1:00 AM = Mrs. Cardinal once again bathing.
Most birds drink by getting water in their beak, tilting their head back a little and letting it flow down their throat. The Doves seem to be able to lap, or suck it up.
A Purple Finch, then a Cardinal. These guys, along with the Squirrels and Doves, are about the only customers we have since we took the platform feeder down.
1:00 AM – Not many birds today, except this Dove – and he gets run off by a Squirrel right away.
We do have plenty of video of Squirrels – like this one peeing on the rail, presumably marking his territory. But probably not, probably just a Squirrel on the move, with no time to find a Squirrel’s Room (rest room for Squirrels).
And these guys, squabbling over peanuts. Note the Squirrel traffic on the deck floor after the camera is knocked off the rail. We’ve got too many Squirrels:
1:00 AM – Here’s a Carolina Wren pecking the seed cake, before the squirrels got it:
Assorted birds around the water hole – Purple Finch, Dove, Cardinal:
Your Daily Squirrel – in this case, the Half-Tailed Squirrel:
1:00 AM – A Chickadee and Eastern Phoebe on the mealworm feeder. This is one of the few moments when there is not a Squirrel clamped to the feeder:
Two Doves for the price of one:
Your Daily Squirrel – a trapeze artist:
1:00 AM – A couple of Doves disappointed by the empty rail:
A Purple Finch (female) gnawing on something, followed by a Cardinal in the background, on the Squirrel Buster.
Your Daily Squirrel:
1:00 AM – Never saw a Dove kick at a camera before:
This is probably a House Finch, not a Purple Finch. But maybe not.
And last, your Daily Squirrel:
1:00AM – Small thirst Chickadee getting a drink of water:
A Squirrel and a Dove, with the Squirrel hogging the water dish.
Mr. Cardinal and the mealworms. The camera is getting worse, this video is not high quality.
1:00 AM – These videos are from after we removed the platform feeder, in an effort to reduce the infestation of Squirrels. Not that we have anything against Squirrels, but…
The Doves were also stunned:
Finally, a reminder of the good old days, when food was plentiful:
1:00 AM – Eastern Towhee feeding – watch of Bruno in the background, making an unscheduled visit.
This one is pretty good – a squirrel tries to move in on a Dove in the feeder, but runs into resistance:
Another video of a Blue Jay vigorously attacking seeds:
1:00 AM – Although we can’t see the cat, it looks like a cat attack to me. This time he/she came from the ground side of the rail, instead of the deck, and almost got that Towhee:
Mrs. Cardinal chewing through some peanuts:
And even more Squirrel antics: