From cdrussin at centurylink.net Fri Mar 1 11:16:59 2024 From: cdrussin at centurylink.net (DONALD GRUSSING Owner) Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:16:59 -0800 Subject: [Mnbird] Thistle whistle Message-ID: <0EL667S7FMU4.LUW0XGZOHCP31@luweb01oc> Nothing eats from my thistle feeder any more. House Finches, Gold Finches, Pine Siskins (only for a couple of days) Mensa Juncos (those that have learned to eat from bird feeders) plus the usual suspects all go for Golden Safflower. Even Starlings have been there from time to time. I do put thistle in with a mixed feed offering I get from the bird store which I put ih a different feeder. I think the Juncos eat it, there and they consume the other offerings. The Juncos go after it when I spread thistle on the ground. But not at the thistle feeder. New fresh thistle don't seem to change anything. Of course on these global warming days the birds disperse and I suspect some Juncos will be taking the early winds north. I even saw the first Brown Creeper of the year yesterday. Don Grussing Minnetonka -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Sun Mar 3 09:45:57 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2024 09:45:57 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Sandhill Cranes, Rachel Lilly Preserve, Dakota C Message-ID: Currently feeding in NE corner of the lake, and seen from the dock on the north shore, at least one, perhaps one of 3 that circled the marsh to the south earlier. Also, a Barred Owl calling from the NE part of the property, closer to hwy 62. Linda Whyte -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bcdrill at charter.net Sun Mar 3 11:14:43 2024 From: bcdrill at charter.net (Brian and Cindy Drill) Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2024 11:14:43 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Spring! Message-ID: <09ba2722-9773-43ba-92d0-c2b398325996@charter.net> Good morning all.? Red Winged Black Birds have returned to Spring Lake Park here in North Mankato.? A few pair of Canada geese seem to be choosing to remain in the vicinity of Hiniker Pond although there are resting flocks of ducks and geese at various times on both water areas.? This morning there was a busy flow of eagles passing over while we were on our walk, at one point we saw 7 mature birds flying over the bluffs and water, with additional sightings as we moved along.? Cindy in North Mankato -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Sun Mar 3 16:05:36 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2024 16:05:36 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Red Rock Road FOY species, 2 cooperative, one less so Message-ID: Among the many Canada Geese, there was at least one Cackling Goose, helpful enough to swim next to and between, some Canadas, making ID easy. In the nearest pond west of the RR tracks, one male Wood Duck perched on a branch in the water, and finally untucked his head to display his vibrant plumage. As for the lone sparrow among a small flock of Juncos, it shall remain unidentified. It moved too quickly into the wet meadow grasses, and we could only say what it probably wasn't! Linda Whyte -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fraphi at bethel.edu Mon Mar 4 16:55:16 2024 From: fraphi at bethel.edu (Philip Frazier) Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 16:55:16 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Pair of Bluebirds Message-ID: A pair of Bluebirds investigated a feeder in my yard just south of the entrance to Crow Hassan park. From hamerjohn34 at gmail.com Tue Mar 5 10:20:53 2024 From: hamerjohn34 at gmail.com (John Hamer) Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2024 10:20:53 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Pair of Bluebirds In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Small flock of robins yesterday. Heard my 1st robin 3-2-24. Beats my usual prior dates of 3-10. John Hamer On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 4:56?PM Philip Frazier via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > A pair of Bluebirds investigated a feeder in my yard just south of the > entrance to Crow Hassan park. > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From johnson-miller at msn.com Tue Mar 5 13:19:49 2024 From: johnson-miller at msn.com (Miller Johnson) Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2024 19:19:49 +0000 Subject: [Mnbird] Compact Binocular Advice Please Message-ID: Dear birders, I'm doing a bus tour in Italy next month that will not be for birding, but I will have some free time most days. I normally carry my Swarovski 8.5x42 bins when I travel, but I think they'll just be too heavy for the amount of use I expect to get out of them on this trip. Do you have recommendations for smaller and lighter-weighted binoculars for travel? I use my "big" binoculars most days but, as I age, I'll probably have more use for a lighter pair long-term anyway. Budget is in the $1000 range, but willing to go up if it'll make a big difference. Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Emailing me directly will help keep the clutter off these list-serves, especially as we're going to be getting a lot of traffic as spring seems to have sprung! Molly Jo Miller Dakota Co From avsaxman at yahoo.com Tue Mar 5 15:30:06 2024 From: avsaxman at yahoo.com (avsaxman) Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:30:06 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Compact Binocular Advice Please In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <959192040.8746407.1709674221165@yahoo.com> Here's an easy thing to try. Use Amazon to find binoculars in the $250 range. 8x42. Order two or three of them and try them out now, then return them for free with no reason via Amazon Prime's return policy. I did that and ended up with two new binoculars, one set for my wife and one set for myself.?We now have an Athlon Optics Midas and a Vortex Diamondback HD and they both are super sharp and super clear and very accurate for color, and pleasingly lightweight.I also ordered some other binoculars at the same time. I tested them all out against each other in the backyard where there are plenty of trees and Deep Shadows. I kept my own personal scorecard for how much I liked each different feature, then returned the ones that I didn't like and had my wife compare the two remaining ones that I liked, and that I thought she would like. She loved the one I thought she would, because it was noticeably lighter and fit her smaller hands better than the one that I liked.Things I compared included ergonomics, touch, brightness, color trueness, field of view, eye relief because we both wear glasses, clarity in shadows, quality of carrying strap, quality of lens covers, and more. At the end of the day I had two sets of binoculars that I felt were Superior to my excellent Optics from back in 1990, the Bausch & Lomb Birder Elite 8x42s.? Those set me back over $700 in 1990. The ones that I replaced them with in 2022 were $250 a piece or less.I compared them to a couple different brands of nikons and a Canon and Swarovski. I actually preferred them for various reasons over the more popular big name brand binoculars. A big reason is that they either matched, or outperformed, those big names while having significantly lower price.Both came with lifetime warranties.Definitely shop around and get some recommendations, but also take advantage of the ability to order several different binoculars through Amazon Prime try them, compare them, return any that you don't like for free. It worked very well for us.Rick Schroeder?In The Little Red HouseIn The Saginaw WoodSent via the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone -------- Original message --------From: Miller Johnson via Mnbird Date: 3/5/24 1:20 PM (GMT-06:00) To: MOU , MNBird Subject: [Mnbird] Compact Binocular Advice Please Dear birders,I'm doing a bus tour in Italy next month that will not be for birding, but I will have some free time most days. I normally carry my Swarovski 8.5x42 bins when I travel, but I think they'll just be too heavy for the amount of use I expect to get out of them on this trip.Do you have recommendations for smaller and lighter-weighted binoculars for travel? I use my "big" binoculars most days but, as I age, I'll probably have more use for a lighter pair long-term anyway. Budget is in the $1000 range, but willing to go up if it'll make a big difference.Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Emailing me directly will help keep the clutter off these list-serves, especially as we're going to be getting a lot of traffic as spring seems to have sprung!Molly Jo MillerDakota Co _______________________________________________Mnbird mailing listMnbird at lists.mnbird.nethttp://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From revdeb54 at gmail.com Tue Mar 5 15:48:00 2024 From: revdeb54 at gmail.com (Debra Jene Collum) Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2024 15:48:00 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Compact Binocular Advice Please In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I would seriously recommend you go to National Camera Exchange. Ask them. They will show you what they have in your price range. You will be able to try them out. I was just there and the service I received was so excellent. It was worth the drive to the cities. ?The world has changed. I see it in the water. I feel it in the Earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, For none now live who remember it.?? J.R.R. TolkienRev. Debra Jene Collum 124 Winona Street SE Chatfield United Methodist Church Chatfield MN 55923 507-923-1097 www.chatfieldumc.org On Tue, Mar 5, 2024 at 1:20?PM Miller Johnson via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > Dear birders, > > I'm doing a bus tour in Italy next month that will not be for birding, but > I will have some free time most days. I normally carry my Swarovski 8.5x42 > bins when I travel, but I think they'll just be too heavy for the amount of > use I expect to get out of them on this trip. > > Do you have recommendations for smaller and lighter-weighted binoculars > for travel? I use my "big" binoculars most days but, as I age, I'll > probably have more use for a lighter pair long-term anyway. Budget is in > the $1000 range, but willing to go up if it'll make a big difference. > > Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Emailing me directly will help > keep the clutter off these list-serves, especially as we're going to be > getting a lot of traffic as spring seems to have sprung! > > Molly Jo Miller > Dakota Co > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From 88twins at gmail.com Thu Mar 7 07:44:07 2024 From: 88twins at gmail.com (Kyle TePoel) Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2024 07:44:07 -0600 Subject: [Mnbird] Barred Owl behavior this morning Message-ID: This morning I saw two Barred Owls on the ground. From a distance of a few hundred feet, even with binoculars, I couldn't make out great detail about what was going on, but I presumed it was a territorial dispute and that perhaps one of the owls was being attacked. Or, perhaps one owl caught some prey and the other wanted it. But the seemingly aggressive behavior was not continuous; it would start and stop. Over the course of about 15-20 minutes, this went on--lots of owls on backs, flapping wings, interspersed with moments where they'd stop, sometimes face each other, sometimes hunker down and get hard to spot, then sit up a bit taller, then physically interact again. Most of the time, one or both of the owls were vocal as well (usually the very high pitched wail). At some point, a third one flew in (but did not land near the other two), but I did not see if it landed nearby or continued on. Neither of the two owls on the ground paid it any obvious attention. I perused my bird behavior books, and many owl-based websites, and didn't find anything specifically describing what I saw (in fact, and much to my surprise, even my Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior repeatedly states "not much is known" about various Barred Owl activity). Eventually, both of the owls that were engaged with each other on the ground flew away, in the same direction, and moments later one was heard giving its typical who-cooks...call. Not sure what happened with the third owl that had flown in. As to what exactly was going on, I'm left not fully certain and would gladly hear any input from anyone who's witnessed anything similar. I assume the birds were not likely to be mating on the ground. I also assume that a fight would not result in both birds flying off together (or what appeared to be "together"), or taking "timeouts" during the act wherein both birds were just apparently relaxed and disengaged before eventually continuing with the tussle. Any thoughts? Kyle Te Poel Stillwater Township, MN -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Wed Mar 13 20:54:21 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:54:21 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] E. Meadowlark, Dakota C. Message-ID: As of late this morning there were at least two (possibly four) E. Meadowlarks present in the southeast section of Randolph Industrial Park. They perched in a deciduous tree close to the edge of the St. Mark's church property, where they rested for several minutes, before two of them burst into song. Afterwards, they flew off toward the north part of the park. Given the extensive development there now, it seems likely they would have moved on, although the south section might still offer suitable, if marginal, habitat. In any case, the "for sale, for development" signs there don't bode well for Meadowlarks. Linda Whyte -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Thu Mar 21 15:44:32 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:44:32 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] ID confirmation help, Am Pipit flock ? Dakota C. Message-ID: This morning at Dennison Sewage Ponds there was, among the expected waterfowl, a large (perhaps a hundred) flock of small, brownish, very active, very vocal birds with high-pitched voices. They circled and landed frequently, and seemed to feed and drink with rapid-fire precision among rocks and at water's edge along the grass/dirt banks. They landed and rose as a flock repeatedly, in various spots, but the action was so intense I was never able to get a decent glance at any individual, no matter how many times they repeated the behaviors. I have only seen American Pipits individually, and only a handful of times, but I'm wondering if this flock's behavior matches theirs - and hoping someone else has seen them there today. Thanks for any help. Linda Whyte -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tvogel at wrcmn.org Fri Mar 22 12:48:49 2024 From: tvogel at wrcmn.org (Tami Vogel) Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:48:49 +0000 Subject: [Mnbird] FOYs Message-ID: Been meaning to post an update on FOY birds, and seeing my first kestrel yesterday (on a signpost along a 35E on ramp of all places!), prompted me to finally do it. Had my FOY woodcock at the earliest date ever recorded in my 22-year phenology: Monday, March 12th. Was here for 3 nights and then moved on, haven't heard any others. That same week, massive flocks of waterfowl migrating at night added the whisper/whistle of wings and calls to the nightime sounds of critters stirring in the leaves as they emerged from their winter homes (poor timing, chaps). Also saw my FOY horned larks along the fields down the street from my house that next Tuesday (13th). Saw the 1st 2 turkey vultures of the year soaring over those same fields yesterday morning. Starlings and red-winged blackbirds both showed up last week. Meanwhile, pine siskins are donning their brighter yellows and looking quite dapper. The 60+ juncos are filling the air with their varied, charming sounds. Was surprised to not see a single redpoll this season. And oddly had purple finches all winter long - might be the first time, need to check my records. Definitely the first time they stuck around in recent years. Enjoying the snow that has covered the depressing, dreary brown landscape. Happy spring birding! * Tami in Afton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Sat Mar 23 14:33:17 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:33:17 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Peregrine Falcon, Ramsey C. Message-ID: Seen today in the noon hour, perched at the hack box on the SE corner of the Xcel Energy Plant roof (Randolph Ave., St. Paul). Linda Whyte -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cdrussin at centurylink.net Sun Mar 24 11:04:28 2024 From: cdrussin at centurylink.net (DONALD GRUSSING Owner) Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:04:28 -0700 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins Message-ID: <2O5GIT99MMU4.PWTONJFOOA142@luweb02oc> Robins are tough but the next couple of days may pose a challenge to those which have already staked out territories and are reluctant to leave them even in rough weather. You can give them some needed sustenance . The birds will seek bare ground such as that protected from snow by eaves or even underneath some evergreens. They will go to such places and a few scattered raisins will be consumed. I've even thrown blueberries and grapes. It's easy to know when to replenish. Can't hurt and could help. Unfortunately raccoons might also eat that gift. Don Grussing -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lois.rem at gmail.com Sun Mar 24 11:20:52 2024 From: lois.rem at gmail.com (Lois Rem) Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2024 11:20:52 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins In-Reply-To: <2O5GIT99MMU4.PWTONJFOOA142@luweb02oc> References: <2O5GIT99MMU4.PWTONJFOOA142@luweb02oc> Message-ID: I have good luck putting out basic millet. Everyone eats that including the robins. Maybe it's just a South Dakota thing. -- Lois Rem 612-670-5997 1100 N Lake Ave #204 Sioux Falls SD 57104-1399 On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 11:05?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > Robins are tough but the next couple of days may pose a challenge to those > which have already staked out territories and are reluctant to leave them > even in rough weather. > > You can give them some needed sustenance . The birds will seek bare ground > such as that protected from snow by eaves or even underneath some > evergreens. They will go to such places and a few scattered raisins will > be consumed. I've even thrown blueberries and grapes. It's easy to know > when to replenish. > > Can't hurt and could help. Unfortunately raccoons might also eat that gift. > > Don Grussing > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rms63JR at yahoo.com Sun Mar 24 14:48:27 2024 From: rms63JR at yahoo.com (Rose Shea) Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:48:27 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9131FCAC-097E-4300-BEF4-62CA82F4EC32@yahoo.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From marylouisenorman at gmail.com Sun Mar 24 15:06:03 2024 From: marylouisenorman at gmail.com (mary norman) Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:06:03 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins In-Reply-To: <9131FCAC-097E-4300-BEF4-62CA82F4EC32@yahoo.com> References: <9131FCAC-097E-4300-BEF4-62CA82F4EC32@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <7C37969C-AFDD-447A-B448-1A21C2425884@gmail.com> I also put out dried mealworms, and I was going to put our raisins but guess I?m out. Will they eat dried cranberries? Mary > On Mar 24, 2024, at 2:48?PM, Rose Shea via Mnbird wrote: > > I put out dried mealworms > > Rose > > >> On Mar 24, 2024, at 11:22?AM, Lois Rem via Mnbird wrote: >> >> ? >> I have good luck putting out basic millet. Everyone eats that including the robins. Maybe it's just a South Dakota thing. >> >> -- >> Lois Rem >> 612-670-5997 >> 1100 N Lake Ave #204 >> Sioux Falls SD 57104-1399 >> >> >> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 11:05?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > wrote: >>> Robins are tough but the next couple of days may pose a challenge to those which have already staked out territories and are reluctant to leave them even in rough weather. >>> >>> You can give them some needed sustenance . The birds will seek bare ground such as that protected from snow by eaves or even underneath some evergreens. They will go to such places and a few scattered raisins will be consumed. I've even thrown blueberries and grapes. It's easy to know when to replenish. >>> >>> Can't hurt and could help. Unfortunately raccoons might also eat that gift. >>> >>> Don Grussing >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mnbird mailing list >>> Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net >>> http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net >> _______________________________________________ >> Mnbird mailing list >> Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net >> http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jnelson at runestone.net Mon Mar 25 10:24:45 2024 From: jnelson at runestone.net (Charlene Nelson) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:24:45 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins In-Reply-To: <7C37969C-AFDD-447A-B448-1A21C2425884@gmail.com> References: <7C37969C-AFDD-447A-B448-1A21C2425884@gmail.com> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From marylouisenorman at gmail.com Mon Mar 25 11:32:07 2024 From: marylouisenorman at gmail.com (mary norman) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:32:07 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Robins and Raisins In-Reply-To: References: <7C37969C-AFDD-447A-B448-1A21C2425884@gmail.com> Message-ID: <9F418FEA-8856-4B05-A50E-2073DA2C3F11@gmail.com> Thank you Charlene! Glad I didn?t put the dried cranberries out as they do have sugar in them! Mary > On Mar 25, 2024, at 10:24?AM, Charlene Nelson wrote: > > I?m guessing cranberries work. We planted high bush cranberries in our new grove. They feed everyone who stops by and last all winter till spring bloom. > > If you have store bought cranberries I would worry if they?ve been treated with sugar or additives that could be harmful to birds. I?ve had a hard time finding unaltered cranberries for my own use unless they are raw. > > Charlene Nelson > Grant County farm > Sent from my iPhone > > On Mar 24, 2024, at 3:06?PM, mary norman via Mnbird wrote: > > ?I also put out dried mealworms, and I was going to put our raisins but guess I?m out. Will they eat dried cranberries? > > Mary > >> On Mar 24, 2024, at 2:48?PM, Rose Shea via Mnbird wrote: >> >> I put out dried mealworms >> >> Rose >> >> >>> On Mar 24, 2024, at 11:22?AM, Lois Rem via Mnbird wrote: >>> >>> ? >>> I have good luck putting out basic millet. Everyone eats that including the robins. Maybe it's just a South Dakota thing. >>> >>> -- >>> Lois Rem >>> 612-670-5997 >>> 1100 N Lake Ave #204 >>> Sioux Falls SD 57104-1399 >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 11:05?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > wrote: >>>> Robins are tough but the next couple of days may pose a challenge to those which have already staked out territories and are reluctant to leave them even in rough weather. >>>> >>>> You can give them some needed sustenance . The birds will seek bare ground such as that protected from snow by eaves or even underneath some evergreens. They will go to such places and a few scattered raisins will be consumed. I've even thrown blueberries and grapes. It's easy to know when to replenish. >>>> >>>> Can't hurt and could help. Unfortunately raccoons might also eat that gift. >>>> >>>> Don Grussing >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mnbird mailing list >>>> Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net >>>> http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mnbird mailing list >>> Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net >>> http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net >> _______________________________________________ >> Mnbird mailing list >> Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net >> http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hamerjohn34 at gmail.com Tue Mar 26 12:42:28 2024 From: hamerjohn34 at gmail.com (John Hamer) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:42:28 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Trumpeter swans: Message-ID: On March 24th there were a pair of Trumpeters in Hopkins on a small marsh paralleling Shady Oak road. I Don't think they will stay.They are amazing in their ability to ignore people and traffic. A couple of weeks ago I was parking the car and I saw a pattern on the grass in front of me. Shall I check it out, it's a distinct pattern I'll check it out. It was the wing and tail of a sharp-shinned hawk. Today I saw a Cooper's hawk fly by at the level of the 9th floor. My motto is bird wherever you are. John Hamer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cdrussin at centurylink.net Wed Mar 27 10:08:35 2024 From: cdrussin at centurylink.net (DONALD GRUSSING Owner) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:08:35 -0700 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect Message-ID: Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. Don Grussing Minnetonka -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cdrussin at centurylink.net Wed Mar 27 10:19:34 2024 From: cdrussin at centurylink.net (DONALD GRUSSING Owner) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:19:34 -0700 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect Message-ID: <28C6V606NMU4.BBQ4KCJWT5711@luweb01oc> Autocorrect made Hairy Woodpeckers Hairy Woodcocks. Sorry that I didn't catch it. Kind of a Freudian autocorrect. Don Grussijng Minnetonka AOn Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 10:11 AM, DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird wrote: To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. Don Grussing Minnetonka -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From johnson-miller at msn.com Wed Mar 27 11:41:21 2024 From: johnson-miller at msn.com (Miller Johnson) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:41:21 +0000 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our winters! Molly Jo Miller Inver Grove Hts Dakota Co PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) ________________________________________ From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. Don Grussing Minnetonka From marylouisenorman at gmail.com Wed Mar 27 12:24:03 2024 From: marylouisenorman at gmail.com (mary norman) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:24:03 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4B0FCADA-A869-492A-AF2B-4EA76C9261E9@gmail.com> What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to plump them first? Thanks! Mary Norman > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird wrote: > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our winters! > > Molly Jo Miller > Inver Grove Hts > Dakota Co > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > ________________________________________ > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > Don Grussing > Minnetonka > > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net From johnson-miller at msn.com Wed Mar 27 13:31:43 2024 From: johnson-miller at msn.com (Miller Johnson) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:31:43 +0000 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: <4B0FCADA-A869-492A-AF2B-4EA76C9261E9@gmail.com> References: <4B0FCADA-A869-492A-AF2B-4EA76C9261E9@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Mary, I'm sorry I can't answer your raisin question. I believe Mensa Juncos are "smart juncos," not a variation or subspecies. Mensa is an organization for people with high IQs. So Don is calling his juncos smart because they aren't using a lot of energy trying to survive this storm. They're staying under his deck, popping out only to eat at his feeder buffet, and then return to cover. Perhaps within all species we could have a Mensa subcategory? Just kidding. ;-) Although, I think we've all seen male cardinals that are absolutely determined to knock their brains out with their endless window and/or car mirror attacks. They would not be in the Mensa subcategory. Molly Jo ________________________________ From: mary norman Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 12:24 PM To: Miller Johnson Cc: Minnesota Bird ; DONALD GRUSSING Owner Subject: Re: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to plump them first? Thanks! Mary Norman > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird wrote: > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our winters! > > Molly Jo Miller > Inver Grove Hts > Dakota Co > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > ________________________________________ > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > Don Grussing > Minnetonka > > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.lists.mnbird.net%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fmnbird_lists.mnbird.net&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71ac0c7cca64760042608dc4e82ba39%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638471570622243775%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0UymibkD8Pn8BscW2EqW3%2FizNAlxfUmCqvn0DejErO8%3D&reserved=0 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From marylouisenorman at gmail.com Wed Mar 27 14:13:13 2024 From: marylouisenorman at gmail.com (mary norman) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:13:13 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: <4B0FCADA-A869-492A-AF2B-4EA76C9261E9@gmail.com> Message-ID: Thank you, Molly Jo! Yes, now I remember that ?mensa? means high intelligence! I?m thinking that all birds must be ?mensa? in order to survive! Wish the starlings had a little less in the ?smarts? business! Guess it?s time to buy some new decals for the windows to keep the cardinals from trying to scare opponents! This recent return of winter makes me think spring is a long time away, but it is just around the corner! Happy birding, all! Mary Norman > On Mar 27, 2024, at 1:31?PM, Miller Johnson wrote: > > Hi Mary, I'm sorry I can't answer your raisin question. > > I believe Mensa Juncos are "smart juncos," not a variation or subspecies. > > Mensa is an organization for people with high IQs. So Don is calling his juncos smart because they aren't using a lot of energy trying to survive this storm. They're staying under his deck, popping out only to eat at his feeder buffet, and then return to cover. > > Perhaps within all species we could have a Mensa subcategory? Just kidding. ;-) > > Although, I think we've all seen male cardinals that are absolutely determined to knock their brains out with their endless window and/or car mirror attacks. They would not be in the Mensa subcategory. > > Molly Jo > From: mary norman > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 12:24 PM > To: Miller Johnson > Cc: Minnesota Bird ; DONALD GRUSSING Owner > Subject: Re: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow > > What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to plump them first? > > Thanks! > > Mary Norman > > > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird wrote: > > > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our winters! > > > > Molly Jo Miller > > Inver Grove Hts > > Dakota Co > > > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > > ________________________________________ > > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, > > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mnbird mailing list > > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.lists.mnbird.net%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fmnbird_lists.mnbird.net&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ca71ac0c7cca64760042608dc4e82ba39%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638471570622243775%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0UymibkD8Pn8BscW2EqW3%2FizNAlxfUmCqvn0DejErO8%3D&reserved=0 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cdrussin at centurylink.net Thu Mar 28 09:36:00 2024 From: cdrussin at centurylink.net (DONALD GRUSSING Owner) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:36:00 -0700 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow Message-ID: After decades of seeing juncos eating only off the ground in spite of plenty of foodstuffs in the feeders above them, some of the smarter ones learned to utilize bird feeders. Mensa is an organization some humans formed to honor high intelligence. Hence, I coined the phrase Mensa Juncos. I am grateful that a few have learned to exploit bird feeders. Especially since I am now 85, have vertigo caused by a brain injury in the balance portion of my brain. When it snowed I used to always clear the ground away below feeders for juncos to survive no matter how deep the snow.. Now the smart ones can get food directly from the feeders. And they sleep under my deck. And I don't have to worry about falling As a footnote, three Mensa Female Turkeys (of the 30 in the neighborhood) are smart enough to go to the ground beneath two of my feeders after a snowfall and scratch away the snow exposing spilled grains for themselves, the squirrels and the few ground feeding juncos still hanging around. Don Grussing Minnetonka On Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 12:24 PM, mary norman wrote: To: miller johnson Cc: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; cdrussin at centurylink.net What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to plump them first? Thanks! Mary Norman > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird > wrote: > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our winters! > > Molly Jo Miller > Inver Grove Hts > Dakota Co > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > ________________________________________ > From: Mnbird > on behalf of DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House Finches are gone, > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > Don Grussing > Minnetonka > > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gleskarider at gmail.com Thu Mar 28 09:46:23 2024 From: gleskarider at gmail.com (Pamela Brustman) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:46:23 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The turkeys at my place hop onto the shepherd hooks and help themselves to my feeders. I don't love this behavior. It's only the females who do this. The males just scratch beneath the feeders. (St. Michael, Wright County) On Thu, Mar 28, 2024, 9:37?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > After decades of seeing juncos eating only off the ground in spite of > plenty of foodstuffs in the feeders above them, some of the smarter ones > learned to utilize bird feeders. Mensa is an organization some humans > formed to honor high intelligence. Hence, I coined the phrase Mensa Juncos. > I am grateful that a few have learned to exploit bird feeders. Especially > since I am now 85, have vertigo caused by a brain injury in the balance > portion of my brain. When it snowed I used to always clear the ground away > below feeders for juncos to survive no matter how deep the snow.. Now the > smart ones can get food directly from the feeders. And they sleep under my > deck. And I don't have to worry about falling > > > As a footnote, three Mensa Female Turkeys (of the 30 in the neighborhood) > are smart enough to go to the ground beneath two of my feeders after a > snowfall and scratch away the snow exposing spilled grains for themselves, > the squirrels and the few ground feeding juncos still hanging around. > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > On Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 12:24 PM, mary norman > wrote: > > To: miller johnson > Cc: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; cdrussin at centurylink.net > What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them > at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to > put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to > plump them first? > > Thanks! > > Mary Norman > > > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird < > mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > > > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold > this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it > could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to > the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with > Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes > a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out > from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our > winters! > > > > Molly Jo Miller > > Inver Grove Hts > > Dakota Co > > > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > > ________________________________________ > > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD > GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House > Finches are gone, > > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy > mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also > in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging > to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mnbird mailing list > > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > > . > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hamerjohn34 at gmail.com Thu Mar 28 09:52:06 2024 From: hamerjohn34 at gmail.com (John Hamer) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:52:06 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: definition of mensa. Thank you. Great idea On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 9:37?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > After decades of seeing juncos eating only off the ground in spite of > plenty of foodstuffs in the feeders above them, some of the smarter ones > learned to utilize bird feeders. Mensa is an organization some humans > formed to honor high intelligence. Hence, I coined the phrase Mensa Juncos. > I am grateful that a few have learned to exploit bird feeders. Especially > since I am now 85, have vertigo caused by a brain injury in the balance > portion of my brain. When it snowed I used to always clear the ground away > below feeders for juncos to survive no matter how deep the snow.. Now the > smart ones can get food directly from the feeders. And they sleep under my > deck. And I don't have to worry about falling > > > As a footnote, three Mensa Female Turkeys (of the 30 in the neighborhood) > are smart enough to go to the ground beneath two of my feeders after a > snowfall and scratch away the snow exposing spilled grains for themselves, > the squirrels and the few ground feeding juncos still hanging around. > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > On Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 12:24 PM, mary norman > wrote: > > To: miller johnson > Cc: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; cdrussin at centurylink.net > What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them > at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to > put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to > plump them first? > > Thanks! > > Mary Norman > > > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird < > mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > > > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold > this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it > could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to > the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with > Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes > a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out > from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our > winters! > > > > Molly Jo Miller > > Inver Grove Hts > > Dakota Co > > > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > > ________________________________________ > > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD > GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House > Finches are gone, > > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy > mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also > in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging > to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mnbird mailing list > > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > > . > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birds at moosewoods.us Thu Mar 28 14:46:06 2024 From: birds at moosewoods.us (linda whyte) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:46:06 -0500 Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: It's like that here, too - some of the Juncos learned to use feeders, and even try the ones requiring them to hang and feed upright, like our nut-feeder. They haven't the skill to do it for long, but can sometimes shake a few nut morsels onto the ground. Linda Whyte On Thu, Mar 28, 2024, 9:36?AM DONALD GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird < mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > After decades of seeing juncos eating only off the ground in spite of > plenty of foodstuffs in the feeders above them, some of the smarter ones > learned to utilize bird feeders. Mensa is an organization some humans > formed to honor high intelligence. Hence, I coined the phrase Mensa Juncos. > I am grateful that a few have learned to exploit bird feeders. Especially > since I am now 85, have vertigo caused by a brain injury in the balance > portion of my brain. When it snowed I used to always clear the ground away > below feeders for juncos to survive no matter how deep the snow.. Now the > smart ones can get food directly from the feeders. And they sleep under my > deck. And I don't have to worry about falling > > > As a footnote, three Mensa Female Turkeys (of the 30 in the neighborhood) > are smart enough to go to the ground beneath two of my feeders after a > snowfall and scratch away the snow exposing spilled grains for themselves, > the squirrels and the few ground feeding juncos still hanging around. > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > On Wed, 27 Mar, 2024 at 12:24 PM, mary norman > wrote: > > To: miller johnson > Cc: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; cdrussin at centurylink.net > What does ?mensa juncos? mean? I just call them juncos. Lots of them > at our house near the Zoo! And, while I have your attention: I want to > put out some raisins for the birds. Do they need to be soaked in water to > plump them first? > > Thanks! > > Mary Norman > > > On Mar 27, 2024, at 11:41?AM, Miller Johnson via Mnbird < > mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote: > > > > My juncos have returned; they had left behind just a small troop to hold > this location from invaders. Yesterday a Song Sparrow was doing all it > could to survive: hanging at and eating from the suet cage, moving on to > the sunflower feeder. Today, there was a Fox Sparrow hanging out with > Juncos. I was expecting it to be the Song Sparrow, so I had to rub my eyes > a couple times to make sure I was seeing right! The Song Sparrow came out > from under my brush pile and joined the Fox Sparrow and Juncos. > > > > I like "Mensa Juncos." They really do have to be wily to survive our > winters! > > > > Molly Jo Miller > > Inver Grove Hts > > Dakota Co > > > > PS We knew what you meant by Hairy Woodcocks! ;-) > > ________________________________________ > > From: Mnbird on behalf of DONALD > GRUSSING Owner via Mnbird > > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 10:08 AM > > To: mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > Subject: [Mnbird] Snow effect > > > > Many birds disappeared and have not returned. Gold Finches and House > Finches are gone, > > Suet eaters are happy. Four Downy Woodpeckers in a crazy > mating/territorial dance, Hairy Woodcocks just observing. Chickadees also > in an energy burning war. Mensa Juncos sleeping under the deck, emerging > to eat a feed mix, then returning to cover. > > > > Don Grussing > > Minnetonka > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mnbird mailing list > > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > > . > _______________________________________________ > Mnbird mailing list > Mnbird at lists.mnbird.net > http://mail.lists.mnbird.net/mailman/listinfo/mnbird_lists.mnbird.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: