Lin, love your photos. Yes, the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers are in your area as well. They are throughout FL in the winter.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...
I have to say though that they surely have some kind of camouflage! Look at the photos I took --- if it weren't for the bright red it would be very difficult to spot them. Movement would be the only other way but these guys don't move a whole lot. When they get a spot, they stay there for a while. It's amazing how they blend right in with that sycamore trunk.

Becky, great shots! Can't wait to see the video.

Elaine, despite the bright colors on the male painted buntings, it will blow you away how well they blend with the surroundings even on a feeder. You would think they would stick out like a sore thumb but they almost disappear. As to their shyness, they are in the beginning, extremely shy of *you* as well as everything else. If you move past a window, they will go to cover. They will get used to the humans that feed them but it does take time & patience.

Glen, we have so many squirrels here ... I wish it was possible to send some someplace else!

Ann, I agree about the Painted Buntings ... they will get used to people after awhile and if they don't feel threatened they will hang around. At the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge they have feeders right beside a boardwalk outside the office and gift shop. The Painted Buntings visit those feeders and don't seem bothered at all by the people standing a couple of feet away but there is lots and lots of dense shrubbery right there and they flit back and forth from the feeder to the shrubs.

Lin - Love that Squirrel photo. I actually like squirrels, but only if I can keep them out of my bird seed feeders. I just don't like them eating all the bird seed up so the birds don't have any. Otherwise, they are welcome in my yard. I have not had any damage (that I am aware of) from any of them. But the rats are another story. They have chewed holes in my screen on my patio at night. Build nests all over the place. Etc. I strongly dislike the rats! They stink, too! Very strong odor wherever their nest is. Disgusting.

Becky, I don't really mind the squirrels either and I get a kick out of watching their antics sometimes. The baby squirrels are adorable! I just don't like it when they hog the feeders and the birds can't get any seed ... like when the squirrels sit in the feeders for hours and consume it all!

Eww, rats are another thing! We had mice or rats chew through our screened porch too, an entry hole at one end and an exit hole at the other. They were coming through from the edge of the deck by the water where it attaches to the screened porch and the other hole was across the porch at the other side of the screen room, leading out to the yard where the bird feeders are! I haven't seen any in awhile but I have seen a couple of black snakes lately so hopefully they are keeping the field mice and rats in check! Whenever I've seen mice or rats, I take the feeders down for a few weeks ... I sure don't want them taking up residence and building nests around.

beckygardener said:It's not the squirrels that bother me, it's the roof rats!

What is a roof rat?

I love the Painted Buntings. We have the Indego Bunting here occasionally - I saw one Summer of '14. We do have a lot of Bluebirds.

WRT food - the mealworm is terribly expensive here - I never feed it. My birds seem to have given up on nyger seed so I am not gonna feed it anymore. I use mixes with lots of sunflower seed.

JulieB said:I'm so glad I found this thread! Your pictures & knowledge are spectacular!

I have actually seen these here in MO standing in people's yards. They don't move much

David, do you mean people still stake those things out in their yards? I didn't even think you could find those anymore.

I AM serious.

Oh dear.

Sure, Ann. They sell them in a set at Wal-Mart for $9.95. One holiday lighting year, I was hell-bent on making a "beach scene" out front with blue/white lights on the ground for water, and lighted flamingoes standing around them. I painted some lights with pink nail polish and everything . . . DH said it would be just too tacky and I'd have to hide the flamingoes during the day so as not to embarass him.

DavidLMO said:

I have actually seen these here in MO standing in people's yards. They don't move much

People do use them in their yards here. Not me though, as I prefer real birds!

Roof rats: http://www.orkin.com/rodents/r...

Nasty rodents!!!!

Are these the rats that live in palm trees? I read the article. Now I have to Google and see if we have them in Kansas.

dyzzypyxxy said: One holiday lighting year, I was hell-bent on making a "beach scene" out front with blue/white lights on the ground for water, and lighted flamingoes standing around them.

That truly is a hoot Elaine.

Hey, folks! I finally have some bird pictures to share, although not as many as I would like. First off, I was walking out of my house the other day when a flock of White Ibises were walking down the street. I only had my cell phone on me so the picture isn't that great. But if you don't have pictures, then it didn't happen!



Now, today at MOSI I was keeping an eye out for birds since it's bad weather for butterflies today. It's about 70 but it's windy and overcast. We have a birdfeeder in sight of the lab door, but I usually scare the birds when I open it or when the door slams shut. I also have a problem with squirrels. I chased one out of there three times today! I also waved my pruners around and threatened to cut his tail off.

But there were some birds getting in the feeder. Unfortunately, some flew on to the feeder, saw the squirrel on the other side, and flew up into the trees. I couldn't get a picture of any of the Blue Jays, but I did get this Red-Bellied Woodpecker. I don't mean to body shame, but this one looked thicker than the R-B Woodpeckers I've seen in the past. I think maybe it's because it's sitting kind of scrunched up instead of extended on the tree like I'm used to seeing.



The Eurasian Collared Doves will sit on the top of the building while waiting for the feeder. Once I chased the squirrel off, they came to eat. FYI, I looked in the feeder and it looks like mostly sunflower seeds to me.

Oh, I meant to say that the Woodpecker is in a Winged Elm tree in case you wanted to know.

We've also had a male Cardinal attacking our side mirrors. I haven't got a shot of him yet, but look what he did to my car!



At least he's an equal opportunity offender. I've seen him on all four of the cars in our driveway.

Melanie - Love your beautiful Eurasian Collared Doves! I really like your platform feeder set-up, too! Very nice!

LOL about the cardinal attacking the car mirrors! I think somewhere on YouTube there is a video of a cardinal doing that!

Well, to be fair Becky, it's MOSI's birdfeeder. One of our employees who started as a volunteer is also the social media manager for Birds and Blooms magazine so she knows birds really well. I just take the pictures.

Great set-up regardless! I wished I could find a nice platform feeder (for cheap) locally. I like the hanging platform feeders like the one I have, but they don't sell them anymore. I really need a new one. But what I REALLY NEED is a taller shepherd's hook. I need one that is 7' tall. The darn squirrels can jump the 5 1/2 ft. to get to my bird feeders. Even with TWO squirrel guards around them! Super Squirrels are hard to keep out of the feeders!

Nice shots of the woodpecker Melanie, looks like he is fluffed up to stay warm because it is cool and windy.