Last weekend we were sitting out on the deck eating some dinner and watching all the wildlife activity in our yard.  Birds were coming and going from the birdbath but were a little skittish.  They’d land, chirp a few times, and then fly off without really using the birdbath.  That was until our local pair of Cowbirds showed up.  The male boldly landed on the deck rail and immediately plopped into the birdbath:

After sitting in the water for a few seconds, as if he was testing it, he hopped up on the edge of the birdbath.

He looked over at us very quickly then hopped back into the water.  For the next minute or so he was happily splashing away.

Water was flying all over the place. He wasn’t holding back.  There was no way he wasn’t going to get clean!

He finally stopped and flew off after splashing all the water out of the birdbath

We like our birdbath.

Right after I snapped the pictures he dove off the branch and nearly picked off one of the male Cardinals that frequent the feeders.  The Cardinal escaped several attempts by the hawk to grab it.  The two of them were flying in/out, and around a magnolia bush and pine tree.  Finally the hawk gave up and sat back on the same branch he started on.  I took a few more pictures.  Unfortunately they are pretty blurry due to the low light and my having to hand hold the camera.  Here they are.  Maybe one of you more experienced birders can tell us which hawk it is, Coopers or Sharp-Shinned:

These first two are of the front of the hawk:

Here’s a couple of the back:

Based on these pictures, and our Kaufman Field Guide, we think it is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. What do you think?

After getting some tea and OTC cold/flu medicine I took a nice 3 hour nap and then spent an hour or so sitting in the recliner, drinking tea and keeping an eye on our feeders and birdbath.

A Different Perspective

This was probably the first time I have been in the house by myself in the middle of a work day, doing absolutely nothing, in nearly 10 years.  On the weekends Pam and I run around doing errands, etc.  We spend some time watching the feeders but usually in the morning or late afternoon.  The middle of the day is not a common time to watch birds.  So this afternoon I just took in what I could see.  There were some differences in the bird’s activities in the middle of the day.  They seemed to be less rushed.  More of them just sat on the feeder and ate as opposed to taking one seed and flying away.   Is it because they aren’t trying to get the “last seed” before darkness?  I don’t know but it was fun watching them.  Also, the daylight is much brighter making the birds colors more vibrant.

The Tally

I only saw 12 species, kind of low for the yard.  I did see a new life bird, the Dark Eyed Junco.  Maybe it was because it was the middle of the day.  But, each of the birds was more laid back and I was able to watch them better.  A trade off I guess, quality over quantity.

I sort of enjoyed the afternoon birdwatching, except for the fever, chills, and hacking cough   Hopefully I recover quickly.

Time for another nap.

When I came home from work there was a lot of activity at our heated bird bath.  I went upstairs to get the camera and when I got back downstairs all that was left were a couple of Mourning Doves:

They looked a little cold, all puffed up and just sitting there. The temperature was about 28 degrees so it was a little chilly. Pam and I get teased by our friends who live “up North” that we are becoming wimps by living in the South. I wonder if “Southern birds” get teased by their Northern relatives just like we do

Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet showing his "crown". Image via Wikipedia

Over the past few weeks Pam and I have seen many of the same birds each time we look at the feeders with the binoculars.  It’s always neat to see the birds, and we don’t get tired of them.  But, there is one bird that is quickly becoming a backyard feeder favorite, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

A Hyper Bird

The first thing we both noticed is that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a hyper little bird, always flitting and twitching.   All About Birds (on the Cornell University Ornithology Lab website) says that the bird is constantly in motion, flicking its wings.  It’s fun to see them (if you can follow them fast enough) dart around the yard from bush to bush and finally to the feeder where they attach themselves to the suet feeder.  Trying to follow them around the yard certainly is a way to build our “binocular handling” skills!  Once on the feeder they are quickly scared away by any other bird in the area, but they return shortly to grab a bit of suet and fly off again.

A Winter Treat

In our area, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a Winter bird, migrating in Canada in the Summer.  So, we better enjoy them while we can because when the weather warms up they will be gone for six months or so.

A Nice Color Combination

The feature that I like about them the most is the very distinct  black and white bar on the wings that really stands out against the light olive color of the rest of the bird.  The male also has white ring around the eye and a “ruby crown” that he flashes every once in a while.  I’ve seen it once and it was only for a brief moment.

Find Your Own Backyard King

If you live in an area that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet visits, keep an eye out and you might just see one of them darting back and forth from the bushes to your feeders, especially the suet feeder.  Look for a very small yellowish-green colored bird that is constantly in motion and you might just have your own “little backyard king”

Image via Wikipedia

Why won’t our resident (at least we think he is) Pileated Woodpecker show up on command?  My parents came down to visit us for Thanksgiving and both of them are birdwatchers.  My mom is more of a casual one but my dad has been a “hardcore” birdwatcher for over 50 years.  My Father really enjoys walking around our neighborhood with his binoculars lookinng at all of the bird activity we have.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Well, we told them about the Pileated that has been visiting our feeder on a pretty consistent basis most of the Fall.  My mom was excited to see it because she hasn’t seen one before.  Being the cocky new birdwatcher, and subsequent expert on bird behavior that I am , I confidently said “we’ll see it, he’s almost always at the feeder, especially in the late afternoon”.  In the four days they’ve been here we have kept an eye open for him but he hasn’t showed.  What’s up with that? It’s not like he hasn’t been around.  Heck, I just saw him last Saturday pecking away at our suet feeder.  That was the first official day of my “new” birdwatching hobby and I was able to add him to my life list.  Since that day he has not been anywhere in sight, and I am getting tired of my mom ribbing me by saying “I thought you said that he always shows up in the afternoon?”

Way to go Mr. woodpecker, you’re causing me great emotional distress by not showing.  Keep it up and all you’ll get is coal in your suet for Christmas.

A Lesson In Bird Behavior

I’ve learned a valuable lesson about bird behavior this week and that is that they definitely are not predictable creatures.  That makes the whole experience of watching them that much more of a challenge.  And that’s why I am enjoying birdwatching, you never know what you’ll see.  There are lots of surprises and that’s a good thing.

Watch out you sneaky Pileated, I’ll catch you at my feeder one day….