Eastern Blue Jay Chilling

This Eastern Blue Jay was just chilling out, totally relaxed on a hot muggy Florida afternoon.  The beautiful blue, black and white bird was perched in an Oak branch fairly near my neighbor’s bird feeder.   Smart bird.  This bird just was perched there in the cool shade, not moving much at all.  There has been a number of Eastern Blue Jays around the neighborhood in recent days.

There is an abundance of food now so the birds are quite happy.  Eastern Blue Jays are enjoying the small Acorns of the Live Oaks here.  I took these pictures on Sept. 18, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Carolina Chickadee’s Easter Feast

This tiny Carolina Chickadee is such a cute bird!  I took several pictures of this little chickadee yesterday afternoon at about 4:00PM.  The bird was feasting on a variety of bird seed at my next-door neighbor’s bird feeder.  I was really glad to see this bird.  I rarely see chickadees here.  The Carolina Chickadees eat seeds, small insects, nuts and fruits.  They really love the Black Sunflower Seeds, which seem to be an almost universally beloved seed for seed-eating small birds.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Back Yard Songsters

Eastern Blue Jay

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Mockingbird

Smaller birds have been visiting in my neighborhood recently.  I tok these photographs on Oct. 8, 2013 and again on Oct. 9, 2013.  We are likely seeing the first waves of migrating birds from up North.

I was happy to see a Carolina Chickadee, a Carolina Wren, Eastern Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker (one of a pair), and a bright Palm Warbler.  I also have seen a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, and many Tufted Titmice, Common Crows around.  These are all welcomed birds which I happily enjoyed!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Palm Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Carolina Wren

Fun Little Birds on a Dreary Day

A Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, and House Finch were among the birds that were out and about for a short time yesterday.  The weather was grey and nearly cold.  We had a short period of rain so the air was misty when I took these pictures in my yard.   I also saw the Red-bellied Woodpecker and a flock of Mourning Doves but they were camera shy and fled before I could get the camera focused and snap their picture.  Oh well.  I took these pictures on November 6, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Male Northern Cardinal

Female House Finch

Carolina Chickadee

A Hungry Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk came to stalk birds that were enjoying their daily meal at the bird feeder.  The feeder is next to my front porch.  Luckily for the little birds, the porch offers a lot of shelter when the hawks are around.  The hawk perched in one of the Oaks that are next to the little farm pond.

The hawk was scoping out both the feeder area, and the over-all fields and pond areas.  Hawks will eat mice, gophers, small birds as well as pond critters such as small Coots, ducks, and frogs.  The hawk here got its mouse and the birds were spared.  I took these pictures yesterday afternoon, October 31, 2012, from my living room window.  It  was windy and cold when I took the photos.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Woodpecker at the Feeder

This Red-bellied Woodpecker has been coming to the bird seed feeder just below my front porch for several weeks now off and on.   At first, the woodpecker could not make sense of the feeder and would only take a seed from the flat plastic bottom tray of the feeder.  Now, the bird has learned to put its long pointed bill into the opening of the seed cylinder and take a seed.  It prefers Sunflower Seeds to the Millet.  I took these pictures from my living room window on October 26, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!  I will close with my prayers and best of luck to those in the path of the hurricane Sandy in the next few days in the East.  Our weather here in Tennessee where I live is not really affected much and we are going to be absolutely fine here.

Titmice

There are Tufted Titmice in my yard and boy oh boy are they entertaining little birds.  They are flitting around the porch and some even have flown quite close to me when I was walking up my front steps!  Mostly they are sociable and not terribly wary of people.  The small grey birds have huge personalities and musical whistle songs.  The birds eat several types of insects and lots of different kind of seeds, nuts and fruits.  I know that they love the Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.  They will often sit on the porch railing and crack open the Sunflower Seed shells.  I took these pictures in my yard on October 22, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Birds at the Feeder Yesterday

There were Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, House Finches, White-breasted Nuthatches, a male Northern Cardinal, and even my old friend the Red-bellied Woodpecker.  Everyone but the woodpecker seemed quite comfortable and knowledgeable about how a bird seed feeder works.  The woodpecker just picked up Black Oil Sunflower seeds off of the feeder’s bottom tray.  Not as skilled at getting seed out of the tube as his cousin the Red-headed Woodpecker.

The Red-headed Woodpeckers have already migrated South for the Winter but I think the Red-bellied Woodpecker will stick around all Winter long.  I sure hope so.  The little birds are quite fun to watch and often will gather and impatiently wait for their turn at the feeder.  Of course, the feeder space clears out quickly when the woodpecker arrived.  It is “Boss” here!  Ha!  I took these pictures on October 22, 2012 from my yard and my living room window (Cardinal shot).  By the way,  that green background is the large lawn in back of the feeder in those shots.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Carolina Chickadee and House Finch

Male House Finch

Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Chickadee

Male Northern Cardinal

Finches Flitting Around the Feeder

The House Finches were just mobbing the bird feeder all day long yesterday.  I have been refilling my feeder every two-and-a-half days now.  The finches seem to flit between the porch rail, the ground, the metal feeder pole and the actual feeder.  They take turns.  A good thing since I am now seeing the House Finches come in groups of eight to ten at a time.  I think that almost the whole flock is grabbing the Millet and Black Oil Sunflower seeds.

The male House Finches are the ones with the slightly red head and chest.  The females are streaky, light and dark brown.  Finches are fairly  small birds.  By the way, I am now also seeing a couple of the Goldfinches here, too.  Not often do I see the yellow and black Goldfinches.  They are beautiful!  I took the picture of the House Finches yesterday and the Goldfinch on 9/4/12.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Little Bird Told Me

Actually many little birds told me.  That is, they told me that I need to refill the bird feeder with bird seed.  These tiny birds are just mobbing the feeder.  We fill this feeder every three days and it is not a small feeder.  Not that I mind very much.  I delight in seeing the White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, and Tufted Titmice that are now regulars at the feeder.

I also see one of the Red-headed Woodpeckers at the feeder.  I am no longer seeing any Red-winged Blackbirds or Brown-headed Cowbirds here at the feeder.  One bird that does not eat seed is the Eastern Bluebird.  I am showing a youngster that is just now turning orange and blue.  Bluebirds eat insects and are a wonderful bird to have here.  I took these pictures from my living room window and from the yard on August 28, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!