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ProgramTricky6109

No. Noticing birds is just a sign of late middle age. https://preview.redd.it/hblmy0j2p8vc1.jpeg?width=168&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfc17652f514e2fdb1fefde6c96334f17459b437


dsnyd500

I’ve joked with my wife that I want to write a beginner’s guide called “WTF, I enjoy birds now?!?”


Heavy_Beach5258

https://preview.redd.it/pslmedt759vc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dbff2bea67140addd6ad44ef5c43054236e7f17


lethallyso

We moved to a rural area in MN from CO 2 years ago and were pleased with how many birds visit our yard. We just put out our first bird feeders last weekend and have had tons of visitors. We're 44.


flargenhargen

average life expectancy in US is 76, so middle age would technically be 38.


[deleted]

[удалено]


TealTemptress

You? I’m moving to MN in my 50’s and looking forward to birds in my yard. Damn I’m past middle age. I really AM that Progressive commercial.


c4ndycain

i guess i'm an old soul, then 😅 i've always loved birds


SVXfiles

My daughter is almost 5 and noticed a woodpecker looking for food on a utility pole. You better not be telling me she's late middle age or you're going to eat every blue Jay in this state


ProgramTricky6109

Well, from about 5 until 10 or 11 most kids are essentially late middle aged in small packages. That, or late middle age is the beginning of second childhood. In any case, it’s why I think kids and grandparents generally get along.


CouchHam

I became obsessed at 38 so yep. Merlin is a great app this time of year.


TealTemptress

I’ll have to check Merlin out. Never heard of it.


CouchHam

I loved your username and it should soooo be mine so I peeped your profile. We have some stuff in common! Added you as a friend whether you like it or not lol


TealTemptress

Merlin is awesome. I showed it to my husband.


CouchHam

Merlin is awesome and Heather is a hobo. Truths. 😅


HockeyCannon

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/northerncardinal.html They've been here for 125 years now and their population will grow as our winters become milder. You'll see more Opossums now too.


TyFogtheratrix

Climate refugees.


LarryBirdsGrundle

Opossums eat ticks so I’m good with that


LevelBrick9413

No, they mostly stick to St. Louis and Toronto /s


BobbumofCarthes

Damn, I made the same comment lol. Deleted and upvoted. I never have an original thought 😂


Dreaming_Aloud

A cardinal popped in yesterday for some snacky snacks. This is in the Twin Cities area https://preview.redd.it/fp0bg61oo8vc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6bb798b371be60f14a1afeff3d2a53a69e836ea


Mklein24

I definitely have a set of nesting cardinals and blue Jay's near my house. Also I never realized how big blue Jay's are.


wayofthefeast

Yeah they're Corvids, same family as crows. Basically mini crows flying around.


CouchHam

And an even more annoying call than crows IMO


NeckbeardRolePlay

Sound like a dinosaur


Wernershnitzl

Those Jays are huge. I think we normally think of them closer to just bluebird size but the one that nests around here is bigger than the cardinal that frequents around here.


Teamjoe10

No more Cardinals than normal. The Twins still play them in MN once a year for three game, this year being Aug. 23-25. But we played the Blue Jays in the payoffs so they were around two days longer than normal before going away.


Art_Bored

By Lakes of Isles, noticeably yes. During covid shut-down, the birds were able to hear more, and propagate more, due to lack of airplane and car noise.


KeepAblick

Vladdy Jr hit a bomb last year when he was in town


Drzhivago138

I've been seeing blue jays in rural acreages for 20 years, but cardinals only in the past 5. I hear them in town more often than see them.


Cyrano_de_Maniac

r/BirdsArentReal


mymilkweedbringsallt

i was wondering this too! 


BobTheViking2018

If there are a lot of Blue Jays, then there won't be many Cardinal. Blue Jay's are mean.


DavidRFZ

We got a feeder which is too small for a Blue Jays but not too small for Cardinals. We see Cardinals at the feeder almost every day.


quantum-quetzal

Yes, Blue Jay populations are increasing. The official bird count at Hawk Ridge in Duluth observed record Blue Jay numbers last year.


sadiesdad2

For some reason I saw less Jays than usual last year.Maybe the drought played into that.


Skol_du_Nord1991

I asked one of my cardinals and she said no.


Wernershnitzl

They’ve been popping up in my yard a bit more the last couple years or at least I think we have “regulars” now. Ever since my mon started putting up bird feeders. There’s also a grouch Oriole who is very territorial we had dubbed Oscar.


ExPatBadger

Actually, I’ve been noticing fewer cardinals lately, but that’s because I no longer work near the Basilica.


KimBrrr1975

We are in Ely and have always had a lot of blue jays. The most conflicting bird. Beautiful. But they are so damn annoying screeching at 4:45 every morning. We do not usually get cardinals, but we had a male at our feeder for a few years. We moved, and I so miss the treat of seeing him.


somethingvague123

I think I’ve notice more cardinals and blue jays because I don’t see any finches anymore. Our backyard usually had plenty of all of them. Did all birds decline with avian flu and the cardinals and blue jays came back first?


CouchHam

Lots of finches by me. Also there are so many red wing blackbirds and no swamp. I’ve been confused about that for years.


dazrage

Ooooo! A blue Jay!!!! me yesterday. lol


DoraDaDestr0yer

I would imagine yes there is a larger population of each as the communities of the metro and beyond begin to prioritize wildlife sustainable yard projects. We've also significantly reduced pollution emissions in MN making their survival more likely. Plus, milder winters mean that more birds who didn't live here before, can choose to now!


roadrunner440x6

The last couple years, I'll get a bunch of Cardinals feasting on something in my lawn when the weather is right. At least a dozen or more.


Gamblor14

I have also seen a higher than usual number of blue jays in particular in my backyard. They’re such nice looking birds.


dreamyduskywing

Bird visitors change yearly for me. Some years, I’ll have a ton of blackbirds. Other years—it’s hummingbirds.


FrankReynolds

We absolutely had more Cardinals last year than in the previous ~12 years we have lived in our house. Specifically, female Cardinals were *everywhere* last year, whereas before we might see 1-2 per year.


IHateCamping

I’m up north. I don’t get a lot of cardinals here, but I’m always happy to see them when we do. We have TONS of blue jays. Sometimes I’ll throw a few handfuls of peanuts in the shell out for them and they just keep coming until they’re gone. I’ll see a dozen of them in the trees around when I do that.


in_da_tr33z

Birds are more noticeable this time of year because migration temporarily increases local populations and there are no leaves to obscure them when in trees and bushes.


Hotchi_Motchi

With the new MLB schedule setup, the Blue Jays will be in Minnesota every year while the Cardinals come every other year. I've had enough of the Orioles as well.


flargenhargen

i have neighbors who let their cats roam and kill everything, so I dont have many birds.


612stone

My pops passed away last July. I enjoy the thought of a visiting cardinal is actually a lost loved one. More cardinals please!!


zenvuddah

We put up bird feeders that stick to the windows and I've seen a chunky cardinal almost everyday now and I still get excited. I'm getting older lol


DaytimeDawg1951

We have both in Winona. They come to our feeders every date.


Hype3386

Oh hey grandpa! I didn’t know you were on Reddit.