They remind me of the sparrows at our old house. We don't have house sparrows in our yard. They don't like woods, and the equally aggressive (but not nearly as pesky) house finches will keep them away. We don't want sparrows taking over our bluebird houses like they did to the neighbors down the street.
With house sparrows in decline in this country, we count it a blessing to have so many at our feeder. It is usually starlings that are the nuisance factor in the garden, though even they are fascinating to watch.
I remember reading in a birding text that the sparrow is "a pugnacious fellow" - it is true! I love to watch them in a bunch, scrabbling and fussing, and still managing to fly from bush to bush. The skirmishes are mostly noise and flurry, but sound terribly nasty! Such wonderful litte things, birds.
Now that video was just damn fun, Frank! Those are some very lucky birds. I have officially make it through the gumleyboy archives and am up-to-date! Thank you for the terrific ride, and I look forward to your future offerings! Brent
I thought you were shot?? Can't trust that Rangeley to do anything right!! Very nice video.. I love birds of any kind, they don't have to be colourful to be bright!! :D
Maybe you, like many, jumped to conclusions. Did you actually see me shot? I agree about the birds, starlings can be pretty plain (except at certain times when their coat is shiny), can be a real pest, but if you stop to watch them, they can be fascinating birds.
Agreed. That and so many people consider starlings and house sparrows to be pests. When our feeders are empty, the starlings and house sparrows will help the robins hop and walk around our lawn and eat all the bugs and worms, etc. Not to mention house sparrows LOVE dandelion heads and rip them apart to get to the seeds.. our lawn is green as a shamrock thanks to our feathered friends =)
Fortunately, we don't have squirrels, but my daughter (stoneygatesquirrel) has lots, who have broken intricate (and expensive) bird seed containers to get what they want!
It took 25 minutes of footage to get 2 minutes of video here, hmmmm...
I live in an area of Pennsylvania that has a lot of squirrels. Because of that, I hang bird feeders on a part of the house where the upper floor overhangs the lower floor. The squirrels haven't figured out how to reach that yet. I hope they don't.
I love birds. The other day in the park I saw a fat bird chirping over and over at a skinny bird that was fetching the fat bird morsel after morsel of food.
Whatever happened to those cucumbers you replanted that sprang up spontaneously from your compost/fertilizer?
The fat bird was obviously the fledgeling of the skinny one. Although often quite able to feed themselves, fledgelings prefer to have mum or dad do it for them. Bit like humans really!!!
Wow, great video...You have a lot of sparrows at that one feeder.. Imagine if you had a few of those feeders? You'd have a convention of sparrows!! hehehhee >
I loved watching them feed and fuss over the food...I loved the ending, too. xoxo
We have birdhouses all along the side of our garage...all occupied by sparrows. Fun to watch the things they collect to "feather their nests" with. Great vid. hugs, Chris
We were watching the sparrows picking up bits of twigs for their nests last year on the back lawn. My wife had the idea of putting a big pile of cotton wool on the grass. The result was hilarious, as the sparrows were tugging great chunks out of it, then flying off with this great big tuft in their beaks, and not able to fly in a straight line!
nice music.
birdsguillaume 3 years ago
darn birds poo
symslate 4 years ago
Yep, all over everything and everyone! There's a downside to every good thing in this life isn't there?
gumleyboy 4 years ago
They remind me of the sparrows at our old house. We don't have house sparrows in our yard. They don't like woods, and the equally aggressive (but not nearly as pesky) house finches will keep them away. We don't want sparrows taking over our bluebird houses like they did to the neighbors down the street.
actipton80 4 years ago
With house sparrows in decline in this country, we count it a blessing to have so many at our feeder. It is usually starlings that are the nuisance factor in the garden, though even they are fascinating to watch.
gumleyboy 4 years ago
Make 'em 'ave it Bert!
copewood333 4 years ago
I remember reading in a birding text that the sparrow is "a pugnacious fellow" - it is true! I love to watch them in a bunch, scrabbling and fussing, and still managing to fly from bush to bush. The skirmishes are mostly noise and flurry, but sound terribly nasty! Such wonderful litte things, birds.
zerdda 4 years ago
Oh they get quite vicious! Good video though :-)
susanmarie70 4 years ago
I guess that's what you call a pecking order!
BradThunder 4 years ago
Well yes, they all managed to get their meal - in a roundabout sort of way!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
think of the noise they would have made when they were dinosaurs. arrrr, bert weedon, that brings back memmorys. great stuff
turnermedman 4 years ago
Kudos to you if you can remember the year (without looking it up)!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
hmmmm..., well i used to watch him on tv in the 60's, so i would think around that time?
turnermedman 4 years ago
1959
gumleyboy 4 years ago
What cute little birds. I didn't realize that Sparrows could be that aggressive.
Route625 4 years ago
Now that video was just damn fun, Frank! Those are some very lucky birds. I have officially make it through the gumleyboy archives and am up-to-date! Thank you for the terrific ride, and I look forward to your future offerings! Brent
Sandguy99 4 years ago
Keep that seatbelt buckeled Brent, there's more to come!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
I thought you were shot?? Can't trust that Rangeley to do anything right!! Very nice video.. I love birds of any kind, they don't have to be colourful to be bright!! :D
KurtGnu 4 years ago
Maybe you, like many, jumped to conclusions. Did you actually see me shot? I agree about the birds, starlings can be pretty plain (except at certain times when their coat is shiny), can be a real pest, but if you stop to watch them, they can be fascinating birds.
gumleyboy 4 years ago
Agreed. That and so many people consider starlings and house sparrows to be pests. When our feeders are empty, the starlings and house sparrows will help the robins hop and walk around our lawn and eat all the bugs and worms, etc. Not to mention house sparrows LOVE dandelion heads and rip them apart to get to the seeds.. our lawn is green as a shamrock thanks to our feathered friends =)
sebring31482 3 years ago
They are obviously fans of 50's music....go birds!
smithysrat 4 years ago
It's a sparrow-go-round!
HappyHag 4 years ago
We had our first squirrel in 4 years raid the peanuts today. Good bit of footage
brianrangeley 4 years ago
Fortunately, we don't have squirrels, but my daughter (stoneygatesquirrel) has lots, who have broken intricate (and expensive) bird seed containers to get what they want!
It took 25 minutes of footage to get 2 minutes of video here, hmmmm...
gumleyboy 4 years ago
well you will go chasing birds - it is long slow process!!
brianrangeley 4 years ago
You sound like the voice of experience!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
At least 30 YT light years at least!
brianrangeley 4 years ago
I live in an area of Pennsylvania that has a lot of squirrels. Because of that, I hang bird feeders on a part of the house where the upper floor overhangs the lower floor. The squirrels haven't figured out how to reach that yet. I hope they don't.
erra404 4 years ago
I love birds. The other day in the park I saw a fat bird chirping over and over at a skinny bird that was fetching the fat bird morsel after morsel of food.
Whatever happened to those cucumbers you replanted that sprang up spontaneously from your compost/fertilizer?
AndrewLife 4 years ago
The fat bird was obviously the fledgeling of the skinny one. Although often quite able to feed themselves, fledgelings prefer to have mum or dad do it for them. Bit like humans really!!!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
PS: All will be revealed with the tomatoes and cucumbers soon - not all good though!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
Wow, great video...You have a lot of sparrows at that one feeder.. Imagine if you had a few of those feeders? You'd have a convention of sparrows!! hehehhee >
I loved watching them feed and fuss over the food...I loved the ending, too. xoxo
MsGirlee 4 years ago
They have had us in fits of laughter! That one small feeder has to be filled twice daily would you believe!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
That was great! We had a big house bird feeder once until the backyard began to look like the movie The Birds! lol Mr. & Mrs. GeezerArt
geezerart 4 years ago
I can just imagine that big birdhouse feeder - and all the droppings too! Our back garden is also full of feeders of one description or another.
gumleyboy 4 years ago
We have birdhouses all along the side of our garage...all occupied by sparrows. Fun to watch the things they collect to "feather their nests" with. Great vid. hugs, Chris
bugsinrug 4 years ago
We were watching the sparrows picking up bits of twigs for their nests last year on the back lawn. My wife had the idea of putting a big pile of cotton wool on the grass. The result was hilarious, as the sparrows were tugging great chunks out of it, then flying off with this great big tuft in their beaks, and not able to fly in a straight line!
gumleyboy 4 years ago
Yes...or else we put the contents of our clothes dryers filter on the back lawn. They love all of that fluffy stuff!
bugsinrug 4 years ago