More MoDo,
it looks like it wanted to show that it can get even bigger 😆 These posing photos are always hilarious to me because the birds look like something out of Versailles and seem to look directly into the camera. And I guess they do see some sort of reflection in the lens. The second photo is interesting because that one seems to have escaped a predator or got hurt and is now growing new feathers in the spot. The feathers first come out as some sort of spikes called sheaths that encase the growing feather like a straw. At some point, the bird will start preening to pop them open and reveal the new feathers.
The Juncos
are plentiful this year, and they are loving the cold temperatures. Usually they do their own thing strutting along on the ground, trying to find seed, but when it gets really frosty, they will also visit feeders. They are such perfectly wonderful and round little birds, I love them. You can also see a bit more of the color variety in the third photo. Both the birds are Juncos.
A little addendum
to the Starling video. Yes, they can be a handful, yes, they are messy and invasive (in the US), but they are also quite entertaining and expressive. And their feathers are fascinating in their richness and variety amongst individual birds. In some of these, you can already see a change from the males’ winter look - they lose the dots, get that jewellish glossy look, the legs become more vibrantly red, and the beaks turn from grey to yellow.
Video: Starlings cannot read.
And apparently they feel dirty constantly. I have been out cleaning and refilling several times, and while I generally don’t have issues with that, it is rather frosty outside and maintaining the bath is a bit harder in the winter. My little sign was to vent my frustration a bit, and they took it as a challenge - it only lasted seven minutes 🤣 Anyways, here is a little clip. The music is a copyright free piece by DISMENTOPIA Taiwan. Enjoy!
Here is
the goddess of the snack drawer. Mourning Doves are smart, even if they might not appear so. My 20-25 know when and where the best food is. And they are vain. I have a love-hate relationship with them. Love for their goofiness and beauty, hate for their voracious appetite and feeder dominance (yes, they can be very aggro). But they truly do some of the best portraits. Happy Friday!
It is always funny
to come back home and open up the bird buffet after a bit of time away. When the weather is nice, it can take a while for the birds to come back, but if it is -12 degrees Celsius like today, they will flock the feeders. It was lovely to see them all today but there were no big surprises. I loved and squealed when I saw the BBs, so here is my little “Hello and welcome back” BB pic. I am also low on mealers, and they probably know, so here is a mental note to buy more. Come good into Wednesday!
January is slowly
dragging on, and there is not a lot happening right now except for a steady stream of regulars. And with February approaching, I am beginning to think of spring. This is a good time to work and make plans. I have gotten seeds for the garden the other day and think about what plants could be added to make the yard more bird-friendly. Doing that may include planting berry bushes, a pollinator garden and landscaping that accomodates native wildlife. I am also doing some maintenance this weekend which means that the livestream will be off for a couple of days. Have a great Thursday!
(pictured - some of the regulars: Eastern Bluebirds in the top, a Redbreasted Nuthatch, a Blue Jay and a Junco on the bottom)
These little guys
are just so entertaining! We only get them in the cold season. Dark-eyed Juncos are a migratory bird in Michigan. They are also called “snowbirds”, and I think it is because they seem to LOVE it when it is cold but they are also perfectly camouflaged when they hop around in the winter. They do a special back and forth hop to scratch on the ground, but they will also grace my camera feeders. I love their shape and colors and lovely colors as much as their sounds.
Video: Thirsty birds!
The bird bath is very busy this morning - a nice opportunity to watch the different ways how birds drink. Some take several little sips, like the Finches and Bluebirds, some drink dramatically with an open beak like the Starling, and others drink like they were on a bender the night before, like the MoDo.
After the excitement
of the very frosty snow days, activity has mellowed out a bit again. Many birds are coming to feed but there is nothing super exciting happening and the light is mostly murky too. I did love this House Finch and the Junco in the evening light. The Junco is one of those that have lots of brown muddled into the slate plumage. I always feel like they look more warm than the super sharp “snowbird” slate and white Juncos. Come good into the weekend and stay warm!
The curious case
of the purple-eyed Bluebird. When I first saw this bird, I was concerned about a possible illness. I am keeping my feeders and baths clean but things can still happen that a bird gets sick. However, upon further thought, that hue seemed familiar. I had seen it on the snow as well when there was more snow. Birds had pooped purple. There has to be a tree somewhere that carries fruit with purple juice that the birds love. And apparently the Bluebirds enjoy it too. The one with the purple eye is the same bird, the out of focus photo is a different one, and she has the same purple above her beak. Knowing how my resident BBs eat, it is no wonder she has the juice all over her face 😄
This is why
the squirrels will always have enough to eat… MoDos are such a mess 🤣 Come good into Monday!
The kamikaze peeps,
(Goldfinches), continue to fight, and it is always a good opportunity to see some wing action in the photos. Mrs. Redbellied Woodpecker was not amused.
The lovelies were back!
It has been a couple of days since I last saw them - the Bluebirds paid a visit! Whenever I go outside I listen for them, but they have not come as frequently as in previous years. It was a whole group, and once I saw them at the caged feeder (that I use to keep the Starlings away from the mealworms), I ran out to put worms in the camera bowls, and here they are 💙
If you want to know
what American Goldfinches are like, please see below. This feels like the quintessential Goldfinch photo. I don’t know why they are like that but they are some of the feistiest and aggressive birds out there, which is a bit funny because they are so tiny and sound like a rubber ducky 😄
Have a good Saturday!
It's been a while
since I have posted these lovely blue friends. Blue Jays are around year-round, and currently, there is a good number of them visiting too. Maybe that is why sometimes I don’t see them as so special. They are masters at sitting for photos, and so entertaining, though. And I love all the details in their plumage.
Bird butts
are funny to me, and also here, it is so interesting how much they differ from species to species. A bird butt quizz might be a fun idea and is entirely possible. Here we have a Goldfinch and a House Finch (he is not so sure what to think about this), and the “back face” of a Junco. Have a great Thursday!
The Juncos
are also becoming a bit more brave around the feeders and venture away from the area around the bird bath to check out the goodies. They can look rather plain from afar but also here, a closer look can be rewarding because individuals can vary a lot in their colors depending on gender, diet and genes. This slate and white one is typical for the area, but I have also seen Juncos with brown tones all over as well as brown patches within the slate. If you want to go down the Junco rabbit hole further, do a little research on the Oregon variety.
The Cardis
are getting more used to the camera feeders now, which is lovely and also why you get another load of these beauties today. These two individuals here are particularly cool to look at. The male is a young one, still showing some specks of brown, also in the beak. Their beaks only turn all red when they are one year old. You can also see his beak damage a little better. The female has beautiful red sprinkles all over her. I can never really decide which of the two I like better. They are both so stunning.
