Tag Archives: Cats

Wednesday – 3.29.2017

4:29 AM – The Cardinals are not usually very vocal at the feeder, but Mr. C is clearly calling to (and looking for) Mrs. C, and getting a response. This Spring courtship has been really interesting to watch:

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More new Cardinal behavior: lately he’s been spotted at the mealworm feeder a few times. Maybe he just wants a change of diet, or maybe the black oil sunflower seeds (his usual food), which got wet the night before in a rain storm, were unappetizing.

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Of course, the mealworms are popular with a lot of birds. Here’s a parade of them, taking turns at the feeder: bluebird, cardinal, yellow-rumped warbler, then bluebird again.

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And finally, a new cat in town. We usually see two regulars, a black cat and a really big ginger. This is this one first appearance.

Saturday – 3.25.2017

4:15 AM – More of Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal. Mr. Cardinal looks like he’s ready to feed Mrs. C, but she never quite looks ready for it.

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We installed a motion detecting spotlight to try to deter the raccoons and cats at night. Looks like the big yard cat likes the spotlight.

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No flocks of them, but the Purple Finches and Goldfinches are still around, at least a few of them:

Sunday – 3.19.2017

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.

Monday – 3.13.2017

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.

Monday – 2.20.2017

5:47 AM – We weren’t sure what bird this was, but after looking at the videos of the Cowbird/Blackbird invasion of a few weeks ago, it’s probably a female Brown Headed Cowbird. We usually don’t see them without a whole flock to keep them company.

### Here’s another cat attack. About 15 seconds in to the video you can see the black cat come onto the deck, then a few seconds later, make it’s (unsuccessful) run at the Sparrow. I don’t like this, but I have to admire the cats ability to stalk.

Friday – 2.17.2017

3:33 PM – Not sure if the squirrels have had a chance to sample the meal worms yet. This one takes a look, and decides to pass on them.

— The cat made a couple of tries, and missed. Eventually he’ll get one, I’m sorry to say, but I’m not sure what to do about it.

2:55 AM – The raccoon has returned. Here he’s washing something in the birdbath, getting a drink. I’m not sure what he’s eating, we took in the feeders last night. Maybe the suet feeder we moved off camera. We’ll find out when it’s light outside.

— The Carolina Chickadee at the meal worm feeder.

Thursday – 2.16.2017

3:11 PM – We rearranged the feeders, hoping to get better videos. We still need some minor equipment (spikes for tree hangers, suet cage) before we’re through. If we ever will be done with the fiddling. We moved the meal worm feeder to a better location, with more light. The videos are much better.

1:33 PM – The black cat makes another jump at the birds on the platform feeder. He’s been prowling around off and on all day.

— No raccoons visited last night, at least, none that got on camera. We forgot to bring in the deck feeders. If we keep doing that, he’ll be back I’m sure.

Monday -2.13.2017

1:15 PM – Here’s that black cat making another run at the platform feeder. So far, the birds have been alert. That can’t last forever, though.

7:47 AM – We moved the meal worm feeder that the Bluebirds frequent, to get a better camera angle. The videos are now better, and the birds seem to have adjusted. In this video, I think there are three different Bluebirds. If so, that’s one more than the two we’re used to seeing.

5:31 AM – Quarrelsome Sparrows at the platform feeder.

Sunday – 2.12.2017

2:32 PM – I guess it’s to be expected. With all the birds around, we’re going to have cats. This is a new one, not the usual black cat.

7:32 AM – The Pine Warbler. He (or she) is at the suet feeder off and on all day.

5:07 AM – I think this is a House Finch, not a Purple Finch. The color is more red than ‘raspberry’, and the pattern of the color is different than the obvious Purples. But I could be wrong.

Compare the above with these pictures from the Cornell Labs website:

The color and pattern seem to be a match.

Thursday – 2.9.2017

10:42 AM – And, he’s back. That black cat has evidently made the deck his hunting ground today. He’s not pouncing in this one, just patrolling.

10:10 AM – I’ve been waiting for this to happen. This video shows a cat almost catching a Goldfinch at the platform feeder. The cat is not one of usual ones I see around here. I feel bad for these feral/outdoor cats, it’s a tough life. But I’d just as soon they confine their hunting to rats. I understand that in the big picture, cats cull out the weak, and make the birds overall a healthier group. Still don’t like to see this. Today, it was a cat – eventually it will be a hawk – we’ve got plenty of them cruising the neighborhood.

The cat jumps into the video about half way through it:

4:27 AM – We had no visit from the raccoon last night, and so no video of him foraging on the deck. That’s good news. Instead of that, here are a few from the last few days.

Birds feeding in the rain:

Before we put on the feeders in the morning. Mr. Cardinal wants his breakfast:

This is a Warbler of some kind, maybe Yellow. maybe a Pine Warbler. I can’t tell from the camera angle. One way or another, it’s not a Goldfinch as originally ID’d:

The Purple Finch trio is back. Note Mr. Cardinal getting a drink in the background: