Any interesting birds by your pond?

[JohnHuff]

Talking about hawks and large birds reminds me that we occasionally see bald eagles around here. They are ginormous and we always oh and ah when we see them. They don't hang around over our neighborhood but above a lake that's about a mile away but sometimes they'll land on some very tall trees that are closer, always takes my breath away when I see them.

I've never seen that many vultures or any large birds like that on a roof ever. I'd sure try to shoo them away from my roof, I wonder how they could do it. Our neighbors have small birds nesting under their eaves, noisy and poopy. They eventually covered their eaves with some tarp like material and painted over it but the birds still got in.

 

[mrsclem]

Unfortunatly these birds are protected. The local library had to replace their roof because of the damage from these birds and had to get a special permit to put up spike strips.

 

[j.w]

Once in awhile we see a vulture type bird fly around here but not often. I would not want all those birds on my roof! I'd sure get the special permit to keep them off if I could!
Regarding the woodpeckers the ones we have here that bang on the gutters every Spring are called Northern Flickers. They don't have the pretty red heads like some of the other kinds. They have a loud mouth and make their presence known quite well. Click the little listen button to hear them. Took a couple clicks for me to get it to work:
http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/northern_flicker

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I first noticed some little white blotches on my liner at the bottom of the 5ft deep section, then noticed some white blotches on some of my rocks and was able to tell that some kind of bird had been visiting my pond. Finally I got to see the culprit, and of the 5 main birds we have around here I'm happy to say it's the ones that would be the least likely to shoot! LOL
The most common birds are magpies, stellar jays, crows, quail and doves. I'd probably rather not have any of these bird frequent my small pond very often (do to their size and their mess), but if I had to invite one it would be the doves, and that's who has been dropping in and leaving their droppings. Fourtunetly it looks like they are only interested in getting a drink, it it was any of the other birds they would probaby start eating plants or tearing the ground apart looking for bugs and stuff.
I'll try and get a picture when the opportunity arises.

 

[addy1]

One less maryland green frog, watch at 8:59:13 He was sitting in the maple tree scooping out the pond. Did not see the bird until he took the dive to get the frog from the bottom stream pond.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Never mind the bird Addy, I'd be more concerned about the suspicious looking character I see lurking in the window in that second video. Better keep your eye on that one.

Nice videos. I have a surveillance like yours, but none of my cameras look at my pond.

 

[addy1]

laughing! That suspicious character was talking to hubby on the phone, had just come inside. Tends to pace when talk, had just walked over to the window and saw the hawk take the frog. That suspicious character should have had on nicer clothes! lol instead of yard work clothes

We bought the system just to watch the pond, do have a camera recording the drive in front. We actually cover most of the property just watching the pond.
I love seeing all the critters that come to visit. With our slope, we have great windows but you have to be next to them to see the yard etc. With the cameras just glance at the screen to see what is going on, something interesting go and watch!

We have gotten some neat heron videos off the camera, it started showing up right after we set the system up.

 

[j.w]

Ahhhhhhh, poor little frog is no more! Neat capture of it happening tho.......guess the bird has to eat too! Could that hawk scoop a fish out of a pond?

 

[addy1]

I don't think so jw, maybe if the fish was right on the surface, and caught its attention. The hawks are around all of the time, I have never seen one show any attention to the pond.
That little pond is loaded with frogs, in perfect line of sight for a hawk sitting in the maple tree.

 

[j.w]

Well no birds better mess w/ my froggies as I have a limited supply!

 

[CountryEscape]

Neat videos, Addy! You sure got it from every angle, and neat to watch for the "moment" since you pin pointed it for us.

 

[addy1]

Neat videos, Addy! You sure got it from every angle, and neat to watch for the "moment" since you pin pointed it for us.

If you blink you miss the bird, they move fast. I was chatting with hubby and started yelling did you see that! of course he couldn't see it, he was on the phone lol. Even knowing I had caught the hawk on the dvr, I had to do a search a few times to find the spot.

 

[CountryEscape]

How funny, asking your hubby if he saw the hawk! I watched your reaction again in the second video, but didn't notice you jump up and down or anything, you looked calm and cool about the episode. Is there a smaller pond where the hawk took the frog? I saw your alligator, too! What type of hawk was it? Around here the smaller hawks are referred to as Cooper's Hawk or chicken hawks, but I have no idea if that's really right. Big ones are red tail hawks, I do know that.

 

[j.w]

Red tailed hawks around here always grabbing up the pigeons in the horse farm or a little bunny. Sad but they gotta survive!
Hope they don't go after my cats.................my one cat is too fat to lift off the ground but the other one is smaller. Never thought of that happening but bet it could!

 

[addy1]

How funny, asking your hubby if he saw the hawk! I watched your reaction again in the second video, but didn't notice you jump up and down or anything, you looked calm and cool about the episode. Is there a smaller pond where the hawk took the frog? I saw your alligator, too! What type of hawk was it? Around here the smaller hawks are referred to as Cooper's Hawk or chicken hawks, but I have no idea if that's really right. Big ones are red tail hawks, I do know that.

All voice ce! I am not a jump and down type person, well sometimes I am. It happened so fast didn't have time to jump!

I think it is a sharp skinned hawk, looks real similar to the coopers, but it wings are hunched forward when flying. The coopers has flat wings.