Birdwatching

[mudwhistle]

I saw this movie last month called "The Big Year" starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson.

It's a film about birdwatching. These people run around the lower 48 United States and try to spot as many different bird species in 365 days to get the record. The current record is 745.

I love birds (except when they crap on my car and my deck) and I like watching them whenever I can.

Here are some of the species that are around my area.

Saw one of these yesterday. A Red-throat ed Hummingbird.

One of them almost kissed my wife......musta thought she was a bird-feeder.

 

[mudwhistle]

We've had a family of Morning Doves nesting outside my bedroom window for about 5 years now. The kids keep coming back every year.

 

[mudwhistle]

There's a large family of these Wild Turkeys that live in the fields down below my house. They usually come up into the yards and yesterday I saw a fellow doing this on someone's driveway.

 

[mudwhistle]

I usually see a few of these out in the field munching on a dead rabbit or something.

Turkey Vulture.

 

[Sherry]

When I was watching that movie, I thought about how if I ever won the lottery and became independently wealthy, that would be a fun way to spend a year of my life...not to really attempt to win it, but just for the experience.

 

[mudwhistle]

This is an Acorn Woodpecker.

We have a lot of these around here.

 

[mudwhistle]

When I was watching that movie, I thought about how if I ever won the lottery and became independently wealthy, that would be a fun way to spend a year of my life...not to really attempt to win it, but just for the experience.

It would be pretty cool.

I'd never get near as many as they did. They had people spotting them for them and they must have spent thousands on plane tickets.

 

[Douger]

Watch ?

 

[mudwhistle]

There are several families of Swallows that live just outside Dunbar Cave which are protected. They are very beneficial. They eat insects on the wing. They eat hundreds of mosquitoes every night.

 

[mudwhistle]

There are a couple families of these over at LBL (Land Between The Lakes)

 

[mudwhistle]

Watch ?

What kind of bird is that?

 

[mudwhistle]

Blue Jay

Usually when I see these they're fighting smaller birds. They pray on other birds eggs. So they're usually being chased by an angry parent.

 

[mudwhistle]

Cardinals usually hang around here during the Winter.

 

[mudwhistle]

I grew up hearing these when I was a kid.

Meadow Lark

They're the Montana State Bird.

 

[mudwhistle]

Robin

Whenever I work in the garden or mow the yard one of these is close by when I get done.

If I water the garden this guy is right out there looking for worms.

 

[mudwhistle]

Down at Dunbar Cave we had a few of these Winter over. By last year there were at least a hundred of them that stayed all through the Summer. This year there are very few. I guess they found a better place to stay.

Canadian Goose

 

[freedombecki]

Wow, mudwhistle. Those are some beautiful birds. I really love birds. We have a pair or two of egrets out back every year. Last year a pair trained their 3 chicks all summer and finally, flew away just before cold weather set it. They do not like company, though. They're off to the tall pines when you go for a walk by the lake.

​

 

[Big Black Dog]

We have many bird feeders in our yard. As a result, there are tons of birds here to watch.

 

[mudwhistle]

Wow, mudwhistle. Those are some beautiful birds. I really love birds. We have a pair or two of egrets out back every year. Last year a pair trained their 3 chicks all summer and finally, flew away just before cold weather set it. They do not like company, though. They're off to the tall pines when you go for a walk by the lake.

​

We have some of those on post. Big suckers.

 

[mudwhistle]

We have many bird feeders in our yard. As a result, there are tons of birds here to watch.

I don't have any bird-feeders, just lots and lots of trees.

Birds are everywhere. When I water the garden they splash under the sprinkler.