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| Kitty watches Activity at the Bird Feeder |
The kitchen sink window has a good view of my bird feeder. Over the years I've become quite familiar with the bird visitors.
Each season brings the same birds and we've become a family - tolerant of each others' habits. Let me tell you about these characters.
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| Brown Thrasher |
Thrasher
Watching this guy under the bird feeder, explains the name. He swings his long beak side-to-side like a pendulum as it plows up the ground. This unearths dropped seeds and sprouts. He's the largest bird visiting my feeder, but gracious - not a bully. His long beak is scary, and he keeps the squirrels from taking over.
We have other Thrashers around, but this one shows up in the fall and maintains a solitary presence at the bird feeder all winter. I'm grateful to have him recycle dropped seed.
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| Carolina Wren |
Carolina Wren
Wasteful. All the safflower seed in my feeder is the same, but this bird throws down 10 seeds for every 1 he keeps. Drives me nuts - this stuff is $20 a bag. I can't watch this waste, and have to leave the room. (In his defense, the Wren eats off the ground and may pick up some of his discarded seed.)
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| Tufted Titmouse |
Tufted Titmouse
The pretty Titmice are regulars at the birdfeeder. Chirpy and sociable. I can count on them to hang around and entertain me while they eat.
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| Carolina Chickadee |
Carolina Chickadee
These beautiful little black and white birds seem to be dressed in tiny tuxedos. They socialize in groups with the Titmice, and happily chirp.
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| Mourning Dove |
Mourning Dove
Peaceful and quiet. Mourning Doves silently arrive in pairs and small groups to clear the ground around the bird feeder. They are terribly skittish though, and fly off with a squawk when I come near.
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| White-throated Sparrow |
White-throated Sparrow
Like the Juncos, White-throated Sparrows arrive for winter and have a
charming presence in my backyard. They eat off the ground around the
feeder and seem to enjoy the company of other birds. By hopping and
scratching with their feet, they unearth small bugs and seeds.
I
recently learned that these sparrows' heads can be marked with either tan or
white stripes. Males prefer white-striped females and females prefer tan-striped males. Either way, they have beautiful brown, tan, and white
markings with the distinctive white throat.
I'll continue writing about my bird feeder visitors in Part 2. Characters at my Bird Feeder Part 2 is available
here.
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