12:15 AM – The Blue Jays are back. Here’s one at the platform feeder. We really like these birds. By the way, look in the lower left background of the video for a Cardinal getting a drink of water from a very small water container.
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Here’s something new: a Purple Finch feeding what looks like an immature finch.
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The Eastern Bluebirds continue to feed young ones:
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This video of a Red-bellied Woodpecker clinging to the mealworm feeder is cool, but kind of creepy. He’s so big that we only see his head and claws, like a close-up shot of King Kong clinging to the Empire State building.
1:52 AM – The immature bluebirds were around again yesterday. We were reading about them. Evidently at this stage they’re out of the nest for good (of course), do they spend the next few weeks eating and hiding. Here’s one doing exactly that:
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It’s still the season for Cardinal food sharing:
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The spotlight has been on the immature bluebirds lately, and the ‘kissing’ cardinals, but the other birds are still there in the background. Here’s a Purple Finch, though not one of the realy dramatically raspberry colored ones.
12:13 AM – This squirrel was squatting in the platform feeder when D. spotted him, and decided to run him off. Check out the expression on his squirrel face when he hears the back door start to open.
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And now, the escape in slow motion:
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Just when we think the Purple Finches are gone for good, there they are.
8:22 AM – The American Robins showed up on the deck this morning. We’ve seen them on the front lawn recently, but this is their first appearance at the feeders for a while. In this video, two robins approach the platform feeder, but a Mourning Dove is hogging it. In the second video, one of the robins takes a bath.
Below, robin bathing:
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1:05 AM – For about an hour yesterday afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal came and went at the platform feeder. We watched – but the camera didn’t record – Mr. Cardinal feeding Mrs. C. The camera is set to record for 1 minute – the feeding took place at about 1 minute 5 seconds. We did get lots of video of them landing on the feeder, staying 5 or 10 seconds, then flying off, only to return. Here’s Mr. Cardinal waiting for Mrs.
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Just when we thought the Purple Finches were gone, this lone male shows up. Don’t know where all the flocks of them went. Maybe they got a better offer at a backyard feeding station down the block.
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That suet feeder is looking pretty gnawed up. Here’s a Brown Headed Nuthatch doing his part.
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.
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:
1:46 PM – It’s been raining a good part of the day. The platform feeder looks like a vat of birdseed soup. The birds seem to like it just fine. Here’s a few bedraggled Goldfinches snacking.
5:11 AM – The main camera on the deck was inside, getting it’s battery charged, but the other one caught this brief image of a ghostly raccoon checking to make sure the meal worm feeder wasn’t there. He (or she) is still not convinced the food court is closed at night. I’m pleased with the effectiveness of the pepper suet. All our suet from now on will be pepper suet.
### A few days ago the Redwing Blackbirds (along with the Cowbirds) flooded the back yard. Yesterday we had on Blackbird squatting in the platform feeder. He was there, continuously, for about a half hour – a long time in bird minutes. I don’t know where the rest of the crowd was. If the Blackbird becomes a permanent resident, I’d prefer just one or two, instead of the whole overwhelming flock.
### In this one, we’ve got a Purple Finch, Goldfinches and Sparrows, all feeding at the same time. They mostly get along, except for a few pecks back and forth.
2:06 PM – I didn’t think we had three of the full color Purple Finches around, but seems that we do.
7:37 AM – Two Purple Finches feeding with sparrows and Goldfinches, in the rain. We usually don’t see two Purples at the same time.
4:42 AM – No raccoon sightings last night. My guess is the first time we leave the feeders out at night they’ll be back.
There hasn’t been much squirrel activity lately. Here’s one feeding at the platform feeder. It was raining off and on yesterday, creating a kind of bird seed slurry. The squirrel really likes it. He’s got a lot of brown in his coat, more than we usually see.
After the invasion of Brown Headed Cowbirds and Redwing Blackbirds a few days ago, they seem to have disappeared. Looking at the videos I saw one bird I didn’t recognize – it’s the big one with brown/black striped feathers. It turns out to be a female Redwing, hanging out with the Cowbirds. Noisy feeders, aren’t they.