Hi Mike
I really don't think those are birdies.? I take birdies to be signals generated internally by the receiver itself as a result of mixing products of internal oscillators .? Direct conversion is birdie free, certainly insofar as the numerous birdies almost inevitable in a superhet with non-zero IF will not exist.? Maybe the signals you hear are from (very) local QRI/ QRM?
I hope the signals you're hearing are below the noise when you have your antenna connected.
73
Rod
GOVKX
