Feeder watch - a list of the birds that have been at my bird feeders this morning:

[hedgehog]

Cow birds (male & female)

Cardinal

Chickadee

Ruby throat hummingbird

Mockingbird

Tufted tit mouse

Brown leghorn hen



I have my feeder strung across the top of an old swing set. The feeder with the sunflower seeds and peanuts is hanging next to one of the cross braces. The hen is sitting on the cross brace trying to reach the feeder. It is just out of her reach, but swings tantalizingly close whenever a bird lands on it!

[leftyclimber]

1. This morning, we have had:

Black-capped chickadees
Chipping sparrows
Hairy woodpeckers
Red-breasted woodpeckers
Mourning doves
White-breasted nuthatches
European starlings
Northern cardinals
Blue jays
House finches
American robins (on the ground below, eating worms)

We also get visits from:

Tufted titmice (-mouses?)
Fuzzy woodpeckers
Song sparrows
American crows
House finches
Red-breasted nuthatches
(not yet identified as to species but probably a female ruby-throated) hummingbird

And in the past we have had guest appearances from a:

Wood thrush
Red-winged blackbird
Rufous-sided towhee

(edit: duplicate bird species)

[hedgehog]

2. Those of us east of the Rockies have it easy identifying hummingbirds - the

only species here is the Ruby Throated variety.

Still, I bet I'm the only one with claim to a chicken.



Also, I forgot to mention the Gray Squirrel!

[Gonzo Gardener]

3. Nest watching here...

:hi:

I spotted two small nests, one occupied, in one of our honeysuckle bushes last weekend. The little fuzzy peep was unidentifiable so, I've been watching to see who is delivering the meals... a very proud Ma and Pa Cardinal! I see Momma picking through the grass near my office window every afternoon and flashes of bright red as Papa chases away other males.

Mr GM found a large nest that had fallen out of one of the big oaks near the driveway last night... smashed little blue eggs all over the ground. :(

We have barn swallows nesting in one of the outbuildings (my gardening shed). I love watching the swallows swoop over the yard and field, but the mess of swallow poop is another matter, entirely!

There are several other nest around that I have not been keeping as close an eye on, but I do enjoy watching the parents coax the babies out when it's time for flying lessons.

I've also observed several kinds of woodpeckers drilling holes up a couple of dead trees near our property line. So far I've seen Red Bellied, Downy, Hairy, and even a male Piliated!

If we hang feeders here the hawks use them like drive-thru restaurants, yikes! I've limited myself to supplying my feathered friends with shelter and fresh water, but we do plant tons of sunflowers and dry the heads to make our own version of 'Super Suet' to hang during the winter.

Your hen sounds a bit goofy, lol!

[hedgehog]

4. I remember the summer swallows roosted in a bird house in the middle of our field.

They used to dive bomb any of our cats who came near.