Birds (and other critters) of the Aerie

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

It's the second full day that the bird feeders have been out. The feathered creatures have been busy taking advantage of the free and easy food but there have been other visitors, too.

Birds Actually Seen

1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Red-breasted Nuthatch
3. White-breasted Nuthatch
4. Dark-eyed Junco
5. Northern Cardinal
6. Blue Jay
7. Pine Siskin
8. American Goldfinch
9. Tufted Titmouse
10. Mourning Dove
11. American Robin

Birds Heard

1. Common Raven
2. Piliated Woodpecker

In addition, there were two very fat raccoons on the deck when I came down at 3:30 AM. There have been as many as five very plump gray squirrels outside at one time during the day.

Then, this evening at 5:30 as we were preparing to sit down to a light dinner, I pointed the flashlight out in the yard to see if any deer were about. Nope. There were, however, four black bears chowing down on the bird feeders. It looked to be a sow with three of last year’s cubs. All were fat and glossy and, luckily, very wary. When I opened the sliding door to retrieve my feeders they all scattered. Three of them went up the hill to the south but one youngster went the wrong way heading down the trail toward the west. It got about ten yards down the trail before suddenly realizing it was alone. It screeched to a halt, turned around and went running up the hill after its mom and sibs. They emptied one stick feeder and the suet feeder and bent the two poles they were on but didn’t do any more damage.