Bird Watchers

[Cobalt 60]

Cobalt 60 i am still thinking the one bird is a Summer Tanager and not a House Finch. The picture makes the lower half very faded but the wing portion is the only part of the bird that is a light brown. Everything else is a pale red.
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EDIT The beak definitely looks more house finch but man the house finch pictures online do not show nearly as much red as the one in the yard.

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It is possible, but the beak appears to be the big conical beak of a finch, which is a seed eater. Tanangers are insect eaters primarily and have a slightly less robust beak.

One revision - what I thought was a nuthatch is actually a Chipping Sparrow.

 

[Cobalt 60]

We have had some House Finches that look almost like Purple Finches!

 

[CliffB]

I knew this group would have some birdwatchers. I was shocked i didn't find many threads about it.

 

[Cobalt 60]

My wife is the real bird whiz!

 

[CliffB]

Those are definitely chipping sparrows. I have got a ton of them and they are the little jerks that knocked all my mixed seed onto the ground for everyone else to eat off the ground. When i put the mixed seed in the sparrows had an inch or more layer of millet and nyjer seed on the ground.

 

[Cobalt 60]

Those are definitely chipping sparrows. I have got a ton of them and they are the little jerks that knocked all my mixed seed onto the ground for everyone else to eat off the ground. When i put the mixed seed in the sparrows had an inch or more layer of millet and nyjer seed on the ground.

Yeah - everybody but the Dove throw the millet out!!

 

[CliffB]

Hey Cobalt this sounds like a mirrored conversation to what i'm having.

http://www.whatbird.com/forum/index.php?/topic/84271-house-or-purple-finch/

 

[CliffB]

I've never even seen a dove land on my feeders. The sparrows keep the ground well stocked. I did find a chipmunk eating some seed today and watched him run into his burrow probably 10 feet from my feeders.

 

[Blskypilot]

Nice, I used to enjoy it as well, Had a very similar set up. Had to stop because it caused a huge rat problem. They got into my attic and caused $1200.00 damage to my wife's Audi by eating wiring harnesses. Keep an eye out but enjoy.

^this.

i work in pest control and I'd bet that at least 75% of the rodent issues are caused by feeding the birds. If you are going to feed the birds I'd definitely recommend a serious bait program for rodents. 1200 bucks to repair ain't that bad. Roof rats moving inside your walls is a pita. Especially coming into the warm season. They stink and rot in the walls when they die in there.

 

[CliffB]

I was telling the wife earlier i will probably be looking into setting some traps in the attic just as preventative maintenance and so that when they do begin to appear i will know early on.