Like most naturalists I’ve got a couple of backyard feeders and enjoy keeping a rough tally of the species that come and go. It’s always interesting when something a little unusual turns up, but the regulars make for entertaining viewing. Bushtits come through at least two times a week following some sort of urban feeding route which includes our suet …
Feeders
Bushtit Bonanza
I’m not sure why they visit so infrequently (but regularly) but it seems that every so often a flock of Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) comes through, visits our suet feeder, and are gone for another week. It’s almost as if they have a regular route and our feeder is on it. Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) – here and then gone. I do …
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. Some of the notable highlights over the last two weeks have been a flock of about a dozen Bushtits …
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. Had Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) visit our suet feeder twice this week – we’ve had them moving through in a flock once a week in the earlier part of the fall and winter but hadn’t seen them for at least a …
Backyard Birds – January 4-10
The action at the 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 15 …
Backyard Birds – December 28 – January 3
Some new additions to the regulars at the 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 dozen …
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 as the Mourning Dove failed to make an appearance on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and we figured that one of the neighbours’ cats had finally killed it. Fortunately, I spotted the dove yesterday morning so it is still alive. Unfortunately …
Bewick’s Wrens at the Feeder
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) at the suet feeder. With the snowfall last night our feeders have been busy. I actually had to move one of the seed feeders because the branch of the lilac tree that it was on collapsed under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. This large branch is now very popular as a perching area for …