It was an unusual slate colored junco–more commonly called “snow” birds. Usually you only see the white on their tail wings as they flick them but this particular bird had one side of its tail showing white all the time. I noticed this particular bird for weeks. It was about a week until spring and they migrate north so don’t know how much longer that bird will be around. It seemed only a few weeks ago we had a large snow storm and slate colored juncos were all over the yard feeding on the birdseed I put out on the top of the snow.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birds migrate, birdseed, Slate-colored Junco, snow birds, snow storm, white tail wings
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons |
The squirrel found a way to outwit me. I have a “squirrel proof” bird feeder now damaged after squirrels managed at least twice to dump it on the ground. Finally I hung it attached by wire at the top of a nail. It was partially exposed to the elements and I was concerned when it rained moisture would get into the feeder and the sunflower seed would mold. A squirrel was on it this morning totally extended from the top eagerly feeding through the hole. If he put his whole weight on the rest of the feeder, the carriage would go down and shut the openings and he could no longer get at the birdseed. I realized that was the only way he could outwit me and my squirrel proof feeder was no longer squirrel proof. Outwitted by a squirrel. How disgusting.
Tags: bird feeder, bird feeding, birds, birdseed, my squirrel proof bird feeder, outwitted by a squirrel, squirrels, sunflower seed
Posted in animals, humor, local, nature, time |
The birds stop feeding and disappear about an hour before dusk. They must roost somewhere for the night. That has been my observation. Even if there is birdseed on the ground they disappear till the next day. I notice that in the winter some of them seem to have more feathers, perhaps, for insulation from the cold temperatures. I just love watching birds. And if you can identify a new species, that is even better. Usually, though, I see the same birds. You never know. A bird I saw only a few times was the red breasted grosbeak and last year all a sudden I saw a flock of three outside my window feeding on the ground. In less than two months I will be seeing ruby-throated hummingbirds who have traveled a long distance to come to my nectar I have prepared for them-several thousand miles. I always await their arrival.
Tags: a seldom visitor, bird-watching, birds, birds roost, birdseed, nectar, pleasure identifying new birds, red breasted grosbeak, ruby throated hummingbirds, spring, the arrival of the first hummingbirds, winter
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Today I saw an hairy and a red bellied woodpecker at the same time travelling up and down on the trunk of our white pine we put a suet cake on. The hairy woodpecker was an unusual visitor. A hairy woodpecker looks just like a downy woodpecker–just bigger. For months we stopped putting out birdseed because a bear visited our property one time too often destroying our gate during one visit. Our dogs were no help: they slept right through all the bear’s visits. My wife once saw the bear standing in the yard at night munching on birdseed on the ground.
Tags: a bear raided our birdseed at night, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, my wife, our encounter with a bear, red bellied woodpecker, suet cake, the dogs slept through several bear visits, white pine tree
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, time |
I have been putting out birdseed again for several months. I had stopped for a few months. We had several visits from a bear who was tearing down all the bird feeders helping himself. The last week was the first time I saw a red bellied woodpecker (several times) and a Carolina wren. I could have sworn I saw a brown creeper and the first flock of slate covered juncos feeding on the ground. These were all first sighting of these birds since I put back the feeders.
Tags: bear raiding and tearing down our birdfeeders, bird feeding, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, brown creeper bird, first sightings of red bellied woodpeckers and a Carolina wren, slate covered juncos, visit from bear
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Where do the slate-colored juncos go in the warm weather? It is still relatively cold and they still are in the yard feeding on the birdseed on the ground. There are less of them. I know they will disappear when it gets warmer and no more snow. I thought I read they migrate further north. I am really curious. I have to look it up in one of my bird books. It is usually the other way around. Some birds migrate when it become colder. Not those birds. They usually arrive when the first snow comes. It is a mystery to me.
Tags: bird books, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, migration, slate--colored juncos, snow and cold and juncos, snow birds
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
It is a mystery to me when birds come to my feeders. Sometimes the dogs chase them away. Other times I don’t know why they don’t come. There is birdseed there. I just don’t know. It is always puzzling to me that I can put out a new suet cake and the birds find it almost right away. And that is after I have been out for awhile. The birds provide such pleasure. In the spring I noted we have quite a few goldfinch. Sometimes there are so many I see them at two different feeders–the sunflower and thistle feeder. It always amazes me that one will sit on the thistle feeder for five minutes at a time feeding. The males are reverting to yellow, again. We have been having three different kinds of woodpeckers come to eat the suet: downy, red bellied and now hairy. The hairy woodpecker has become a regular visitor. In the past, we hardly ever saw one. At least one knows about the suet. The hairy woodpecker is twice the size of the downy. Though somewhat similar in markings.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, dogs, downy woodpecker, goldfinch, goldfinch in spring, hairy woodpecker, pets, red bellied woodpecker, suet cake, sunflower feeder, thistle feeder, woodpeckers
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
I put out all my birdseed. I was out of all my different kinds–regular, sunflower, suet and thistle. A nuthatch immediately found the birdseed (regular) on the platform I laid seed on. I put fresh thistle for the goldfinch. My wife said they all migrated away. I suspected the thistle (which I had bought months ago) had gone stale. I will see who is right. I almost never run out of feed for them. It was only a day so they were not out of feed too long. Anyway, I now will continue to watch the visitors that come to my feeders.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, goldfinch, my wife, nuthatch, suet, sunflower seed, thistle, watching the birds out my window
Posted in birds, local, nature, time |
The grackles finally stopped coming. First, I stopped putting out suet cakes and then limited the birdseed on the ground. Sometimes I would have seven or more grackles feeding on the ground at one time. They crowded out the other birds. Now I have not seen one in weeks. This summer I had a regular visitor of a indigo bunting for the first time. They are such a beautiful bird–aptly named. The downy woodpeckers are now feeding on the suet but I have yet to see a red bellied woodpecker. I am waiting to see how long it will take before they rediscover the suet cakes. I can’t remember the last one I have seen. They are such magnificent colored woodpeckers.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, downy woodpeckers, grackles, indigo bunting, red bellied woodpeckers, suet cakes, summer
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Two days ago we had a flock of three indigo buntings visit us. We have had one indigo bunting come to feed on the birdseed on the ground for weeks. This time he brought his friends. They are aptly named: it is a small bird deeply purple all over. I’ve read they feed in flocks but this is the first time in a long time I have seen more than one at a time. It is always a treat to watch one, for they are so beautiful and uniquely colored. There is no other bird like them here. They are “jewels.”
Tags: a flock of indigo buntings, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, indigo bunting
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, time |
I had to rattle the screen door when I let our four dogs out for we had a chipmunk who was eating the birdseed that fell to the ground. Yesterday he zipped the forty feet to hide under a bush. I did not want any of my four dogs to hurt him. Occasionally we get chipmunks and even less often a cottontail under our tree. They all like the easy meal.
Tags: bird feeding, birdseed, chipmunk, chipmunks and cottontail like to munch on the birdseed that fell to the ground, chipmunks and cottontails, cottontail, dogs, four dogs, pets
Posted in animals, birds, local, pets, time |
Within five seconds I saw a chipmunk climb a tree and a hummingbird. Usually you see chipmunks scurry on the ground. I know they can climb trees but it was an unusual place to see it. The animal was attracted by the scattered birdseed on the ground–some of it dropped by the feeding birds. I have only seen a chipmunk climb a tree several times and I am always surprised when I see one do that. I do not see chipmunks too often in this area but I know they are around. I always love watching its antics.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, birdseed, chipmunk, hummingbird, I saw a chipmunk and hummingbird at the same time, the chipmunk was climbing the tree, the dropped birdseed attracts the chipmunks
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, time |
