It is currently the middle of the winter here and has been a while since our last post. We are in the full throes of the school year with both boys at home. While our oldest is pretty independent in terms of his schooling, I, understandably, have had my hands full with a boisterous second grader. While we have continued to walk around where we live and go hiking on the weekends, it has been challenging to find the time to post anything on the blog (I'm already longing for spring break 😉). It has also gotten downright cold. Right now it is 28° and very windy, and sadly, we have had only one snow day.
A big highlight lately though has been a pair of bird feeders that we received for Christmas from Nonni and Pop Pop. My parents came over to help us set it up and show us how everything works. We were warned it could take weeks for the birds to find the feeder and/or feel comfortable enough to use it. We were thrilled when it took the birds 1 day to find and start using it! After just one week, one of the feeders needed to be refilled with sunflower seeds. To put that in context, that thing holds 5 lbs. of seed!!! I have lovingly dubbed it Grand Central Station.
The boys go outside every time N has a break during school and take my camera and the binoculars to see who's visiting the feeder. I get breathless reports, "Mom! There are Juncos outside!" "Look, the woodpeckers are back!" and the occasional old-man-shouting with the accompanying fist-shaking "Get out of here, Starlings!!!" It is endearing how excited they are about the birds and it's infectious. I was genuinely surprised at the amount and variety.
The following is a photo essay of our avian visitors (and a frolicking, fat squirrel!) since we put up our feeders 3 weeks ago. Each and every photo has been taken by N 🐦📸💚. We hope you enjoy!
Woodpeckers are very common where we live as we see Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers daily. We do not see Red Bellied Woodpeckers, so you can imagine how excited N was to see this one visit our feeder (which it does about once a day).
One day after visiting my parents, my mother sent me home with old Birds and Blooms magazines. I set the old issues on the stairs to take up to read later, and forgot about them. Turns out N swiped them and reads them during downtime "at school."
Black Capped Chickadee
These birds are small and adorable. They are usually
pretty plump making them extra cute.
Tufted Titmouse
A bird that I had never seen before. It is so cute and has a little crest
atop its head like a cardinal's (it's flattened in this picture).
This has to be my favorite little bird, the Dark-Eyed Junco.
I had never seen them before traveling to New Hampshire. Both my parents
and a bird loving friend told me they are in Virginia as well.
Well, here they are in our front yard 😍
One of the things I love about our eldest son is he finds even the most
common animals worth photographing and enjoying, like this humble robin.
Pretty with its reverse eye-liner.
Goldfinches are definitely one of the most prevalent birds at our feeders.
Their coloring is dull in the winter. In the summer, they are a really bright and eye-catching bird.
White Breasted Nuthatches are fun to observe as they
go down tree trunks, and therefore, appear "upside down," see photo below.
The vibrant Northern Cardinal
and perhaps more noteworthy, the female,
who is often overlooked because the males are so striking.
They are very territorial birds, if you see a male with its crest flat, that is a sign of aggression (like it the picture above. He's protecting "his" food).
*Squirrel Break*
This guy (or gal?) is constantly lurking and is clearly
taking advantage of the dropped seeds below the feeder.
He is very fat, because of the bird's sloppy eating.
Eastern Bluebirds
House Finches
I know they are common but I don't remembering
ever seeing their rosy pink heads and torsos before. Underneath their wings is also red, too.
Oh, look! The ever present Little Brother variety.
*Squirrel Break #2*
I'm honestly not sure what this bird is. House Finch, perhaps?
Some of these brown birds are hard to identify.
If you have any idea let me know!
It took me a minute to figure out what this very camouflaged bird is.
(I think) it is a Carolina Wren. I *hear* them all the time, but they are small, skittish,
and hide in bushes whenever you approach. N being patient and persistent managed
to get a few shots of them.
Love this one.
Downy Woodpecker
After visiting the feeder, N followed it into the trees
and captured some wonderful shots.
This photo really shows their beautiful markings.
*Final Bounding Squirrel Break*
This has to be #1's favorite squirrel action shot.
He was very pleased with it 😃
A dreaded Starling and a Red Bellied Woodpecker sharing the feeder 😮
His desk
After all his reading he has expressed an interest in another feeder that he can see from his window and we already ordered a woodpecker specific feeder for the bigger Pileated Woodpeckers.
He has highlighted "just a few pages" 😂😂😂 of the flowers
he would like to plant to attract birds and butterflies to our yard.
Looks like we'll have a busy spring ahead of us!
If you and/or your children would like to learn/read more about birds, or would like help identifying birds, the following are websites and articles that are wonderful:
Cornell University has a renowned Lab of Ornithology. They offer many online courses (I'm taking one- it's awesome and I gave a class on raptors to my dad for Christmas. They really are great!) They have tons of educational information and games for kids, too. Mine love Flap to the Future which is a game teaching the evolution of birds from dinosaurs.
And lastly, I am including my personal favorite article on the benefits of a messy garden. My yard has long been a source of self induced indigestion and guilt over not having the time, energy, money, (desire 😕), etc. etc. needed to have a tidy garden. Well, you should have seen how much trumpeting I did to my mother (and internal gloating I did to my old lady neighbor who commented on the state of my unkempt garden while I had small children 😒) when I read how beneficial a "messy" garden is to birds and wildlife. So, as my boys would say: take that! I was ahead of the environmental and conservational curve 😇🌳🐦 *ahem* 😂
Great blog update Nick! I've never seen a Carolina Wren before, it is so hard to see it with its natural camouflage.
ReplyDeleteLove all the pictures, especially the one of the wild & illusive Rhys.
I love these pictures, Nick! Great job! Now that you're old enough, you boys can get into that messy garden and plant some special plants that attract certain animals! My kids are enjoying looking at these pictures and learning about the birds!
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