2:49 AM – We moved the big birdbath in front of the camera, and we’re getting a nice variety of visitors. Here we have (in order of appearance) another line-up of visitors: a Bluebird, Cardinal, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Wren, squirrel (two eared variety) and a midnight cat.
Cardinal and Chickadee sharing the Squirrel Buster feeder. As usual, the Cardinal stays put and feeds, while the Chickadee darts in and out.
12:28 AM – We had enough decent videos this week so that once again we’re skipping ‘Retro Sunday’. Instead, here’s a series of birds (and others) at the birdbath. We’re getting a greater variety now that the camera is focused on the water feature. In order of appearance: Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, Yellow Warbler (I think), a squirrel and finally, a Raccoon passing through on his way to ravage the mealworm feeder. I’m calling the third one a Yellow Warbler, and not a Goldfinch, because there are no head markings. But I could easily be wrong.
Lots of Bluebirds around lately. I’d still like to get footage of them chasing each other, but that’s not really possible with our cameras and very limited cinematography skill. Here’s one having a suet-snack.
Carolina Chickadee at the Squirrel Buster.
12:11 AM – We switched the feeders around, for variety. Now the suet feeder is in the spot light. This little Chickadee is pecking a tiny dent in the cake of suet with it’s tiny beak. The Carolina Wren does a better job, with his long sharp beak. This Wren is really hungry.
Female Purple Finch. They’re not as colorful as the male, but I think quite attractive, with their stripes and brown feathers.
1:37 AM – More birds drinking, this time a Chickadee and a Blue Jay. For some reason we haven’t seen the Jays at the feeders too much lately, though we spot them high up in the trees. Maybe we’ve got a bird-feeing competitor in the neighborhood.
That striped Purple Finch is back again. He’s a handsome bird.
3:10 AM – More from the new Birdbath Cam. A series of birds, and a squirrel, at the watering hole. They are a Bluebird, Chickadee, Mourning Dove and Squirrel, in that order. The dove is different than the other birds – he doesn’t get water in his beak and tilt his head up so it rolls down his throat. He just sticks his beak in like a straw.
Bluebirds have been all over the place the last few days, chasing each other in and out of the trees. We don’t have video of that, but here’s a couple at the birdbath.
2:00 AM – Cardinal and Chickadee at the feeder, an odd couple. The Cardinal sits and eats. The Chickadee grabs a few bits, flies off, comes back and does it again. And then there’s the size difference.
Looks like the Mourning Doves got all the seed, and Mr. Cardinal doesn’t look happy about it. I read somewhere that birds only get about 25% of their food from feeders – the rest they get from natural sources. So, get back to nature, Mr. Cardinal, and find a bug to eat.
3:06 AM – Nice video of a male Cardinal eating sunflower seeds. Since the molting season seems to be past, the Cardinal’s feather’s really look good.
One Chickadee after another. They rarely stick around, just pick up a worm and fly off. They’re the smallest bird we’ve got in the yard, except for the occasional surly, combative hummingbird.
3:01 AM – Here’s a Cardinal flapping his wings and quivering. He can’t be too distressed – he keeps eating all through the performance. Presumably he’s displaying to some bird we can’t see in the video.
Activity at the mealworm feeder. Carolina Chickadees are regulars there, but they are usually hit-and-run feeders, picking up a mealworm and flying off. In this case, the Chickadee stays around for a while and eats on site. Next, the Carolina Wren stabs at the worms so fast it’s hard to tell if he’s eating them, or just knocking them down on the ground. A slow motion view (not shown) revealed that he’s doing both.
1:05 AM – Close up videos of a couple of juvenile bluebirds on the mealworm feeder.
The Carolina Chickadees again. In the first clip, compare the color of the Chickadee’s and Cardinals breast feathers. The Chickadee’s coloring is really a lot richer than it’s supposed to be (at least, according to the Internet).
2:41 AM – Now that we have the camera pointed at the mealworm feeder we’re getting lots of video of the bluebirds. In this one, it’s a couple of adults, but there are a lot of juveniles around too (video of them to come soon).
Here we have Mrs. Cardinal – looking good in richly colored brown feathers – displaced by Mr. Cardinal. A Carolina Chickadee shares the feeder for a little bit. That loud noise that startles Mr. Cardinal, and makes him so vigilant, is a hickory nut hitting the deck.