Feeding Wild Birds

[Gill-b]

The poor Southern Red Bishop bird then got chased off by a Masked Weaver bird...

View media item 7965802
Now this particular weaver bird has been around here for some time and has a history of being feisty. It once chased off seven adult Guinea Fowl. I was able to capture this scene in video format - here is a link to a few gifs I made from that video...
Weaver chasing off Guineas

View media item 7965803"Please can I have some too?"

View media item 7965804
View media item 7965805

 

[ValerieJ]

Did I welcome you Gill-B? I meant to. Beautiful bird photos!

 

[Gill-b]

Did I welcome you Gill-B? I meant to. Beautiful bird photos!

Thank you for the welcome.

 

[Gill-b]

View media item 7965811Female Cape Sparrow feeding her male juvenile offspring. The juvenile's face will be pitch black when he matures.

 

[fuzzi]

Last night I went outside after dark to check on my flock, and I heard an owl. Then I heard a second owl responding, and a third faint owl call, maybe a couple streets away. I confirmed with an online site that they were Great Horned owls. They will take chickens, rabbits, and even cats!

https://birdwatchinghq.com/great-horned-owl-calls-hoots-sounds/

 

[R2elk]

Last night I went outside after dark to check on my flock, and I heard an owl. Then I heard a second owl responding, and a third faint owl call, maybe a couple streets away. I confirmed with an online site that they were Great Horned owls. They will take chickens, rabbits, and even cats!

https://birdwatchinghq.com/great-horned-owl-calls-hoots-sounds/

@Molpet loses turkeys to them. They also will eat skunks.

 

[fuzzi]

@Molpet loses turkeys to them. They also will eat skunks.

One of the articles said that GH owls can't smell, so they're not dissuaded from eating skunks.

 

[R2elk]

One of the articles said that GH owls can't smell, so they're not dissuaded from eating skunks.

I know for a fact that they will eat skunks.


Don't ask how I know.

 

[R2elk]

Dummy

It did manage to get free but was on the wrong side of the fence from the rest of the flock.

 

[Molpet]

Last night I went outside after dark to check on my flock, and I heard an owl. Then I heard a second owl responding, and a third faint owl call, maybe a couple streets away. I confirmed with an online site that they were Great Horned owls. They will take chickens, rabbits, and even cats!

https://birdwatchinghq.com/great-horned-owl-calls-hoots-sounds/

Yeah my stupids have been hit Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this week alone. Lost at least 4 birds ,3 jennies and a jake and the ground predators are taking the kills. Caught 3 young racoons recently.
Managed to get the 4 remaining jakes that were sleeping in the trees and the hens that get along into the coop last night and cut a wing this morning. The last carcass was still warm at sunrise 6:30, so I went out at 5 and looked around and didn't see anything. Maybe I spooked them.
They will be 6 months Nov 1st, still thinking about harvesting now. It's a pain convincing them to go in.