Sunday, October 30, 2011

bird season...

chestnut backed chickadee

it's bird season again, or at least this is when i start feeding them for the winter, and get enraptured watching them flit about in the yard. i can hear the chestnut-backed chickadees year round high up in the trees, so it is always fun when they come down to visit. they are such chipper little folk, often perching on a branch just a couple feet away while i put seed in the birdhouse.

pileated woodpecker

occasionally a bigger bird will pop in to say hello. i was enjoying watching this pileated woodpecker swing upside down from the suet hanger, when suddenly a second one appeared. this one quickly chased off the first and then settled in for a snack too. actually, as i type, there is one out there now, in the fading daylight. i heard it coming as it sounded its raucous call first as it swooped in. i'm a little concerned because the suet hangs on a fairly thin branch of the cherry tree, and it bows deeply under the pileated's weight. may have to move the suet if they keep coming back.

waiting their turn

the dark-eyed juncos make an appearance too, and soon enough there will be others i hope. but right now it is mainly a large crew of chickadees, and what seems like just one red-breasted nuthatch (below, sticking his head way in to get at the suet).

let me just stick my head all the way in...

i am getting better and identifying bird calls too, so when i walk in the woods i often know what is flying around above me. i also keep an ear out for the tap tap tap of woodpeckers, sometime pileated but also downy and hairy woodpeckers high in the trees. and the little winter wrens that flit between the low branches and ferns on the ground. are you watching birds this time of year?

pretty birdie

8 comments:

H.B.Design said...

Hi, the fotos and the birds are beautiful. Oh, Yesterday, the bird from the fourth picture was in my garden. Greetings Hermine

Kate said...

Put out the first feeders this weekend and studded a propped, rotten log with nuts and bacon rinds for the bigger birds. It's a joy to watch them. Knowing the calls makes the whole thing even better doesn't it? We're getting more adept.

Anonymous said...

We are watching birds too:) The same-yet different..Our chickadees do not have the lovely brown chest..and our nuthatches are gray..we also have ALOT of chipping sparrows..and bluejays! Glad to see you back up and running..Happy Halloween! Michaelanne ( I am having some troubles leaving comments on blogger) So I will be annonymous..but its ME:)

kate said...

We get a lot of birds to the garden in the fall, as I tend to leave a lot of seed heads and grasses over winter for shelter. Lots of chickadees right now.

When we are out on the trails we love to listen for woodpeckers, and we are always on the lookout for eagles, love their cries.

Tara said...

I think we should add a suet feeder to our garden this winter. I wonder what will visit?

Els said...

Love to see those birds, that are júst a bit different from the ones over here .... ;-)

Rendell said...

Living in the city I miss my backyard birds, thanks for the photos!

Margie Oomen said...

chickadees, junko's , wood peckers, cardinals and blue jays are the most commons visitors to my garden