Northern Mockingbird
Glorious day, sky a Texas or New Mexico blue, chilly but calm. Just filled up all the birdfeeders, washed and refilled the birdbath, put the heater back in it. We're expecting a real winter storm beginning tonight or tomorrow morning. This one could really sock us in, with up to nine inches of snow. Remember, we're not used to that much snow here - it would truly be, as they say on the Weather Channel, an Event.
Lots of activity at the feeders, nothing exotic or exciting - except that for me all birds are exciting. Lots of cardinals and house finches at the safflower seed, a flock of chickadees and titmice crowding around the sunflower seed, american goldfinches in their drab winter outfits at the niger. On the ground a gang of mourning doves scarfing up whatever they can get, as well as assorted LB J's, mainly sparrows. Haven't seen the big woodpecker lately, but the mockingbirds are chowing down on the suet blocks - as are also the squirrels. If we get the expected snow, they'll all be grateful to have full feeders. I need to get more suet blocks, I'm on my last one right now. They're a great energy source for the birds that like them.
If you don't yet feed the birds, or would just like to know more about it, here's a website to get you going. It's the best winter fun, the snow makes it even better - it's when I'm grateful for the bright red of the cardinals, it's lovely against the snow.
3 comments:
Oh I love watching the birds at my feeder. They've been going nuts here. Just like you, nothing too exotic, although I saw a woodpecker trying to hang onto the perch yesterday, he was having a hard time and looked like he was nearly upside down. My favorites are the titmice, they actually seem polite, they fly in fast, grab a bite and fly out to perch elsewhere, giving others a chance to eat, too! Not too many sparrows or wrens (which were most common when I lived in Charlotte), some cardinals, and chickadees. And I've started sprinkling some seeds around for the mourning doves and juncos who seem to prefer to eat off the ground. Some days there must be a combined crowd of 30-40 birds hopping around on my patio! The cats go crazy, but the birds seem to know they are safe!
When the guy next door cut down his trees, our bird population just about dried up. I've been so disheartened that I haven't even been filling the feeders this winter. We've had a mild winter and I don't think I'm depriving anybody. But I do miss them... Lisa :-]
Aw, I miss them. I'm pretty sure that the birdseed on the ground last year is what enticed the rat from the church parking lot behind us, who then moved on into the house, so I haven't put any seed out this year. Maybe just suet would be a good idea.
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