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Intro Post
Jan. 2nd, 2023 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meowmensteenHello all three of us so far. I hope this community grows. I love birding.
Your other online venues:
You can also find me here: https://365project.org/stephomy/365
my bird tag is here: https://365project.org/tags/stephomy_birds
I don't have much else going on online.
Your approximate location:
Seattle, WA USA
What are your interests in birds?
I am very interested in all aspects of birds. I watch them, feed them, and photograph them. Occasionally I'll go on a trip to spot some new species. I keep a life list, and even a daily log of the different kinds I see.
How big is your yard / balcony / etc. if any?
I live in a dense residential neighborhood in Seattle. The house I live in is a duplex with a front and back yard. I have some small trees in the front, and large trees in the back. Mostly deciduous, but there's a few conifers around. I wish there were more pine trees around since they attract different kinds of birds. Besides my own yards, I like to check out my neighbor's since we're all really close. I spend a lot of time looking across the street at the landscaping of my neighbors to see what birds visit them.
What is your general habitat / climate zone?
Temperate. The PNW is pretty wet nine months of the year, and then dry for the other three. It doesn't get too hot or cold. Pretty mild. We have our year round birds, but also in the winter we get visitors from Alaska and Canada. Winter tends to be more active than summer for birding here.
What do you do to attract birds, if anything?
Besides the trees, and a few shrubs (my decorative huckleberry is a big hit), I have two suet feeders and a seed bell. I also keep a water bath in the front. My biggest deterrent is my cat. I let her in and out as she pleases. I know this tends to make a lot of birders mad at me, but I stand by my policy. She does occasionally kill a bird. Sadly they're usually native sparrows. I wish she'd prefer the House Sparrows to them, but there's a reason House Sparrow are so prevalent and tend to take over. They're smart and keep away from cats. All of my feeders and the water bath are cat and squirrel proof. Whenever there's a bird on the seed bell, she just sits there being mad at them because she can't catch them. Gives them a warbling whine.
Oh yeah, I just remembered. I also put up a Chickadee house each spring. I tend to chronicle the lives of my Chickadee neighbors when they move in.
What are some birds you often see in your area?
This list could get long. I'll tell you what I've seen already today: Gull, Crow, Black-Capped Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Oregon Junco, Bushtit, House Finch, and maybe a Song Sparrow. He was across the street at the base of a bush, so I couldn't get a clear ID on him. Sometimes I try to ID the different kinds of Gulls, but most of the time I just write Gull. They're tricky, and change their colors as they get older. New Year's Eve was a big day for me. I walked across the Ballard Bridge and spotted some water birds. My daytime list got up to 17.
What is your blog like?
That thing is full of all sorts of nonsense. Birding does come up.
How active is it?
That depends on my mood and schedule. I post a few times a week at least.
What are your most common topics?
Birds, work, thoughts, weather, cooking/baking.
What kinds of friends would you like to attract?
I don't care. All kinds of people are cool.
Cool Fact:
Sometimes a Pine Siskin will let you pet it. Here's a picture from my back yard:
Always wash your hands though. Those buggers carry salmonella.
Your other online venues:
You can also find me here: https://365project.org/stephomy/365
my bird tag is here: https://365project.org/tags/stephomy_birds
I don't have much else going on online.
Your approximate location:
Seattle, WA USA
What are your interests in birds?
I am very interested in all aspects of birds. I watch them, feed them, and photograph them. Occasionally I'll go on a trip to spot some new species. I keep a life list, and even a daily log of the different kinds I see.
How big is your yard / balcony / etc. if any?
I live in a dense residential neighborhood in Seattle. The house I live in is a duplex with a front and back yard. I have some small trees in the front, and large trees in the back. Mostly deciduous, but there's a few conifers around. I wish there were more pine trees around since they attract different kinds of birds. Besides my own yards, I like to check out my neighbor's since we're all really close. I spend a lot of time looking across the street at the landscaping of my neighbors to see what birds visit them.
What is your general habitat / climate zone?
Temperate. The PNW is pretty wet nine months of the year, and then dry for the other three. It doesn't get too hot or cold. Pretty mild. We have our year round birds, but also in the winter we get visitors from Alaska and Canada. Winter tends to be more active than summer for birding here.
What do you do to attract birds, if anything?
Besides the trees, and a few shrubs (my decorative huckleberry is a big hit), I have two suet feeders and a seed bell. I also keep a water bath in the front. My biggest deterrent is my cat. I let her in and out as she pleases. I know this tends to make a lot of birders mad at me, but I stand by my policy. She does occasionally kill a bird. Sadly they're usually native sparrows. I wish she'd prefer the House Sparrows to them, but there's a reason House Sparrow are so prevalent and tend to take over. They're smart and keep away from cats. All of my feeders and the water bath are cat and squirrel proof. Whenever there's a bird on the seed bell, she just sits there being mad at them because she can't catch them. Gives them a warbling whine.
Oh yeah, I just remembered. I also put up a Chickadee house each spring. I tend to chronicle the lives of my Chickadee neighbors when they move in.
What are some birds you often see in your area?
This list could get long. I'll tell you what I've seen already today: Gull, Crow, Black-Capped Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Oregon Junco, Bushtit, House Finch, and maybe a Song Sparrow. He was across the street at the base of a bush, so I couldn't get a clear ID on him. Sometimes I try to ID the different kinds of Gulls, but most of the time I just write Gull. They're tricky, and change their colors as they get older. New Year's Eve was a big day for me. I walked across the Ballard Bridge and spotted some water birds. My daytime list got up to 17.
What is your blog like?
That thing is full of all sorts of nonsense. Birding does come up.
How active is it?
That depends on my mood and schedule. I post a few times a week at least.
What are your most common topics?
Birds, work, thoughts, weather, cooking/baking.
What kinds of friends would you like to attract?
I don't care. All kinds of people are cool.
Cool Fact:
Sometimes a Pine Siskin will let you pet it. Here's a picture from my back yard:
Always wash your hands though. Those buggers carry salmonella.
