tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post8324563368862534543..comments2023-11-05T03:56:08.325-08:00Comments on Murrmurrs: My Friends Are QuestionableMurr Brewsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-70926907396909707032011-04-26T22:28:04.494-07:002011-04-26T22:28:04.494-07:00If I can claim a phantom writing business, you sho...If I can claim a phantom writing business, you should be able to claim real birds.Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-11585103843508265692011-04-26T21:29:04.115-07:002011-04-26T21:29:04.115-07:00I feel that i should be able to claim birds as a d...I feel that i should be able to claim birds as a dependent on my income tax as so much of my "disccretionary spending" each winter goes to the birds.<br /><br />Ol'BuzzardOl'Buzzardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00075162476463971258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-70709830942462621792011-04-26T14:51:38.189-07:002011-04-26T14:51:38.189-07:00Brown-headed nuthatches do look like both check ma...Brown-headed nuthatches do look like both check marks and LBB's from a slight distance, IMHO. Wrens will invert, but not so readily, eagerly, or fluidly as the nuthatches, I think. So your guess was probably not bad, Murr. And, yep, I'd clean that nest out. Our Carolina Chickadees sometimes have a second brood, even after having the first nest cleaned out. Bluebirds seem to prefer that Nancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15166865250789996825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-11504259590837553172011-04-26T09:53:11.837-07:002011-04-26T09:53:11.837-07:00Some people have chickens? Well, we've got buz...Some people have chickens? Well, we've got buzzard hawks (called "chimangos" here). Once they get used to you they hang around the yard just like chickens. Of course, we've also got six dogs so they mostly stay up on limbs out of reach (the hawks, not the dogs). But they have all the leisure time in the world and when they have nothing else to do, they love to swoop down, steal Dan Newlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09572041150601642050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-22026569335620568752011-04-26T05:18:00.296-07:002011-04-26T05:18:00.296-07:00Fun post, Murr...I believe the bird you refer to i...Fun post, Murr...I believe the bird you refer to in the last paragraph is the Great Lady GaGa Gnatcatcher...<br /><br />I had a close encounter with a chickadee on Good Friday: http://writerwoman61.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/easter-elmo-and-elise-come-to-hammond-river/<br /><br />Happy belated Easter!<br /><br />WendyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-11586240535756053652011-04-25T22:25:16.700-07:002011-04-25T22:25:16.700-07:00A friend just pointed out your blog to me. Our chi...A friend just pointed out your blog to me. Our chickadees are of the chestnut-backed variety, and about a week ago I saw a Zone-tailed hawk swoop across my yard, onto my porch awning, walked around up there a bit and then flew back out. <br /><br />And then I looked up Zone-tailed hawks. They've apparently only been seen in northern California in the last ten years or so, and there it was, AlisonHhttp://spindyeknit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-10740216056460722822011-04-25T20:22:27.254-07:002011-04-25T20:22:27.254-07:00I love the chickadees here, but the goldfinches th...I love the chickadees here, but the goldfinches that come down from the mountains during winter are even more fun to watch.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-80801926538773338242011-04-25T19:33:39.051-07:002011-04-25T19:33:39.051-07:00Thanks! Happy to be of assistance in husband-annoy...Thanks! Happy to be of assistance in husband-annoying. Yeah, I was and still am baffled by the check-mark. Oh. I see. Silhouette. Thanks Carrie, I was afraid no one with any real knowledge was going to step up.<br /><br />And look at Jan, throwing around that "parula" word like it was nothing.Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-91270779305421390652011-04-25T18:01:07.379-07:002011-04-25T18:01:07.379-07:00@ Roxie: sounds like you've got some sort of l...@ Roxie: sounds like you've got some sort of little wren (house wren or winter wren) based on your "checkmark" comment; or maybe a brown creeper based on your size/gravity description.<br /><br />@ Murr: nuthatch was a great guess since they are gravity-defying & do kinda say beep-beep-beep, but I'd say they're more blue-gray than brown...and not very checkmark-y. ;)<br Carriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12737699080543329408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-65582660431414032972011-04-25T08:11:02.149-07:002011-04-25T08:11:02.149-07:00Heck, I've been wondering if the other ANIMALS...Heck, I've been wondering if the other ANIMALS understand the bird chatter. After all, some of it must mean SOMETHING.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-31625065841848253112011-04-25T05:25:36.412-07:002011-04-25T05:25:36.412-07:00what a wonderful post - so glad you found me and n...what a wonderful post - so glad you found me and now I've found you! I love watching birds and your description of the squabbling couple at the house is a true one. I know it.<br />A few years ago I had a parula who would not stop attacking my windows thinking there was another male inside. wow he was intense.<br /><a href="http://www.labanan.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Jan Morrison</a>Jan Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01771180344305042855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-34329976954717475432011-04-24T19:08:05.496-07:002011-04-24T19:08:05.496-07:00I like the picture of Susan with the owl. Owls are...I like the picture of Susan with the owl. Owls are quite possibly the coolest creatures on the planet.Ahabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14675629709031865432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-13197509269950324992011-04-24T06:41:29.102-07:002011-04-24T06:41:29.102-07:00The only birds I watch are crows, because they are...The only birds I watch are crows, because they are sneaky devils and will carry off the patio furniture if I don't keep an eye on them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-86982214859724413472011-04-24T05:57:09.593-07:002011-04-24T05:57:09.593-07:00My parents were birders. It was deemed perfectly ...My parents were birders. It was deemed perfectly natural to have several pairs of binoculars on the dinner table and many a meal was disrupted by one or the other leaping to their feet, sending plates flying, screeching that there was a Feeble-minded Whatnot at the feeder.<br /><br />I escaped it for years but lately I've found myself standing watching the bird life around our place - with Tiffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13778085151055551720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-28553330566108515512011-04-24T04:08:35.203-07:002011-04-24T04:08:35.203-07:00Since our move to Nebraska, we have become bird wa...Since our move to Nebraska, we have become bird watchers. Where we live now we have such a variety of them. Just yesterday we saw our first nuthatch. I never knew it would be such a treat to see all these birds. Congrats on your new tenants in your blue birdhouse. Did you set up a live cam inside?CiCihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08615265608675467505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-87881760987055735502011-04-23T20:24:50.041-07:002011-04-23T20:24:50.041-07:00Murr, your commenters haven't answered any of ...Murr, your commenters haven't answered any of your smart italicized questions. I wanted to help with that last ID, but I couldn't even find it in A FIELD GUIDE TO LITTLE-KNOWN & SELDOM-SEEN BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. It has some pretty obscure feather-fliers, too, like the rest of the yellowlegs, so finally we have a picture of all of them: the greatest, greater, middle, slightly lesser,Rosemary Lombardhttp://chelonianconnection.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-65074301311185929032011-04-23T20:15:09.735-07:002011-04-23T20:15:09.735-07:00Nuthatches! Am I right, birder peeps? Am I right?Nuthatches! Am I right, birder peeps? Am I right?Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-49186601828607526452011-04-23T20:11:07.116-07:002011-04-23T20:11:07.116-07:00Yeah, these little guys say "beep,beep,beep&q...Yeah, these little guys say "beep,beep,beep" real fast. Not, "Mmmeep,meeep!" like the roadrunner. Road runners are bigger than my thumb.roxiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-26053575911987895922011-04-23T18:52:34.285-07:002011-04-23T18:52:34.285-07:00If you have lots of birders on your Life List, you...If you have lots of birders on your Life List, you'll eventually have lots of birds, too, whether you want to or not. Believe me, we *love* to share our sightings! :-)bpadgetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517111873755808766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-73605081218623837232011-04-23T14:07:20.912-07:002011-04-23T14:07:20.912-07:00I'm torn between hoping my momma hummingbird c...I'm torn between hoping my momma hummingbird comes back or tearing down her nest. She built it directly outside my front door so once the babies hatch she dive bombs anyone going in or out. This is a good deterent for sales people but not so good for my older friends.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16039261743881342348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-66302484618202693652011-04-23T13:27:55.970-07:002011-04-23T13:27:55.970-07:00Oh Murr....you're three shades of hilarious. ...Oh Murr....you're three shades of hilarious. <br />I wish I had had a hawk as a corsage when I went to prom. Would have kept my gross date at a farther distance. He smelled like Brut.Susan Gets Nativehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00216170589750418861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-6952976474889926162011-04-23T10:55:56.932-07:002011-04-23T10:55:56.932-07:00My wife is an ardent birder, she set up feeders ou...My wife is an ardent birder, she set up feeders outside our family room and a hummingbird feeder outside the kitchen window. She gets SO EXCITED watching the birds come to feed and tells me all about what kind they are in excruciating detail.<br /><br />I asked her how does she know it's not just the same 12 or 15 birds coming back for seconds? Silence... she apparently can't hear me whenRobert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-10975824332786710582011-04-23T10:07:45.077-07:002011-04-23T10:07:45.077-07:00Honey, I am no procrastination slouch. I have no f...Honey, I am no procrastination slouch. I have no fewer than two eagle-cams bookmarked. I'm amazed I ever get around to wiping.<br /><br />Shieldmaiden, a sad yet true window into my brain: I was thinking you weren't supposed to feed the birds because it would be easier for the bears to snatch 'em. Took me a while to realize the problem was you would be attracting the bears. I lack Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-86614525124622503202011-04-23T09:55:43.266-07:002011-04-23T09:55:43.266-07:00Never mind the chickadee nest. You want a real tim...Never mind the chickadee nest. You want a real time-killer, procrastination-enabling bird-related thing....just type "eagle cam" into your search engine. The click on one of the links. There you go, directly into the nest of a pair of bald eagles, sometimes face-to-face with one of them, watching them bring juicy fish to the chicks to feed them; watching the chicks grow and wobble Linda Koonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05614162024708881395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468223150447785936.post-85375630959901326702011-04-23T09:54:23.806-07:002011-04-23T09:54:23.806-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Linda Koonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05614162024708881395noreply@blogger.com