The charming side of pest control

[digitS']

Mountain. I think. They have the little white eyebrows.

I wonder... do you suppose they cross breed with each other? We have both mountain and black capped up here.

I don't believe that Black Capped & Mountain could cross breed or we'd lose one or the other, Thistle'. To my untrained eye, they seem identical, except for that eyebrow. Their activities seem to be the same. It must be that they don't recognize each other as kissing cousins . . .

I can imagine how birds like this develop - one group on one side of the hill and the other group on the other. Still, when circumstances change, they'd be back together.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

I always have BOSS in the feeder, maybe they fly to your house? I bet your bugs taste better than mine!

Well if they are coming here from New York it's no wonder you don't see them again. They're so darn tuckered out they can't muster the motivation to pack up and return.

I don't know if our bugs taste better, I doubt it and I'm not about to do a taste test!

 

[NwMtGardener]

I've tasted our bugs, they're yucky!! cool chickadees thistle! Went birding with my gran today (i'm in PA visiting) and saw lotsa east coast birds i havent seen in a while.

 

[thistlebloom]

I've tasted our bugs, they're yucky!! cool chickadees thistle! Went birding with my gran today (i'm in PA visiting) and saw lotsa east coast birds i havent seen in a while.

Okay Heather, I'm not even gonna ask you why you know our bugs taste bad... I'm not sure I could handle the details!

 

[digitS']

I find that learning where birds are - is just a delightful experience.

Thistle' and I have talked about the fact that she sees Mountain Blue birds and I haven't seen one in years. But, the Western Bluebird is around. It seems to be up to the same sort of things as its relative but looking at the maps in Cornell's All About Birds shows you they aren't quite up to the same sort of things in the same places.

I was recently enjoying the Cliff Swallows while taking a break from gardening. They may be here in their usual multitudes, nesting under the bridges along this year. There is only a slight danger that I will confuse them with the Violet-green Swallow because they just aren't in the same places even tho' it may only be about 50 yards distance - not kidding! Then, every once in awhile, a Barn Swallow cruises thru - easily recognized by that tail.

The House Finch even intrigues me but not just because of the song. House Finch life history: humans have had a very important role in the expansion of their range. I've got them in all the gardens along with my garden buddies, the Song Sparrows. The California Quail (Hey what are they doing here!?), have become so tame that I can be working less than 20' from a cock crowing on a fence post. I'm not entirely sure if this is a good thing but they may account for the near absence of earwigs in that garden.

Chickadees? I blame them for NO tomato worms during the years that I've had sunflowers in the garden . Chickadees and Chipping Sparrows seem to lay claim to the sunflowers long before they have gone to seed. Attracting them to the garden, probably is very good insect control.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Nice link to the house finch Steve, I had fun listening to their song!