So much is happening
with clock changes, temperatures rising and spring arriving. I am pumped for the week!
This is a bit
of a boring time at the feeders, but the peeps are plenty. Goldfinches start nesting late in the season but they are starting to change their plumage, and they are becoming much more agitated. They look so funny with their patchwork feathers. I also saw the first Robins of the year today and the BBs have continued to work on their nest. Spring is coming!
Women are worthy
to be celebrated every day, but since today is the official International Women’s Day, I would like to take the opportunity to send my love to all women out there! You are beautiful, important and loved, and I am glad to have so many sisters on this planet. I hope you all get a bit spoiled today, by others or yourself. I started the day with cake, which is never a bad thing ☺️🎂👑
And a Downy Woodpecker.
For some reason he has been loving the nut feeder all winter, rarely checked the suet and is now regularly going to the bowls. Funny little guy. He is also always the last bird I see before night falls. Happy Saturday!
Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds
are still arriving or maybe even just passing through, but there are more each day, and the air is filled with their trills and snarls and calls. It is funny how certain sounds get you into a certain mood, and the songs and calls of these birds definitely have that effect. They are harbingers of spring.
Two House Finches,
showing some of their color variation. I haven’t seen a Purple Finch this winter but maybe spring means well and sends one over.
The Common Redpoll
turned out to be a very cooperative little bird, checking out the camera feeders after he took at sip at the bird bath. Someone asked yesterday how to tell House Finches and Redpolls apart, and maybe these photos help a bit. Note that they are smaller than House Finches as well. And they seem to have a temperament similar to that of the Pine Siskins and Goldfinches.
This weather
is great because it gives a variety of different lights and moods. This Grack came in a somewhat foggy morning with snow, but later on, the sun came out.
The BB family of this year
has gotten their name too now. Meet Dr. Clara and Mandrake. At the moment, they are both frolicking around the nestbox, bringing stuff in (her) and taking things out (him). They do keep a steady eye on it and are ready to fiercely defend if another bird comes close. Here’s to a good nesting season!
March is kind of the most boring time
of the year, especially bird-wise, but we have new visitors! The first harbingers of spring are here, and it is a reason to celebate. Today, the first Grack and Red-winged Blackbird found the photo cams, and the male Red-bellied Woodpecker was back!
Everybody seems to feel
a bit like spring these days! Just from experience, I am always a bit hesitant to call it in but there are little signs all over. This Cardi lady with beautiful eyebrows has started to show up at the cameras, and today, a male joined her! The sounds in the yard have changed too, and I think spring is really seriously on the way. Spring is my favorite season, so I am always excited to experience it, but this year, somehow I am even more impatient.
I did maintenance work
on my BB nestbox cam today because it feels like spring is approaching - I heard Cardinals sing and also read that people in Michigan have seen Redwinged Blackbirds! The cam had stopped working for a bit and I replaced it. This cam cannot be livestreamed but I will share videos or photos when things happen. There were pine needles in there, and I saw a female adding more today. Fingers crossed for a good but not too early season. The Cardi watched me while I was doing this.
The Woodpeckers
were happy today. I thought it was funny that the Downy came to the camera feeder. And I am crossing my fingers that one Woodpecker species will choose to nest in my bos this year.
It is getting milder
and the yard is turning into a slushy pit but we had sun today, and at this time of the year, it always feels somewhat healing. A Cardinal came over, and I thought about all the people who have lost someone during these times where saying goodbye cannot happen the way it used to. They say when a Cardinal comes by, it is a greeting from a loved one that has passed. This is a big hug to all of you who have lost someone during this pandemic. Love as much as you can. And wear a mask, so we can return to more normal times soon.
Otherwise,
we are all hanging in here, trying to stay warm and in good spirits. I hope you do too. Watching the birds and their antics helps :) Come good into the week!
The Titmice
must have a peanut radar as well - sometimes I don’t see any for a couple of days, but once the peanut ratio is replenished in the feeder mix, they show up. They have a surprisingly loud voice for such a little bird, and the other day, I heard the first, almost perfect PETERPETER PETER of the year.
The other day,
I read that Blue Jays possibly use their black head and neck markings to identify each other. One year I tried to count how many different individuals I had with photos, comparing the markings. It was a fruitless effort with all the detail but every now and then, some are sticking out a bit. It is cool to know they might be doing just the same.
The Starlings
know that there are mealworms fed here and occationally in the open, so they stick around. It is interesting to see that some of them are starting to change into their mating looks - the beaks are turning yellow, they lose the “stars” and the legs and feet are getting more red. The sun loves them and reveals why I also call them “evil rainbows”.
The Bluebirds had a field day,
they checked out the nestbox, fought off and shared mealworms with the Juncos and were overall seeming to have a grand time. They are so fabulous against the snow and blue sky too.
This morning
temperatures were at -18 °C (I was born and raised in Germany, and Fahrenheit does not make sense to me, sorry). It was frosty but the sun was shining, and the snow was beautiful. Snow and sun always make for nice, clear photos, and some visitors showed their “chocolate side” as we say in German 🙂
