Hundreds of birds die in western Ky.

[W KY Girl]

_-_Nope_-_ wrote:

On a more fun note, I just finished cross pollinating some of my Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti. One of the ones I decided to cross was an heirloom red Christmas cactus with a lavender Thanksgiving cactus... I'm anxious to see what kind of seed develops, eventually to find out what kind and color of flower I'll see in about a year, LOL! You gotta have a high patience level with these succulents, but it's SO worth the wait.!

That's pretty cool Nope. I wish I had a green thumb.

[Ancient Wolf]

Not a good day for looking out the window for bird watching, but I can look at the little creek in front of the homestead. It is really rolling. We used to have a term for long periods of rain such as this. We called those "Frog stranglers".

[Imposter]

Abeliever wrote:

I hope everyone has a great day. We just had a bit of sleet pinging the windows and doors. I wish I could I could stay in "slug mode" today, but I am off to run errands and see my sister. Take care everyone. Stay warm and please keep the thread positive. It is extremely nice to see. Wow, the Christmas spirit has hit the bird thread.:)
Be back later.

I think you're right, It must be the Christmas spirit. I may even put on my Christmas hat that I made. Mistletoe is hanging on a string from a birch branch in front of it. I can sneak up on women and have that mistletoe over their head before they are any the wiser.
I was wondering why I'm feeling....Not as mean, as usual today.
I wonder how long it'll take for it to wear off?
I would still like to see those....Ahem, never-mind.

[Imposter]

THE UNA FARTER wrote:

<quoted text>
Someone asked uglygirl if she smoked after we did, well you know. My darling told them she had never looked to see.
Sometimes my kitty cat eats the snake. I told him to go for it, he caught it. Yep the old boy, well semi-boy gets Purina One for urinary tract problems, he loves the stuff.

My cat wont quit eating that purina. I think they put kitty-crack in that stuff. I had to switch to nine lives, he was getting so fat on the purina he couldn't move.
The sorry thing never would chase anything that I know of.

[Oglala]

Ancient Wolf wrote:

Not a good day for looking out the window for bird watching, but I can look at the little creek in front of the homestead. It is really rolling. We used to have a term for long periods of rain such as this. We called those "Frog stranglers".

That's the first time I heard that term. Kentucky folks have very colorful language to describe something. When I first moved here, I needed a translator to figure out what the country folks were saying. They didn't understand my regional accent and vocabulary either. When I was embarrassed to ask for an explanation, I tended to nod yes periodically. My hubby laughed and told me be careful about what you are agreeing to. It took me only about 6 months to learn the dialect. After being here for 15 years, I now have a blended speech pattern of Ma. and Ky accent and vocabulary. Now, that's a strange one!

[Oglala]

W KY Girl wrote:

<quoted text>
Ancient Wolf! That was mean! LOL
The only birds I have seen today was a hawk getting its butt kicked by some little bird.

Have you ever noticed that there is sometimes a small bird flying next to a hawk or buzzard. I've seen it on several occasions, and it is not a baby hawk or buzzard, just some little, nondescript bird. The larger bird does not seem to be threatening the little bird at all. What the heck is up with that???

[W KY Girl]

Oglala wrote:

<quoted text>
Have you ever noticed that there is sometimes a small bird flying next to a hawk or buzzard. I've seen it on several occasions, and it is not a baby hawk or buzzard, just some little, nondescript bird. The larger bird does not seem to be threatening the little bird at all. What the heck is up with that???

That's what I saw this morning. I don't know what they do or how the hawks offend the little birds but those little birds are attacking the hawk and giving him an escourt out of their territory. I have seen that a lot of times. Sometimes they will gang up on the bigger bird. Those redwinged black birds attack the big birds quite a bit. It doesn't make sense to me, the Hawks are huge and can pack off a grown chicken yet they let a little bird boss them around. lol

[Ancient Wolf]

Oglala wrote:

<quoted text>
Have you ever noticed that there is sometimes a small bird flying next to a hawk or buzzard. I've seen it on several occasions, and it is not a baby hawk or buzzard, just some little, nondescript bird. The larger bird does not seem to be threatening the little bird at all. What the heck is up with that???

Little birds are probably "drafting" and know they are safe flying along in the blind spot proving to the buzzard that they are not dead. LOL Would you pass up a steak for a peanut?

[Ancient Wolf]

W KY Girl wrote:

<quoted text>
That's what I saw this morning. I don't know what they do or how the hawks offend the little birds but those little birds are attacking the hawk and giving him an escourt out of their territory. I have seen that a lot of times. Sometimes they will gang up on the bigger bird. Those redwinged black birds attack the big birds quite a bit. It doesn't make sense to me, the Hawks are huge and can pack off a grown chicken yet they let a little bird boss them around. lol

Crows especially can escort a hawk making much noise all the way. It is to lead them away from the crows nest. The last time a hawk got into my chickens, I was alerted to that fact by a flock of noisy crows. Safety in numbers.

[W KY Girl]

Ancient Wolf wrote:

<quoted text>
Crows especially can escort a hawk making much noise all the way. It is to lead them away from the crows nest. The last time a hawk got into my chickens, I was alerted to that fact by a flock of noisy crows. Safety in numbers.

I've heard about people with chickens putting stuff out to feed the crows so they will keep the hawks ran off. I don't see many crows here but I see hawks or maybe turkey vultures about every day, sometimes 3-4 at a time.

[that]

W KY Girl wrote:

<quoted text>
That's what I saw this morning. I don't know what they do or how the hawks offend the little birds but those little birds are attacking the hawk and giving him an escourt out of their territory. I have seen that a lot of times. Sometimes they will gang up on the bigger bird. Those redwinged black birds attack the big birds quite a bit. It doesn't make sense to me, the Hawks are huge and can pack off a grown chicken yet they let a little bird boss them around. lol

reminds me of the old time tells way before any records was kept.how the settlers kept the hawks of their chicks.by the word passed down.they used the bird called a martin. they would build big high bird boxes to try get them birds to nest in them.if the bird nested in them then the settler would have protection.rumor from way before records was kept.was that the martin would attack in numbers one from the behind then the one coming at the hawks from the front was trying pluck the hawks eyes out.that why the old timers had their reasons for it.and watch today as ravens and smaller black birds charge a hawk they are charging in the same manner.as they was many yrs ago. i have seen them.that the reason the hawk gets lost the eyes is the hawks best survival tool ..

[Ancient Wolf]

A buzzard is not a killer anyways, and only eats dead stuff. So a small bird tracking a buzzard is just following an updraft and is not fearful.

Hawks eyes are for distance viewing and can't see when the martins or crows are attacking in numbers up close and personal.

Martins will not nest close to the ground and is why those boxes were built so high up.

[W KY Girl]

that wrote:

<quoted text>reminds me of the old time tells way before any records was kept.how the settlers kept the hawks of their chicks.by the word passed down.they used the bird called a martin. they would build big high bird boxes to try get them birds to nest in them.if the bird nested in them then the settler would have protection.rumor from way before records was kept.was that the martin would attack in numbers one from the behind then the one coming at the hawks from the front was trying pluck the hawks eyes out.that why the old timers had their reasons for it.and watch today as ravens and smaller black birds charge a hawk they are charging in the same manner.as they was many yrs ago. i have seen them.that the reason the hawk gets lost the eyes is the hawks best survival tool ..

I can believe that. I've seen those little birds following a hawk - they fly along then they dive in and attack, fly some more then attack again until that old hawk decides to leave. I haven't ever seen a hawk fight back. They are always trying to get away. hahaha

[Ancient Wolf]

that wrote:

<quoted text>reminds me of the old time tells way before any records was kept.how the settlers kept the hawks of their chicks.by the word passed down.they used the bird called a martin. they would build big high bird boxes to try get them birds to nest in them.if the bird nested in them then the settler would have protection.rumor from way before records was kept.was that the martin would attack in numbers one from the behind then the one coming at the hawks from the front was trying pluck the hawks eyes out.that why the old timers had their reasons for it.and watch today as ravens and smaller black birds charge a hawk they are charging in the same manner.as they was many yrs ago. i have seen them.that the reason the hawk gets lost the eyes is the hawks best survival tool ..

I just now saw what you posted and you are correct.

[Ancient Wolf]

Ancient Wolf wrote:

<quoted text>
I just now saw what you posted and you are correct.

*re-read.

[Hempburn]

Ancient Wolf wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't care what friends or enemies think. I find it really easy to let the guys swarm all over and competing for the attention of the skinny women and I just stroll right on by and go see the chunky ones and let them compete for attention from me. LOL

Good plan AW. Of course I was only joking, bone is for the dog, man needs a little meat on that bone.

[Oglala]

Ancient Wolf wrote:

<quoted text>
Little birds are probably "drafting" and know they are safe flying along in the blind spot proving to the buzzard that they are not dead. LOL Would you pass up a steak for a peanut?

You have a point there.

[Ancient Wolf]

Hempburn wrote:

<quoted text>
Good plan AW. Of course I was only joking, bone is for the dog, man needs a little meat on that bone.

Agree. I knew you were joking.

[THE UNA FARTER]

Imposter wrote:

<quoted text>My cat wont quit eating that purina. I think they put kitty-crack in that stuff. I had to switch to nine lives, he was getting so fat on the purina he couldn't move.
The sorry thing never would chase anything that I know of.

I know what you mean, he's squalling like a starving panther everytime I go out the door. I spent over Five hundred dollars on him because his weasel got clogged. The vet kept him for three days and told me to come and get him he probably wouldn't make it. I put him on the Purina One Urinary Tract stuff and finished giving him his antibotics. No problems since. So with his fat butt, I guess it's Purina One or That really expensive Hills Science Diet. My daughter swears by the Science Diet. She had a diabetic that cat that lived to be 17 yrs. old.

[Hempburn]

By the time I get done with xmas I may have to revive my old Grit magazine route.