Although it has been horrible spring weather (very cold, pretty wet), it somehow must have concentrated the passing through backyard birds as it has been a tremendous backyard birding spring. All sorts of orioles, including orchard orioles that we have never seen before. Indigo buntings, hummingbirds, etc. But this is only the second time in about 12 years that we have seen a scarlet tanager in the back yard.
It didn't seem too interested in the oranges and jelly we had out for the orioles, so we were wondering why it was hanging around the last few days. My wife said she thought she saw him eating berries through the binoculars. Then today I get a text from my wife that says "the tanager is eating bees!"
So, when I got home she showed me how the tanager was taking up position right around our backyard hive and swooping in to grab bee after bee after bee.
Those berries she thought she saw were bees in the birds mouth!
It was really pretty neat watching this bird feasting on the bees. Its a solid hive, so they won't notice the minor losses from the 2 different tanagers we have seen in the backyard.
But, we have been worried that this hive will swarm, so I darn well hope that if it does swarm that these pretty birds don't snap up one of the virgin queens out on their mating flights!!!! :shock:
I suspect the tanagers will be gone in the next few days, so not too much to worry about, although with hearing about a swarm in SE Wisconsin today, I am going to need to be more vigilant about this hive and its likely swarming (this hive swarmed last year in early September, I am surprised they made it through winter after losing so much of their population so late in the year.)
Diversity is a great thing.
QuoteDiversity is a great thing.
ok. i have a little different opinion of things that mess with my livestock :evil:
caught blue jays eating my bees the last two days. put up whirligigs. we'll see how that works. between these birds and the swallows, they can eat a lot of bees! haven't caught the robins at it yet, but they were sitting on the hives last year eating bees.