Birds and Butterflies

[VincentUlyssis]

I've always loved watching our winged pals. The Gold Finches have been feeding on my coneflower and black eyed susan. The Blue Jays seem to love when I put out cracked corn. "Everyone" loves the black sunflower seeds; mourning doves, starlings, sparrows, chickadees... Robins stick around for the worms on the lawn and in the beds.

This has been a great butterfly season. I planted fennel in addition to our butterfly bushes, aster, and so many other butterfly species. I saw the Monarchs, Black Swallowtail, Viceroy, little white and yellow ones whose name I forget, and skippers of every type.

I noticed a lot of dragonflies this year and saw a dwarf blue variety that was nothing short of amazing!

What have you seen?

[Bageleth]

(09-28-2010 07:50 PM)VincentUlyssis Wrote:  I've always loved watching our winged pals. The Gold Finches have been feeding on my coneflower and black eyed susan. The Blue Jays seem to love when I put out cracked corn. "Everyone" loves the black sunflower seeds; mourning doves, starlings, sparrows, chickadees... Robins stick around for the worms on the lawn and in the beds.

This has been a great butterfly season. I planted fennel in addition to our butterfly bushes, aster, and so many other butterfly species. I saw the Monarchs, Black Swallowtail, Viceroy, little white and yellow ones whose name I forget, and skippers of every type.

I noticed a lot of dragonflies this year and saw a dwarf blue variety that was nothing short of amazing!

What have you seen?

We tend to have a lot of finches in our trees and bluejays in our yard. I think that in the 13 years that I've lived in this house, I've only seen 3 hummingbirds. I used to leave food out for the birds, however, we have cats, and we came to the realization, that leaving birdseed out, was really setting up a smörgåsbord for the felines. So I had to stop.

When I married my husband, he brought a Blue Front Amazon Parrot with him. However, that is a whole other story. It was very interesting though. I know for sure now, that I prefer seeing birds flying around outside, and not squawking and talking in the house.

[VincentUlyssis]

I saw two hummingbirds this summer. One was feeding on Purple Salvia. Very cool!

[Nettie]

I've seen more butterflies this year, especially monarchs and painted ladies. I'm partially responsible for the painted ladies...my students raised a batch in the spring, and then released them. They are native to the area, but haven't been seen much until recently.

[Mufasa]

Took a Monarch to the sternum at a buck-ten yesterday on K96.

[Boomer]

We went to Daytona back in July, and just outside of Louisville, Kentucky we hit a small flock of hummingbirds for some reason. We were so upset because we have been TRYING in vain to attract them to our back yards with no luck. I have seen one hummingbird in our yard in the 2 1/2 years we have lived in this house, and I think that poor guy was kiding from the neighbors dog.

Does anyone know an exact surefire method of attracting those little guys?

[VincentUlyssis]

I saw them feeding on the Bee Balm (red) and the purple salvia. They love red nectar in particular. They sell feeders that are pretty successful.

[VincentUlyssis]

Lot's of finches particularly in my birch trees lately. Blue Jays are quite active. What are you seeing now?

[Boomer]

Ahhh saw me an Oriole, a couple Blue Jays, and a number of Cardinals yesterday. No I aam not talking baseball. I took a motorcycle ride to Freedom Rock. Its a big rock that a local artist paints every year in a veterans motif. Check it out at freedomrock.com. Anyway there is a sitting area next to it, and I sat there for half an hour talking to the locals and watching birds.

Also saw some pheasant. Hmmm.

[VincentUlyssis]

Oriole! That's so cool. I hardly ever see them. Saw a gray bird with posture like a robin but white in the wings. Not sure what it was but it sure was majestic.

Pheasant. Ever eat it? Pretty good.