Birds Seen at My Bird Feeders - 2019

Bird Visitors for - 2019

FS = First Seen
LS = Last Seen

Each below are links:

• Anna's Hummingbird They have very bright Red face feathers.
• Rufous Hummingbird I see many Humming Birds, about 1 per minute.
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• Spotted Towhee FS: ?, LS: Mid Aug
• Black-Headed GrosBeak FS: ?, LS: Mid Aug 
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• Grey Headed Chickadee
• Black-capped Chickadee These are my favorite birds, they are very; quick and friendly 
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• House Sparrows
• Oregon Junco
• Dark-eyed Junco a Black Headed Sparrow, the mostly eat on the ground
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• Western-Variety Steller Jay FS: ?, LS: Mid Nov
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• Goldfinch FS: ?, LS: Mid Sep
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• Crow  One investigated, but did not eat anything
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• Barn Swallow FS: May 1, LS: July 17 - One pair nested in the fourplex bird house
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• Common Blackbird Two came to partake of Suit. Black with yellow beak. UPDATE: I think they were  Common Starlings :-( I understand Starlings can be a pain around back yard Bird Feeders.
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• House Finch
• Song Sparrow
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• Pygmy Nuthatch  The always seem to be perched up-side-down
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• Hairy Woodpecker They love my Peanut Butter Log
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker Eats from the ground or vertical feeding log
• Pileated Woodpecker Took some sueit from near the right hand post.
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• Evening Grosbeak FS: Nov 30 - LS: Mid Dec, When I first saw them, I thought they were a group of Starlings

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2019 Bee Blog

2019 Weather Log for 2019, Note: New Content will be added.
(I wish I had started this earlier)



3/9 - Put Out 25 Mason Bee Cocoons
Experimental 3D Printed Frames are in the Left Barn,
Experimental Styrofoam Frames in the Middle Barn,
Traditional Wooden Frames are in Right Barn.
More to come.

3/9/2019

3/15 - Added 50 more Mason Bee Cocoons
3/20 - Watching a Mason Bee Emerge

The Mason Bee cocoons are placed in a simple 3D Printed Emerging Box with wood shavings, there is nothing special about the box, but it does allow me to monitor the emerging process. All bees exit through a single small hole in the front of the box. The box is place in the space above the nesting tube trays (in the attic).

3/23 - Added 50 more Mason Bee Cocoons
3/30 - Added 75 more Mason Bee Cocoons

4/2/2019

4/7 - Setup Barns near the House, with about 50 Cocoons

This is probably the last Mason Bee Barns I will put up this year, it is located in the same spot, that my one barn was last year, which is outside of Jenny's bedroom window. I installed the last of my Bee Cocoons (about 50) which will hopefully emerge soon. Today it is wet and drizzling, so we will not see much activity on any of the barns.

4/7/2019

4/19 - Two weeks prior - cool and rain

4/20 - Clear and warm, first good flight day in several weeks
4/21 - Clear and warm - Easter

For the last few weeks it has been cool and damp, the Mason Bees could not fly.  The two days of Easter Weekend provided nice weather, the Bees could fly and I took a look at the Observation Trays.

4/21/2019

4/22 - Cool and wet
4/23 - Cool and wet
4/24 - Clear and warm, removed first layer of blue tape exposing more tubes
4/25 - Clear and warm, First capped tube (hole) seen

4/25/2019

4/26 - Clear and warm

A second tube has been Capped this afternoon, the girls have worked very hard today.

Based on my observations, it appears that a single Female Mason Bee will occupy and prevision several tubes at the same time.

4/27 - Clear and Cool, Rain at night

4/28 - Clear, Cool (colder), some clear sky rain for about 1 hr.

I put out another Mason Bee Barn across the field on a pole, I did not put any cocoons into the Barn, this is an experiment to see if I can attract Bee use without cocoons

Small Barn on a Pole

4/29 - Clear, but still Cool, late afternoon Thunder and Rain
Six Tubes Capped (6 total).

4/30 - Clear and Cool

5/1 - Clear and Warm

5/2 - Overcast but DryAM, Clear Warm PM
Nine Tubes Capped

5/3 - Clear Warm

5/4 - Clear and Warm
16 Tubes Capped We went to the Hanger to bring back a Tree/Log that came down near the Hanger.

5/5 - Clear and Warm

Went to Jan and Jerry's house and took a look at their Bees, they are doing great, many tubes capped.

Jerry with his Bees

5/6 - Clear and Warm

5/7 -  5/11 - Clear and Warm

5/10 - 5/13 - Cool Morning, Warm Afternoons

5/14 - Drizzly Morning

5/16 - Fog in the AM, Sun at Noon, Rain Afternoon

5/26 - The Bees are about done for the year

It has been cool and damp.
My Mason bee have not done well this year, in November I will count the results (cocoons).

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2019 Bird Feeder Blog

This is the Bird Feeder Log for 2019

3/26 - Clear and warm

The Hummers are flying on this nice warm day. So far, I have seen as many as four Hum'ers (at the same time) at this feeder. The seed feeder below generally has several birds feeding at the same time.

I have learned: not to fill the feeders very full, so that they can be cleaned re-supplied often.

Feeding

The Exit

Second Feeder located in front of my Glass Door

Second Feeder

Here is an interesting youtube video:

5/4 - Jenny found these at the Hanger in the Laurel Bushes while taking cuttings.

Near The Hanger

5/9 - A few Warm Days

A Barn Swallow checking out the Vent on the side of the Shop for a Home, I turned on the fan and blew out some feathers. Hopefully they will find other accommodations.

Barn Swallow - Looking for a Home

Several days ago I put out a Peanut Suet Block, today I saw a very Blue Jay eating on the Suet.

Added Suet Block and Nyjer Feeder

5/10 - Clear and Warm

We closed the vents with screen to avoid have the Barn Swallows nesting in them. But, I put up a bird house for them to use, so far, they have been just investigating it.

The New Bird House, Hopefully to be
used by the Barn Swallows

5/15 - Some Sun
The Barn Swallows have entered the Bird House.
I change the Suet Cage for a DIY Peanut Butter Log. The Birds seem to really like it.

5/16 - Fog in the AM, Sun at Noon, Rain Afternoon
Barn Swallow have been bring nesting material into one of the Bird House holes

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