Here is another one we don't know. He really is a beautiful blue, with great patterns on his back.
This is my favorite bird, a female red-bellied woodpecker. She comes every day and stays for quite awhile. One day my feeder was empty and she started pecking on the deck. hehe. She is a bit demanding...
Here is another of the red-bellied woodpecker. She really is pretty patient with the other birds, allowing everyone time at the feeder.
I believe these birds are a type of junco, but I might be wrong. What do you think? They are here every day, even eating the left overs on the ground. We literally will have dozens of them around at a time.
I love this picture for a couple reasons. 1st, it was the first day I was able to shoot a cardinal. He just started coming around last week and is very shy. If he hears a sound or sees the slightest movement, he is gone. I've seen him often in the past few days though. The second reason I love this picture is because there is also the woodpecker. He is either a downy or hairy woodpecker, I can't tell the difference. It was amazing to me to get both of these birds in one shot.
Soon after this picture, the woodpecker actually began to peck at the cardinal so he could have the feeder all to himself. This greedy pecker will literally be at the feeder for half hour or longer getting his fill of seed.
So, can you help me identify some of these birds? There are many more that I didn't have time to post, but maybe one day I can. So far, we've only seen the blue jay once, hopefully I can "shoot" him soon. It's amazing to me that these little critters can survive such freezing temps and harsh winters. I'm learning a lot about them!
Beautiful! I love that shot with the cardinal and the woodpecker. I have no idea what kind of birds those are. I bet Debra will be able to help.
ReplyDeleteThe first photo is of a dark-eyed junco, next you have a white-breasted nuthatch. The next two look like goldfinches in winter plumage rather than juncos. The fella with the cardinal looks to be a downy. They are a little smaller than cardinals and the hairy is larger- but in the photo where you can see his back it looks like there are black markings on the white tail feathers- that is a for sure identifying mark if I am seeing if that is what I am indeed seeing.
ReplyDeleteWith the woodpeckers have you considered adding a suet feeder? When we lived in Michigan. I liked the hopper style like you have but the ones that had a metal cage on the ends for placing the suet. And the finches would love a niger (thistle) feeder- you can pick up a sock type already filled with seed pretty cheaply, but if they really go for it a tube feeder for this small seed is much easier to fill- though the socks are fun to watch. I also prefer the songbird mixes that limit the millet and add some safflower in- safflower is a cardinal magnet, as well as black sunflower. The boys got me a feeder that attached to the window that I filled with just black sunflower and we had lots of chickadees too- black sunflower is their draw, and I would think you must have black-capped chickadees around somewhere that you could attract.
Love the birds! I need a budget just for seed- but I love how they enrich our lives, and once they develop "a relationship" with you you will know when your feeders are empty, mine sit in a nearby shrub and chatter at me until I come out and do something about the situation.