More Aerie Birds, May 4, 2011

Just a few bird photos from the backyard.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

The smaller of the two nuthatches in the region, this little guy is a darting piece of dapperness. It will swoop in to snatch a bit of suet or a sunflower seed and then head for the trees to eat its treat. Like it's larger cousin the White-breasted Nuthatch, it will forage along the trunks of trees looking for insects, spiders and their eggs by hopping down the bole of the tree head first.

Chipping Sparrow

The smallest of sparrows, this little bird sports a rusty red beret and a clean grey breast. It's a ground feeder and will be found scratching for seeds beneath the shrubs or along the sides of trails.

Eastern Towhee

This used to be called the "Rufus-sided Towhee" for obvious reasons. The bright red eye is a distinguishing characteristic shared by both sexes--which is good because the female is much more drab in appearance being mostly an earthy brown. Another ground feeder, it will scratch for seeds and insects by kicking both feet simultaneously. It has a very loud and distinctive song that commands that you "Drink your tea!"

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

This rather stubby, chubby robin-sized bird with brilliant black and white plumage with a bright red bib is a welcome visitor in the summer.

American Goldfinch

The male's bright yellow and black highlights make this a welcome and colorful summer visitor. Large flocks can be seen at feeders and along the side of the road where weeds have grown tall. We've so many that it looks like we've decorated our trees with yellow Easter eggs.

One other recent and notable visitor is the Indigo Bunting. One appeared on the deck yesterday as we were eating our lunch. It stayed only long enough to grab a couple of sunflower seeds before heading off into the trees. We've had them around the place every summer so there's no reason to believe he won't be back.