Thursday, March 29, 2018

Building A Basket

I'm building an Easter Basket - will it be ready by Sunday?

Inquiring minds want to know!


I often see a couple of Chestnut-back Chickadees at the feeders.

They seem to prefer peanuts over sunflowers - hands down!

A Golden-crowned Sparrow on a gray day.

It's nice to have Robins hopping about on the 'lawn' once again.

Four Band-tailed Pigeons hanging out...

I took down all the saucers so they cannot perch on them and eat out of the 'tube' feeders.  I don't mind if they clean up 'dropped' seed on the ground, but I cannot afford to feed them my good feeder food.

I found this bit of nature at the edge of the back patio.  A small wad of feathers and a ball...

The ball (the size of a quarter) is an owl pellet. Indigestible material left in the owl's gizzard such as teeth, skulls, claws, and feathers are too dangerous to pass through the rest of the bird's digestive tract. To safely excrete this material, the gizzard compacts it into a tight ball that the bird then regurgitates.  Icky, but effective.  I think this might have been a smaller owl like a Northern Saw-whet owl rather than a Great Horned Owl.

It certainly was not a Turkey Vulture - if it's dead, they'll eat it!

7 comments:

Robin in Virginia said...

You are off to a good start on building your Easter basket, Beth. I remember one of the science labs we had in school; it was to 'dismantle' an owl pellet to determine what had been eaten. Enjoy your day!

LaNelle said...

Basket is off to a beautiful start...spectacular teaching Beth ...I’ve been lucky to find “pellets” but I do search for when we have nesting owls 🦉 always so interesting!

Rhodesia said...

Looks like your basket is doing well. Love all the bird photos. Our pigeons and doves only feed off the floor and then they eat pretty much what the smaller birds do not like:-) Take care Diane

Ann at Beadlework. said...

The pigeons here are a pest - they make such a mess in our garden.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Love seeing all the birds I'm missing at home while we're in Florida. No robins here (it doesn't really feel like spring). We do have vultures here though (they are just out there doing their job).

Carol said...

I bet you can finish it by Easter, Beth! Very pretty colors. Interesting about the owl pellets!

Maggee said...

You will be finished... no doubt! Finally went birding yesterday, and it was great to be out! No great finds but...I don't have to have lifers and such every time I get out! Just getting outdoors is my goal! Hope you are feeling better! Thanks for sharing! Hugs!