Thursday – 12.7.2017

2:16 AM – Video from the relocated Squirrel Buster cam. This feeder has a mix of bird seed with no sunflower seeds, This keeps the number of Cardinals down – actually, we haven’t seen any here. They prefer the platform with plenty of the black oil sunflowers. In this one a Red-bellied Woodpecker eats, then takes off. We slowed that part down to about quarter speed.

Some drama on the platform feeder. Mockingbird and Dove puff up their feathers at each other. Then some Dove on Dove excitement. Never a dull moment among the birds.

Wednesday – 12.6.2017

3:13 AM – I think the bird at the far end of the feeder is a Dark-eyed Junco. The colors are right, and the beak looks like the pictures on the Cornell website. The other birds are the Tufted Titmouse and Pine Warbler.

One of the semi-feral cats that roam the neighborhood. Sometimes they catch a bird, once right in front of the camera. We hate to see that, but there’s not much we can do to stop it. It’s just Nature.

Monday – 12.4.2017

2:51 AM – A Cardinal on the platform feeder is a common sight.  We haven’t presented a Cardinal video (except ‘retro’s’) for a while, so, here it is:

Another Cardinal video, this time on the mealworm feeder. Cardinals will go for mealworms, but they usually prefer the platform and Squirrel-buster feeders, where the sunflower seeds are. In this video, Mr. C is having lunch, and discouraging the regulars from joining him – that part is in slow motion. As soon as he leaves, the Bluebirds come back.

Sunday – 12.3.2017

2:52 AM – Retro-Sunday, once again. From December, 2016, we have some birdbath activity.

It’s a shame the Blue Jays have moved on from our yard. We haven’t seen one in weeks. Here they are in the days when they were all over the place.

Mrs. Cardinal takes a vigorous bath.

Saturday – 12.2.2017

2:46 AM – This is a long clip – about three minutes – of the action on one of our ‘satellite’ feeders. It’s a Squirrel Buster stationed away from the deck out in the yard. The video was taken with our new camera, so the quality of the video is a little better than that of the security cams.

There are several parts. In approximate order of appearance are Sparrows, White Breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finches. The last clip is a dance between a House Finch and Sparrow, around the feeder.

To balance the previous lengthy video, we present a short clip of our new resident, the Eastern Phoebe. We hadn’t seen one for a couple of weeks, but it looks like they’re here to stay, for a while. This one (or more) are carrying off mealworms, I assume to nesting mates or chicks.

Friday – 12.1.2017

4:08 AM – Doves are flooding the place. You can see them lined up on the rail, waiting to get onto the platform feeder. One ‘power dove’ manages to hold them at bay for a while, but another ‘more powerful dove’ shows up and takes over. Life in the dove world is no picnic.

Squirrels are pests, it’s true, but they can be cute, too. Like this one getting a drink of water. He looks like a squirrel-nerd – he just needs a pair of taped-up glasses.

Thursday – 11.30.2017

1:14 AM – The mealworm feeder was empty for a day, and the Bluebirds go into a feeding frenzy when D fills it up.

Brief videos of new arrived Pine Warblers eating and drinking. (Not really eating, since the feeder was empty just about then, but you get the picture.)

From December, 2016, we have two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers drinking at the birdbath. We rarely see these little birds. That’s too bad, they’re cute little fellows.

 

Wednesday – 11.29.2017

3:07 AM – Robin getting a drink. Since they usually feed on the ground, and not our feeders, we don’t get many videos of them.

From November, 2016, the adventures of our local raccoon. At that time we had a large birdbath attached to the porch. It was supposed to be hinged, for easy emptying. It never worked the way it was supposed to, but it did provide this exciting episode of the Raccoon in the Water. (No raccoons were injured in the making of this video).

Backyard Birds in Central Alabama