1:00 AM – Red-bellied Woodpecker, a regular customer at the cylinder feeder.
Carolina Chickadees at the mealworm feeder:
Every now and then a squirrel tries out the compressed seed cylinder, and discovers that it’s a HOT PEPPER seed cylinder. Like the one below, the squirrels are only there for a brief moment.
1:00 AM – Unusual video of this Cardinals crest going full punk.
Short clip of a Tufted Titmouse on the compressed seed cylinder. We see these birds frequently, but for some reason don’t post many videos of them.
Something really different: Squirrel Tail.
1:00 AM – Several Blue Jays have been around lately, mostly on the platform feeder. They particularly like peanuts, of course.
Other platform activity. A Finch of some kind – It’s hard for me to tell the difference between a House Finch and a Purple Finch. Then a White Breasted Nuthatch arrives, selects a seed to take with him, and departs. The Finch doesn’t mind.
Finches feeding and squabbling while a squirrel calmly eats peanuts in the background. Squirrels around here have it good.
1:00 AM – A cluster of Finches on the compressed seed cylinder. I thought they’d leave when the thistle sock emptied out, but no, they’re still here.
A Downy Woodpecker, the smallest of our local woodpeckers. Seems like I read that it’s the smallest of all the woodpeckers, but I’m not sure about that. Compared to the other ones, though, he’s pretty small.
And finally, a bonus squirrel. This one makes a run at the compressed seed cylinder, and is reminded that it’s compressed pepper seed. A very short clip.
3:53 AM – Variety of birds on the cylinder feeder, including Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Mockingbird, Bluebird and Squirrel. Notice the squirrel giving up after a few bites. Pepper seed works, usually.
Plus one more cylinder bird, this one a Pine Warbler. He’s about the same color as some whole hard-boiled egg yolks I’ve seen.
3:44 AM – We spotted a new bird yesterday, a Northern Flicker. This is a variety of woodpecker. According to the online experts, they live in the South year around, though this is the first one we’ve seen. They’re a very handsome bird. The video is not the best, but it’s good enough to identify him. It starts with a Robin getting water, then the Flicker arrives and runs him off.
On these freezing days, once the ice is replaced with liquid water, the traffic picks up at the bird bath. Here’s a Tufted Titmouse and a Pine Warbler.
This squirrel has unusual markings – part brown and part gray. Not sure is this is a seasonal change, or if he’s just getting old. They’re mostly one color; around here they’re gray.
3:10 AM – It’s been a cold winter so far, as this squirrel sitting on the ice eating a peanut shows us. The Bluebird adapts by puffing his feathers up, creating a layer of insulating air.
Later in the day, the ice is gone, and many birds take advantage of the liquid water now available. Like these three Bluebirds.
This Bluebird looks turquoise, no doubt due to the lighting. However, I’ve seen this bird – or at least a bird of this color – a few times before recently. So, who knows? Maybe he really is turquoise.
1:58 AM – The squirrels have become very bold. Here’s one feasting on the platform feeder. When D comes out to shoo him off, he’s not impressed. When she’s almost close enough to grab his tail and swing him around he decides to make a break for it.
The missing Blue Jays have returned. We’re glad to see them, but it’s clear they only love us for our peanuts. Like this one. In the brief clip we see him tuck one away, then eat one and finally hop over a dove to the rail, where there are plenty more.
This Red-bellied Woodpecker is really mining the seed cylinder for something special. He gets it, too.
3:29 AM – Happy New Year to all. We’re well into our second year of video taping the wild (more or less) animals of our back yard.
We’ll start the new year with a nice Yellow Warbler on the cylinder. They’re good luck on New Years Day. Like black-eyed peas.
Next, a brief clip of an Eastern Phoebe on the mealworm feeder. They’re also good luck on New Years Day.
The One-eared Squirrel is back, eating pepper seed without hesitation. We hope he has another successful year as a wild creature.
3:08 AM – The first bird in this clip is a Brown-headed Nuthatch. That’s not a rare bird, but it is unusual for our backyard. Mostly we have the White-breasted variety. The second bird is, in spite of the drab coloring, a Pine Warbler. The smaller beak and chest stripes distinguish it from the Goldfinch
Here’s another Pine Warbler. Like most of the other birds, they like mealworms.
Very short video of a squirrel trying to feed at the cylinder. He’s not there long, presumably finding out it’s full of pepper seed.