3:04 AM – Bluebirds feeding is the theme for the day. Here’s a video of one at the suet feeder. This is the first time I’ve seen one there, instead of at the mealworm station:
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In this one, the bird eats for a while, then flies over to the birdbath for a drink (you can see him in the background), then flies back to continue his meal:
1:10 AM – We were pretty sure this was a Yellow-rumped Warbler, even though we hadn’t seen this particular variety. The big vivid yellow path on it’s rump was a big clue. A little research helped us ID this as an adult male version.
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Here’s the same Warbler (probably) taking turns at the platform feeder with a White Breasted Nuthatch. They’re not taking turns so much as the Nuthatch is running the Warbler off, and the Warbler is sneaking back.
2:00 AM – The mealworm feeder is busy all day, mainly with Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers and that ‘no tail’ Carolina Wren. We’ve also seen Mr. Cardinal, the occasional Nuthatch and Carolina Chickadee. This video is interesting because at about 45 seconds into it you can see a male Bluebird fly across the yard and run right into a Warbler. I guess the Bluebird was reminding the Warbler who owns the territory with the mealworm trough.
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Bluebirds were really hungry yesterday. Maybe it’s that the mealworm supply is getting low, but they’re really savagely attacking the feeder.
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And finally, one of the big ‘yard’ cats getting a drink of water.
4:44 AM – I don’t know if it’s due to the arrival of Spring (and maybe the mating season), but I’m seeing some color change in the Cardinals. Also in a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The first video shows a male Cardinal with a patch of yellow on his breast. This could be emphasized by the direct late-afternoon sun, but you can see it faintly when he’s in shadow (his back turned to the light). In the next video the female Cardinal has a much brighter red area on the wings and crest.
The female Cardinal:
This Yellow-rumped Warbler’s head and shoulders are mottled, not the usual solid yellow (ish) color. He looks like he’s been decorated by an abstract expressionist painter.
5:39 AM – The theme for the day is bird couples on a dinner date. The Cardinals sharing black oil sunflower seeds at the platform – no ‘mate feeding’, but still a nice domestic scene.
Then the Bluebirds at the mealworm trough. I’m not sure they’re actually together. Their separate visits may just overlap. It’s usually one bird at a time at the mealworm feeder.
11:09 AM – We haven’t seen these really yellow Goldfinches for a few weeks. Here’s one. He’s not super yellow, but more so than the usual dull gold ones we’ve been getting:
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I thought at first that this was a new bird to the yard, because of the yellow spots on his crown, but it turned out to be a variety of the Yellow-rumped Warbler.
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This one is, in fact, new to the foodcourt. At least I think so. With Sparrows it’s hard to tell, there are so many varieties. These are Chipping Sparrows, non-breeding adults. The gray collar distinguishes them from the White Throated Sparrow that’s in the feeding pan with them.
5:14 AM – The flock of Purple Finches continue to dominate the platform feeder. Here’s a video of a little squabbling among them.
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The Carolina Chickadee at the mealworm feeder. We also see them at the platform feeder and the suet feeder. These birds are really small – it’s hard to tell in these videos.
11:03 AM – This unfortunate Carolina Wren lost his tail feathers, probably to one of the cats. That doesn’t seem to affect his flying/hopping/feeding ability, I’m happy to say. Now that we pay attention to these small backyard animals we’re seeing these kinds of injuries, evidence of the fact that they are wild animals and prey to other wild animals.
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We now have a flock of Purple Finches at the platform feeder. The males are the purple ones, the brown striped ones are females. In this video, we start with females, by the end we have four very purple males in the feeding pan.
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Cardinals don’t usually show up at the mealworm feeder, but I guess he felt like a change of diet. He flaps off, and is, of course, immediately replaced by a Bluebird.
5:15 AM – Last night’s midnight visitor: one of our neighborhood cats at the birdbath.
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A female Downy Woodpecker having a run at the suet feeder. These guys feed all day long, though one bird website says wild birds only get 25% of their food from backyard feeders. Hard to believe with some of these constant feeders, but it’s true we do see the woodpeckers looking for insect on the trees.
5:20 AM – What’s going on with these Cardinals? I’d like to say it’s a kiss, but after looking closely Mr. Cardinal is feeding Mrs. Cardinal a black oil sunflower seed. Not sure why he’s treating her like a chick.
1:49 PM – MORE on those Cardinals. This is taken from a website called Sciencing.
“Mate feeding” is actually a common occurrence in bird species. In cardinals, it is seen both before mating and while the female is incubating her clutch of eggs. No one knows for sure why this ritual takes place, but there are several schools of thought.
When mate feeding occurs prior to egg-laying, it’s possible that the extra nutrition helps the female when it’s time to lay her eggs. Another theory is that it may increase the likelihood that the female will mate with the male–a form of courtship. Females may also judge the parenting ability of the prospective mate by how well he provides for her.
When mate feeding happens during the incubation period, it may also serve to help with pair-bonding. This can be important to keep the pair together during the short breeding season. Additionally, it may allow the female to remain on the eggs longer than if she had to constantly forage for food.
So that’s what was going on there. Not exactly a kiss, but still part of the courtship ritual.