Characters at my Bird Feeder Part I (Videos)

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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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Enjoyment of the Garden from Indoors

Although frigid temperatures keep me inside during January, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the garden from indoors.

I watch birds and take photos. With limited foliage, it's easier to see and photograph birds.Here's a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos eating seeds from a Pampas bush. How many birds do you see? I counted 10.

A Brown Thrasher feeding off the ground near a feeder.

 

A Northern Flicker Woodpecker scavenging the ground for food.

An Eastern Towhee visiting friends at the bird feeder. I highly recommend putting a bird feeder where you can easily observe it from indoors.

6 Goldfinch on Feeder

If you enjoy watching and identifying birds, participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. From February 15  through 18, 2013, you count and identify birds. Your results can be entered online and tabulated with other bird counts across the country.

I have counted birds sighted from my windows or while out running errands. Last year, my husband and I parked at a country pond and counted Canadian Geese, Hood Mergansers, and Kingfishers.

Although temperatures are low, there are still opportunities to enjoy flowers.

A Periwinkle vine blooming in January. This was an unexpected surprise.

Potting a few pansies in the fall can bring you delightful glimpses of color during a bleak winter.

Don't forget a few indoor plants to challenge your green thumb. I've been blogging about an orchid and amaryllis that I'm babying through the winter. It's my first experience with an orchid, and the amaryllis has provided wonderful photo opportunities.