# Favorite birds????



## FlyFishingAttorney (Dec 26, 2007)

My wife thinks that I am a bird brain because I get so fired up like a little kid when I see a new bird.

I was thinking of all the birds and which ones give me the biggest thrill each time I see them.

I love when the 1 pair of common nighthawks which nest in downtown Grand Haven start to hunt just before daybreak at the very start of summer. I think the fact that it's not dark til 10:30 pm makes them unable to wait til it's fully dark before they hunt. What a sight it is to see one hovering hundreds of feet in the air and go from a tiny speck and then swoop down to tree level and make that loud "swoosh" sound that I think they make just cuz they can.

Anyway, my favorite bird has to be the bananaquit of the Caribbean. They're basically like semi tame pets that have the beak of a hummingbird but walk like a sparrow.

They are bold and will not hesitate to swipe a little jam or juice off your breakfast table as they make their rounds. I guess I am a little kid as I can spend 2 hours eating breakfast at an outdoor place just watching to see how bold the bananaquits will be.

Anyway, for the other bird watchers on this site, what are your favorite birds and why?

Bananaquit (not my photo)


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

I'm gonna have to go with the wood-warblers as a group, especially Black-throated greens and Blackburnians. I love the challenge of identifying new birds by song, and then trying to find them nestled away in the tops of the tree canopies. 

Of course, I'll always have a special place in my heart for wood ducks, indigo buntings, and Northern saw-whet ows.


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## CAPT HEAVY (Nov 4, 2002)

Sounds kind of corny, but my favorite is the chickadee. They remind me of my grandmother and the joy she would get seeing them on the feeder. Every time they sing "Chickadee-dee-dee" its a gentle reminder of her love and respect of the outdoors and they lessons about nature that she passed along to me.


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## Old Coot (Oct 25, 2007)

I've got to pick the chic too. Mostly because it doesn't fly away but perches on a branch and talks to me while I'm spreading the bird seed.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

I'm going with chic also but was going to add there is nothing funnier than a 100 starlings jockeying for position on an electric line--all squeaking and squacking at each other. 

I get a kick out of how they mimic so many other calls and blend them into one huge managerie of sound.


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## Mudfoot (Nov 28, 2006)

Love to hear the wood thrush singin' for my favorite songster. Too many others to list for my favorites to "look at".


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

I love the song of the yellow billed cuckcoo but my favoriate is probably the little brown creeper. I don't have a good picture of the cuckcoo, but I know where a pair nests so maybe this year I'll have a good picture. 
I took this picture last year.










I really like the chicadee as well especially when I call them in while bow hunting. 










I think this is my best bird picture. Its a red bellied woodpecker.









I'm hoping to list 300 on my life list and I'm up to about 268 I think. I am mainly a fisherman but bird watching and photography are secondary hobbies.


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## severus (Feb 8, 2000)

This yellow-rumped warbler showed up last April looking for a meal on his way north. He stayed a few days and ate bits of food that fell from a suet block, then vanished after apparently regaining his strength. What a tough life some birds must have.


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

I have to admit I like them all.
Hope to get a better camera sooner or later so I can post the snowy owls, golden eagles, white pelicans,burrowing owls and a whole bunch more.
I really enjoy other peoples photos of birds.


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## severus (Feb 8, 2000)

trout said:


> I really enjoy other peoples photos of birds.


Likewise, Trout. I also enjoy attracting birds for my own selfish viewing pleasure.  Like this one:


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## bloo_gilz (Jan 7, 2001)

Banditto said:


> there is nothing funnier than a 100 starlings jockeying for position on an electric line--all squeaking and squacking at each other.


That always cracks me up ! I have laughed OUT-LOUD watching that.
It reminds me of a shift change in a hockey game.
You can almost here them talking-"scoot-down 1" while the other 99 b1tch !

Favorite bird-Cardinal
Mark


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## bloo_gilz (Jan 7, 2001)

Mudfoot said:


> Love to hear the wood thrush singin' for my favorite songster.


I love their song too.
Also the wren.


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

I would have to go with the eastern bluebird. I have quite a bit of success with nesting boxes on my property and also raise mealworms to feed them and watching them from egg laying to teaching the little ones to feed themselves is a lot of fun and very rewarding.


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## rick (Dec 3, 2000)

I have watched the Bananaquits drink themselves into a stupper while at outside bars in Aruba. They sip from the liqueur bottles with the pourers on them. I think they prefer rum! (I can't blame them).
I get a kick out of all birds, but it's the colorfull ones and the big ones that are best. Kind of funny that the males are the good looking ones in the bird world. Glad its not that way with us humans. Couldn't picture woman being worst looking than us.
Some of my favs.


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## severus (Feb 8, 2000)

RDS-1025 said:


> I would have to go with the eastern bluebird. I have quite a bit of success with nesting boxes on my property and also raise mealworms to feed them and watching them from egg laying to teaching the little ones to feed themselves is a lot of fun and very rewarding.


How do you keep the sparrows from taking over the box? And is it a bad idea to keep two boxes in your yard close together, or will that create a competition problem among the bluebirds?


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

severus said:


> How do you keep the sparrows from taking over the box? And is it a bad idea to keep two boxes in your yard close together, or will that create a competition problem among the bluebirds?


It does take alot of effort but its worth it. You can put boxes about 100 yds. apart and get them to use both. I put two boxes 15 yds. apart in different areas so other birds can use one and the bluebirds can use the other. As far as sparrows go the english sparrow is the only one you will have a problem with. These are invasive birds and legal to kill. If you think thats wrong than you have never seen a batch of baby bluebirds killed by them. I shoot them when I can and also trap them. You can also put sparrow spookers on your boxes with some success but they can be persistent.


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## severus (Feb 8, 2000)

Useful advice. I had a bluebird box once and watched sparrows drive off the nesting bluebirds a few days after their arrival, so I know what you mean.

What is a sparrow spooker?


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## dugal (Aug 17, 2006)

My favorite Michingan bird would have to be a Ruby Throated Hummingbird. The way they "move in" and take over a feeding station after they get familiar with it is the best. I like the way they come and hover right in front of me as if they were making sure I belonged there. Although somewhat aggressive to others of their own kind I like to watch the dominant one try to keep control of his space!


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

What is a sparrow spooker?
It's a 3 prong hanger for hanging shiny tinsel strands above the front of the box. It can stop the sparrows but does not bother the Bluebirds. dugal, I know what you mean with the hummers. We have one we call the humminator. He has a perch he uses to watch 2 feeders at once and the others keep him real busy. We had to put another feeder on the other side of the house so the others could use it without him seeing them.


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## Bearblade (Dec 30, 2005)

One of my favorites (too many to choose!) is the Scarlet Tanager. And I like the Gray Jays too, just kinda dorky the way they fly up to you and cock their little heads around looking for something to eat.


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## severus (Feb 8, 2000)

We watched many sword fights among the hummers last summer, particularly when the males were around. If you watched closely the ones that were feeding always were looking around for an approaching hummer.


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## blgoose44 (Oct 10, 2008)

I enjoy the humming birds, but I see plenty of them. I mostly enjoy birds I have to try to get in my yard. Like Orioles, or an occasional Grossbeak.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

That's what this little guy is doing, watching out for incoming. I have been seeing humming birds almost everytime I go out fishing. I'm sure it is just because I have tuned-in to their buzz if you will and now I see lots of them away from the feeders.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I remebered reading this thread and was looking through some pics I snapped at my mom's house, so I though I'd share this










I had some nesting orioles at the house and finally found the nest. I'll have to get a pic of that too.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Gotta be my favorite.















.


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## Backwoods-Savage (Aug 28, 2005)

So many enjoyable birds:

Eagle
Loon
Canada Goose
Chickadee
Cardinal
Hummingbird
Grosbeak
Blue Jay
And many others


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## MRocks (Aug 31, 2007)

I love the calls and sights of cardinals. This year, I have 4-5 pairs living around my house. When I get up for my morning devotion, I open the front window and side door to listen to them. They ones in the back call to the ones on the side who call to the ones in the front, so I get cardinals in stereo.

One of my greatest hunting experiences was 4 years ago during gun season. I was sitting in the woods at dusk. It was absolutely, completely still, and the leaves were slightly damp, so even the squirrels were making no noise. I ended up surrounded by a number of cardinals calling to each other all around me. I just closed my eyes and listened for about 10 minutes until they slowly moved off. It was fantastic.


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