A Carolina Chickadee was spotted on a branch of a Crepe Myrtle shrub in my yard the other day. The tiny buff, brown, and black songbird was probably dining on the Crepe Myrtle berries or possibly snacking upon Magnolia seeds. I also saw the little bird flit over to the downspout of my rain gutter for a quick drink of the collected droplets of rain or dew still on the metal. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo. Enjoy!
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!
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!
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!
The House Finches have just mobbed the bird feeder! They tend to come in groups of six or seven but they come early and often. I think the Millet is the big attraction as I have not yet had any of their other favorite, Nyger or Niger Seed, in the feeder. The Carolina Chickadees are also enjoying the feeder. The day was sunny and cooler here yesterday. That nice weather is great for the wildlife (I liked it too!).
The hen House Finches are brown and have a light buff-colored chest that is streaked with dark brown. They are not as flashy as the males. Males have a splash of red feathering on their heads during the breeding season. These birds like being near homes and are often seen at bird feeders. I took these pictures in my yard on August 11, 2012. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo. Enjoy!
Carolina Chickadees have been here for the last few days. Several of the little birds are coming to the bird feeder. These birds have not been here for months. These grey and black and light cream-colored birds are here flying around with the finches, the White-breasted Nuthatches and the sparrows.I took these pictures here at the house on July 25, 2012 and again on July 26, 2012. The Carolina Chickadees love eating Sunflower Seeds as well as the Millet Seeds.
According to the TN Wildlife Resources Agency information on this bird, one way to tell the difference between the Black Capped Chickadee and the Carolina Chickadee, is that the Carolina has a song of four notes, while the Black Capped has a three note song. Interesting. There are slight differences between these birds. The Black Capped is a bit larger and has a less-defined black bib with more grey on its wing edges. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph. Enjoy!
There are a flock of Chipping Sparrows here in the yards on a regular basis. They come to the bird feeder daily along with the Brown-headed Cowbirds. The Chipping Sparrows like to eat grass seed, and seeds from native weeds. They are small brown and beige birds. They hop around on the ground and usually are found in tall grass and around brush piles. They are cute little guys! The Chipping Sparrow looks a bit like the Song Sparrow, but it does not have a black bib mark on its chest. I took these pictures in my yards on various dates in the first week of July, 2012. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture. Enjoy!
The porch rail, small tree, and the feeder pole all were places where the two Tufted Titmice perched on March 7, 2012 and again on March 10, 2012. They are daily visitors to the bird feeder that is just under my porch. These petite grey and buff-colored birds are fun to watch up close. One was sitting on the top of a porch chair and posed for the camera. I took all of these pictures from my living room window though the screen and the porch railing. It is too hard to take pictures outdoors of the birds on the feeder unless i am far away and am quite lucky. I noticed the little Tufted Titmouse in an old fruit tree at the Southern edge of my property near my driveway.
A Carolina Chickadee came to the bird feeder yesterday morning here at the little farm. This bird was the first Carolina Chickadee I have seen here this year. I used to see a lot of the Carolina Chickadees where I just moved from at my lake home. That home was located in a heavily wooded neighborhood. My present neighborhood does have woodlands but also has a lot of cleared pasture lands. I am hoping to see more of the cute little Carolina Chickadees.
Carolina Chickadees are grey with a black head, white cheeks, white chest and a little area of black at the throat and upper chest (sometimes referred to as a “bib”). They eat berries, fruits, seeds, and many insects. Both the males and females look-alike. Young chickadees also look similar to the adults but of course are small. These birds tend to hang out with other small birds like the Tufted Titmice. They often sound like: “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee”. I so enjoyed seeing this perky bird yesterday. These pictures were taken from inside my living room through the window and porch railing. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture. Enjoy!
