Today I am showing you the birds that have been visiting lately. I was a little concerned as after all the upheaval with putting in a new deck, they disappeared for the longest time. Needn't have worried.
Carolina Wren, a little out of focus but I was happy to see it. You can hear its call at this link.
The Mourning Doves weren't put off by a rainy day. Reflection in the glass on the right is a bit distracting, but I didn't notice it until I looked on a larger screen.
The American Robin was a regular visitor for a while.
As well as invertebrates, they like to eat nuts and berries. Because of their sweet tooth they can also get intoxicated on fermented berries. I don't think I have ever noticed a tipsy robin before.
A first-time visitor was the Mockingbird. I don't ever remember seeing one here in the 30 plus years we have lived in this house. It was a red-letter day for me. I have seen others elsewhere but not in a long time, and never at our feeders.
Both males and female Mockingbirds sing a varied, repetitive song that can be heard all day, and sometimes at night, during the spring and summer. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life. They can also incorporate non-bird noises they hear into their songs. You can listen to what it sounds like here.
The White-breasted nuthatch was next. The longevity record for a White-breasted Nuthatch is 9 years and 10 months. In a study it was found that they prefer unshelled sunflower seeds approximately 25 percent more often than seeds still in the shell. It appears to be because it takes half the time to transport and cache an unshelled seed than it does a shelled one. These interesting facts came from Wild Birds Unlimited which you can find at this link.
I was also happy to see the Downy Woodpecker making an appearance. This is a female as she has no red patch on her head. The male House Finch, lower left, didn't seem to be too perturbed but he didn't hang around for too long. Neither did the Downy for that matter.
I am so glad that they have returned - and brought friends with them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue, I was delighted as you can guess :)
DeleteWow! So many different kinds of birds. Thank you for the link to the mockingbird songs. That is just amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed and you are very welcome to the link. It is fun to listen to the mockingbird :) Thank you Kay!
DeleteThey are so cute to look at
ReplyDeleteVery much so, thanks Roentare :)
DeleteHello Denise,
ReplyDeleteYou have a great variety of birds at your feeders. The Mockingbird is a great bird, they do usually eat berries but will enjoy the water you provide. Wonderful collection of photos. Take care, have a great day!
We are very lucky and I always enjoy seeing which one pops up first. They all seem to enjoy the water bowl and the fountain as much as the feeders. Thank you, take care and have a great day also Eileen :)
DeleteI am so happy to see and hear that the birds are back... i think they were confused for a few days after all the noise and commotion. that cute little devil at the end, has relatives here that chewed our cable wires to smithereens, causing Spectrum to come for a 2 hour visit to replace it. he was not happ about the gnawing of the wire.
ReplyDeleteThat means a lot, thank you Sandra :) I'm sure you're right. Oh dear on the chewed cable wires, yikes :0 Touching wood here but we haven't had anything like that to contend with and I hope I haven't jinxed myself.
DeleteGlad everyone's back and seem to be having a housewarming for you!
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of Blue Jays and crows here...and Finches...Red Birds, as well.
Stay warm!
hugs
Donna
Thank you Donna. You have a nice variety too sounds like. You stay warm too and sending hugs :)
DeleteSo glad to see all the birds returning. I listened to the video of the mockingbird. How fascinating to hear all those sounds coming from one bird.
ReplyDeleteLove the Blue Jay. They are so pretty. I didn't realize they were related to the crow either.
Thank you Ann :) It's amazing to hear the mockingbird isn't it? I'm fond of the Blue Jay too. Fun to learn something new about these birds.
DeleteHello! I am in awe of your photos of these beautiful birds! How do you do it?? Thank you for sharing, my friend.
ReplyDeleteSo nice of you to say Billie Jo and you are very welcome :) We have a very good view of them and the fact that they are not too far away helps. Of course, I always want to get closer, lol!
DeleteThose are some very nice sharp clear photos of your winged friends and your furry one! Hope the last days of November are good for you two!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen, and thank you, much appreciated :) I hope the same for you also :)
DeleteIt is always a special day when you have a new species arrive. I do not think we have Mockingbirds in our area. Our most interesting regional birds are the Magpie, Mountain Bluebirds and Meadowlarks. None of them come to a feeder but can be seen out and about.
ReplyDeleteAlways, couldn't agree more. I would love to see your birds. I have a harder time getting to see them when we are around the gardens. We see them but they are always so far up in the trees . A good place for them to be I know :)
DeleteYou're attracting quite a diverse crowd. I only seem to get sparrows, juncos and woodpeckers. I'm hoping the cardinals discover me soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanie, we certainly seem to be and it fills me with joy :) we also have not seen any cardinals apart from one sighting a few weeks ago. I hope they will visit you soon.
DeleteGlad they are back
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine :)
DeleteYou have an awesome number of birds visiting your feeder. You will never find a tipsy robin unless they find a crock of whiskey somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks Red, and I'm looking, haven't found that whiskey yet, lol!
DeleteIt's so nice to see all of your beautiful birds appreciating your offerings, Denise Your photos are great! I love the eyes on the mockingbird. So glad you had a red letter day with him. By the way your bird feeders are lovely. Have a cozy, warm afternoon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the sweet comment Martha Ellen, these birds always bring me great pleasure when they visit. The mockingbird was very exciting. I hope he comes back but even if he was passing through, the photos will be enough. So happy you like the feeders. Thanks again and you have a cozy, warm afternoon also, and for the rest of the week too :)
DeleteI'm so pleased that the birds, and so many species of birds are visiting your new table and feasting there. Beautiful photos of all the birds Denise. They are birds I will never see where I live. I sometimes see a wren, but have never been fortunate enough to photograph one. Wonderful captures, just wonderful! :=)
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you Sonjia, and very much appreciated :) I always enjoy the birds you share in photos from your area. Always a pleasure to see other birds from different parts of the world :) Thank you so much!
DeleteYou certainly have some great bird sightings, Denise, and while the mockingbird may be a new visitor, we used to see them quite often at our former VA home. The white-breasted nuthatch and blue jay were such striking images. Clearly, the birds are adapting to the new set-up
ReplyDeleteI hope you and Gregg had a wonderful holiday. We also appreciate your long-term friendship and hope we will see one another in the future. Thanks for your visit and comment on my recent post, much appreciated.
Hi Dorothy, and thank you. I haven’t seen a mockingbird in our area for quite a while. This might be because I have not noticed them, though the last time I did, I was further south by a couple of hundred miles. I know nothing about their migratory habits and have put it on my list to find out. Thank you for your lovely comment. I have enjoyed our friendship and look forward to the time we can meet up again. You and Pat enjoy the holidays, thank you also for your visit here :)
DeleteThey are all beautiful, and it's pleasing they have returned.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy about that Margaret, thank you :)
DeleteLovely post! I see mockingbirds once in a while, but not at my feeders. Your other birds are very much the same as mine, which figures since we live in the same state.
ReplyDeleteLovely that you enjoyed them Linda. Yes, I daresay we get the same birds with a few interesting drop-ins :)
DeleteThey are very good company.
ReplyDeleteVery good indeed :)
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