Good Birds vs. Bad Birds
So I have a new not-so-secret obsession here at Sokol Blosser. And yes, I confess - it has to do with some sunflower seeds and a large window overlooking the serene red Dundee Hills.
You see, I recently bought a birdfeeder, thinking it might be nice to have a bit of nature flying to and from me every day. I was disappointed at first at the turnout… bugs seemed to be the only ones interested in my custom mix of sunflower seeds, white millet, red wheat, nuts, and bits of dried fruit. However, after a week or two, the word got out and now we have a plethora of ornithology going on here at the Sokol Blosser offices.
Birds at my feeder is one thing; birds in the vineyard is another issue entirely. Birds here fall into one of two camps – those that eat grapes and those that don’t. If you have visited Sokol Blosser in the summer or early fall, then you have probably heard our firing squad of “bird cannons,” or gas fired cannons which create loud explosions that deter the birds from eating our crop of sweet Pinot Noir grapes. The goal is to keep the bug-eaters and scare away the grape-eaters. Here’s my list of birds seen recently and the primary camp they fall in to:
House Finch – Good Bird :)
Purple Finch – Good Bird :)
American Goldfinch – Good Bird :)
Red-Winged Blackbird – Good Bird :)
American Kestrel – Good Bird :)
Red-Tailed Hawk – Good Bird :)
Western Scrub Jay – Bad Bird :(
Dark-Eyed Junco – Good Bird :)
Black-Capped Chickadee – Good Bird :)
Western Bluebird – Good Bird :)
Tree Swallow – Good Bird :)
American Robin – Bad Bird :(
There are also a variety of owls that patrol the vineyard at night, feeding on the rodent population in vineyard. Those are definitely some good birds! Expect to be updated soon on more bird sightings here at Sokol Blosser – especially as our Western Bluebird nestlings learn to fly later this season.
Check out the Western Bluebird Nest Cam in Newberg, Oregon!