Aerie Birds

A couple of days ago I mentioned that we had a plethora of species feeding on the deck ad that in the span of 10 or 15 minutes I counted 8 or 9 species. I just downloaded the pictures I took from that event and, while I didn't capture snapshots of all of them, I was still surprised at the number I did manage to capture in about six minutes of shooting.

The Northern Cardinal was camera shy. In the few seconds he was here, he refused to look my way. Even so, the color is most welcome on a gray winter's day. They usually do not come to the feeders in mid-day but are often there in the twilight hours. Perhaps because they are more visible in bright light?

The Tufted Titmouse is a dapper little bird with the biggest, roundest eyes! That little rufous coloring un the flanks can be found on several different species.

The ubiquitous Black-capped Chickadee. Small, swift, friendly and loud! They hoard seeds in nooks and crannies of trees for snacking later. They also will cram several into a bird box or old nest hole on cold winter nights.

Blue Jays are the bullies and the alarm system for the feeding birds. They may drive everyone else away from the tray but when they give an alarm call everyone scatters or freezes in place until they identify the potential danger.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is usually found climbing head first down a tree trunk. Hence the long pointy claws.

The Dark-eyed Junco is sometimes called the Snow Bird because of it's habit of forming large flocks late in the fall and foraging for seeds on top of the snow all winter. They scratch at the ground cover--be it leaves, grass or snow--to get at the seeds. I made it too easy for these guys!

The American Goldfinch also forms large flocks during the fall and winter. They feed together and will take off in en masse to fly around the area for no apparent reason before returning to the trees and/or food.

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest of the ladder-back woodpeckers. You can see why they get that nickname from this shot of a male Downy on the stick feeder. Like the White-breasted Nuthatch, the Downy will take a seed and wedge it into a convenient crack to hammer it open.

All these pictures were taken between 11:57 and 12:03 on February 22nd. I missed a few species because I picked up the camera late (the last Mourning Dove left just as I was focusing on it) or because the danged bird was just too fast for me (Red-breasted Nuthatch).

This was not an unusual day. There is a constant coming and going of birds around the Aerie. And, if the wind is blowing just right, you might see a Raven, Sharp-shinned Hawk or Red-tailed Hawk passing by at eye level. (In the summer there's always a Turkey Vulture or two soaring somewhere above. On rare occasions, I've also seen Broad-winged Hawks, Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles.)

As I've said before just watching all the action can get you tired out.