The sun was out today,
and the birds seemingly posed with proudly-swelled chests. It is still cold and gets below zero at night but the days are undeniably getting longer, and spring is starting to fill the air with bird song. Now that the darkest time of winter is over, I am pretty much ready for spring to begin, the summer birds to arrive and getting my hands dirty in the garden again.
The last week
was so mild, one day I even had the windows open all day. Spring was in the air. Now we have more snow in the forecast, but it feels like everybody is getting ready for the next season anyways. These two here are definitely give that impression. The first thing I heard when I stepped outside this morning was the wonderful PETERPETERPETER of a Titmouse. And a Chickadee has been busy checking out the nestboxes all week too.
Regardless of that, bird activity remains low, so I am using this time to pack my work schedule. Migration may be already underway and busy times are upon us soon.
Goodbye, 2023!
There were fun moments this year and I absolutely enjoyed the garden this year but I hope that next year will be a bit more exciting again when it comes to birds. The last four months of the year show a Chipmunk, a Chickadee, a Bluebird and a Junco. I hope for some snow in January, just for some fun photo opportunities, and would love a return of a Chickadee nest and of course the Blues.
Nestwatch update
Here is a view into both nestboxes, as of this morning. The Bluebird couple that has been coming over almost every day has finally decided to build and started yesterday. I think it is the same male as always but a different female. She seems to me more timid and nervous but looks like a good nestbuilder. The Chickadee nest is still being updated, and I still have no idea if there are actually eggs in there or not. The female spends every night in the box and adds fluff throughout the day. The male stops by every so often to bring her a snack.
After a summery weekend,
we got snow flurries today. The garden is waking up everywhere but things still feel odd because there are no nesting Bluebirds. I have decided to pull the nest today, since there is no sign of any nesting activity. Interestingly enough, a male and a female BB have showed up to feed. There are still some Redbreasted Nuthatches around, and a couple of Chickadees are showing a lot of interest in my other nestbox.
When nothing much
is going on, there’s still some activity apart from the MoDos. I call them the tiny crowd, and they are usually the first to greet me when I open the buffet in the morning. I often just stand ofr a bit to watch them, and they just make me smile. There’s two kinds of Nuthatches - the very human-friendly teensy Redbreasted and the more shy but equally diligent Whitebreasted. You can tell male and females apart by the color of the broad center stripe on their head. Males have a jetblack one, females more grey. Also belonging to the tiny crowd - the choir in the back, friendly Chickadees and Titmice. Come good into Wednesday!
A crazy thing happened today,
the sun came out! It feels like it’s been ages. It was a bit cooler too, and there were birds! When I first stepped out in the morning, I could hear a Bluebird, so I put some mealers out in the open bowl, and voilà. What a nice sight after these weeks of barely any fun photos. The Titmice and Chickadees were very vocal and the MoDos feisty as always (yes, that one in the back holds the feathers of the other one 😂 ). Here’s to a good birding week!
November is an odd month in Michigan
because sometimes it can feel like summer still but it can also quickly turn to winter. This year, the trees took their good time to turn, and the backyard looked lovely, all dipped in reds, orange, gold and green. For the calendar, I first looked at the small birds, so the two Chickadees and the Goldfinch were potential choices. But then my eyes fell on the Redbellied Woodpecker lady, and I thought her size, the colors and detail would work a lot better. So that is why she is Miss November. My calendars are on sale this week, you can get yours here. Come good into the weekend!
It is very interesting
how different things are this November, compared to all the other years I have been here. Temperatures are more than mild, which I think is responsible for the relative quiet in the yard right now. Nature provides an abundance of food, there are still insects around too, so the birds seek feeders less. The Grackle and Redwinged Blackbird are still around too, and today I saw in a local birding group that someone had a Hummingbird on their feeder in Michigan. I am enjoying this mild weather but I really hope we will get some cold too. Anyways, here are some of the current residents, most of which are very busy taking nuts and seeds and hiding them for snowy days.
(Redbreasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Blackcapped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse and House Finch)
But there are of course
also still birds around. Apart from the large, lazy MoDo family, there are Blue Jays, Downy, Hairy and Redbellied Woodpeckers, Nuthatches (Red- and white-breasted), Finches, the occasional Grackle and Robin, Chickadees and Cardinals. I wish the youngsters of the latter would love the camera as much as their mother. But there is always a nice group of them visiting the bird bath in the evenings. So I am not really complaining but I hope that there will be some fun new visitors here soon. The video is a hawk attack that happened earlier. I still have two hummingbird feeders up because I have seen a couple every other day this week. The stragglers will be happy for some noms on their way south. Come good into the weekend!
The light is changing,
the evenings are getting cooler, and there is still not much going on bird-wise. Yesterday I saw the Bluebirds, which was wonderful because it’s been quite a while. At least two Redbreasted Nuthatches have emerged and are competing with the Chickadees for material that is worthy to cache for the winter. I like the light at this time of the year because it feels less harsh. Here are some of the current regulars, look at that Woodpecker, all nice and pretty again! Have a great Tuesday.
And since things are calmer now,
with many of the summer guests gone, the regulars and smaller birds are starting to return to feeders. As sad as fall migration makes me, it is also nice that things are calming down a bit. There is still lovely weather ahead of us and of course the migration may still hold surprises too. This is also a good time to see the Goldfinches in their bright summer colors before they start to dull for the cold season.
I keep saying
that this is a boring part of the season but it is not like nothing is happening, I guess I am just too excited for the migrants to arrive. However things are changing around here too. A Chickadee has checked out my other nestbox, there are several Robins patrolling the yard now, the Blue Jays have started to come in pairs, the Goldfinches are sporting a very adventurous look, the Juncos are still having fun here and the MoDos are beginning to flirt. The crocuses and narcisus are coming out and trees are starting to bud. I’d say spring has sprung.
Video: Winter has returned,
and the locals are not pleased 😬😆
Stay warm and come good into the weekend!
Video: The sandwich feeder
Starlings like suet, and since they can be very voracious, people are trying to find ways to keep them at bay. I like an innovative feeder, so I got this one a while ago. It's two plates that you fill with bark butter or suet spread, just like a sandwich, but you leave the edges free. Woodpeckers can reach in, anything with shorter tongues and beaks cannot. This is one of the setups I currently have out. The Finches won’t go there, and the MoDos cannot reach it either. I I overfilled it a bit on the first day, so the edges offered a welcome snack for the Red-breasted Nuthatches and Chickadees.
This time of the year
can be repetitive and a bit boring when it comes to backyard birds, but it is still fun to see the current regulars having a good time. There are many Goldfinches right now, the Chickadees are ever so present and adorable, and I wonder if the Juncos feel like they are on vacation.
When you watch birds regularly,
you will notice hierarchies and pecking orders. Not just within the backyard as a habitat but also within the smaller “habitats” of feeders, bath and feeding areas. It is always interesting to see who gets along, who doesn’t, who comes in groups and who goes all by themselves. Goldfinches are plenty right now, and the funny thing is that they will get along with others but go bananas amongst each other. Chickadees, Redbreasted Nuthatches and also Juncos like to do their own thing, diligently visiting feeders when there’s no traffic (usually because they are empty) or foraging around the ground and near the bird bath.
Video: Snow days are fun
because frosty conditions make the birds flock to the feeders. It is of course looking especially pretty when the sun is shining too. All the pretty snow has pretty much melted already but here is a little visitor medley from earlier.
The selfie-expert
was back today to take a pic with a House Finch 😁 I think he is improving his skills, too! If you are still thinking about getting an Ostdrossel calendar, I recommend to check my shop from Nov 19 to 29 for a special promotion where calendars are a bit more affordable. You can find the shop here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
These guys
are always around, always busy sampling and collecting food, and always stinking adorable and full of personality - Blackcapped Chickadees. I used to think that the European Coal Tit is basically looking alike but after a little digging, is is the Marsh Tit. They are so tiny that sometimes they are too fast for the camera, always quickly slipping in like someone who is in a hurry at the supermarket. I love that my family in Germany and all the European and British birdwatchers have something similarly entertaining and cute to look at.
