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Author Topic: Hummingbirds are smart critters  (Read 12303 times)

Offline weazletoe

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #30 on: May 17, 2011, 10:38:01 am »
hummingbirds are awesome, beautiful, swift and terrible. they are among the most pugnacious, belligerant, feisty creatures on the planet. they'd wade right into a bfi fight thread and kick ass.

That might just be the funniest thing ever said on this board. I laughed. HARD.

 A few years ago, back in Ohio, I found a humming bird nest in a low branch of a pine tree in our yard. I watched it all spring. Saw the tiny eggs, three of them, and i mean tiny.....watched them hatch, and grow up and fly off. Once the nest was abondoned, we clipped the branch it was on, and framed it in a shadow box. My parents have it on their wall now with a picture shortly after the babies were hatched. We put a dime next to them for reference, and that thing looks huge next to those tiny little birds.
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Offline 1vertical

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #31 on: May 17, 2011, 11:31:23 am »
There is one....a Hummingbird Nest Cam....
http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam
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Offline MrNate

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #32 on: May 17, 2011, 12:24:54 pm »
My biggest problem right now is a psychotic robin.  It keeps flying in to the windows, attacking its own reflection.  The noise is annoying enough, but it smear dirt from it's feet all over the windows, front of the hose, back of the house, driver's side windows, passenger side windows, anywhere it can find a reflection.  Plus it craps all over wherever it happens to perch (and below) right before it launches it's next attack - porch railing and deck, car mirrors/doors, you name it.  I've deployed counter measures - they work a little.  I hate that damn bird.

I had the same problem right up until last week when the eggs hatched.
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Offline punatic

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #33 on: May 17, 2011, 12:52:18 pm »
We occasionally get some pileated woodpeckers here too, and lots of flickers.  I've really enjoyed the grosbeaks, pictures rarely do justice to how brightly colored they are.  We've had a family or three visit or feeder the last couple of summers, sometimes as many as 9 or 10 at a time.

But it's time to put the feeder away.  Last night the dog went crazy around 2:30 AM.  We didn't see anything, but this morning I noticed the bottom was ripped off the feeder and the wrought-iron pole is bent about 15 degrees.  I think the dog scared it off before it was finished, but the only thing I can think of that can and would do that is a bear.  They've been seen in our neighborhood before, but never in our yard.  I figured the smell of the dog would keep them away, but the smell of the sunflower seeds was more attractive I guess.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Hummingbirds! 

Doooo eeee oooo ooooo!!!   ;D
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #34 on: May 19, 2011, 09:01:00 am »
The wife and I took our dogs out for their daily walk over the weekend and we encountered two adult Canadian Geese along the way. As we approached them we noticed they were not flying away as they normally would. The dogs started running toward them yet they still didn't fly away until they had gotten right on their tails. We then noticed baby goslings tryting to run away. Thankfully I have my dogs trained to the point where they didn't instinctively snatch the baby goslings up. A close call but we allowed the goslings to get away unharmed.

how did you know they were canadian ehh?
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #35 on: May 19, 2011, 12:45:12 pm »
The wife and I took our dogs out for their daily walk over the weekend and we encountered two adult Canadian Geese along the way. As we approached them we noticed they were not flying away as they normally would. The dogs started running toward them yet they still didn't fly away until they had gotten right on their tails. We then noticed baby goslings tryting to run away. Thankfully I have my dogs trained to the point where they didn't instinctively snatch the baby goslings up. A close call but we allowed the goslings to get away unharmed.

how did you know they were canadian ehh?

Because the goslings were saying...EHHH-ehh, EHHH-ehh.  ;D

They looked just like...

Ron Price

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #36 on: May 19, 2011, 12:51:07 pm »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).
Tom Schmidlin

Offline punatic

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #37 on: May 19, 2011, 01:33:41 pm »
Not all geese that look like that come from Canada


Hawaiian Nene
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #38 on: May 19, 2011, 07:57:27 pm »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D
Ron Price

ccarlson

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #39 on: May 19, 2011, 09:22:12 pm »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D

Doesn't matter if it's right, he's being paid by denny. :D
« Last Edit: May 19, 2011, 09:23:48 pm by ccarlson »

Offline punatic

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #40 on: May 19, 2011, 11:36:11 pm »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D

Doesn't matter if it's right, he's being paid by denny. :D

Sounds like a sweet gig to me!   ;)
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #41 on: May 20, 2011, 12:17:12 am »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D
What's to argue?  They're called Canada Geese, I didn't come up with it.  I was just explaining (I think) morticaixavier's point.  Call them whatever you want though, I don't mind.  Just don't call them wet geese. ;D
Tom Schmidlin

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #42 on: May 20, 2011, 12:18:10 am »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D

Doesn't matter if it's right, he's being paid by denny. :D

Sounds like a sweet gig to me!   ;)
He pays me in boomers. ;D
Tom Schmidlin

Offline bluesman

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #43 on: May 20, 2011, 05:27:38 am »
I'm pretty sure those goslings are Delawarean Geese then Ron, not Canadian.  Delawarean Canada Geese.  Hard to say where the parents are from.

(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

We could probably argue this until the cows come home. Didn't you get enough from ccarlson and the hydrogen in a gallon of water Tom.  ;D
What's to argue?  They're called Canada Geese, I didn't come up with it.  I was just explaining (I think) morticaixavier's point.  Call them whatever you want though, I don't mind.  Just don't call them wet geese. ;D

Tom...you're alright. I don't care what Denny says about you.  ;) :-* ;D
Ron Price

Offline dbarber

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Re: Hummingbirds are smart critters
« Reply #44 on: May 20, 2011, 06:56:48 am »


(They're not Canadian Geese, they're Canada Geese).

This was one of my pet peeves when I taught my field ornithology class.  Sadly, most of the students never quite got it.
Dave Barber
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