Comments for Bird Watching - Backyard Birding - Bird habitats http://www.thebirdnerds.com Your resource for bird related information Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:25:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 Comment on Red-Bellied Woodpecker Lives up to his name by Henri http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-167 Henri Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:16:31 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-167 This morning, I threw a peanut on the ground past the dogwood where the red-bellied was located and as he flew down to pick it up, a squirrel ran to grab it instead. He looked startled and then flew straight up for about six feet and started hovering like a hummingbird. The behavior was so strange that it caught my attention and then I saw him hover to the right before he fell and collapse on the ground. It has seemed as though he had been caught in a spider web. I walked over to pick him up in my hands with the thought of giving him some warmth. I kept him in my hands for about a minute and then he started to call for about thirty second. As I felt the warmth starting to come back, I walked over to the tree and placed him on it when he then flew away. Wonderous world. This morning, I threw a peanut on the ground past the dogwood where the red-bellied was located and as he flew down to pick it up, a squirrel ran to grab it instead. He looked startled and then flew straight up for about six feet and started hovering like a hummingbird. The behavior was so strange that it caught my attention and then I saw him hover to the right before he fell and collapse on the ground. It has seemed as though he had been caught in a spider web. I walked over to pick him up in my hands with the thought of giving him some warmth. I kept him in my hands for about a minute and then he started to call for about thirty second. As I felt the warmth starting to come back, I walked over to the tree and placed him on it when he then flew away.

Wonderous world.

]]> Comment on Baby House Sparrow by Uel http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-166 Uel Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:34:04 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-166 I need some help. I rescued a baby sparrow on Aug. 18,2008 (feathers not fully developed, couldn't fly) & a cat was just getting ready to pounce on it when I banged at the window. I went from feeding it scrambled egss mixed w/bread with a little karo syrup water; after a couple weeks it ate bread mixed w/chipped sunflower seeds. Then I started feeding it medium size meal worms around Sept 2. It won't eat anything but meal worms now (20-35) a day. On Sept. 5 I coaxed her out of the house since she could drink and would peck the meal worms off the floor. She flew over the house and not in the backyard tree like I had expected where I had intended I could still watch over her & feed her. After almost 2 days she showed up on the deck just hopping around & pecking at the wood that was wet. She looked thirsty and ruffled. I said "Cheap, Cheap is that you?" And she started hopping towards me. So I yelled to my husband to get the meal worms. I threw a few to her, she had a little trouble at first cuz I think her mouth was dry as she was pecking on the wet wood. I filled up a frisbee with water and she immediately drank. She then just kept hopping on the deck by me trying to hide in a couple leaves on the patio. I could tell she's not safe outside cuz there's a couple cats that keep prowling the yards and kill birds. I stopped the human contact like her sitting on my finger and at about 10 days after I had her, (intending on releasing her with success) -- but that didn't work. She gets within a few inches of me. Anyhow, I crawled around on the deck saying her name and she just hopped about a foot in front of me for about 20 minutes so I could see if she would let me pick her up but she wouldn't; but, she never flew away either. Then she tried to sit there and sleep. So, I got the tray plant tray I had in the house before and put the dried leaves in it that she used to play in and rustled the leaves a bit and she jumped right in so I brought her back inside. I hauled the flower pot with the tree branches and everything else back inside. She went right to it drank from her dish, ate more worms & went to a branch and tucked her head under her wing and immediately slept. After 1/2 hour she woke, ate, drank, took a sand bath, a bath in the water,rustled in the leaves, and slept, etc. She's now a bird living in my house in some tree branches (about 5' high) stuck inside a flower pot. She's never been in a cage and won't eat ANYTHING but mealworms even though I have every kind of seed imaginable in two trays for her. I don't know if she doesn't know how to crack millet, or niger seed. She also has cracked corn and chipped sunflower seed. I found out today from an audobon society bird person that she needs vitamins and shouldn't just eat meal worms. I bought some vitamins and a parakeet stick (two different kinds) and millet seeds on a branch. I can't make her eat any of it. I don't know if she doesn't know how or if she's just spoiled because after she got the meal worms she started cutting back what she would eat off my finger or drop it out of her beak and hop on the floor by my chair or fly by my head until I gave her the worms. I've tried not feeding her much of them today even if she begs but I don't want her to starve. Can you please tell me if she is old enough to eat seeds? Since I found her on Aug. 18 and she had her feathers, (tail feathers weren't fully developed) and she couldn't fly I was assuming she was maybe atleast 2 weeks old. (I fed her with an eye dropper at first and would drop it in her mouth). Would she be at least 6 to 8 weeks do you think? She takes a sand bath in her tray and has taken a water bath in a tupperware lid and seems happy but now I'm worried about her diet. In the meantime, I need to figure out something big to put her in -- that can still be inside the house. She stays in the family room but this morning flew into the kitchen begging for meal worms until I gave in and before I found out that that wasn't good for her to eat just that. Please if anyone can give me any info regarding what to do now I'd appreciate it and knowing if she really can't eat seed or whatever. (Today, I also bought some dog food and let it soak and offered that to her but she wouldn't take it. If I put a meal worm on top of it or anything she'll just eat the worm. If anyone can help me with the feeding issue I'll worry what to put her in later but I do know I have a bird now who is living freely in my house. Thank you. I need some help. I rescued a baby sparrow on Aug. 18,2008 (feathers not fully developed, couldn’t fly) & a cat was just getting ready to pounce on it when I banged at the window. I went from feeding it scrambled egss mixed w/bread with a little karo syrup water; after a couple weeks it ate bread mixed w/chipped sunflower seeds. Then I started feeding it medium size meal worms around Sept 2. It won’t eat anything but meal worms now (20-35) a day. On Sept. 5 I coaxed her out of the house since she could drink and would peck the meal worms off the floor. She flew over the house and not in the backyard tree like I had expected where I had intended I could still watch over her & feed her. After almost 2 days she showed up on the deck just hopping around & pecking at the wood that was wet. She looked thirsty and ruffled. I said “Cheap, Cheap is that you?” And she started hopping towards me. So I yelled to my husband to get the meal worms. I threw a few to her, she had a little trouble at first cuz I think her mouth was dry as she was pecking on the wet wood. I filled up a frisbee with water and she immediately drank. She then just kept hopping on the deck by me trying to hide in a couple leaves on the patio. I could tell she’s not safe outside cuz there’s a couple cats that keep prowling the yards and kill birds. I stopped the human contact like her sitting on my finger and at about 10 days after I had her, (intending on releasing her with success) — but that didn’t work. She gets within a few inches of me. Anyhow, I crawled around on the deck saying her name and she just hopped about a foot in front of me for about 20 minutes so I could see if she would let me pick her up but she wouldn’t; but, she never flew away either. Then she tried to sit there and sleep. So, I got the tray plant tray I had in the house before and put the dried leaves in it that she used to play in and rustled the leaves a bit and she jumped right in so I brought her back inside. I hauled the flower pot with the tree branches and everything else back inside. She went right to it drank from her dish, ate more worms & went to a branch and tucked her head under her wing and immediately slept. After 1/2 hour she woke, ate, drank, took a sand bath, a bath in the water,rustled in the leaves, and slept, etc.

She’s now a bird living in my house in some tree branches (about 5′ high) stuck inside a flower pot. She’s never been in a cage and won’t eat ANYTHING but mealworms even though I have every kind of seed imaginable in two trays for her. I don’t know if she doesn’t know how to crack millet, or niger seed. She also has cracked corn and chipped sunflower seed.
I found out today from an audobon society bird person that she needs vitamins and shouldn’t just eat meal worms. I bought some vitamins and a parakeet stick (two different kinds) and millet seeds on a branch.
I can’t make her eat any of it. I don’t know if she doesn’t know how or if she’s just spoiled because after she got the meal worms she started cutting back what she would eat off my finger or drop it out of her beak and hop on the floor by my chair or fly by my head until I gave her the worms. I’ve tried not feeding her much of them today even if she begs but I don’t want her to starve.
Can you please tell me if she is old enough to eat seeds? Since I found her on Aug. 18 and she had her feathers, (tail feathers weren’t fully developed) and she couldn’t fly I was assuming she was maybe atleast 2 weeks old. (I fed her with an eye dropper at first and would drop it in her mouth). Would she be at least 6 to 8 weeks do you think? She takes a sand bath in her tray and has taken a water bath in a tupperware lid and seems happy but now I’m worried about her diet.
In the meantime, I need to figure out something big to put her in — that can still be inside the house. She stays in the family room but this morning flew into the kitchen begging for meal worms until I gave in and before I found out that that wasn’t good for her to eat just that.
Please if anyone can give me any info regarding what to do now I’d appreciate it and knowing if she really can’t eat seed or whatever. (Today, I also bought some dog food and let it soak and offered that to her but she wouldn’t take it. If I put a meal worm on top of it or anything she’ll just eat the worm.

If anyone can help me with the feeding issue I’ll worry what to put her in later but I do know I have a bird now who is living freely in my house.
Thank you.

]]> Comment on Baby House Sparrow by Kristine http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-164 Kristine Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:31:22 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-164 A House Sparrow presence has been gifted to walk beside me in this life. While on a spiritual retreat in Sedona AZ I jokingly asked my grandpa (who has passed) for a new baby (animal)to rescue. Animals seem to find me. Exactly a week later a barely feathered sparrow appeared on my patio. His mama never showed up with food while I watched from inside the house. After a while I fed him quickly then hid inside again. He always waited for me to come back to feed him. All others I rescued would flee the first chance they got but not him. He had no fear of me or my 6 dogs either. Which can be a problem since he walks on the floor pecking at crumbs. I syringe fed him every 20 minutes and now he thinks I am his Mama/Mate. He lives loose in my home with full flight wings. He has been outside twice but chooses to live with me. He has an open cage and plays in my silk trees. I have an 150 lb Newfoundland. He will swoop in and beat him to the water bowl, then hang upside down and make my Newfie wait while he takes a bath. My Newfie just stands over him unsure what to do. What an attitude he has! Oh, and does he have rules! His life is ran by his instincts. He gets so upset when I don’t know the rules. Like birds don’t eat after dark. At dusk we find our ‘night night’ place and we are not to be disturbed, even if the light is on in the house. I also didn’t realize there was a window of time when young to expose him to things and have him accept them as safe. Now, any new toy is evil and he won’t even explore the whole house! He only accepts exactly what I showed him when young. I never have to worry about him landing on the hot stove at least. He is a little over a year old. A House Sparrow presence has been gifted to walk beside me in this life. While on a spiritual retreat in Sedona AZ I jokingly asked my grandpa (who has passed) for a new baby (animal)to rescue. Animals seem to find me. Exactly a week later a barely feathered sparrow appeared on my patio. His mama never showed up with food while I watched from inside the house. After a while I fed him quickly then hid inside again. He always waited for me to come back to feed him. All others I rescued would flee the first chance they got but not him. He had no fear of me or my 6 dogs either. Which can be a problem since he walks on the floor pecking at crumbs. I syringe fed him every 20 minutes and now he thinks I am his Mama/Mate. He lives loose in my home with full flight wings. He has been outside twice but chooses to live with me. He has an open cage and plays in my silk trees. I have an 150 lb Newfoundland. He will swoop in and beat him to the water bowl, then hang upside down and make my Newfie wait while he takes a bath. My Newfie just stands over him unsure what to do. What an attitude he has! Oh, and does he have rules! His life is ran by his instincts. He gets so upset when I don’t know the rules. Like birds don’t eat after dark. At dusk we find our ‘night night’ place and we are not to be disturbed, even if the light is on in the house. I also didn’t realize there was a window of time when young to expose him to things and have him accept them as safe. Now, any new toy is evil and he won’t even explore the whole house! He only accepts exactly what I showed him when young. I never have to worry about him landing on the hot stove at least. He is a little over a year old.

]]> Comment on Baby House Sparrow by admin http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-162 admin Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:51:28 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-162 When and if it hatches you will need to feed it a formula. You can find it at most pet stores, just ask for baby bird formula. You will need to feed it with a dropper. If you search youtube for feeding baby sparrow you can find lots of videos showing you how to do it. I responded to your post here that way others can learn from it. When and if it hatches you will need to feed it a formula. You can find it at most pet stores, just ask for baby bird formula.
You will need to feed it with a dropper. If you search youtube for feeding baby sparrow you can find lots of videos showing you how to do it.
I responded to your post here that way others can learn from it.

]]> Comment on Baby House Sparrow by Bob http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-161 Bob Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:12:44 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/06/03/baby-house-sparrow/#comment-161 Can I get your email address for some questions? My daughter found a House Sparrow egg on the concreate today with no nest nearby. The egg was cracked open and the chick is moving a little bit. I have no idea what to do when and if it fully hatches/lives. Not sure what size bugs etc.. to give it? Can I get your email address for some questions? My daughter found a House Sparrow egg on the concreate today with no nest nearby. The egg was cracked open and the chick is moving a little bit. I have no idea what to do when and if it fully hatches/lives. Not sure what size bugs etc.. to give it?

]]> Comment on Red-Bellied Woodpecker Lives up to his name by Michelle http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-148 Michelle Fri, 30 May 2008 21:20:11 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-148 I have three red bellied woodpeckers that arrive at my house about 7 am and don't leave until sundown. They are hanging on my windows and peck all day. Its been going on for about a week now. What do I do to make them go away? I have three red bellied woodpeckers that arrive at my house about 7 am and don’t leave until sundown. They are hanging on my windows and peck all day. Its been going on for about a week now. What do I do to make them go away?

]]> Comment on Solar powered Bird Baths by Solar Bird Bath http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/05/15/solar-powered-bird-baths/#comment-138 Solar Bird Bath Mon, 26 May 2008 07:57:33 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/05/15/solar-powered-bird-baths/#comment-138 Thank you for such an informative website on birds. I'm like a novice when it comes to birds but learning about them everyday. They are such wonderful and beautiful creatures. Solar powered bird bath is one of the great ways of attracting birds to your garden doesn't it? You're able to do your birdwatching activity at the comfort of your own home. Cheers. Thank you for such an informative website on birds. I’m like a novice when it comes to birds but learning about them everyday. They are such wonderful and beautiful creatures. Solar powered bird bath is one of the great ways of attracting birds to your garden doesn’t it? You’re able to do your birdwatching activity at the comfort of your own home.

Cheers.

]]> Comment on Red-Bellied Woodpecker Lives up to his name by admin http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-131 admin Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:06:18 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-131 Is he at the same window everytime? It sounds like he sees his reflection. I would try to put something there to discourage him from coming back, like a scarecrow. Is he at the same window everytime? It sounds like he sees his reflection. I would try to put something there to discourage him from coming back, like a scarecrow.

]]> Comment on Red-Bellied Woodpecker Lives up to his name by Diane http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-130 Diane Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:26:57 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/01/03/red-bellied-woodpecker-lives-up-to-his-name/#comment-130 Theres a male and a female red bellied woodpecker that have showed up on my property and the male won't stop pecking on all my windows!!! I mean really, he is next to me right now pecking away. Not only is it annoying, but I'm worried he might hurt himself. How Can I get him to stop!? Theres a male and a female red bellied woodpecker that have showed up on my property and the male won’t stop pecking on all my windows!!! I mean really, he is next to me right now pecking away. Not only is it annoying, but I’m worried he might hurt himself. How Can I get him to stop!?

]]> Comment on Look! Down in the water! That’s not a bird! by Aster Vaughn http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/02/01/look-down-in-the-water-thats-not-a-bird/#comment-128 Aster Vaughn Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:27:04 +0000 http://www.thebirdnerds.com/2008/02/01/look-down-in-the-water-thats-not-a-bird/#comment-128 Sea Cows (Manatees) are just as cool as birds, just not as fast or as pretty :) Sea Cows (Manatees) are just as cool as birds, just not as fast or as pretty :)

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