What a lot of great birds you all see. Even an eagle?! wow! Is anyone feeding the birds?

I’m sitting outside right now and recorded these in the last 5 minutes.

It’s a gorgeous day!

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA no not for awhile there are still so many seed pods on flowers. I don’t cut anything back til March. I leave plenty of habitat. I will put out seeds in November

Roxsol - Do you usually have the same visitors? I’ve noticed my birds seem to have changed in the past 5 years. And it’s seasonal with a lot of them. I get a ton of Robins bringing up young in spring and half the summer but right now I never see them. And I haven’t seen a chickadee since spring. I used to see those more. I don’t see nuthatches or warblers.

Still trailing - Do you have a large property? I don’t cut back usually until the spring either, but I seem to be missing plants that the birds used to use. Coneflower for one. The rabbits eat mine. I used to get goldfinch but haven't for awhile now.

What do you have that you see the birds using for habitat? I’m planning a hedgerow screen along a lot line and still deciding everything that I want to go in there.

You do feed, just in the winter! We did for years but I stopped about 10 years ago. I was attracting a red hawk that was staking out the feeders. I still see birds in the winter, just not as many.

prairiemoon, the birds have stayed the same to me. We get a lot of robins and there is a spot under my back deck where they build their nest. There is usually three hatchings of four or five every year. Some of the robins stay year round. Right now they are all over my lawn.

The chickadees never leave. In the summer you don’t often see them as they stay deep in the trees and bushes. I have a lot of wild berry bushes. The chickadees are just starting to emerge now.

Roxsol, Lucky birds! :-) What do you think are your most popular berry bushes to the birds?

When I lived in the city, it was definitely the Mountain Ash berries.

Where I am now, there is a lot of Saskatoon berries, choke cherries, wild blueberries, and wild raspberries. I think the choke cherries are the most popular.

Is choke cherry - Aronia?

prairiemoon, you’re asking the wrong person on that one. 🤠 I am not a gardener!

I just know them by chokecherry. This is what they look like.

No, actually, Aronia's common name is chokeberry, not cherry. Your shrub appears to be Prunus virginiana.

They also eat these.

I call them witch eyes.

I have white berries on Gray Dogwood, but it doesn't look like that. You have a lot for your birds!

I'm in Zone 4, and yesterday as my DIL cut down a big sunflower seed head for her chickens she expressed surprise that the birds hadn't touched it. It's been quiet here too. I saw a couple of sparrows in the bird bath this week, but that's about it.

I'm not planning to feed the birds this winter, for the first time in 50 years at this house, because of bird flu and the threat to our chickens. But I'm trying not to think about that.

Last night after dark around 8 pm we heard geese flying over headed West , Shenandoah Valley here. The sound of them went on and on . It was amazing and the largest fly over we have heard ever in this area. Wish we could have seen them!

The Norad reported at 8 pm last night on FB over a billion birds migrating. Our geese were in good company. 🙏 ( I can’t find last nights picture)

Still training, that was fascinating hearing about the migration! Too bad it was at night, that would have been a sight. I love that you are in the Shenandoah Valley. Such a romantic and nostalgic name. Love it.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA It is beautiful here. We came here in 2016 from Auburn AL and rented a year before deciding to buy a home here. Our oldest son and our DIL and GS are here. We had been in Auburn/ Opelika AL from 1978- til we sold in 2016.

We had ponds that the geese favored there in AL and we have them here too! It is definitely a sight to see when there are large groups.

What is also interesting although sad is when one goose comes along after the large flock is passed and it is honking plaintively flying and calling all alone … wait up… wait for me … as it gets darker and the calling fades. I have shed tears for the lone goose , I guess I identify .

Anyway migration of birds is a wonderful topic. 🙏

Alisande - That was the reason I stopped feeding the birds! We were getting so many of them and I was concerned about so many droppings everywhere and the bird flu. I forgot about that. It's really too bad, because I really enjoyed watching the feeder in the winter. So instead I keep trying to add shrubs that they use. I do see birds in the winter just not like when we used a feeder.

StillTrailing - It sounds beautiful there. You were in your home in Auburn a long time. Great to be closer to family though for sure.

I’ve never lived near a migratory route and I think we would love it too. When I was younger we used to see a lot more flocks of birds all the time, but now we rarely do. We used to see at least large groups of Canadian geese flying overhead in the Fall, but now we’re lucky if we see a group of 6 once every two years.

That is a very sad story of the goose that was late. I have seen a solo Canadian goose once in awhile and always wonder how that is, they are normally always in a large group. I am going to make it a happy story and just believe that he caught up with his friends! ;-)

Thanks for sharing that story.

"So instead I keep trying to add shrubs that they use."

Me too. I don't have feeders but trees, shrubs and perennials they can make use of.

Interestingly, since we had a good rain last week there seems to be more activity. Could be merely coincidental, though -- IDK if migrating birds or passing through or what was here became more active when more water became available or something totally unrelated.

My gardens are full of seed heads and birds are having a feast. The drought was good for something. We had big rains and now the asters are incredible and full of bees and butterflies. We have cold enough weather and snows so I do put out safflower seeds in the heavy winter as there’s nothing otherwise and we have a lot of Winter birds.

Porkchop a couple of weeks ago, I was seeing small flocks of starlings landing to use the bird baths and then off they went. But for the past week, clean full birdbaths and no visitors.

Still Trailing - which of your plants are producing seed heads for the birds? Yes, my asters are also covered with bees. Do you have a favorite aster?

I'm in zone 6a in Missouri. Our hummingbirds are gone, but I'm still seeing other birds.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA I have Rudbekia by the ton. Also Liatris are the two most popular. I have Joe Pye thats partially seed heads and 3 that are still blooming. The cup flowers were attracting a lot of different pollinators but I cut the seed heads off to try and keep it under control lol.

I have several kinds of the small asters will get a picture. They spread out of control . A big problem for anything nearby. Also I tore out almost every bit of the Goldenrods that I got at a native plant sale. I had a couple kinds but again they were devouring everything else.

I am getting a lot more shrubs now and perennials that are better behaved :) I have learned to read a lot more before I buy anything. Also unless it says " really really drought resistant" I am not getting it. Our weather here is way to unreliable . We went almost a month with no rain after deluges. And now it's going to happen again. Rain tomorrow and then nothing in the forecast for almost all of October. It's very frustrating. But it's the reality and I can't water anything except a select shrub here and there as the locations are spread all over my yard and it would cost a fortune.

Pics in a minute. Making tortillas from Red Masa.

there is a rock fountain in there somewhere 😳

I put out a hummingbird feeder last week because I saw a hummingbird but then I never saw any feeding. I guess they are gone now. I am in zone 5a I believe. It is still pretty hot right now though.

Precious! The boys and girls are chirping so happily in the misty coolness. And one goose all alone overhead … going North lol. There was a large group of geese earlier headed Southwest.

Still Trialing

Those are two perennials I don’t have. My only full sun bed is small, maybe 15x20? And it’s a mixed bed with shrubs. I had Rudbeckia and it took over. I love coneflower and the rabbits ate it all. I tried Liatris and It didn’t thrive. I don’t remember where I had it. I should try it again. I had Joe Pye weed but it just didn’t fit in the kind of garden that works for me. I wish I had a place for more of a meadow garden, but alas,…lol.

Great asters you have! I just have one commercial one at the moment and I see I still have a native aster that must have been here before me, It’s coming up this season in a couple of places that have had a lot less attention.

I have also been trying to keep what is well behaved. And of course, drought resistant when possible. And rabbit resistant has become very important.

Are those marigolds?

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA yes i was given a little bag of saved Marigold seeds from my neighbor ” gardening partner”! She’s the best and is always giving me starts and I give her some as well. We go to plant nurseries all over together and shop.

I don’t have a garden like I admire in other yards but it is what has evovled. I just add and subtract as things do well.

Weather changes dictate as well as the deer and rabbits. They eat things that supposedly they don’t like. grrrrr.

My native asters are completely out if control. All I see is a sea of purple and bees .

My liatris was a great surprise in a set of plugs . I let them go to seed so hopefully will get lots more.

I have a large order of alliums coming . My neighbor and I shared an order. I am planting them in circles around the areas the deer decimated. I hope it helps.

Still training - what part of the country are you located? I love that situation you are in. It has to be so satisfying to share gardening with a neighbor and to share seeds and starts. I’ve just met a new neighbor that gardens and we enjoy talking plants and sharing divisions etc.

Those marigolds are particularly vigorous and attractive. Sometimes the saved seed you have in your garden is better than anything you buy.

We have the same type of garden. Mine has evolved for sure. Quite a few years, if I look back at photos, I have to laugh at how unappealing some of the plantings were. LoL But…that’s how you learn. I love to experiment. I do the same thing….add and subtract as things do well.

I hope you do end up with more liatris seedlings. I think I could find some room in my beds for a few and I’m going to try them again.

You’ll have to let us know if the alliums help. I tried planting garlic around beds and that didn’t stop the rabbits at all. [g] Nor did they mind cayenne pepper on the foliage. I think they must be Mexican rabbits that like things spicy…hahah.

I’m in Lexington VA heart of the Shenandoah Valley. We moved here 12/2016. Before that I was gardening in AL Auburn/Opelika area from 1978-2017. I had 2 different homes there. The last was an 1890 Victorian for 16 yrs. I threw away so many many many plants because they were the wrong thing. I finally settled on Old Roses and clematis Osmanthus trees and they did great. I dug up every rose and gave them to friends at my church and they are all still going strong.

STrailing - I'm sorry, I remember Shenandoah Valley!! lol

Roses are great. I have a few and I'm so glad I decided togrow them because they were so much easier than I expected and rewarding. And some of them are really tough plants! I would grow a lot more if I had the room for them.

It's nice that your old roses are still going strong with friends. You could always get a cutting and start them over again.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA I should do that. I have three creamy white lemon scented that I got at Lowes last year. They are doing great and for whatever reason the deer don’t bother them. The fragrance is heavenly.

Butting in to say that Deer Off worked to keep deer and rabbits away in my yard (north of Chicago).

I think too many children missed the message in "The Yearling". Deer are pests.

Still Trailing - Rabbits eat some of my roses. They have their favorites. They have eaten foliage from the ground to 2ft of the lower canes on one particular one. But I don't know how they do it with all the thorns. Taking cuttings of roses is really easy and a fun project. Lots of people on the rose forum can help with that. I'm sure it would be nice to get your old roses back.

Chisue - rabbits too? Does it smell awful? You have to keep applying after a rain?

I have tried the Deer/ Rabbit repellent. It works if I spray it every day at sunset. My gladiolas were gorgeous this year because I dutifully sprayed every single day. The groundhog is currently digging the beds up so it looks like a rototiller has edged them. It has eaten several plants . I don’t feel like dousing with ammonia but I will have to I guess. At least plants love ammonia!

Deer Off was reomended here. It's not expensive. You put little cannisters on wire stakes (supplied). The animals can smell something they don't like, but humans don't smell it. They last one season.

That was it! Our last one left...

Here in mid-Missouri, I'm still watching my two hummers dancing around. Nights are still in the low 60s, so they're in no hurry to leave. I haven't noticed any travelers stopping by for a fillup on their way.

I’m catching up on the conversations here, so bear with me. Our hummingbirds may be gone. I have only seen a random few in the last week. Worked in the yard yesterday morning and never was buzzed as i usually am when near the feeders and plants they visit.

We also had the weather people showing the migration on their radars last week. A big blob on the radar map from Tennessee into North Alabama. I guess they came through, but we never saw any huge numbers.

Deer repellant: will look up the Deer Off. I used Plantskydd this last year and had daylily blooms for the first time in around 3-4 years. Still Trailing said ’They eat things that supposedly they don’t like’. Well yeah, they do, for a while, and then one day it’s ’Hey, that isn't so bad after all, let’s eat this’’. For many years they didn’t bother the DLs I had planted near the house, and then they got brave and off they went. Now they come up on the patio, porch and roam wherever they want. The Plantskydd doesn’t need to be applied every day. It seems to last around 3-4 weeks for me, even with rain. They claim longer but i don’t want to push it.

Plants/Perrenials: I really concentrated on deer proof perennials this year, after experimenting with a few last year. However, I also have learned perennials are often short-lived. Some do great seemingly forever, and some die unexpectedly after 3-5 years. Anyway, I’m enjoying Pink Cashmere Verbena, Longwood Blue Agastache, more of Allium ’Millennium’ and another allium I can’t recall, Georgia Aster, Phenomenal Lavendar, some tiny little arbovitae called Tater Tot for year-round green, some carex Evergold, some Catmint, and more blooming things I cannot recall right now. One thing the hummers (&bees and butterflies) love and I share starts all the time….black & blue salvia! ST & PM, I’m happy to provide more names if you want to try others. I also started some fennel from seed a couple of years ago (the herb not the bulb kind). I had 2 plants come back from re-seeding this year. Then I was surprised by a ton of black swallowtail caterpillars on it this year. I could not believe it when I happened on one emerging from it’s chrysalis. Another good one that re-seeds is gomphrena. So pretty if you get the mixed seeds (pink, white and magenta). BTW, I 100% agree with you on goldenrod. I let some native stuff grow in one of my perennial beds one year. How bad can it be, right? Being in the country, I never know what is going to come up, so I just go with it sometimes. Lots of regrets happen.

@OutsidePlaying I am glad I checked back here. I will try the Gomphrena and I had forgotten about the herb Fennel. I also will look into the Deer Off… thank you @chisue.

The Goldfinches are gone. I miss there sweet chirping. The bees and butterflies are thick on the Asters ,all three kinds are covered. I heard geese 3 different times this morning , had heavy fog so couldn’t see them.

Last night I could hear the sawhet owls in the bushes. They sound like the warning beeps on large trucks backing up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwgTcxjLnTo

Frozebud, I know that Robins are thrushes. Could that be a different kind of thrush, not a robin?

Lovely photo!

Roxsol, it's what is referred to as a Leucism Robin, a robin with a genetic mutation causing loss of pigmentation, the breast often remains a nice rusty red, too bad I was unable to capture that as well. Here's a photo from online, their colors and patterns do vary among them.

I have never heard the Northern saw-whet owls, yes sure does has a distinctive call.

Researching deer repellent . Deer Out minty smell is the only product with good reviews. The one with bags all have poor reviews rabbits eat the bags ! . Any with primarily blood content are a big no if bears are anywhere around. So I am going to spring for Deer Out.

The deer ate the tops off all my roses last night and the beautiful pink honeysuckle grrrrrr.

The Merlin says we have a cacaphony this morning:

Starling , Brownheaded cow bird, Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow. Very joyous group.

The Goldfinches were back briefly over the weekend but there are very few seeds left I think.

prairiemoon ~ just jumping in to say that you might try Rudbeckia triloba , which I love and doesn't take over the way that the common wild one does. I let it seed around wherever it wishes, as single plants that need no fussing and don't need to be yanked out!

Wow!

^^ Wow is right!

Thank you Roxanna, good to know, I'll look for that one!

My birds left for a bit yesterday. Went out to check on them and didn't see them in any of the usual places. Then I heard the Polish rooster crow over towards my neighbor's house a couple hundred yards away. They had never ranged that far before. I hollered at them and a minute or two later they were back near my house.