Falcon Watchers' Weekend, 2011

[margaret]

Wish I could join all of you at Wild Wings on Friday.  Darn work always getting in the way.   

Have fun everyone!

Carol P.

Carol, you do a whole lot considering "darn work always getting in the way"!   
 I feel like a total perch potato compared to you watchers!   
I am so happy to be able to get out to WW this Friday and share time with watchers! 

[Patti from Kentucky]

I have a dumb question;  peanuts?  Are they peanuts in the shell?   
I usually pull them out of my parrot's bird seed because I don't like to feed them to him, and save them for the bluejays and chipmunks in my yard.   The jays swallow them whole -- three or four at a time,and the chipmunks just store mounds of them in their mouths!     I'll bring my supply as well as the left over bird seed  I have. 
I am looking forward to meeting Ei and seeing some of the other folks I've only met once or twice in person!   
What time at Wild WIngs?

Peanuts should be out of the shell (and unsalted, preferably; the salt's not any better for the birds than it is for us).  Chickadees love the shelled peanuts.  Some birds will take peanuts in the shell (blue jays, tufted titmouses (titmice?), but during summer at Mendon Ponds you're going for chickadees.  On my visits to Mendon Ponds Park I usually have peanuts and sunflower seeds so they'll have a choice, and 90% of the time they go for the peanuts.

[Patti from Kentucky]

Peanuts should be out of the shell (and unsalted, preferably; the salt's not any better for the birds than it is for us).  Chickadees love the shelled peanuts.  Some birds will take peanuts in the shell (blue jays, tufted titmouses (titmice?), but during summer at Mendon Ponds you're going for chickadees.  On my visits to Mendon Ponds Park I usually have peanuts and sunflower seeds so they'll have a choice, and 90% of the time they go for the peanuts.

Oh, and here's a photo album from my 2006 Rochester Falcon Watcher's Weekend...I got very lucky with the chickadees that year...other years I've had some luck or no luck...
http://classic.kodakgallery.com/bellhanley/main/falcon_watch_2006

[Bobbie Ireland]

Re Patti's post on peanuts... they are a major staple for feeding garden birds here and in the UK - especially in winter. We buy them in bulk, in a big burlap sack. They are already shelled, ready to put into the feeders. (I will see if Rod can dig out some pix.) They are for animal consumption, definitely not salted. And the birds can go thru an entire peanut feeder's contents about twice per day if the weather is bad and the food scarce. At first, it was just the tit family that hung on the feeders - blue, coal, great. Over the years, the sparrows and starlings have learned the trick - they are the culprits who can clean out a full feeder in no time. "Our" European robin has learned the hanging-feeder trick too.

Can't say as I have ever seen peanut feeders in my part of NY... anyone?

Our next-best feeding item is apples. The Thrush family love these - blackbird, song, mistle. Also the tits and many others. Again, I will try to dig out pix (or "someone" will) and post these in time for winter... sigh...

[Dumpsterkitty]

OK-here's the plan so far...I'll pick up Brian & MAK and we'll meet whoever can come at Wild Wings around 10:30 Friday morning!  I'll have baggies, a sack of sunflower seeds & a jar of unsalted peanuts (blood pressure won't allow salted anymore) in the car for anyone who wants to try some chickadee feeding! 

[margaret]

OK-here's the plan so far...I'll pick up Brian & MAK and we'll meet whoever can come at Wild Wings around 10:30 Friday morning!  I'll have baggies, a sack of sunflower seeds & a jar of unsalted peanuts (blood pressure won't allow salted anymore) in the car for anyone who wants to try some chickadee feeding! 

I will meet you there at 10:30 on Friday - also bringing unsalted peanuts and sunflower seeds and lots of water for us humans!

[Dumpsterkitty]

OK-here's the plan so far...I'll pick up Brian & MAK and we'll meet whoever can come at Wild Wings around 10:30 Friday morning!  I'll have baggies, a sack of sunflower seeds & a jar of unsalted peanuts (blood pressure won't allow salted anymore) in the car for anyone who wants to try some chickadee feeding! 

I will meet you there at 10:30 on Friday - also bringing unsalted peanuts and sunflower seeds and lots of water for us humans!

Sounds like you're a "girl scout" like me!  Can't wait!

[margaret]

It will be great to meet you -- in person. I've met MAK and Brian before --and Carrie. 
I ' ve always had to work -- at least for the past five years -- so I've missed Falcon watchers weekend. 

[Dumpsterkitty]

It will be great to meet you -- in person. I've met MAK and Brian before --and Carrie. 
I ' ve always had to work -- at least for the past five years -- so I've missed Falcon watchers weekend. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you too! 

[Tokira]

It has occurred to me that Perhaps Wild Wings uses the proceeds from the sale of $1.00 nuts and seeds toward maintenance of the residents, in which case bringing one's own might be considered in marginal taste.  If I were fortunate enough to be able to join you all there, I think I would plan on purchasing theirs as long as they have it, before bringing my own.  Others' mileage may vary :-)
Carol
WV

[jeanne]

It will be great to meet you -- in person. I've met MAK and Brian before --and Carrie. 
I ' ve always had to work -- at least for the past five years -- so I've missed Falcon watchers weekend. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you too! 

I will be joining you all on Friday!!!  The chickadees are awesome!  Dan S, our longtime watcher, sometimes will hide the peanut in the other seeds so that the chickadees stay longer on his hand as they search!

[margaret]

It will be great to meet you -- in person. I've met MAK and Brian before --and Carrie. 
I ' ve always had to work -- at least for the past five years -- so I've missed Falcon watchers weekend. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you too! 

I will be joining you all on Friday!!!  The chickadees are awesome!  Dan S, our longtime watcher, sometimes will hide the peanut in the other seeds so that the chickadees stay longer on his hand as they search!

Oh good, I think I also met you, jeanne, last year . I am looking forward to it on Friday!

[jeanne]

It will be great to meet you -- in person. I've met MAK and Brian before --and Carrie. 
I ' ve always had to work -- at least for the past five years -- so I've missed Falcon watchers weekend. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you too! 

I will be joining you all on Friday!!!  The chickadees are awesome!  Dan S, our longtime watcher, sometimes will hide the peanut in the other seeds so that the chickadees stay longer on his hand as they search!

Oh good, I think I also met you, jeanne, last year . I am looking forward to it on Friday!

I think we did, Margaret!!! It will be fun!

[Dumpsterkitty]

It has occurred to me that Perhaps Wild Wings uses the proceeds from the sale of $1.00 nuts and seeds toward maintenance of the residents, in which case bringing one's own might be considered in marginal taste.  If I were fortunate enough to be able to join you all there, I think I would plan on purchasing theirs as long as they have it, before bringing my own.  Others' mileage may vary :-)
Carol
WV

I had actually thought of that.  I was planning on making a donation & leave the seeds for those who don't know about the chickadees in advance.

I will be joining you all on Friday!!!  The chickadees are awesome!  Dan S, our longtime watcher, sometimes will hide the peanut in the other seeds so that the chickadees stay longer on his hand as they search!

Yippee!

[Donna]

You all give "Barf" a kiss for me....OK?