Well it finally happened...
Posted by Dextropic@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 222 comments
Stepped out the back door, saw a cardinal in the yard, and immediately said, "ooh! A cardinal."
So where do I go to get issued my binoculars and Peterson Guide?
Sir_midi@reddit
To be fair, I have been the proud owner of many Peterson guides since my early 30’s. Another thing that has been replaced be our phones. Speaking of phones, grab the Merlin app and you will be able to recognize birds before you see them.
limited_instincts@reddit
I sit on the back deck and drink my coffee in the morning and have the merlin app running. This morning there were 36 different types of birds! I don't know when this became exciting but it is now so....
MrDTB1970@reddit
Don't forget to download the Merlin app. It listens to and identifies bird calls in real-time.
killslikeaninja@reddit
Ha! Welcome to the club. I have 3 bird houses and 2 feeders. Simple pleasures my friend, simple pleasures.
Truckerlightning@reddit
I just ordered a new cylinder bird feeder and 25lb bags of safflower. I regularly have three pair of Cardinals. I also purchased some corn on the cob for the angry squirrels. I moved the feeders and put on a baffle to deter them. Morning coffee watching the birds is awesome.
I agree, simply pleasures.
hankenator1@reddit
I look out my window every morning to check on local the feral cat colony, they said they’re very interested in meeting this cardinal you speak of.
nekochatgoyangikatt@reddit
Love your heart for kitties!! Thank you so much for being a colony caretaker!! TNR saves lives and so do you 💖
hankenator1@reddit
All 3 off the streets and into my heart.
baubaloo@reddit
I started watching birds during covid. Used it as a way to get outside, but ended up enjoying the experience. Started doing it a few times a week for blocks of hours. Then covid ended and went back to work.
Im about 5 years from retirement. But one thing im going to start doing when I get there is start bird watching again.
Man I never thought I would enjoy something like this. I guess it comes with age.
Krautmeister21@reddit
Hummingbird in my front yard this evening. Made me happy.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
I have never seen a stationary hummingbird.
BradleyFerdBerfel@reddit
I had stationary with a hummingbird on it once, does that count?
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
Nice.
CompZ1867@reddit
It isn't stationary, that camera phone has a really fast shutter speed. 😂
JosiesYardCart@reddit
She's perched on a twig, soaking up the rays ☺️
Krautmeister21@reddit
I got really lucky with the photo.
BeneGurl@reddit
Oh no. Substitute Blue Jays for Cardinals.
chikn2d@reddit
Go ahead and download the Merlin App. It's free and will help you begin your birding journey.
Blue_Henri@reddit
Welcome!
curious-thatguy@reddit
Not sure how to respond to this.?? I’ve feed them and had them All year around for years and years. I live in northern Indiana. So not really rare. Just come to eat Everyday, they stay fed I’m blessed.. ✌️
Narwal1975@reddit
I just filled my bird feeder up with meal worms and got excited when a bluebird promptly swooped down to get some. I’m 50!
mjh8212@reddit
There’s a saying, it always snows twice in a robins head. I see robins come back and know it’s gonna snow again. I also look at the different birds in my backyard. Once an eagle landed and it scared me this thing was huge. Guess I need binoculars too.
No_Today_4903@reddit
I’m terrified of birds. I got a bird feeder for my bedroom window so my cat would have something interesting to watch. Not only am I a crazy cat lady, but I also now feed the birds I’m deathly afraid of! I love the cardinals so much I take pictures of them, I enjoy hearing them sing AND I’ve named them. I wonder if my neighbors who also feed them have names for them and what they may call them. I see many different types out here lmao and chat to them from a safe distance, I refill the feeder but will scream in terror if one swoops near when I do it. Omg. My kids are like mommmmm wtf this is sooo sad! You need a life! Ok sooo? What should I do then, go out clubbing with your father? Be so for real 🤣
srl214yahoo@reddit
BAHAHAHA - thanks for making me clean my computer screen as I spit my coffee!
I would MUCH rather watch birds than go clubbing with my husband! (60 year old here)
No_Today_4903@reddit
Hahaha I’d rather go get a root canal than go to a club with anyone ever again. I can’t deal with noise, shenanigans lol. My tolerance level is lowwww. I can’t even deal with el club de Costco. Sams I do curbside pickup lol.
Cari2280@reddit
There are beautiful multicolored magpies where I live. My cat looks at them through the window and they love to taunt her as they are very smart lol I’d love to feed them and the hummingbirds as well but I’m afraid to attract bears.
whirlydad@reddit
Birdfy or the equivalent! You can just scroll your bird friends on your phone till your heart is content! Plus it's got analog mode, so you can just stare at it IRL if you want!
GrumpySnarf@reddit
On Sunday I ran outside to see a Steller's Jay my husband spotted. I've been doomed for about 20 years now. I don't have bird feeders but we are in the yard all the time sitting around and watching birds.
Heatherb78@reddit
When you get a birdfeeder with a camera come back and see us.
Head_Trick_9932@reddit
Hahaha my husband and I both pointed out the cardinals yesterday. I have my binoculars already though!😉
brandrikr@reddit
Yeah, I started doing that a year ago. Now mind you, I just had shoulder surgery and had my recliner set up by our big bay window. I put up birdfeeders so I have to watch what I recovered. And a year and a half later, I’m still watching them. And I go on hikes and take binoculars with me. And I may or may not have an app on my phone where I track birds I have found like a freaking Pokémon game. Yeah I’m old too now.
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
What app is that?
brandrikr@reddit
Merlin Bird ID
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
Thank. May or may not want to keep track of birds. Okay, I do, but don't tell my college or Army buddies.
brandrikr@reddit
Hey, all is good. The first rule of bird club is we don’t talk about bird club outside of bird club.
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
Got it! It seems to still use my current location even when I want to mark something as seen somewhere else, which is kind of annoying. Otherwise it's pretty cool though. I used my spam email since they seem very likely to spam me.
brandrikr@reddit
Yeah, it defaults to your current location. All you have to do is move the map to the location where you saw the bird and place a pin.
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
I'll try that. I tapped the edit location icon, typed in the city, and selected the result. Then hit save, but it still showed the sighting as my current location.
Baxterado@reddit
Have you heard?
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
Heard about what?
Baxterado@reddit
A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird B-b-b-bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a don't you know about the bird? Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word! A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a...
Royal_Percentage_815@reddit
That the bird's the word. Everybody heard.
HeatMiser2568@reddit
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word.
Yada-yada-4488@reddit
There’s an app for that dude.
Meh_Cook_Grump@reddit
Yes. Observation is the gateway. Then you start identifying them by their song. Then you start bringing it up in conversation with your humans. You notice their behaviors and start to recognize their quirks and habits. There is an app for your phone that helps you identify them by song. It records the audio then takes a guess. It's really good. It's called Merlin Bird ID
tearose11@reddit
Invest in squirrel-proof feeders.
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
Or get non squirrel-proof feeders and enjoy trying to thwart their inventiveness and athleticism.
darwinfl14@reddit
They crawl the wall and then jump onto the plate with birdseed! Little varmints.
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
It's really fun to watch their exploits.
Dr_One_L_1993@reddit
I admit that it was fun, when I had a dog, to wait for the squirrels to get close to the house, then open the front door while yelling "SQUIRREL!!" to see how fast they would scatter when my English setter ran out to try to catch them...
Now I just use "Flaming squirrel" bird seed additive...or buy the hot pepper stuff directly. Birds love the spicy suet and seed.
HandAccomplished6285@reddit
Yeah, I have been developing much more interest in birds lately.
InternationalYard665@reddit
We put a suet cage out a few years ago that attracted some cool birds. So we went further and invested in a squirrel proof feeder. We got orioles, Cardinals, robins, and lots of other birds.
Day three the squirrels figured it out. It was on the ground, broken. Seed everywhere. Those squirrels will NOT give up!
VRTravis@reddit
Mark Rober has a whole series of trying to outsmart squirrels on youtube. Set up a 7 point obstacle course, after a few days they had figured it out and were running it like it wasn't there.
They are damn near impossible to stop.
https://youtu.be/hFZFjoX2cGg?si=09Pbdj4i1V-2zkOP
HalFWit@reddit
Try Cornell's Merlin and look into "listing"
No-Clue4432@reddit
I second this. Its a great app
NoGood2154@reddit
if your a techy type person try this app;
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.merlinbirdid.app
jonny_mal@reddit
So good. Basically Pokémon for birds Also, if you’re ever near Cornell, do check out the bird sanctuary
AnyCryptographer3284@reddit
Pokemon for birds. LOL And yes, walking Sapsucker Woods is a good morning.
PaceDizzy@reddit
If you have not already downloaded the app are you even GenX? Lol I am so happy the birds are back, was sad with super quiet birdless winter
Sinister_Nibs@reddit
birds.Cornell.edu has never let me down.
I was also a fan of nicetits.com, but that page expired.
Dizzy_Dear@reddit
I love the sound identifying feature. I try to see how many I can get at once. My record is 17.
MNVixen@reddit
Yes! Also available for Apple products.
Buttercrud_6@reddit
Love this app, even if you’re not a techy type.
Dazzling_Flamingo568@reddit
Fantastic app.
East-Garden-4557@reddit
This puzzles me. Were you all so completely oblivious to the natural world around you that you are only now noticing the birds? I've been birdwatching since I was a kid
srl214yahoo@reddit
It's a joke - and not every kid is into birdwatching.
Strong_Debate_8108@reddit
this is a joke about aging. everyone seems to get more interested in birds as they age!
AnyCryptographer3284@reddit
Peterson's? Nobody does Petersons anymore. Update your game by downloading the Merlin Bird ID app.
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
I love Peterson's!
AnyCryptographer3284@reddit
Me too. I was just being a smart aleck. :)
mrsbeeps@reddit
IWorn and annotated Sibleys at arms reach ftw
syzygybeaver@reddit
It was the Pileated Woodpecker that got me. At 43. Now I can id birds by call a lot of the time. The Merlin app will become your best friend.
Dr_One_L_1993@reddit
Same -- specifically, the pileated woodpecker that slammed into the window of our den and which I rescued out of the front hedge (it was just stunned) and placed back in a nearby tree until it recovered. I can now identify all 5 species of woodpeckers that we see in our yard, plus numerous small songbirds from chickadees to white-throated sparrows to Carolina wrens, in addition to the more well-known robins, cardinals, and blue-jays. Still have some trouble with the various juvenile hawks, though....
mybahaiusername@reddit
The next step, download the Merlin bird ID app. It let's you ID birds from their sounds. You just open it up, and let it listen, and it will tell you what birds are around you. I hate how much I like it.
Itunes- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673
Android- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.merlinbirdid.app&pli=1
Neumonster@reddit
uh-oh, I think you might have given me a new hobby.
mistegirl@reddit
Second this. Embrace it. Give the birds funny nicknames and swear when they eat the whole bird feeder in one day.
It's nice...
CDM2017@reddit
I tried not to install it but I couldn't help myself.
StevenMcFlyJr1985@reddit
Make sure it has a puffy breast
interspeciesMama@reddit
Love this post 😁
bluenoser613@reddit
Just use the Merlin Bird ID app.
Maleficent-Adagio150@reddit
I have a bird feeder with a camera and an app. I love the monk parakeets best. Well and the painted buntings.
peachesandsir@reddit
What brand camera feeder do you have? I got a Bird Buddy last year but it was a piece of crap and fell apart within a couple months.
Maleficent-Adagio150@reddit
Mine is a Bird Buddy I’ve had about three years. I love it. I use the paid subscription so friends and family can access my feed and I can access theirs.
Strong_Debate_8108@reddit
it happens to all of us.
RealtorRVACity@reddit
I just went out and filled up the three bird baths I have somehow acquired over the last few years, I am just steps from one of those bluetooth feeders, I can just feel it.....
Solid-Wish-1724@reddit
I had such high hopes, but alas they wouldn't visit ours.
RealtorRVACity@reddit
Maybe it was the seed mix? Predators nearby?
Solid-Wish-1724@reddit
IDK... I feel like it was the Bird Buddy setup. They used to decimate our old feeder contents, same seed. It was a bummer. Maybe I'll try again, it was expensive.
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
Maybe you got some bad bird seed. It could have been moldy or something
mrsbeeps@reddit
Awww :(
no_id_never@reddit
My bird buddy is the thing I check in the morning instead of the news. It is like Pokémon, once you start you have to collect them all! I know which birds eat what, and who the messy ones are, as well as who bullies who (the legit pecking order, lol). They will for sure be on sale for Mothers day.
mrsbeeps@reddit
Report back when you do!
Original-Slow@reddit
Doooo iiiiit....
clcheatham@reddit
The fact that you know what a Peterson guide is means it is already too late.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
My uncle gets a new one every year lol
vengefultacos@reddit
Uh? Why? Do birds change that much? "oh! They totally redesigned the Blue Jay for 2026! Also, beware, the Chickadees are now carnivorous and have teeth!"
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
Actually their territories are changing because of climate change. We see a lot of birds in Atlanta now that we've never seen because of climate change and we're not alone. They have to adapt just like we do.
Sinister_Nibs@reddit
You are confusing magpie’s with Chickadees.
FrostyFlower7@reddit
💀😂
SheriffBartholomew@reddit
Lucky! We don't have cardinals here. My favorite birds to spot are probably Stellar's Jays, then Gold Finches, then Herons. The herons are really impressive when they take flight, but the little shy jays are my favorite. If they even sense you watching them from inside the house, they take off. Their calls are very annoying though. They're definitely not songbirds.
Dizzy_Dear@reddit
Now, download the Merlin app to identify and catalog your finds.
xykor@reddit
Merlin bird ID is an awesome app. Love the fact you can do ID by sound as well
Red-Pill1218@reddit
Came here to say that I downloaded it about 2 months ago and now my back hurts.
babj615@reddit
Get a BirdWeather. We love ours!!
Bug_Calm@reddit
Come sit with me on the "Becoming My Grandmother" sofa.
dysteach-MT@reddit
My cousin came to visit me and when I set down a bowl of chocolate candy on the table she said, “Thanks, Grandma.” She’s frickin 8 years older than me!
Sinister_Nibs@reddit
When it’s a tufted titmouse you get a badge and a sticker.
Ute-King@reddit
Proof that I may look at birds, but I’m not old? I giggled at that.
Weird-Ninja8827@reddit
Eventually you will get a wall clock with different bird calls at each hour.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
My aunt and uncle have that clock.
mutt_butt@reddit
The movie/doc Listers is a fun watch
mopmn20@reddit
Check this out. You can learn about bird visitors passing through your area. Migration map from ebird https://birdcast.org/migration-tools/migration-dashboard/
PrivilegeCheckmate@reddit
He's always saying how the cardinals should just clean up their nests and perch up straight.
Then he gets them hooked on oxy's.
GhostFour@reddit
So there's a free app called Merlin. It can identify birds by pic, sound, or description. Not that I'm some kind of bird nerd or anything.
Globeblotter85@reddit
Merlin is awesome!
standsure@reddit
I don't know what it is with the bird thing, but it's real.
It's real!
skinydan@reddit
Yeah, I may have bought a bird buddy camera feeder in December.
Natural_King2704@reddit
I showed someone a bird just this morning
Embarrassed-Map2148@reddit
Now it's time to download the Merlin Bird ID app. It's become my favourite app.
willgold76@reddit
It’s such a joy. We travel to visit the in-laws overseas and it brings so much joy hearing those birds
Vivid_Inspector3265@reddit
Birds are awesome. Cardinals especially. We have a male and female show up every morning. It always gives me peace. I believe also someone is watching over me.
ProBuyer810-3345045@reddit
I saw a cardinal for the first time this season last Saturday. I had just asked my wife if she’s seen any Cardinals yet outside and within 1-2 minutes, we did see one out the window. Pretty cool.
This-Cartoonist9129@reddit
Consistent_Ebb_3221@reddit
What types of birds are they?
This-Cartoonist9129@reddit
Cassowary- related to emus. That’s Dad and his chick.
legionzero_net@reddit
“It’s Pikachu!”
rdnkgrrl18@reddit
Every time I see one, I believe someone in heaven is visiting me, telling me they’re ok and just watching over me 💚
yosoyfatass@reddit
I’d like to see a cardinal. Unlikely.
CrispityCraspits@reddit
Try rome. Especially right after the pope dies.
TXtogo@reddit
We have a cardinal family that lives in our backyard, I don’t even know how many generations it’s been but they hatched in a nest like a foot from our back door and we took pics of them from the window every day. There were 4 of them so we named them 1,2,3,4 - and they return all the time. I throw some food around for them.
I don’t know how many there are now so we just still call them all 1,2,3,4
blondeinabubble@reddit
47 year old me : oohhhh power washers!
16 year old me : what the fucking fuck happened to us yo
PahzTakesPhotos@reddit
You don't have to go that route. Do what I did and pick up a camera. It's even more ~~frustrating~~- fun. It's way more fun.
dwkdnvr@reddit
You too can spend $5k on a camera setup to take detailed photos of twigs, branches, bark, and empty patches of sky uncontaminated by any distractions!
ScienceJamie76@reddit
This made me chuckle
PahzTakesPhotos@reddit
That blurry brown thing in the middle of those leaves? That's a sparrow!
Here's a whole mess o' sparrows. For every cool shot, I got at least three like this one.
And just because we were talking about cardinals, here's one.
These are not recent. I used to be able to track birds by sound (in my backyard) but with my level of deafness, I barely hear them without my hearing aids anymore. And with my hearing aids, I can't tell which direction the sounds are coming from because all sounds are directed to my left ear (I was born deaf in the right ear, so there's a microphone on that ear and the receiver/hearing aid is on the left).
ScienceJamie76@reddit
Do you have the Merlin bird app downloaded yet? You gotta start working on your Life List!
Fun-Mine7804@reddit
Literally downloaded it last week......
ScienceJamie76@reddit
Welcome to da club!
zabacam@reddit
So I live in Ohio (Cardinal is our State bird). Was just at Disney last weekend and what did my wife and I see in Animal Kingdom? A Cardinal. And what did we say? “Oooohhh! A Cardinal!!”. 😣
scare_away@reddit
Indiana’s state bird is also the Cardinal. I am from Indiana and I now feel cheap, somehow.
notevenapro@reddit
I get it, but I am more of a ground critter dude. Racoons, beavers, chipmunks. Had a fox follow me while I was walking the dogs at night. Super cool. I also know which time to walk around the lakes and see the beavers wrecking havoc.
IndgoViolet@reddit
They come with your AARP card
Hopfrogg@reddit
Ugh... man I was all hyped up to type this. As I opened the comments I thought, no way that will be in here, uh maybe, nah...
Friggin top comment
IndgoViolet@reddit
It's all good Brother. Maybe we can go tell some kids to get off the lawn to feel better. ;-)
Hopfrogg@reddit
whatever
gridironsmom@reddit
Crap, what age is AARP? I'm getting too close ...
IndgoViolet@reddit
I got mine at 50.
GirlULove2Love@reddit
Well, every time I see the pair in my yard, I say, hi to my grandpa and grandma. I don't even believe in heaven and I still have this weird feeling that they're watching over me.
don_teegee@reddit
My wife says that whenever a cardinal appears it means someone is thinking of you.
GirlULove2Love@reddit
That's lovely.
JoanneMia@reddit
You don't need to do anything, the delivery stork is on its way with them; along with your first grandies candies subscription.
Common_Poetry3018@reddit
Whatever, man. Birds are cool. I will die on this hill, possibly quite literally.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
Birds are tiny dinosaurs, which is the coolest thing.
But birdwatching is for nerds. Now excuse me, I have to reorganize my Magic: The Gathering cards.
lyricoloratura@reddit
May your corpse be pecked by only the highest quality birds upon the hill.
Adorableviolet@reddit
It does get worse. After ny Dad died, every cardinal I see, I imagine him speaking to me. Weirdly, my daughter saw one today and pointed it out to me, and I said: "That's Papa." ha
Green-Minimum-2401@reddit
Hit me up, I have extras of both.
ElectricPenguin6712@reddit
I bought a wifi bird feeder last year. I love it
Wacko_Banana_Pants@reddit
I have several feeders in the yard and a couple birdhouse. i mostly get sparrows but I'm fine with that. The most interesting thing are the rabbits. I have two that pop out from under the deck and the shed whenever I walk out onto the deck. They do this because I cut up apples and toss the pieces to them. They wont let me get close but they certainly know when it's feeding time
desrevermi@reddit
Was at a big box store a year or so ago and stopped when I saw a hummingbird feeder.
I simply had to get it, and have had decent results.
Extension-Cress-3803@reddit
Why do I hear the guy from the “becoming their parents” commercials saying “No, we can look at the bird but not speak to it”
ascaffo@reddit
Our kids make fun of us for our feeders and suet. And, of course, our binoculars. We have many friends visiting our yard, and we love it. First hummingbirds of the season arrived last week.
Junior_Statement_262@reddit
my parents say the bird thing starts at age 50.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
Well, I did turn 51 last Saturday.
Junior_Statement_262@reddit
Well there you go! Happy Birthday!
FrostyFlower7@reddit
We bought 6 bird feeders and yard hangers last year and my (F47) husband (M53) has been diligently filling them all. Not sure how we went from slamming shots to filling bird feeders, but here we are!
TheNexxuvas@reddit
I swear I'm such a Gen X'er the first time I saw a Roadrunner after moving up to Hill Country Texas I immediately looked behind him to see where the Coyote was.
And yes my wife and I recently bought a bird house to hang, shit you not.
dbrmn73@reddit
I have several humming g bird feeders hangin o my porch so that I can watch no matter where im sitting in the living room.
OldSlug@reddit
You’ll find a coupon to fill out your copy of the AARP magazine.
glucoman01@reddit
🤣🤣😂😂
xt0rt@reddit
Birds are awesome! I miss enjoying all of the birbs(and squirrels !!)that would come to my deck all soring-summer-fall. Maybe I'll have a nice spot that I can birdwatch.
Aggravating_Cable_32@reddit
Saw my first Downy Woodpecker today! Also there's one particularly obnoxious blue jay who seems to be intent on hanging around.
aKIMIthing@reddit
There’s an app that will detect a bird by its tweet. I die.
Hollayo@reddit
Merlin is what I use
mrsbeeps@reddit
There’s a belted kingfisher I keep on the look out for. I see him a 4-6 times from May to September
Grouchy_Vet@reddit
I was visiting a friend and she has the most inviting front porch. Her neighborhood is full of mature trees with a gazillion birds and all kinds of rabbits and squirrels. I’m so jealous of her. The birdsong is constant and beautiful. Multiple cardinals hanging out
no_id_never@reddit
Welcome! Step this way, let me show you the 15 types of feeders, the purpose of a fountain bubbler and the right solution for the hummingbirds. This rabbit hole is very deep, lol.
Solid-Wish-1724@reddit
slowly raises hand
Healthy-Brilliant549@reddit
Geocaching as well. It’s a great combo. Careful not to overdo it
tarmgabbymommy79@reddit
It comes inside the AARP welcome pack.
Solid-Wish-1724@reddit
I downloaded the Merlin app yesterday!!
edcod1@reddit
Yeah. When did I start enjoying birds so much?
gholmom500@reddit
Within 2 business years, you’ll be gifted a digital-camera&bird-feeder (if you have loved ones). Birthday, Christmas, whatever.
Batteries will die or the app will fail or the camera will get sh!t on, within 6 months.
You’ll still leave the bird feeder up. I mean- it feeds the birds!
Crafty-Bass-3434@reddit
Let us know when you start feeding the squirrels by hand.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
What? No, no, no, I am WAY too old to be entering my Disney Princess phase.
Inevitable-Notice351@reddit
I literally just had a male and female cardinal land on my front porch bannister yesterday.
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
My uncle's father would tell us they mate for life every time we saw him.
ChateauLaFeet@reddit
Tone-wise, would you characterize his response as regretful, admirable, or other?
Dextropic@reddit (OP)
I guess admirable.
Inevitable-Notice351@reddit
Yeah I think I heard that too.
FunnyVariation2995@reddit
They're out looking for real estate. They're ready to settle down & have some chicks.
Odd_Policy_3009@reddit
Download the Merlin Bird ID app.
Thank me later!
The_Lloyd_Dobler@reddit
It’s amazing!!!
Kooky_Membership9497@reddit
Best app there is.
HopPirate@reddit
If I want to see a Cardinal up close I can watch one attack my car’s side view mirror.
HopPirate@reddit
If I want to see a Cardinal up close I can watch one attack my car’s side view mirror.
Duckbich@reddit
Merlin Bird app...
mrsristretto@reddit
I feel this. The other day there was a cute little swallow type bird on the deck railing, I don't remember ever seeing one like it before out here. My husband and I got soo excited about it.
Birb tax included:
Husband snapped this pic this morning. It's a violet green swallow apparently, super pretty.
Vast-Government-8994@reddit
There is a side door next to my desk at work(I work in a warehouse) that I prop open to get a breeze in & noticed blue jays & Cardinals hanging so now I put out a handful of trail mix for them daily...yeah I turned 50 last year...
assuredlyanxious@reddit
Blue Jays love peanuts in the shell.
Vast-Government-8994@reddit
Yes! They get the unsealed but they like almonds too
OverMlMs@reddit
They are all over my backyard. I have learned they are assholes. I have no clue why people think they are signs of their deceased loved ones, lol
TOW2Bguy@reddit
That's EXACTLY why.
ChateauLaFeet@reddit
🏆
Sufficient-Pin-481@reddit
My father in law lives in a dementia facility so since then I end up taking a crap ton of nature photos whenever we walk, hike or kayak to show to the residents there. My wife just bought some binoculars that connect to her phone to transfer images so I’m at that state already.
JonnyCanuck71@reddit
Should already be in the mail
Kindly-Might-1879@reddit
Went to take out the trash and froze so I could observe a bluejay retrieve a twig from my driveway and fly off, pausing first on my neighbors tree. I was hoping its nest was nearby.
StreetMolasses6093@reddit
Can I join you? That sounds awesome.
Ok_Key_4731@reddit
I have a bird feeder with a camera. And when I see a squirrel helping themselves I sound the alarm to scare them away. So, I can totally relate.
ancientastronaut2@reddit
I now talk to the birds I see while walking my dogs. "Hello pretty robin", "look at you big beautiful hawk", "what's up dudes?" (to the pigeons).
kramwest1@reddit
Swear to god I was sitting at a stoplight yesterday when out of my mouth came, “Well look at you, pretty Mr. Bluejay.”
Is there a support group or some sorta help app I can cure myself with?
ShellBell_ShellBell@reddit
Is there an app for determining what the name of the bird is by sound? I hear birds making all kinds of sweet noises. I can't see them, but they are pretty close by. I could get a clear recording on my phone.
flamingweaselonastik@reddit
Yes! Merlin! The staff at the wetlands nature center introduced it to us! :)))
icy_sylph@reddit
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org
No_Fudge1228@reddit
Merlin is the app that can do this
Formal_Plum_2285@reddit
I’m afraid people who still think birdwatching is for older people, are too old to join the club. You are on your own.
Aromatic-Ganache-902@reddit
I have my bird feeders by the breakfast nook window and watch them periodically through the day haha. Get the Merlin app and you can identify all the birdsong in your yard, too. That is fun to do!!! The birds in my yard love me because I see them watching ME when I fill the feeders. As soon as I go inside, they swoop in! I have always liked watching birds because my parents did too.
No_Fudge1228@reddit
Yup! I spent an inordinate amount of time watching a cardinal couple near my yard yesterday.
I live in Brooklyn (NYC). While there are certainly some birding hotspots throughout the city, for me it’s rare to see anything that’s not a sparrow, pigeon, or starling, so I get pretty hyped 🤓
EnjoyingTheRide-0606@reddit
lol, Amazon of course!
MundaneHuckleberry58@reddit
Welcome! Strongly recommend all the birding subreddits.
MaximumJones@reddit
MNVixen@reddit
Much like the Cat Distribution System, they will come to you.
Flat_6_Theory@reddit
Was pretty stoked seeing the crow couple perched in our corner tree again this morning.