12:02: AM – Where did they go? We haven’t seen the Bluejays for several weeks. We now have the Yellow-rumped Warblers. The dense clusters of sparrows and Goldfinches turned into a few solitary birds feeding, like divorced men in an all-night diner. There have been other species of birds that have come and gone, like the Brown Headed Cowbirds and Red Wing Blackbird, but I knew they were transient. This is our first year as backyard bird watchers, so I guess it could just be a seasonal change, and I’m not recognizing it. Anyway, as a tribute to those missing birds, here are a few videos from the golden age of Bluejays, Yellow Warblers and Goldfinches.
Friday – 3.10.2017
1:37 AM – A couple of summers ago we saw a Cooper’s Hawk (aka Chicken Hawk) bathing in the dog’s wading pool. We got some still pictures (no videos). He spent about five minutes in the pool, and five more drying himself on a fence post. He was big, and wasn’t at all fearful about being in the open for so long.
Wet hawk.
Wet hawk with really dangerous looking beak.
In the image below you can seem a female Cardinal keeping watch while the hawk dries out. She sat there for several minutes. The size difference is enormous.
Thursday – 3.9.2017
11:25 AM – Bonus video of Bluebird close-up at the mealworm feeder:
5:59 AM – This morning featuring the Brown Headed Nuthatch, cousin to the White Breasted Nuthatch. Per the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: “One of the few birds found almost exclusively in the United States, the Brown-headed Nuthatch is restricted to the pine forests of the southeastern states.” Not completely restricted to the forests, as we’ve get regular visits from one (or more) here at the Backyard Foodcourt. The BHN will eat suet, seeds or worms.
Wednesday – 3.8.2017
7:10 AM – I guess it’s mating season for the squirrels. This looks like squirrel stalking behavior to me, but I’m not a naturalist, or even close to it. Still, that’s what it looks like.
4:19 AM – This video posted because, what’s a day without seeing a Bluebird gorging himself on mealworms?
Tuesday – 3.7.2017
7:49 AM – There’s been increased squirrel activity, including squirrels hunkering down in the platform feeder. We run them off when we see them, but it’s really impossible to stop them from hogging the food. The hanging feeders – the Squirrel Buster brand – work very well to keep them out, but platform feeders are vulnerable to squatters. That’s the downside. On the upside, they can be entertaining:
2:03 AM – Breakfast with the Bluebirds:
Monday – 3.6.2017
12:29 AM – The mystery bird from yesterday has been identified as a Yellow-rumped Warbler. He came back a couple of times – here’s one visit to the suet feeder:
I think this one is a different one. Maybe not, though:
I compared him to pictures of the Yellow-Rump (love that name) from the Cornell Lab website.
Looks like a match to me. This is the first of these to show up in the yard. At least, the first I noticed. They are similar enough to the other small birds – sparrows, finches etc – that they wouldn’t stand out at the platform feeder, in a crowd. Up close on the Worm Cam, it’s apparent they’re not one of the regulars.
Sunday – 3.5.2017
3:08 AM – This bird looks like a Goldfinch, of the non-breeding or female variety, but I’m not sure. First, it’s not yellow (or even yellowish) around the head, only under the wing and at the base of the tail. Second, the beak is not short and conical. It’s longer and narrower, like the beaks of Yellow Warbler. But the dark stripes around the head, the notched tail and stripes on chest are consistent with the Goldfinch. I’d have to rule out the Warbler due to the head markings and tail. After some research, I’m still not sure what it is, but take a look:
— Speaking of Yellow Warblers, we haven’t seen any around for a few weeks. Just like the Bluejays, they stopped showing up. Too bad, we liked both of those, particularly the Jays.
— This raccoon is passing through. We took in the feeders as usual last night, so he’s got to scavenge for seed the birds kicked out of the feeder onto the ground.
Saturday – 3.4.2017
6:45 AM – Unlike a lot of birds (and the squirrels) the Bluebirds don’t linger at the feeders. They usually land, stay a few seconds selecting a mealworm, then fly off. A few seconds later, they come back for more. In this one, the bird comes and goes four times in about forty seconds. At least, I think it’s the same bird. The markings look the same to me.
6:30 AM – Nice closeup of a Carolina Wren at the mealworm feeder. These birds are not as fussy about their diet as some. They’ll eat from the suet feeder, mealworms and seeds from the platform feeder.
Friday – 3.3.2017
2:53 PM – Here’s a good video of a Downy Woodpecker eating at the suet feeder:
Thursday – 3.2.2017
2:24 PM – Not many squirrels have been in the feeder the last few months, but today they seem to be back in action. Here’s one squatting in the platform feeder. This one’s right ear has been slightly shredded – it’s visible at the end of the video. There’s another visitor that has only one ear. Evidently squirrel territorial disputes can get intense. Not easy being a wild animal.
8:14 AM – Recently there’s been a drop-off in the numbers of sparrows (and other small birds) at the platform feeder. We changed the seed mix to fewer black oil sunflowers, and more of the blend of smaller seeds. Usually we’ve been getting one or two sparrows at a time. A few minutes after we put out the new mix, the sparrows started gathering.
Also, note Bluebird drinking in the background. Now that the mealworm feeder is on the deck, we’re seeing a lot of them at the watering hole.