We’ve been found!

robin-smallSteve and I have new friends in Texas but they won’t be “friending” us on Facebook anytime soon. They all sport beaks and feathers … our house has gone to the birds! Last winter, we reported 14 species at our feeders … this year we’re seeing over 20 species every day. This morning started slow and, still, we had 16 species before breakfast. Wahoo… it is busy outside our windows.

A few days ago we were excited to see our first American Robin and we think s/he spread the word because the today’s highlight was a flock of about 140! Twenty or so perched in our trees, eating berries and drinking out of the bird bath. At one point, both Robins and Cedar Waxwings (our other big flock of the week) were drinking together. Dang, even with each of us holding a camera we missed that shot!

At the top of our favorites list is a pair of Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers dubbed “Sadie” and “Mister Mister”. “Missy”, our female Ladderback Woodpecker visits daily.mister-sm Sometimes, her handsome beau is also in attendance though he isn’t very reliable. The Bewick’s and Carolina Wrens, a pair each, are almost always here and, at any given moment, there might be dozens of American Goldfinches with, if we’re lucky, a Lesser Goldfinch or two mixed in. A couple pair of House Finches are usually around, as well as the Pine Siskins who are newcomers this week.

When the ground appears to be moving, look close. Likely it is a flock of chipping sparrows. Zip … what was that? Just one of the Yellow-Rumped Warblers chasing someone off of a suet log. They have staked their claim! The Orange-Crowned Warblers, skittish at first, practically land on Steve when he’s filling feeders and titmousethis afternoon, one looked like it wanted to join us inside. Steve has gotten pretty friendly with the little Ruby Crowned Kinglet too. Scrub Jays and Blue Jays, Cardinals, Titmice, Mourning and White-Winged Doves round out the list of birds at the feeders. Look a little farther out to find the Eastern Phoebe, and a little higher in the sky to catch the vultures, both Turkey and Black, and Red-Tailed Hawks, and you’ll have our list for this week. Now if only our Roadrunner and the Hermit Thrush will show up, our life will be complete. Oh, and the Bald Eagle we saw in November. We want it to come back. And the Crested Cara Cara we saw from the back deck. And … and … and …

With twelve feeders of varying types, as well as the bird bath, it’s hard to know where to look. Or to get anything else done. My neck hurts a bit, but overall, it’s not a bad way to spend a cold and dreary, drizzly winter day. (more photos)

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6 thoughts on “We’ve been found!

  1. Barbara Slegers-Hudson

    What a bright and ‘chirpy’ posting 🙂 It’s so incredible to read that the 2 of you share this love. What a warm and cozy ‘hug’ to each and every day.

  2. mom

    Wow! I loved it when I was there, but I came home too soon. We would get the flocks of robins in Kerrville on campus. Your photos are wonderful! Loved one of Steve feeding, he is so patient and I understand why birds love him, but then we do also! The birds have found all the suet feeders and munch a lot. Yours is really different. What kind of cornmeal do you use? Or are you adding seeds to it now? We are getting lots of birds but not the variety here. Two pairs of cardinals though so they are not so territorial now that it is cold. It is hard not to spend time watching here. I would never get anything done at your house. Judy Diehm said she is missing her birds.
    love you two

  3. Dad

    Beautiful pictures. It would be helpful for me, especially when there are 2 or more birds in the pictures, to tag them for me. I just saw 3 birds trying to eat the suet on the pine cones, but I do not have the patience to identify them. Come on up!

  4. Laura

    Your wish is my command, Dad. I tagged pics in the facebook album, at least if they had more than one type in the pic. The birds are already identified in the captions as well. Come to Michigan… hmmmm… what’s the temperature there today?

    Mom, the cornmeal is just “enriched yellow cornmeal” … HEB’s store brand. We’re not putting seeds into it, but we roll the pinecones in seed after covering them with suet.

  5. mom

    Thanks! the hogs here ate all the suet and we now have last of it out. I have made two batches. That is how the seed got on there. Great Idea! I have a big brown bird at suet feeders – about five of them. I am not sure what they are. I thought maybe they were female red=winged black birds but they are suppose to have white eyebrow. They are not pretty and kind of ruffed up looking. They are brown and maybe cowbird but not brown headed one. They hog the suet and fight over it. Oh, yes, our smart squirrel did get pine cone up on branch of tree. Smart little devil. One of them wasn’t out far enough to end and he got it up and laying on branch. He usually takes anything away he can get so I guess he couldn’t get it off branch. Little birds are liking the pine cones now a lot. Nothing seems to be eating fruit but woodpecker was back at suet. Temperature is very cold. Teens at night. We have had sun and warmer during day but we have all kinds of weather coming this week, so we will see.
    love you guys

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