every year. He calls me when there are a lot of them on his patio, driveway and pool cover which is like a big acorn trap and I go out with my shop vac and fill it up and he helps me lift it into my Jeep. I mix all of that together and I feed now about 15 to 20 squirrels. I think the little one must have finally past on cause I saw it about 3 more years and it quit coming. i see a Silver Fox ever so often but not to often like it's just passing through. Got lots of rabbits so planted food plots in back of yard near fence row where they live and they have green food all winter. They love wild turnip green tops. Guess that is about all I can say about my critters except they are good company and fun to watch. As for my baby robins, They are getting big and I have been feeding them live meal worms and Crickets. I was really surprised when I bought the first supply of food I bought red worms. meal worms and crickets. The adults ate the crickets which is fine because that may not be good for babies. Next I put out some red worms on the ground. I have no clue why but they would not eat them or take them up to the nest. Tried them till they were gone and they never ate one. Now meal worms, wow!! different story, the momma and daddy would gather them all up and beat them on the ground till they were ready for the babies and then both will fly up on the nest and feed them.

Edited May 4, 2014 by bersaguy

[bersaguy]

Is there any kind of a "Road Runner" type bird in Tennessee? I've seen them on TV and pictures but yesterday a bird about the size of a blue jay ran across the road in front of me and i'll swear to this day it was some type of miniture road runner. Tail, build,brownish, fastest running bird i've ever seen. We now have armadillos in Tennessee, why not road runners?

I see you live in Kingston Springs. I lived down there about 10 years and my son still lives in Craggie Hope and you liable to see anything down in that area so I would not doubt it being a road runner and rep, we got armadillo's in west Tennessee and I wonder still how they swam across the Old Mississippi River to get here...... :stunned:

[Monkeyman2500]

My wife loves the birds especially the Cardinals. We have a couple feeders. We're near Radnor lake area and there is quite a bit of wildlife about. I saw eight deer in a neighbors yard a couple months ago. I've even come out and seen one in mine not fifty feet from me. Wasn't expecting it, and she startled the heck out of me.

[Oh Shoot]

Killdeer -

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer

 

They can really haul hiney.

 

They do a great "hurt wing" imitation to draw you away from the nest too, if you get too close to them in field.

 

- OS

[bersaguy]

Not the greatest picture but this is Momma robin gathering meal worms and second picture is her on nest feeding them. Now please notice the nest location. Believe it or not as she was building it I would go out and remove it and did that for 3 days and she was determined to build it there so I quite trying to discourage her.

 

[URL=http://s218.photobucket.com/user/softbaitmaker/media/Misc/Robins001_zps649ff948.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[URL=http://s218.photobucket.com/user/softbaitmaker/media/Misc/Robins002_zps88078372.jpg.html][/URL]

[R_Bert]

Killdeer -

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer

 

They can really haul hiney.

 

 

They do a great "hurt wing" imitation to draw you away from the nest too, if you get too close to them in field.

 

- OS

 

And they will build their nest (in the gravel) right in the middle of a parking lot or even roadside.  Used to see them at church, and launch ramps all the time.

[Ted S.]

I don't like birds being around the house after what a few of them did to my car over the course of weeks.

 

Other than that, I love some nature. Especially eating it.

[bersaguy]

I don't like birds being around the house after what a few of them did to my car over the course of weeks.

 

Other than that, I love some nature. Especially eating it.

I did my share of hunting over the years to put food on the table some and to just have extra freezer meat and save on pocket book. Then one day back in 1990 I was deer hunting with youngest son on his place and he put me up in a great ladder stand all painted camo and really comfortable and it was his favorite stand and he had been seeing a14 point buck chasing does on his place and had been trying to bag hi since Bow season and it was now gun season. I'm setting in the stand with my model 94 Winchester and I see this huge buck moving through a thicket coming in my direction. My son is also watching the deer about 350 yards away through binoculars. he just knows it is his buck and he said dang daddy's gonna bag my big buck. There was about 4 Persimmon trees about 10 yards out from the stand and about 10 minutes passed and I was 10 yards away from a   buck with a great rack and thick neck and about 225 on the hoof eating persimmons and I sat there and watch this magnificent majestic creature eating persimmons and several times he looked right up at me and he knew I was not going to shoot him. He ate for about 15 minutes before moving back into the thicket. My son showed up about 20 minutes later and we began the walk back to his house and he said "ya know dad, it might be time for you to quit hunting till you get some new glasses cause you can't see to good with those, and I laughed and said " Are you talking about the 14 that was standing in front of me eating persimmons"? he said "Yep". I just looked at him and said "Son, It's only me now at the house, my freezer is full from folks bringing me deer meat and fish and you have known all your life I am not a trophy hunter and me and that old deer made a deal, He looked up and me and winked and I winked back and I think he knew I would not shoot him." I told my son that day I will never drop a hammer on another wild critter for food unless I am starving and have no other options. Right now I have deer meat and fish in my freezers and have not Crappie fish in years and have not deer hunted since that day. I don't judge other folks if they hunt because that has been a way of life since the beginning of time and fishing the same way. I love to bass fish but I catch and release. I don't keep them. I am a fishing sportsman and don't fish for grease.............jmho

[Monkeyman2500]

Bersaguy, I completely understand.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Not much of a birdperson.. I like watching Turkeys strut around in the backyard or watch a pileated woodpecker on a tree.But I love Crows and Rooks .We had a european  magpie as  kids.. neatest bird to raise and teach stuff.. very smart.

[Stegall Law Firm]

I see deer just about everyday on or around my property.  I'll put corn and apples out for them in different spots and it's usually gone in a couple days. Every now and then I buy buck jam at Tractor Supply and pour it on stumps and whatnot.  Friday afternoon I was shooting and went inside to get an AR that I wanted to re-zero .  As I'm walking back to my shooting area I slap in the magazine then look up and there's a doe just frozen about 70 yards away.  I stop and we stare at each other for a couple minutes.  I don't hunt and I know it's not season, but I just found it ironic that I've got a loaded rifle and a perfectly clear broadside shot on this animal.  Then she looks over her shoulder and back in the trees I hear her friend start snorting (Get out of there Gracie he's gonna shoot you!).  Gracie decides I'm not going to shoot her after all though and she wanders off. 

 

Saw a turkey on Friday too.  We have these big, almost floor to ceiling bay windows that overlook the back of the property and it's better than television to sit there and watch what wanders by.  I keep two pair of binoculars close by.  Last week I saw a hawk fly down, land on a low branch, and study the ground below.  I look to where the hawk is looking and there's a snake.  For whatever reason the hawk says no joy and flies off.  It may have been the size--turns out the snake was 4' long.  I get a 22, go out and shoot it but later I wish I hadn't because I'm pretty sure it's not venomous. I thought it might be a cottonmouth but there's not a river nearby and the scales were different.  Upon further research I believe it was a diamondback water snake.  I've seen a couple of them since near the house, and I leave them alone now.  My wife says kill 'em all but I like them for rodent control. 

 

Update: three doe have walked up and started eating some corn and apples I put out yesterday.  Watched a squirrel join them too.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Stegall Law Firm

[Peace]

Cleared out 180' long by 10' wide of privet and honeysuckle bush the last 3 days - all on our creek.  So yesterday afternoon I sat down in the shade listening to the water run in the creek; I was blown away by the number of bird calls I heard as I sat there in silence.  .. blood pressure drops, mind rests, and life feels balanced and right.