The birds are back in town. November 5, 2009
Posted by ourfriendben in critters, homesteading, wit and wisdom.Tags: backyard birds, feeding birds, winter birds
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With all due apologies to Thin Lizzy and “The Boys Are Back in Town,” our friend Ben and Silence Dogood have been enjoying the return of our winter birds here at our cottage home, Hawk’s Haven, located in the precise middle of nowhere, PA. We’d kept up three tube feeders through the summer, enjoying the goldfinches and occasional chickadee who came around to sample our black oil sunflower seeds. But with the advent of truly cold nights, we set out five additional feeders and added mixed birdseed and suet cakes to the black oil sunflower seeds.
This morning, our friend Ben was looking at our cabin feeder through one of the living room windows and one of our tube feeders over the deck bridge, and I realized that the birds were back. There were the titmice, the chickadees, the nuthatches, the house finches. There were still the resident flocks of goldfinches and cardinals, who live here throughout the year, as well as one bold little wren that’s called our backyard home this past year. Not everyone is here yet—the increasing cold will draw juncos and woodpeckers, bluejays, purple finches, and sparrows. We always hope for rose-breasted grosbeaks and cedar waxwings, but have yet to see them. Maybe this year!
Meanwhile, our friend Ben noticed some distinct oddities in our autumn guests. Typically, our titmice are the same size as the black-capped chickadees, but this year, they’re noticeably larger. The black-caps and Carolina chickadees are here together this year so it’s easy to tell them apart, since the Carolinas are considerably smaller than the black-caps. And lo and behold, there was a mockingbird, state bird of our friend Ben’s and Silence’s home state of Tennessee, all puffed up but clearly ready to stick it out here at our Pennsylvania feeders.
Because we’re down to two outdoor cats, we also have a very fat family of squirrels enjoying our cabin feeder. We wish they’d settled for caching our shagbark hickory nuts, butternuts, and black walnuts instead!
Gack, that reminds me, I’d better get out there and refill those feeders. The birds are back in town!
I can almost picture that in my mind’s eye with your description : )
It is wonderful to see so much activity at your feeders and have something to aim for every day, with checking out how many birds are dining at your little bird restaurant.
Heaven forbid they ‘ask” for a menu ? LOL
PS .. I’m so tired this morning I hope this comment made sense ?
Ack! Get back to bed, Joy! (And take those feline bedwarmers with you!) As for the bird diner menu, after setting out many kinds of feed over the years, we find that black oil sunflower seed in the tube feeders, mixed seed in the cabin feeder, and a block of seed-and-suet/peanut butter mix in the suet feeder seems to make everybody happy!
Don’t you love the little birds…I can’t help it, I love them best…They were the first birds I became acquainted with when I moved here from MO. The Tufted Titmouse’ s round big eyes and that little tuft of feathers makes me smile. gail
Gail, we confess, we’re jealous of you down there in Nashville, since you have two birds we really love but don’t get up here, towhees and brown thrashers. You’ll just have to enjoy them for us!
If you would like more mockingbirds I have several we could ship out to you! They are so territorial and keep the other birds away from the feeders. I moved one feeder to the front yard to make it difficult for the mockingbirds to guard both! The cardinals have been very hungry lately. We barely saw them all summer. Back where the greenhouse is being built the Carolina Wrens frolic. I’m enjoying watching them as I build.
I should have guessed that mockingbirds were territorial because they’re so fearless, Dave! Back in Nashville, one would perch on the back of my chair when I was reading. Good company! Speaking of which, I’m glad your wrens are keeping you company while you build the greenhouse. Who knows, maybe they’ll nest in one of your pots!
Ben and Silence, I know the towhees…They are so much fun to watch. But I have to acquaint myself with the brown thrashers. Perhaps I am seeing them but mix them up with another brown bird.
Brown thrashers are wonderful birds, Gail! They’re big—maybe robin-sized, with a longer tail—and handsome, sort of like mockingbirds but with reddish-brown spots and speckles and a white belly. True to their name, they thrash around in the leaves looking for food. One of our all-time faves!
How cool that you have a mockingbird there! I’m getting into it this year — just joined Project Feederwatch. I’ve noticed that the black sunflower seeds are disappearing fast – I think I’ll get more to make them a larger percentage of the mix. Also plan to try some suet this year. I’m seeing some bigger than usual titmice here, too. Maybe we should start calling them titrats.
Ack, titrats!!! Loved your post today!!!