Birds at the Feeder Yesterday

A Tufted Titmouse

Yesterday a male House Finch and a Tufted Titmouse both came to visit the bird feeder along with a few Red-winged Blackbirds, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a pair of Northern Cardinals.  The only ones I was able to photograph were the House Finch and the Tufted Titmouse.  It has been quite hot here recently so the birds enjoy the area where the feeder is located as it is shaded in the late afternoon.  I took these pictures from my living room window and also from the yard.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A male House Finch

Pretty Birds

House Finch

Here are a few photographs of songbirds that have visited my yards in the past week.  I so enjoy seeing birds here that have been away for a few months or weeks.  I saw a pair of House Finches, an American Robin, several Eastern Bluebirds, an Eastern Blue Jay, and a White-breasted Nuthatch.  These birds are those that are quite lovely.  That House Finch is now in its breeding plumage.  I did not see the female House Finch around but she looks much like the male but a lot more muted in color.  That is the case too, with the bluebirds.  I took all of these pictures in my yard in the last several days.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture,  Enjoy!

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Blue Jay

American Robin

House Finch

White-breasted Nuthatch

House Finch Visiting the Front Feeder

The brilliant brown and salmon red male House Finch was a welcome visitor to my front yard bird feeder on October 27, 2010 in the afternoon.  I usually keep my front yard tube style bird feeder filled with a mix heavy on the Millet  Grain and Nyger  or Niger Seed that the Finches love.  The mix does have some slender black oil Sunflower Seed in it too.  I also throw in a tiny amount of the regular fruit and nut plus seed mix from the backyard feeder, but I make sure that the pieces in the feeder are fairly small ones. The House Finch male is brown with reddish chest and head but not extensively so.  The female is much more of a brown bird with a bit of reddish streaking.  The Finches here come and go with a small flock or two coming around about every two weeks.  I only saw this one bird at that particular time.  I enjoy the variety of having Finches visit.  I try to keep one feeder that is more devoted to the small birds so they don’t have to compete with more aggressive large birds.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.

House Finch and Friends at the Bird Feeder

A few days ago I had a lot of different bird guests at my front yard Finch seed mix bird feeder.  I enjoyed seeing this male House Finch with his beautiful brown and red colors.  He was joined by a Carolina Chickadee, a female Goldfinch, and a Tufted Titmouse.  These little birds all enjoyed eating the Millet, Nyger or Niger Thistle, and Black Oil Sunflower Seed mix.  It has been warm and breezy here.  These pictures were taken just a few hours after it had rained.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Beautiful Yellow Goldfinches on the Finch Mix Seed Feeder

A few days ago I took these pictures of  spectacularly bright yellow male and a duller yellow Goldfinches eating thistle seed mix at my front yard bird feeder.  I have a general finch and small bird  mix of Millet, Niger, and Black Oil Sunflower seeds in that particular feeder.  It attracts the Goldfinches, House Finches, Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice.  The male Goldfinches are usually much brighter in color than the female Goldfinches.  There are a flock of these Goldfinches that live over near the dam of our community lake, about a quarter mile away.  Occasionally I am graced with a visit by these wonderful birds.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Female Goldfinch (left) & House Finch

Bright and Brilliantly-Colored Birds

Eastern Bluebirds

I just love the different brightly colored birds!   We have recently had yellow and black Goldfinches come to the feeders.  We also have had a few House Finches here.  Down the street I often can find many Eastern Bluebirds and a few Northern Cardinals.  Occasionally we have a Red-bellied Woodpecker  here.  Sometimes, we even have several Woodpeckers at once.  I recently took these pictures in my yards or just when walking along down the street here.  By the way, most of these very brightly colored birds are the males.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Goldfinch Male

House Finch

Northern Cardinal Male

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

House Finch Male

American Robin Male

Red-bellied Woodpecker Male

Nutty About Nuthatches!

White-Breasted Nuthatch on Feeder

The White-Breasted Nuthatch birds are loving my back yard bird feeders.  I was slightly surprised at how often the birds are coming to get the seeds.  I always assumed that because the White-Breasted Nuthatches were poking the bark of the trees, that they were primarily insect eaters.  I think that they eat both insects and seeds.  After observing the Nuthatches just after they grab some bird seed from the feeder, I now believe that sometimes they cache away some of the seed within bark crevices on the trunks of favorite trees.  The White-Breasted Nuthatch is a very small agile bird that is grey and white and black.  It climbs up and down on the trunks of trees in a manner similar to that of Woodpeckers and has long claws that help with the climbing.  The bird has a small head and a long pointed beak.  I recently took these pictures of several White-Breasted Nuthatches in my back yard.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

White-Breasted Nuthatch (right) with House Finch

White-Breasted Nuthatch (right) with Tufted Titmouse (flying)

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

A House Finch at the Bird Feeder

The Male House Finch

The House Finch bird is very beautiful!  It is a small bird that enjoys eating at my new front yard feeder.  The male House Finch bird is bright red and brown in color with the female a more muted version with more brown than red.  Sometimes the House Finch may be mistaken for a juvenile Cardinal.  The House Finch loves eating seeds.  The favorites are Niger or Nyger thistle seed, Sunflower seed, Millet seed, and cracked hard corn.  The House Finch also likes eating small berries and tiny pieces of fruits.

I enjoy watching the House Finch at the feeder.  It likes to perch and take its time eating.  I actually got within two feet of a House Finch when it was at the feeder  – not that I do that very often.  It is much better to leave the birds alone when they are eating.  I have had a lot more birds in my yards since reinstalling the bird feeder.  Goes to show ya that when there are free groceries, they will come!  :   )     Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!