I have been told
that one can never post too many Chickadees. I loved the attitude of this one.
Putting the "sun"
into this Sunday post. Blue skies and bright light dominated yesterday and created some pretty photos of the regulars. The Starling showed off his glistering chest, and the Blue Jay his delicate feather textures. Winter variety is always a little boring but changes in light, temperature and weather often make me rediscover the beauty of the regular crowd.
It's been an exciting day.
Here are some borbs for your pleasure and relaxation.
(Blackcapped Chickadee, European Starling, Redbreasted Nuthatch)
Pretties
on another murky day. The Redbellied woodpecker situation is interesting this winter too. I seem to only have females around. The male has not shown up in a long time. The Blue Jays seem to know the sound of my back door by now, they swoop down immediately as soon as I leave from a refill. I hope the sun will come out at some point this coming week. Here's to Monday, may only good things happen!
The MoDo population
is enjoying the relative quiet and less traffic at the moment. They love to hog the camera feeders but also seem to have a similar heat sensor as cats - I often see them hanging out in groups by the heated bird bath. Such goofballs. Come good into Sunday!
It's been a wild couple of days
but in the yard, things have been rather calm. The weather is meh, and the birds are scarce. But today, the Titmice were back. And they were so vocal! Come good into Friday!
The sun
is making itself rare these days, which is not doing a lot to lift the overall mood or photo quality. The yard is full of regulars, and I am happily helping them to eat well to make it through the cold. One of the most diligent is this Red-breasted Nuthatch lady. I have two couples at most, and whenever I come out for a refill, she is the first to come, even when I still stand there. I love these birds.
One would think
that there aren’t many differences in the looks of individual female Cardinals, but there are! Here is one I like to call Queen Red Eyebrow because of her exquisite red markings. We also had sun today, which was nice for a change. Come good into Sunday!
Bird backs
can be very interesting because they reveal the beautiful patterns and textures of feathers. Here’s to a happy Friday!
(Blue Jay, Starling, Cardinal, MoDo, Chickadee, Bluebird, House Finch, Starling)
The BBs
are also called “Bluebird of happiness”. They have been visiting steadily but usually use the caged feeder (it excludes Starlings that go bonkers for mealworms). The BBs stay here year round, and they usually go for some nibbles and sips and also make sure the nestbox is still there. They go in, sit on the roof and take some of the grass out that I put in there for the roosting Woodpecker. Have a happy Wednesday!
Happy National Bird Day!
Well, to be honest, every day is bird day to me but it is nice to see that there is an official date to celebrate our feathered friends too. My personal bird ambassador this year is the Red-breasted Nuthatch because I am so happy to have them back in my yard after a two-year absence. Quick as always, and almost not in frame.
Have a beautiful Tuesday!
Snow bunnies!
The day greeted us with a beautiful thick layer of snow.
Many beaks and bird bellies got filled, and caches replenished. And I took the Christmas deco inside down. The holidays were fun but I am also ready for the new year.
(Blue Jay, Redbellied Woodpecker, House finch, MoDo, House Finch)
The year
is starting cool and slow, and a large group of Mourning Doves and Starlings has made my yard and feeders their home. This is kind of typical for the season but I am thinking about solutions to reduce their impact on my feeding budget and the variety of birds in the yard. The Starlings come for suet, mealworms and fruit, and access to that can be restricted, but the MoDos eat anything that is small enough to be swallowed. When they become overwhleming, I usually try to switch to grey-striped sunflower seed. But that is not liked by many other birds either. And I always feel bad for restricting access to food when the weather is bad. Birdwatcher problems! Pictured are a Bluebird lady, a Chickadee and a Goldfinch.
Goodbye, 2020!
This has been an odd year by all standards, and while I loved some aspects of it, I have to say I am happy that it is over. I want to thank all of you once again for being here and loving the birds with me. I hope you are all safe and as healthy as can be, so we can all take 2021 on in the best shape possible. Thank you and a happy 2021 to all of you.
When the sun was out yesterday,
the King took the time to bask in the evening light for a dinner for one.
Not wanting to share with that House Finch.
During these dull winter days
it is very exciting when a bird that usually does not come to the camera shows up in the photos. This is the case with these Downy Woodpeckers. The one with the red on the head is a male. I am not sure if it is the same bird in the other photo. One of these used my Bluebird house for roosting for a couple of weeks but has not been back in a while.
House Finches
are one species that stays in my yard year round. The males can be confusing to people. Their color can vary greatly, and often the ones with darker red on them are mistaken for Purple Finches. These here are all House Finches. It is neat how their diet paints them in so many shades. There are great photo comparisons on the internet if you want to learn how to ID a Purple Finch (the color alone is not an indicator).
Bird traffic
has been quite slow during the holidays, but this is normal for this time of the year. Here are a couple of the visitors from snow day. (Blue Jay, House Finches, Whitebreasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Starling and Redbellied Woodpecker, Blackcapped Chickadee, House Finch and Goldfinch, Mourning Doves)
