I used to love the gold finches feeding just outside the window. There would be the flock of brown ones in the winter. Then the males would start turning gold and pretty soon it was just one or two pairs visiting. Once in a while the males would cross paths and squawk and fight.
Gold Finch males are very territorial. I see lots of squabbles between the yellow birds. When the window is open it can get noisy.
“our” wood ducks returned this morning.
she was perched on the duck house checking it out with him in the tree nearby.
This would be the third year she used the box.
checked the box today.
seven eggs so far.
I have a mom and pop cardinal team that like to perch themselves on my side view mirrors on my truck dawn and dusk leaving evidence behind running down the mirror and the door. I’ve even been in the cab on numerous occasions when they would fly up to the mirrors to perch on the mirrors.
Its an old truck so the evidence left behind is no big deal, oddly its a bit heart warming knowing my truck is a favorite perching point for the couple.
Riddle me this? The truck is red with dark navy blue doors.
Oh! Its the mom that’s visits the mirrors on most occasions.
I fed sunflower seed and got cardinals all the time for a long time but stopped when sparrows took over. Now I have thistle seed [nyger] feeders and a couple peanut feeders. Woodpeckers love the peanuts as do chickadees and nuthatches. he local half dozen cardinals will come to the peanuts too but they have a hard time grasping onto the wire cages. They can grab hold for maybe 15 seconds but then they lose their grip….their feet are ok on sticks, twigs and small limbs, but the cage wire really challenges them.
The cardinals are getting pretty territorial right now. One pair can be here to feed and another will swoop in the chase them off.
Ma and I heard a huge whack against the house the other day and when I went to see what made the racket I found one of our local sharp-shinned hawks in a heap. Apparently it homed in on a finch and forgot the house was here.
In the white pine not far from my finch and suet feeders a robin has decided it to be a good place to call home. Nothing odd about that, but this robin, or both actually, have decided that a great place to dine is on my suet cakes….as in they are eating the suet. They land on top of the cage and peck the devil out of the suet. They aren’t looking for certain seeds or bugs, they are eating the suet. I’ve never seen a robin, let alone two, sit and eat at a suet cage before. Has anyone else seen them doing this?
I don’t think I’ve seen it before, but it makes sense. Aren’t the birds who eat suet insect eaters usually? Although we know robins to feed mostly on the ground, so it does seem a little odd.
I saw a rabbit by the pond the other day. I don’t know how common they are down here, but they definitely do not feed in the open, probably because the number of birds of prey we have.
Saw a little blue heron feeding the other day and apparently a gator has decided to hang out at the pond. This is only the second one I have seen in this pond in 2.5 years. In fact, it is probably the same one. We need rain!
Whoops, realized I uploaded the “enhanced” photo of the little blue. They are not quite as dramatic, but still a pretty bird.
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Tom that’s too funny last night I had to do a double take on my suet because I had a Robin on it eating it. I had never seen one on it before but it was one.
Tom that’s too funny last night I had to do a double take on my suet because I had a Robin on it eating it. I had never seen one on it before but it was one.
I’ve been watching this pair for several days now and have never seen the likes of this before on suet. Maybe its global warming? lol
This is nuts with the robins. One of them was just now hanging on the cage of my peanut feeder.
This is actually the first time I have seen robins on my suet feeders as well. Like you said, just going crazy on the suet and not the seeds.
Airborne Day
11 little guys total made the jump today
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a flyer in action,
full sail mode
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Cute little buggers, thanks for sharing!
First Orioles yesterday. Looked to be a pair.
Mom and the swimmers.
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By “our wood ducks” I assume you know these are not Wood ducks.
First Orioles yesterday. Looked to be a pair.
no orioles yet, but i bid see my first hummingbird this morning.
Another first for this house….we had a Scarlet Tanager come to our suet feeder this morning. A male…super brilliant color. I tried to get the camera to the window for a sneaky picture but the bird was super wary. The second is sensed movement behind the glass it was gone. I’m hoping this guy comes back to visit.
I have to replace the orange halves and pint jar of oriole food every day now. We’re getting a pile of them visiting. Last season we bought a jelly feeder that you just screw a full jar of store bought jelly onto and let them eat way. As they chow the jelly from the dish more slides right down to fill it. In a week now this is the second jar of jelly and we’re not referring to those handy little 10 ounce jars, we’re speaking like a quart size. All kinds of birds come to the jelly.
I heard Orioles last night on the Croix. Still none at my cabin by Hayward.
My favorite bird this time of year is the Brown Thrasher. They have been singing by my house daily and nothing compares to what they can whistle. They start off sounding like a robin then just go off the grid.
You’d love the sound of Carolina Wrens. For a small body, they sure have a strong voice.
Orioles, Grosbeaks, and Goldfinches all have made appearances at my home in Central Wisconsin. I have photos of every species I spot at the feeder or in the yard, the list is growing.
The male Tanager was back several times today but was always camera shy. I finally was ready when he came back for the dinner bell at about 5 pm. I have to apologize for the fuzzy picture but it was taken sitting at the desk thru a window with a screen on it.
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A day later and this critter has been back at the suet maybe 12-15 times just today. Ma says he likes the eats and thinks he’ll be a regular now. Sure is a pretty bird. I mentioned elsewhere that the red in this bird’s plumage is absolutely electric and make a cardinal look sort of blah even though they’re a beautiful bird.
Thought you people might appreciate some pictures from another pontoon ride on Saturday with Michelle’s father who was in over the holiday.
We search for 3.5 hours for a gators when the MIL spotted one when we almost were back to the marina. In the marina there ended up being a couple little ones.
The owls apparently have been fed shiners by the Eco tour everyday. They weren’t out that day. I was wondering why the birds seemed to be keenly interested in our presence.
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One of the Downy Woodpeckers came to our suet this morning with junior. The young one stayed perched on a nearby limb while Ma dined. When Ma had enough she’d load up her beak with suet and go to the young one and feed it. She flies between the feeder and the limb trying to coax the young bird over to feed but I don’t think it has the grasping concept down yet. The Gold Finches, House Finches and Chickadees have been here with their young lately too
I saw that last year with the downy when we still had a tree and a suet feeder.
I am trying figure out where the Cardinal babies went. Saw them as fledglings a few weeks back. Not sure if they are on their own now, but I haven’t seen any feeding as near adults with the parents yet.
This morning I got up and hit the patio out back. It was about 6:30 am I guess. It was already warm and the wind was blowing. It’s so peaceful at that time of day. Birds chirping, squirrels running around, baby bunny staring at me. All the while the wind chimes were playing. For me it’s a nearly perfect setting. I leaned back in the patio chair and opened a John Sanford book and took in the glorious morning.
Sorry, no bird photo’s or bird questions.
The crack of dawn is a glorious time.
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