Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics
- Thread starter Oh Little Oji
- Start date
All the colorful birds are back! The rose-breasted grosbeak and the Baltimore Oriol. Up to 6 at a time with the Oriols!
The Oriol taking a drink out of our rain gauge!
Not pictured but at the feeders that I've seen is the Indigo Bunting! Such a pretty bird in all blue. ❤
The Oriol taking a drink out of our rain gauge!
Not pictured but at the feeders that I've seen is the Indigo Bunting! Such a pretty bird in all blue. ❤
Oh, well. I remember Kali getting one a couple years ago. Darn things shouldn't leave the nest until they can fly good!! 
So, yesterday afternoon I was walking into my barn and down the steps when I glanced down thought I saw a rope on the step. Like this one.
My first thought was, who left that on the steps?
And then I turned around and glanced back at it and thought, OH. It's a snake!
As I went to grab my Nifty snake catcher, he started to slither off the steps behind a pallet. I thought I kind of lost him but he came right back out and after several attempts, I got a hold of him. He was fast! And I'm always trying not to hurt them so I was trying to be gentle! LOL He kept wanting to go back under the pallet so I gently stepped on the end of his tail to keep him from leaving. Then I was able to grab him closer to the neck with my little catcher. All this while I was taking a video! LOL
My Barn was all closed up so here I am, one hand on my phone, one hand holding his neck and one foot gently on his tail. I finally had to put my phone down on the ground and call my husband who was right out front but far enough that he would never hear me. I said, come help me. I have a snake. I need you to open the door. He finally arrived and I carried the snake out to the woods and let him go.
My first thought was, who left that on the steps?
And then I turned around and glanced back at it and thought, OH. It's a snake!
As I went to grab my Nifty snake catcher, he started to slither off the steps behind a pallet. I thought I kind of lost him but he came right back out and after several attempts, I got a hold of him. He was fast! And I'm always trying not to hurt them so I was trying to be gentle! LOL He kept wanting to go back under the pallet so I gently stepped on the end of his tail to keep him from leaving. Then I was able to grab him closer to the neck with my little catcher. All this while I was taking a video! LOL
My Barn was all closed up so here I am, one hand on my phone, one hand holding his neck and one foot gently on his tail. I finally had to put my phone down on the ground and call my husband who was right out front but far enough that he would never hear me. I said, come help me. I have a snake. I need you to open the door. He finally arrived and I carried the snake out to the woods and let him go.
That's exactly where Phoebe got her name. We used to have a ton of them here constantly saying "phoebe, phoebe" but wouldn't you know now that Phoebe is here I'm only hearing them at the airport. LOL
For several years now we've had this Wren house up in the spring. And every year a little Wren makes it's home here. I don't know if it's the same bird or not but usually within a day of putting it up, someone is in it.
This year was the first year that I saw a Chickadee going inside! I was very surprised that she would even fit but some of them are quite tiny. I was a little disappointed since I really enjoy the Wrens and it's been home for them for so long, but oh well! The Chickadees are cute too and I watched her go in and out for a couple of days, worried that she would get stuck. But she did okay.
But low and behold, the next thing I see is my little Wren barging in and taking over! I have no idea what happened to the Chickadee but my Wren is back! And I always enjoy watching them build the nest, trying to fit long pieces of sticks into the tiny hole. They always manage! But its fun to watch!
Watch this!
This year was the first year that I saw a Chickadee going inside! I was very surprised that she would even fit but some of them are quite tiny. I was a little disappointed since I really enjoy the Wrens and it's been home for them for so long, but oh well! The Chickadees are cute too and I watched her go in and out for a couple of days, worried that she would get stuck. But she did okay.
But low and behold, the next thing I see is my little Wren barging in and taking over! I have no idea what happened to the Chickadee but my Wren is back! And I always enjoy watching them build the nest, trying to fit long pieces of sticks into the tiny hole. They always manage! But its fun to watch!
Watch this!
So. As you can tell from the video above, I love birds. I love all animals! But I really don't want them in my barn. Especially the birds. Mainly because they crap all over my hay, my tack and sometimes my horses! LOL
But I really hate that I have to worry about all the babies. Either from my dog or from them not surviving the fall from the nest. So every Spring I try and discourage birds in the barn. But unless I close it up completely everyday sometimes you just can't keep them out. For years there was a Blackbird or grackle of some type that made a nest inside the soffit. My hubby eventually got up there and closed off were they were getting in. We thought it was completely closed off until I saw one go all the way up to the peak above my door as you see in the picture below. They made a nest before my husband can get up there and put another piece of wood in place. (You can see it in the pic)
That year was horrible. When I came out to the barn there were dead babies all over the concrete!
That is a long drop to the ground and even if the barn door was open and they fell on top of the opened door, they still didn't make it. And when I closed the door ( not realizing they were sitting on top of it ) they all fell to the ground outside the barn. 
There were a couple that were still barely alive. It was like a massacre! I hated it! So terribly sad. I moved a couple that seem to still be alive under a tree hoping they would make it but never daring to go back and see. 
So when my husband closed that off I was so glad.
So what do I find yesterday? Some kind of sparrow going straight up there. Somehow he still fits and probably has a nest.
I've been hearing them ever so often in the barn but could never locate where they were going to. I had a feeling somebody was in there buildinga home. So one day I just sat and watched. And sure enough one flew in and went straight up there. All I thought about was, here we go again. 
It's terrible to watch them go through all that effort just to have all the babies die. So sad! Even my neighbor said they will build a nest in her run-in and the horses end up stepping on them. 
I have barn swallows in my run-in also. When they fall out of the nest at least they're on sand but it's still quite a distance to fall and then they have to dodge the horses. One time Kali even got one of them before I realized what was happening.
So as much as I love the birds, their babies are driving me nuts LOL I really don't look forward to these ones in my barn. My husband's going to have to get the 14 ft ladder or extention ladder out again to get all the way up there and see if he can close it off again even more.
But I really hate that I have to worry about all the babies. Either from my dog or from them not surviving the fall from the nest. So every Spring I try and discourage birds in the barn. But unless I close it up completely everyday sometimes you just can't keep them out. For years there was a Blackbird or grackle of some type that made a nest inside the soffit. My hubby eventually got up there and closed off were they were getting in. We thought it was completely closed off until I saw one go all the way up to the peak above my door as you see in the picture below. They made a nest before my husband can get up there and put another piece of wood in place. (You can see it in the pic)
That year was horrible. When I came out to the barn there were dead babies all over the concrete!
That is a long drop to the ground and even if the barn door was open and they fell on top of the opened door, they still didn't make it. And when I closed the door ( not realizing they were sitting on top of it ) they all fell to the ground outside the barn. There were a couple that were still barely alive. It was like a massacre! I hated it! So terribly sad. I moved a couple that seem to still be alive under a tree hoping they would make it but never daring to go back and see. So when my husband closed that off I was so glad.So what do I find yesterday? Some kind of sparrow going straight up there. Somehow he still fits and probably has a nest.
I've been hearing them ever so often in the barn but could never locate where they were going to. I had a feeling somebody was in there buildinga home. So one day I just sat and watched. And sure enough one flew in and went straight up there. All I thought about was, here we go again. It's terrible to watch them go through all that effort just to have all the babies die. So sad! Even my neighbor said they will build a nest in her run-in and the horses end up stepping on them. I have barn swallows in my run-in also. When they fall out of the nest at least they're on sand but it's still quite a distance to fall and then they have to dodge the horses. One time Kali even got one of them before I realized what was happening.So as much as I love the birds, their babies are driving me nuts LOL I really don't look forward to these ones in my barn. My husband's going to have to get the 14 ft ladder or extention ladder out again to get all the way up there and see if he can close it off again even more.
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We put one of those scary eye balloons in the corner they keep wanting to build nests and it helped.
It's about the size of a beach ball. Bird-X YELLOW SCARE EYES $4.81 Visual Bird Repellers, Scare Eyes, Yellow | Zoro.com
Geez, that scared ME!!
That's worth a try. I have an owl statue but it doesn't do anything. They just fly right by it. I've actually wondered if I could find one that flapped its wings on motion detection but it would probably scare the hell out of the horses too. That beach ball looks much more interesting. Thanks!
jazzies mum
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I had trouble with Rainbow Lorikeets! A local said it was organised crime Magnetic Island style. 
The one on my hand was waiting for me to try to take another bite!
A calmer inhabitant.
The one on my hand was waiting for me to try to take another bite!A calmer inhabitant.
