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Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming

Posted By: Haggart

Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 02:35 PM

I've quit gaming and have taken up bird watching (my reflexes aren't quick enough anymore to keep up with younger gamers anyway). Many years ago i took an ornithology class (it was a tough class believe me) and that was my initial introduction to the world of birds but after that i didn't become a "birder". As i get closer to retirement though I've turned back to birding. Have 3 different feeders now. A 3-seed block hanging feeder which has also been sprayed with chili pepper to keep the squirrels away. Birds aren't affected by hot peppers like squirrels. The middle block is actually made of suet.

I have a regular seed feeder also but I'm waiting for a stainless steel canopy shield for it so the squirrels don't jump from the tree to the feeder but instead land on the canopy and slide off to the ground. Let's hope it works as squirrels don't give up easily.

Also will be hanging a hummingbird feeder in March. Purchased a small concrete bird bath along with a small silent motor to place in it to keep the water moving so mosquitoes don't try and lay their eggs in it.

Birding is just what i need in retirement ! Is anyone else here a birder ?
Posted By: Nixer

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 03:25 PM

A nice horned owl for the squirrels would work.

Tree rats....
Posted By: DBond

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 03:55 PM

Oooh, look dearie, a fleckled speckless northern tufted rock finch!

Uh, no.

I mean, I like birds. Birds are good. But watching them for hours? Not for me. I can listen to them for a long time though smile

Different strokes and all that. Have fun! And may the most rare of all birds alight in your viewfinder.
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 03:58 PM

I have a couple feeders in the back yard and get some great looking birds in/at it. Some amazing looking finches show up that you would probably never see without the the feeders. My biggest surprise is the red headed woodpeckers that come down to feed.

I have two dogs so the squirrels are very cautious, also the poles are very slim making it hard for them to climb.
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by DBond
Oooh, look dearie, a fleckled speckless northern tufted rock finch!

Uh, no.

I mean, I like birds. Birds are good. But watching them for hours? Not for me. I can listen to them for a long time though smile

Different strokes and all that. Have fun! And may the most rare of all birds alight in your viewfinder.




LOL +1


I think I'd rather collect stamps or coins than have bird watching as a hobby. biggrin
Posted By: Nixer

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 04:17 PM

Holy coincidences!

I just NOW watched a smallish Redtail Hawk NAIL a full size crow right off a telephone/power line!

The crow was almost as big as the hawk. It's mate(?) was squacking away on top of a nearby power pole but smartly didn't intervene.

Raptors are probably not a real good idea for squirrel control come to think of it...they like birds better, especially young ones in nests.
Posted By: DBond

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 04:25 PM

Nixer, now that's the sort of bird watching I can get in to. Like watching NASCAR racing with lots of wrecks. It would have bored my pants off, but wrecks!

Bird battles!
Posted By: Mr_Blastman

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 04:30 PM

My cat is an avid bird watcher. He loves them...
Posted By: Alicatt

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
My cat is an avid bird watcher. He loves them...

Mine thinks she is one...

[Linked Image]
Posted By: adlabs6

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 06:30 PM

About 10 years ago, I had a nice feeder tray outside a window. It was under a wide, low arc of shade tree, which created a sort of safe area for the birds, and also made it visually pleasant to watch them. I took a great many photographs of more species than I can recall. The setup served to rekindle my interest in photography, for a while there.

Oh, and if you have any interest in gaming that doesn't require reflexes, with a bird watching theme... Take a look here:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan
Posted By: Chef

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 07:57 PM

I like looking at some birds more than others.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: LB4LB

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 08:29 PM

I think you have to own a pith helmet before you are an official birder.

But hey, sounds like a relaxing hobby. Why not?

Posted By: coasty

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/20/19 11:03 PM

I enjoy trying to identify birds by their calls. Many have additional sounds besides the more familiar. Being able to ID unseen birds adds a lot to the study, I have less interest in combat sims these days myself and mostly play Civilization V and VI.
Posted By: KraziKanuK

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by PanzerMeyer
Originally Posted by DBond
Oooh, look dearie, a fleckled speckless northern tufted rock finch!

Uh, no.

I mean, I like birds. Birds are good. But watching them for hours? Not for me. I can listen to them for a long time though smile

Different strokes and all that. Have fun! And may the most rare of all birds alight in your viewfinder.




LOL +1


I think I'd rather collect stamps or coins than have bird watching as a hobby. biggrin


Bird watching is a great pastime especially if they are wearing a skimpy 2 piece bikini. biggrin
Posted By: oldgrognard

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 12:15 AM

Murphy sure loved the birds on his property. He not only enjoyed watching them, he found they were the best bug control he could get.

I miss Murphy.
Posted By: Mad Max

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 12:22 AM

We all do, OG. This thread would have guaranteed input from Murphy.
Posted By: oldgrognard

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 12:38 AM

I live right against a wildlife management area. My backyard is right up against it. Lots of wildlife. It is also a bear habitat. They say Florida panthers but I’ve not seen any. Lots of red-tail hawks and some Ospreys and Bald Eagles. Here is a turkey parade crossing my street coming out of the woods for a stroll through the golf course. There were over 30 in this group. One day a saw about four of them taunting an alligator. Dancing around it and getting it to lunge at them. Went on for about a half hour before the turkeys then just got bored and walked away. Damndest thing.


[Linked Image]
Posted By: Mad Max

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 12:47 AM

Living in the bush we see lots of birds, parrots, finches, wrens, swifts, Ibis, you name it. Also the usuals, minahs, crows, pied currawongs,.....

Unfortunately we also have a derelict acreage behind us which is the home of feral cats and numerous snakes which impact on the birds. Only last night I had to escort a red-bellied black snake from our yard after our youngest poodle sussed it out.
Posted By: Haggart

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 06:02 AM

Wow ! I never realized my bird post would generate all the interesting posts you guys have. Nixer we do have some Barred Owls but idk if they affect our squirrel population much here in these woods which is similar to the Big Thicket. We probably have enough squirrels to have 5 of them for each house in the neighborhood.

OG that is one awesome neighborhood you live in.

I know Murphy mentioned enjoying the bears around his property but didn't realize he was that much into the birds also. Murphy was fortunate to have been able to live surrounded by such wildlife. Max i read that an estimated billion birds are killed by cats (wild or domesticated) each year.

Coasty ...."I enjoy trying to identify birds by their calls" . That is no small feat .... i've been trying but this game will take some patience and some time !
Posted By: Ajay

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 08:41 AM

Magpies and Kookaburras, love the sounds they make, makes me feel at home. Crows though, i know they do a job, but i wish i could do a job on them at 4.30 in the morning with a pump action shottie.
Posted By: Mr_Blastman

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by oldgrognard
I live right against a wildlife management area. My backyard is right up against it. Lots of wildlife. It is also a bear habitat. They say Florida panthers but I’ve not seen any. Lots of red-tail hawks and some Ospreys and Bald Eagles. Here is a turkey parade crossing my street coming out of the woods for a stroll through the golf course. There were over 30 in this group. One day a saw about four of them taunting an alligator. Dancing around it and getting it to lunge at them. Went on for about a half hour before the turkeys then just got bored and walked away. Damndest thing.


[Linked Image]


Heh that street is the spitting image of my wife's parent's old neighborhood in Apopka, where the house on the left with the column and garage would have been theirs. :P
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 04:36 PM

Unlike me, OG lives in the non-crowded area of Florida. smile
Posted By: oldgrognard

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 06:28 PM

I choose that. I am not a big city kind of guy. This is a compromise between the wife and I. I would choose to be more rural. I’m a redneck at heart.

My house has a huge 826 square ft garage. Three doors and a bay nearest the house without a door. Plenty of room for cars, motorcycle, gun safes, and all the other garage stuff.

I found a couple more pictures of the turkeys. This is out my back.


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]


And here is one when we were having a drought. You can see the otter which was feasting because the fish were restricted in escaping.


[Linked Image]

Posted By: Blade_Meister

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/21/19 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Alicatt
Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
My cat is an avid bird watcher. He loves them...

Mine thinks she is one...

[Linked Image]


LOL Alicatt. hahaha Do the birds ever attack your cat while it is in the tree like that? biggrin That could be a more efficient way of hunting birds as well. winkngrin

S!Blade<><
Posted By: Zamzow

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 01:24 AM

Haggart, get yourself an Orion 10x42 Monocular.

Unlike most binoculars this thing can actually focus on objects down to 20 inches. Which gives it the ability to function like a "long distance magnifying glass" (but of course still does long distance viewing too).

So say a bird is parked 10 or 15 feet away from you - you can totally view it as if you had a powerful magnifying glass 2 inches away from it, without scaring it off.

I used mine this way once on a crazy looking spider about 5 feet away from me - I could totally see it's eyeballs and hairs...

I mainly bought mine for passing around at air shows and events - it's just far, far easier to share among multiple people than binoculars which require interpupillary distance adjustment, then objective lens adjustment, then right ocular lens adjustment. With the monocular it's just one objective lens dial. This is especially convenient if sharing with kids.

Oh, and it can be mounted on a camera tripod too...



Posted By: Zamzow

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by Haggart
Max i read that an estimated billion birds are killed by cats (wild or domesticated) each year.


Here's a hilarious infographic on the straight up serial killing nature of cats...

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/cats_actually_kill
Posted By: Haggart

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 04:48 AM

hehe Zamzow so true and also another reason I'm glad i don't own a one
Posted By: Zamzow

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by Haggart
hehe Zamzow so true and also another reason I'm glad i don't own a one


Hate the game, not the player.....
Posted By: Mr_Blastman

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by Haggart
hehe Zamzow so true and also another reason I'm glad i don't own a one


I own three. I guess you hate me? :P

Only one hunts though. I've always had a cat that hunts. They're great for killing bugs and other annoying pests around the house.
Posted By: BD-123

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 09:19 AM

Feeding next door cats while they are on holiday. Just cleared up another dismembered mouse. Probably because I was a tad late feeding it.
Stands there looking accusingly at me as I go in:
"You're late ya w*nker! Look what extreme you have driven me to!"

It would of folded it's arm if it could of done.
Posted By: Haggart

Re: Birds Have Taken Over My Gaming - 02/22/19 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Originally Posted by Haggart
hehe Zamzow so true and also another reason I'm glad i don't own a one


I own three. I guess you hate me? :P

Only one hunts though. I've always had a cat that hunts. They're great for killing bugs and other annoying pests around the house.

Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Originally Posted by Haggart
hehe Zamzow so true and also another reason I'm glad i don't own a one


I own three. I guess you hate me? :P

Only one hunts though. I've always had a cat that hunts. They're great for killing bugs and other annoying pests around the house.


No i don't hate you Blastman just your cats biggrin
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