A Blue-eyed Visitor

It’s been a busy month so it was great to have a bit of downtime this afternoon in the backyard garden enjoying the sun and a cold beer to celebrate the end of the teaching year. Both of the kids were out in the yard and I was nominally on child minding duty when I spotted a dragonfly basking on …

Backyard Birds – January 25-February 7

We’re still getting over a dozen different species of birds at the feeders but most of them are the same ones that we’ve had for most of the winter so I’m going to do a bi-weekly feeder report instead of weekly. Observations of birds are noted for Project Feederwatch. Project Feederwatch Highlights Some of the notable highlights over the last …

Backyard Birds – January 18-24

Just a quick backyard feeder update for the week – not much change in the number or kinds of birds visiting the feeders. We’re still getting both a male and female Downy Woodpecker regularly and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet makes appearances daily to visit the suet feeder. The single White-crowned Sparrow has been joined by at least one other adult and …

Backyard Birds – January 11-17

The challenging to photograph Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) demonstrating how to place the shadow of a twig between camera and bird. Winter is a great time to enjoy the birds that drop into the feeder. As part of Project Feederwatch I’ve noted which species are using the bird feeder and how many are commonly stopping in. This week, bushtits returned as …

Backyard Birds – January 4-10

The action at the backyard feeders this week has been interesting. I’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of Pine Siskins visiting the feeders (at one point we had over 80 Siskins at the feeder, on the ground beneath the feeder, and in the trees around our patio). American Goldfinch continue to show up in good numbers with around …

Backyard Birds – December 28 – January 3

Some new additions to the regulars at the bird feeders this week. Late last week we had a few Pine Siskins and a couple of American Goldfinches at the feeders. I added a tube feeder with black oil sunflower seeds and some niger seeds and that brought in the finches. We’ve had over 40 Pine Siskins and close to a …

Backyard Birds – December 21 – 27

Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) feeding on seed scattered on the ground. I cleaned up a lichen covered limb of our lilac tree this week and instead of putting the branches into the city’s yard waste program left them as a brush pile in our garden area. The sparrows seem to like the extra habitat and I’m hoping that it will …

Backyard Birds – December 14 – 20

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens), a regular visitor to our suet feeders. A bit of a roller coaster of a week at the bird feeders as the Mourning Dove failed to make an appearance on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We figured that one of the neighbours’ cats had finally killed it. Fortunately, I spotted the dove yesterday morning so it is …

Backyard Birds – December 7 – 13

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) – a regular at the feeders. It’s been a weird week with some periods that were very birdy and stretches that were relatively quiet. Backyard bird watching is like that. Sometimes the feeders were very busy. Other times they were not. The weather has become a little milder towards the latter part of the week and …

Good Morning, Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) close to the somewhat safe feeding area inside our fenced vegetable garden. Over the past several weeks at least one Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) visiting our feeders here in Courtenay. Although not a rare winter bird on Vancouver Island, it is a bird that is not usually seen regularly in the winter. However, every Christmas Bird …