• Tuesday-What'sUP May 14 - 12:13 pm

Mona Grigg is down right neighborly when it comes to giving her feathered friends somewhere to reside. Looks like their new abode has a nautical theme and it makes me wonder if birds check out the living quarters before nesting down or if they're just so happy to find a solid place to begin their family, that they don't worry about the aesthetics. Goldfinches are one of my favorite little birds, especially come this time of year when their feathers turn this bright yellow. I makes them easy to spot as they flit from tree branch to feeder with a flash of color.

Bill Haller sent this photo along, with a little flock of goldfinches feasting on their feeders. His note said, "In addition to the eagle and hawk migration, early May is the harbinger of purple and yellow finch season in the Keweenaw." So if you haven't seen either goldfinches or purple finches at your feeders yet, keep your eye out for them now.

The "hummers" are back!

Wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing.

I love birds! Thanks!

Goldfinches...Iowa's State Bird!

My hummers are back and so are my Baltimore Orioles! My hummers like the orange flavored oriole solution so much, I no longer use anything else.

How do you keep the squirrels out of your suet?

I have nine birdhouses in my yard. Five on the front of the garage. Not the smartest place to put them. Ungratful little guys use my car for their bombing target. They get used to me being in the garage and don't take off when I sit in front for some time one would land on my shoulder. I never could touch the bird but it was kind of cool. Granddaughter liked it. I like making bluebird houses. Nothing as grand as the one pictured here. Mine are always lived in. I found if you face them towards the east the birds like living in them.

Ascetics: Hermits (brief definition)
Aesthetics (or esthetics): The principles of taste and of art.

I found your site about two months ago and have hardly missed a
day. I was a student at Michigan College of Mining and Technology
in 1963 and 64. About the time the were deciding whether to call it
MTU or MUT. During that time I learned to love the Copper
Country. To me there is only one place to vacation and that is the
UP. Just call me a yooper wanna be!

It is very enjoyable to watch the goldfinches change to their full breeding plumage. If you want to enjoy them all summer hang some cotton out near your feeders. They will come to it all summer and take some back to line their nests. It is fun to watch them pull the cotton until their beak is full. Lambs wool works well too. You can buy some at a bird store in a convenient, accessible bag for about 5 dollars.

Ken Scheibach here above me, sent us a couple photos of two yellow "birds to come", meaning they're migrating our way to the U.P. now. He just spotted them last week downstate, so they should be passing through soon. They're the Yellow Throat and Yellow Warbler. Two other bright birds to keep your eye out for! Thanks, Ken!

John Preisler:

Squirrels? I put the bird feeders on a shepherd's hook in the middle of the yard. Then, I took a 2 liter pop bottle and cut the bottom off. I slit the bottle up the side to get it on the hook. Ducktape it on the shepherds hook in the middle. Not too low or the varmit will jump over it. Not too high, they will jump to the feeder. Worked for me all winter.

John: I've been having trouble with something stealing my suet after dark, and I don't know how they're getting it out of the wire mesh thing my husband made for it. Your post above somehow jogged my memory. It just came back to me that I used to put red pepper on my suet. It doesn't bother the birds at all, but it keeps everything else away! The woodpeckers were looking for their suet yesterday, so I have to go to the butcher and get more (it's free)and this time I'll remember my own trick of using red pepper!

Taylor keeps an eye out for the birds, he made a birdhouse in cubscouts and I really need to get it outside for him. Maybe he will lure in some pretty ones like that.

Hi
Thanks so much for the warbler pictures; I have only seen those in my bird book. The goldfinches are more bold, or at any rate I have seen them more often.

We used to have Pitcher's Thistles on our beach up north; goldfinches would come to them to feed. Sadly, the thistles were victims of beach erosion & no new ones have re-seeded.

lun gahawlins i remain walter p.======

Bob S (oldtoot) Welcome to the pasty site. You'll enjoy these folks and the interesting info. But mostly enjoy the photography. Been on myself for about 4 years and it's always interesting. Lots of history.I've never lived there but it's where my mother was born and raised. And most of us would like to live there. Have you discovered Sharon Smith's journal yet? Enjoy......

I rememeber seeing all of the yellow birds at our feeders in Red Jacket when we lived there. One of the most relaxing ways to unwind from a hard day at work. Unfortunitely, we dont have as many birds here as we did in the Keweenaw. Although we had a few goldfinches at our feeders in the backyard (we have 3, including a ground feeder), they were not brightly coloured as they are up north.