Blue Jay Resistant Bird Feeder - And Squirrels To!

Blue Jay Resistant Bird Feeder - And Squirrels To!


Keep squirrels and Blue Jays out of your bird feeder with the Woodlink Absolute Squirrel Resistant Bird Feeder Model 7533. I previously tested this feeder for squirrel resistance and now have adjusted it to exclude Blue Jays. Jays are extremely smart and one of my favorite birds but I wanted a feeder for just the Cardinals and Painted Buntings to enjoy - I am pleased - my results are in the video.
Link to Woodlink Feeder on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lzLeB5
Parakeet and Finch seed mix that cardinals and buntings go nuts for - half price when purchased as an add-on item at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2CxrG8x
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Blue Jay Resistant Bird Feeder - And Squirrels To!

Squirrel Freaked Out By Camera - Looking For New Territory

Squirrel Freaked Out By Camera - Looking For New Territory


A new young squirrel checks out the Backyard territory for the first time and is totally freaked out by the feeder camera and the new environment. The resident Backyard Squirrels are total social media addicts and regularly ham it up for the camera. This new squirrel looks like a young male and is trying to find a new territory to move into from the conservation area behind the Backyard. I suspect squirrel populations are rising and they need to spread out. Over time this new squirrel may be accepted or move on. The Blue Jays are so smart I think they can tell which squirrels are "residents" and which aren't as they make a little pass at this guy.
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Squirrel Freaked Out By Camera - Looking For New Territory

Brave Lizard Joins Birds at Feeder

Brave Lizard Joins Birds at Feeder

A little Brown Anole Lizard comes out in the open to feed on the bird feeder platform and feeds side by side with a Painted Bunting. I had mixed a few dried meal worms in with the finch seed mix never imagining it would attract a lizard as lizards are a favorite food of the many Blue Jays in the yard and Grackles and Mockingbirds as well. One of the most unusual things I've seen in years of bird feeding. The lizard does not run when the Bunting arrives and must know this bird is no serious threat from experience, but just seconds later the Blue Jays move in and finish off the meal worms in typical ravenous fashion.
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Brave Lizard Joins Birds at Feeder

Wood Thrush Song and bonus Chipmunk!

Wood Thrush


Wood Thrush makes an unexpected appearance on a log. Their melodious song echoes through the deep forest through spring and summer, but they are seldom seen. In fact, this is my first fleeting capture of a Wood Thrush and it was by accident on a camera trap for a Chipmunk - footage of the Chipmunk is included as a bonus.
Wood Thrushes are similar in appearance to Brown Thrashers, but are smaller and have big dots on their breast rather than the streaks of the Thrasher.
Filmed in the Great Smoky Mountains in September.
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Wood Thrush

Blue Jays Stuff Their Crops and Hoard Peanuts Like Flying Chipmunks

Blue Jays Stuff Their Crops and Hoard Peanuts Like Flying Chipmunks


Blue Jays cram as many shelled peanuts as possible in their crop - an expandable pouch in their esophagus - and fly away to hide them in nooks and crannies in the woods behind the backyard. They will eat them later. Much fun is made of Chipmunks that stuff their cheek pouches with nuts and scurry away to cache and hoard them for later, but Blue Jays are the flying version of a Chipmunk. Watch as one particularly glutinous Jays chases away the others and manages to get 9 or 10 peanuts in its crop and beak. Four or five is the normal. Also note a hapless ant trying to steal away with a small piece of a peanut - it almost makes it. And the squirrels in the background oblivious to the pile of nuts as the Blue Jays stock up.
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Blue Jays Stuff Their Crops and Hoard Peanuts Like Flying Chipmunks

Short Billed Dowitcher, Raccoon and Kingfisher - Marsh Scenes

Short Billed Dowitcher, Raccoon and Kingfisher - Marsh Scenes

 Short Billed Dowitcher, Raccoon and Kingfisher - Marsh Scenes A relaxing slice of Florida Marsh life with Short-Billed Dowitchers, and Raccoon passing and a Kingfisher sitting and fishing.
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Short Billed Dowitcher, Raccoon and Kingfisher - Marsh Scenes

Blue Jay Party

Blue Jay Party



A Party of about 15 Blue Jays is ready for breakfast in the Backyard. My plan is to eventually hand feed all of them in one morning session. Did you know the name for a group of Blue Jays is not flock, but either party or band. Personally I like "Band of Blue Jays". Stay tuned for progress reports! The lighting is not good at this time of day when they all tend to gather - I will try some external lighting in future tries.
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Blue Jay Party

Pregnant Squirrel Craves Peanuts

Momma Squirrel is Pregnant and Craving Peanuts


Mother Gray Squirrel is very pregnant and has a serious shelled Peanut craving. She is the Matriarch of the squirrel family. Always my favorite squirrel to patiently hand feed I have to be careful because she wants her peanut now, and has little patience. She'll take her peanuts with or without my finger attached! She looks like she is due very soon and has made her nest deep in the thicket behind the Backyard. More squirrel kittens on the way!
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Momma Squirrel is Pregnant and Craving Peanuts

Squirrels Love Suet - Eaten Upside Down or Right-Side Up!

Squirrels Love Suet - Eaten Upside Down or Right-Side Up!

Gray Squirrel spends the day pretty much hanging upside down eating suet meant for Woodpeckers in Florida. I have given up on suet in the Smoky Mountains due to constant bear activity in warmer weather. Here in Florida I try every year in winter as we have four species of woodpecker. So I need to raise the game a bit. Squirrels can hang upside down til the cows come home.
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Squirrels Love Suet - Eaten Upside Down or Right-Side Up!

Little Furry Friends: Red Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit

Little Furry Friends Red Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit


Red Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit all dine together in a pouring rain and react to loud Thunder. The rabbit is the calm one. It is unusual for the three squirrel species of Backyard North to be hanging out together, must be the weather.
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Little Furry Friends  Red Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit

Screech Owls Return To The Nest Box

Screech Owls Return To The Nest Box

Annual Screech Owl nesting season has begun rather unexpectedly December 10th 2017. Mother Screech Owl has claimed one of the "Squirrel Condos" that I put up just two days ago - the ladder is still there. Once nesting season has begun all tree trimming and pest control spraying etc stops in the Backyard.
Squirrel Condo Houses on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nQkYqu
Recorded with Canon SX60HS: http://amzn.to/2AV5VRg
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Screech Owls Return To The Nest Box

Baby Red Squirrel and Cottontail Rabbit

Baby Red Squirrel and Cottontail Rabbit


A Red Squirrel kitten just out of the nest box hangs out with an adult Appalachian Cottontail Rabbit. Just a little slice of animal life to brighten the day!
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Baby Red Squirrel and Cottontail Rabbit

Comica CVM-WM100 48 Channel Professional Wireless Lavalier Microphone

Comica CVM-WM100 48 Channel Professional Wireless Lavalier Microphone

A review of the Comica CVM-WM100 UHF 48 Channel Professional Omnidirectional Wireless Lavalier Microphone System and a little behind the scenes look at film-making.
Microphone available at: http://amzn.to/2y8HJFE
Microphone adapter to attach to smart phone: http://amzn.to/2y8i6VJ
Tripod mount adaptor for smart phone: http://amzn.to/2nJac5f
3.5mm cable for line in audio source: http://amzn.to/2AKCZej
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Comica CVM-WM100 48 Channel Professional Wireless Lavalier Microphone

Red Shouldered Hawks Calling

Red Shouldered Hawks Calling

Three Red Shouldered Hawks are having a calling contest high in the Pines behind the Backyard! One is nearby and one is in the distance - their calls travel a long way. Its the start of mating season and they are staking out territory. After a few minutes he moves on to another tree and calls and calls while flying overhead - this goes on at various times throughout the day. All of this hawk calling has the resident squirrels on edge. I keep hoping that the hawks will make a nest in the trees right behind the Backyard but they tend to prefer dense oak trees for nests rather than exposed high pines.
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Red Shouldered Hawks Calling

Squirrels Feast on Ripe Palmetto Palm Berries

Squirrels Feast on Ripe Palmetto Palm Berries

Palmetto Palm fruit is ripe and its party time for squirrels during the day and Raccoons at night. Gray Squirrels are not known for moderation - their goal is to cram as many of these berries down their throat as fast as they can. As for Raccoons, judging by their droppings it doesn't look like the berries are digested much so I don't know how much nutrition they get out of them - I'll spare you that video!
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Squirrels Feast on Ripe Palmetto Palm Berries

Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Dark-Eyed Junco Love Clear Window Feeders

Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Dark-Eyed Junco Love Clear Window Feeders


Small songbirds love Clear Acrylic Window Bird Feeders like this one by MOOKZZ. This is the last video I made in the mountains before heading to Florida for awhile. 11 minutes of non-stop Chickadees, Titmice and one determined Junco. The link to this bird feeder on Amazon is http://amzn.to/2jUfJkh where it is the cheapest of this type of bird feeder available and of very high quality. If you order it through this link a tiny portion of the sale goes toward supporting the Backyard creatures. They love sunflower seeds and this feeder is big enough for all to share for the most part. Interesting that Jays are very shy in the Mountains and in Florida small songbirds are shy in winter preferring to stick to heavy cover. Experiment with this feeder with different kinds of seeds and closeness to cover will give different results.
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Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Dark-Eyed Junco Love Clear Window Feeders

See-Through Clear Window Bird Feeder by MOOKZZ

 See-Through Clear Window Bird Feeder

Promised Florida update on this fun, large clear plastic window bird feeder by MOOKZZ. This would be a really fun Christmas gift for the bird watcher or Nature lover - or to introduce kids to birds around the neighborhood. It has attractive new packaging and the link to this bird feeder on Amazon is http://amzn.to/2jMP3Sk where it is the cheapest of this type of bird feeder available and of very high quality. If you order it through this link a tiny portion of the sale goes toward supporting the Backyard creatures.
I've been using this one for about a month now over my PC window in Florida and the cardinals and Blue Jays love it. It is easy to install and depending on what window you use it is totally squirrel proof as in my installation here as there is no way for the squirrels to get to it - they haven't figured out to climb siding yet. You can also install and refill the feeder by just opening a window. All in all a barrel of fun for bird-lovers and of course the birds.
You can experiment with influencing what birds use it by what type of seeds you use. If you choose you could also invite squirrels to use it by just leaning a two by four on the window sill for certain times. It can handle their weight. Have fun and good luck!
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 See-Through Clear Window Bird Feeder

Long-Billed Dowitcher Flock

Long-Billed Dowitcher Flock

A beautiful Long-Billed Dowitcher flock feeding in fresh water marsh near the St Johns River in Florida. This is a first time capture of this species. They are often hard to distinguish between short-billed dowitchers which are more common generally in Florida, but prefer salt water.
Feeding Behavior
Typically forages by wading in shallow water (sometimes walking on wet mud), probing deeply in the mud with its bill. Usually deliberate in its feeding, standing in one spot or moving forward slowly.
Eggs
4, sometimes 3. Olive to brown, marked with brown. Incubation is by both sexes at first, then mostly or entirely by male in later stages. Incubation period 20-22 days. Young: Downy young leave nest shortly after hatching. Female reportedly departs near the time the eggs hatch, leaving male to care for young. Young find all their own food; development of young and age at first flight not well known.
Young
Downy young leave nest shortly after hatching. Female reportedly departs near the time the eggs hatch, leaving male to care for young. Young find all their own food; development of young and age at first flight not well known.
Diet
Small aquatic invertebrates. Diet probably varies with season. Particularly on breeding grounds, eats many insects and their larvae, including many flies, beetles, others. In migration and winter also eats mollusks, marine worms, crustaceans. At times, may feed heavily on seeds of grasses, bulrushes, pondweeds, other plants.
Nesting
Breeding range is mostly in Arctic coastal regions, generally farther north and west than that of Short-billed Dowitcher. Nest site is on ground, usually near water, often on raised hummock or tussock in wet meadow. Nest is a depression sparsely lined with sedges, grasses; bottom of nest is often wet.
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Long-Billed Dowitcher Flock

Male Belted Kingfisher in Florida

Male Belted Kingfisher


Handsome male Belted Kingfisher in classic habitat over freshwater marsh filmed with Canon SX60HS. He has just about finished drying himself off in the sun and is looking for another fish in the water below.
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Male Belted Kingfisher

Red Shouldered Hawk In Flight - The Affect of Video Frame Rate

Red Shouldered Hawk In Flight - The Affect of Video Frame Rate


A beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk taking flight over the marsh is an opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the the affect of altering frame rates in video editing. I shoot mostly at 1920 x 1080 HD at 60 frames per second which makes capturing birds in flight a little easier, but also allows for smoother motion over all when played back a little slower - too slow and it is jerky - too fast and its a blur. Here are some examples for your review. Let me know what you think!
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Red Shouldered Hawk In Flight - The Affect of Video Frame Rate

Pileated Woodpecker Pecking in Palmetto Tree

Pileated Woodpecker Pecking in Palmetto Tree



The big Pileated Woodpeckers are one of the most exciting birds to visit the Backyard and one of the hardest to film. Pileated Woodpecker loudly pecking for bugs in the crevasses of a Palmetto Palm Tree a nice behavior capture.They are exceedingly nervous to come out in the open. I was close to him but the palm fronds were partially blocking a clean line of sight.
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Pileated Woodpecker Pecking in Palmetto Tree

Osprey Watching

Osprey Watching


It is Osprey Season again - also known as Fish Hawks - watching four different Ospreys watching on the same Morning. I think two of these are young Osprey. Real territory selection battles and serious calling wont start for about another month. The cycle of Osprey life continues but Ospreys are even more visible now than last season.
Appearance:
The undersides of the toes on each foot are covered with short spines, which help them grasp slippery fish.
Habitat:
The osprey is smaller than the bald eagles that typically share the same habitats, but its five to six foot wingspan is impressive nonetheless. Adults are dark brown above with a white underside and head. Look for the distinctive dark line that extends behind the eye and the gull-like way the narrow wings are angled downward when the birds are in flight.
The osprey is found year-round in Florida both as a nesting species and as a spring and fall migrant passing between more northern areas and Central and South America. Ospreys in Florida did not suffer the serious pesticide-related population declines that occurred in other states in the 1950s and 1960s. Pesticides, shoreline development and declining water quality continue to threaten the abundance and availability of food and nest sites for ospreys.
Behavior:
Ospreys, also known as "fish hawks," are expert anglers that like to hover above the water, locate their prey and then swoop down for the capture with talons extended.
In Florida, ospreys commonly capture saltwater catfish, mullet, spotted trout, shad, crappie and sunfish from coastal habitats and freshwater lakes and rivers for their diet.
Ospreys build large stick nests located in the tops of large living or dead trees and on manmade structures such as utility poles, channel markers and nest platforms. Ospreys have adapted so well to artificial nest sites that the species now nests in areas (e.g. inner cities) once considered unsuitable. Nests are commonly reused for many years. Nesting begins from December (south Florida) to late February (north Florida). The incubation and nestling period extends into the summer months.
The osprey is listed as a Species of Special Concern only in Monroe County. Permits are required throughout the state to remove a nest for these wonderful raptors, however, and a replacement structure must be erected to mitigate the removal of the nest.
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Osprey Watching

Raccoon Mom Moves Babies to New Den

Raccoon Mom Moves Babies to New Den


Mother Raccoon moves her three incredibly cute little kittens from under my workshop/studio to a new location in the woods. She has her hands full. I will miss their little strange squeaky noises. These kittens were likely delivered in early October which is an unusual time - spring is normal. I think she forced herself under the building because the hurricanes of September completely flooded the conservation woodlands behind the Backyard and she needed a dry place. Now that the kittens are a little bigger and the Palmetto and pine scrub woods dry she is moving them - note that the move took place in the afternoon. They are still a little too young to follow her around she had to carry them one by one over the Backyard fence to the forest.
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Raccoon Mom Moves Babies to New Den

Magic Mushrooms - A Documentary

Magic Mushrooms -  A Documentary



Amazing Mushrooms - Fantastic Fungi - an all original look at dozens of unusual varieties of mushrooms in the deep, dark and moist Forest. Set to ambient music you'll see some of the prettiest, deadliest and tastiest mushrooms along the trails of the Great Smoky Mountains. Some exude a creepy sense of decay - others a remarkable air of brightness and light. Keep an eye out for these overlooked jewels on your next walk in the Forest!
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Magic Mushrooms -  A Documentary

Red Winged Blackbird and Grackle Flocks

Red Winged Blackbird and Grackle Flocks


A lone tree is prime bird real estate in the vast marshlands of Florida - Interesting how the Grackles don't react to the mass of Blackbirds taking off. Both of these birds are year-round residents but in winter they tend to form up into flocks and some do migrate in from the North.
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Red Winged Blackbird and Grackle Flocks

Pod of Baby Alligators Guarded by Mother

Pod of Baby Alligators Guarded by Mother


Several dozen cute baby American Alligators about two months old hang out in a group called a Pod and are guarded by their mother. Although they may appear larger in the video without a reference they are actually not much bigger than 14-16 inches. Mom on the other hand is about 9 feet or so and reasonably tolerant - their biggest threat is probably other male alligators or maybe a humongous Large Mouth Bass.
Toward the end of August, the young alligators begin to make high-pitched noises from inside of the egg. This lets the mother know that it is time to remove the nesting material. When the baby alligator hatches it measures about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters). Newly hatched alligators live in small groups, called "pods." Some 80 percent of young alligators fall victim to predators such as birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and larger alligators. Females aggressively defend their young during these first few years. Crocodilians are one of the only orders of reptiles that offer maternal care to their young. The juveniles grow about a foot a year.
Female alligators usually remain in a small area. Males can occupy areas greater than two square miles. Both males and females extend their ranges during the breeding season. Young alligators remain in the area where they are hatched and where their mother protects them. After two to three years, they leave that area in search of food or when driven out by larger alligators.
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Pod of Baby Alligators Guarded by Mother

Blue Jay and Squirrel Feeding - Have A Nice Day!

Blue Jay and Squirrel Feeding -  Have A Nice Day!

It's a great morning for feeding the Blue Jays and Squirrels in the Backyard! Experience the pure joy of feeding these intelligent and appreciative creatures that seem to bond with humans. A special appearance by the youngest member of Backyard Squirrel Society who is learning the ropes and trying the patience of the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jay and Squirrel Feeding -  Have A Nice Day!

White Winged Dove - Extreme Close Up

White Winged Dove - Extreme Close Up

White-Winged Dove is a stunningly beautiful bird that can only really be appreciated close-up. These are very rare visitors to the Florida Backyard and very nervous because of their size and slowness they and the Eurasian Doves are the favorite meal of the Cooper's Hawk. Here is one in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76eAg...
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White Winged Dove - Extreme Close Up

Mourning Dove versus Eastern Towhee Singing Contest

Mourning Dove versus Eastern Towhee Singing Contest


Mourning Dove and Eastern Towhee calling just a few feet away from each other get into a classic sing-off or singing contest. "Drink your Tea" Towhee versus the classic Dove Coo sound! Crank up the volume and close your eyes and you decide who wins - to be fair to the Dove it is mostly just off camera as I was focusing on the Towhee and in real-time didn't quite realize what was going on. Two very different styles of songs and singing - the Dove does it all without ever opening its beak - but uses its nostrils. An amazing version of the dove coo calling can be seen at: https://youtu.be/3Km-jtXueTw
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Mourning Dove versus Eastern Towhee Singing Contest

Chipmunk Calling

Chipmunk Calling

The amazing sounds of an Eastern Chipmunk making the traditional "wood knocking" calls of Autumn. I have heard this sound echoing through the forest many times and while scientific studies indicate this is a warning call for predators - in this context it just doesn't make sense, one there are no predators - I am nearby and the Chipmunk knows me and, 2 he is well out in the open on a rock and exposed for many minutes making it easier for any predator like a hawk to have him for dinner. It is more likely a territorial call.
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Chipmunk Calling