It almost feels like Spring here in Tennessee this weekend. If we could get rid of that strong north wind, it would really feel warm!!!! BUT--I'm not complaining. The sunshine is WONDERFUL. The birds know that it's almost spring...They wake me up about 6 a.m. SINGING to the top of their lungs. There's LOVE in the air!!!!!
I thought that they would quit coming to the feeders as much now that the bad weather has passed--but so far, they are still very active. I have some good pictures to share with you today. Above is a picture of a colorful male Cardinal. He is really getting his beautiful red color back now. Bet he is looking for that special female in his life!!! Ya think????
We still have 50 or more Goldfinches at our feeders off and on all day long. This is our largest group of birds this winter. I love the picture of this little guy.. He is also beginning to get his pretty spring color. I can get much better pictures of the birds when the sun is shining and when there is blue sky in the background.
This little Carolina Wren was enjoying some breakfast early this morning. I like the way the sun was shining on him.
Guess what Mr. Bluebird was doing???????? (See the next picture!!!)
Mr. Blue is waiting on Pete (my resident Red-bellied Woodpecker) to finish his turn at the suet feeder... There are TWO suet feeders in this picture--but Mr. Blue obviously likes this one.....???? (By the way, 'something' has come at nights on two different occasions on our deck and 'stolen' one of the suet feeders from off the clothes line. Wonder what kind of critter can get it off of the clothesline without disturbing the clothespen holding it???????? We have NOT found either feeder! It's a mystery!!!!)
Pete is obviously taking his time at the feeder... He's not using his manners, is he???? By the way, note how some of the birds who eat Suet use their tails to help hold onto the feeder. Pete has a BIG bite, doesn't he?
All of the pictures above this one were taken in March... These next four pictures (including this one) were taken in February, but I haven't posted them yet. This little guy is another fav, one of our Tufted Titmice.
I have mentioned to some of you that my crazy Bluebirds love the Nyjer seed that I buy for the Goldfinches... They love to "hog" that feeder... They also love the suet... I have never bought mealworms--but maybe I will sometime. I have 'shot' my bird budget already (as George can tell you)... ha ha
What is that big bird at the suet feeder????? He's much larger than the feeder... That's a Pileated Woodpecker... He comes to the feeder about once a day--but I don't always get his picture. This picture was taken in February--and I haven't seen him at the feeders since. (Note that the Goldfinches in the plate feeder aren't bothered at all about the big woodpecker!!!)
"Hello. My name is Samson," says the Pileated Woodpecker. "I am all powerful!"
Hope you have enjoyed this latest group of pictures of my backyard birds... They bring so much joy to me!!!!! Have a wonderful Sunday!!!!
Hugs,
48 comments:
That Pileated Woodpecker looks so good to me. I have only had this one come around since 1962. About you disappearing suet cage and cake. It was a raccoon. They will take the whole thing and they are heavy enough that their weight can pull the links in the suet cake chain apart. We have actually seen them take the whole thing down up here. But the coons have left us several years ago and none have returned that we have seen. I guess they come and go at will.
We still don't have a single blue bird but are hoping this spring will be different. We got the bird houses ready yesterday. I put a mask on and Patty helped me get them cleaned out and ready to go.
We do still have a pair of cardinals and about 5 or 6 goldfinches -- they stayed all winter with a white-breasted nuthatches and tit-mice. What is the correct6 bird lingo for more than two tit-mouses?
Tit-mice?
When I see such a wide range of beautiful birds in your garden it makes me wonder 'why on earth do people want to live in concrete cities....'
Thank you for the lovely photos...a real joy!
Loved your post and photos of your backyard birds. I have suet disappear during the night. I do believe raccoons are stealing my birdfood. I see the Pileated in the woods next to my house all the time but never at my feeders.
Birds are so much fun!! Great photographs here Betsy...you know raccoons can do just about anything when it comes to food...just an idea.
Your photos are so great with your new camera. You must be thrilled with the sharpness of the close ups.
I'm with Abe on your missing suet feeder.
I am so envious of your Blues. Guess I ought to spring for Niger seeds.
I agree with Abraham - my first guess was a coon.
Love the pictures - the blue bird is my favorite!
One morning a week ago I headed out to the car to go to work and heard birds singing...robins, I think...some of which stay all winter here...but they hadn't been singing until that day.
What a cheery sound!
Wonderful shots, Betsy. I know how much joy they bring to you ... our backyard birds bring the same to us, but we don't have the selection that you do. That's okay ... we enjoy their antics! Samson is quite a guy! :D
Thanks for sharing your backyard beauties. Your Pileated Woodpecker pictures are fantastic and I also love the little Carolina Wren. That suet really attracts the birds!
Great pictures, Betsy! And you have such a wide variety that come to visit your feeders! I enjoyed this post. Very nice job. :)
Betsy: Great photos of all the birds. Okay, you can send them Northward.
Birds are so much fun to watch and pretty as well. I love the cardinal the best...fitting you started with one!
Loved all of these...but OOOOOoooo that Pileated! They are shy here and never come to the feeders, and if you spot them in the woods they fly if you try and get their photos...so you are very, very lucky.!!!
Wonderful job Betsy, love these bird shots, also like your Header too.
Its been like Spring here too this week.
A week in wales and now showing on my blog.
I enjoyed looking at your pictures of your backyard birds. I enjoy watching the birds that visit our yard too. Bob has a feeder attached to the window in his office. He has privacy film covering the window, so we can see the birds but the birds can't see us. The privacy film is great for watching the birds but leaves much to be desired when photographing the birds. When the ground thaws, Bob is going to put a feeder on a pole outside one of our back windows. I hope to capture some good photographs of birds visiting that feeder!
With all this wonderful beauty to enjoy, makes me wonder why we live in the city, in a highrise! We do take drives out to nature, but it's not the same like living right among all these gorgeous birds! Living vicariously here, lol!
Blessed Sunday to you both!
Hi Betsy!
Our birds are returning too! Annie is mesmerized by them :)
Our woodpeckers arrived Wed and have been hanging around every since. The Blue birds have landed in droves.
Spring is coming....
We put peanut butter out for our raccoons on a plate. They lap it up. But, sometimes I have to tromp thru the woods to find the plate!!
Have a wonderful suuny day here in Tn!
xo, misha
Hello Betsy. Another amazing birdies!
Such a wonderful place.
My money is on a raccoon:) They are wily buggars!
I'm so jealous of all those beautiful birds you have! Spring seems so far away ~ I took pictures of ice fishing yesterday! People are still ice fishing here ~ GAAAK!
Thank you for sharing your lovely photos! They brightened my day!
Catherine
Oh I loved all these photographs Betsy, such beautiful birds you have captured here. I agree about the raccoon, though I am no expert. I watched two on my deck for a while last year. Clever little things they are. I'd almost be tempted to stay up one night just to see ;)
Great shots as always. We have Pileated Woodpeckers in our woods, but I've never seen one on a feeder - perhaps there's plenty of natural food for them - they sound like a jackhammer when they're working on a tree.
Thanks for allowing me to sit at your window for a while and watch the birds.I love all the color.I hope that soon we will have more birds and more variety,until then I will enjoy yours. Have a fantastic day.After seeing this I now need to go clean up a sewer back up mess in the basement.YUK!
Blessings,Ruth
I was going to suggest a raccoon as your thief but I see others have beat me to it. Love that spring flurry of romance ... the songs are so heart warming.
Beautiful and lovely shots !! What a Great post !!
I always adore your bird shots. Each one is incredibly beautiful in his/her own way. Have a beautiful day. Diane
Absolutely a great variety of birds and great pics today Betsy!
I's vote raccoon. We had one two nites in a row, and so everything came for the night and now he is gone. for good hope. But I can't get rid of the pesky squirrel. Living next to the woods doesn't help.
Hello Joy,
I always like to click onto your site and be reminded with the sweet words in your subtitle.
Oh, how wonderful this winter has been for the birds at the birdfeeders. Only we had less goldfinches this year which I haven't been able to figure out. I bet raccoons got your suet feeders... they are notorious for climbing (at night)and destroying feeders if they can get to them.
You have all the same birds that we do except (boo) we don't have those adorable bluebirds. So much joy is right... birds and nature of all sorts just have a way of bringing us back to 'center' if we let them. Happy Sunday to you, too... we are getting up to 70 today with oodles of sunshine. Out to the garden we go.
*hugs*
Meems
Oops... I see now I was little late with my thoughts on the raccoon. Note to self: read other comments first.
They are so puuurrrtyyy.
Love is in the air, and at the feeders!!
Betsy,
Those pictures are awesome. You should frame those and start an store on etsy. Seriously!
Betsy I am so pleased to know all you wonderful birders. ONce we're at our cabin full time I intend to pick your brains for information on what to feed them, etc. Just love all their colorful pictures.
Blessings on your week ahead!
A wonderful, cheery post with so much variety of really sharp pictures!! We have seen a few pileateds here, but have never been able to get pictures. But that other woodpecker, I think it's a red-bellied? His eye looks partially red! Do they have red eyes? I do adore that last picture! I'm thinking that raccoons are very good with their hands and fingers...
Wow! Beautiful birds. Beautiful pictures. That cardinal reminds me of my childhood in West Virginia. Hurry, Spring, hurry, hurry! (I am afraid that we have at least two months of winter weather left.)
Bird budget?! We don't even want to geuss at how much we spend on the birdies!
Amazing . . . simply amazing shots! Except for the pileated woodpecker, we have all of these birds in our yard. But my pics aren't nearly so clear and up close! Do you mind telling what kind of camera you use?
Thanks for posting! Bird pics are some of my very favorites.
Great bird pictures. I haven't seen our pileated woodpecker in a long time,maybe he will come back soon. You reminded me that I have to get more suet blocks the squrells keep eating them.
♥♥ Hugs ♥♥
Beautiful pictures once again Betsy. I sat out in the back yard today for a while and was wishing I had a camera as the birds kept getting closer and closer,it was if they were so hungry they couldn't wait for me to move. Have a blessed evening,
Marilyn
That north wind is making its way down here also. This is the coldest winter we have had in the 25 years.
You birds photos are gorgeous, Betsy. I only wish they would come this far south for the winter.
Now I'm curious as to the Mystery Thief's identity.
Betsy, I certainly enjoy your bird photos...fabulous job of photography!!!
Excellent shots, Betsy. We all just love the birds. that little Tufted Titmouse sure is cute. MB
Lovely pictures as always! Love the red bird in the first picture!
It's such a treat to see these beautiful pictures. The colors are so brilliant and vibrant!
Sampson is a good name for him! We always say that Woody Woodpecker was designed by someone that watches the pileated woodpecker.
Your other shots are gorgeous!
What lovely photos of your bird buddies. I just love bluebirds but am disappointed that the two that were here last winter didn't make any appearances this winter. I like the woodpecker photos, Pete doesn't like to be hurried obviously! How long does it take to fill your feeders? The birds must rate your yard 5 star!
Pete and Samson are both very handsome fellows, I love seeing the woodpeckers. All of the other birds are beautiful but the Tufted Titmice have got to be one of the cutest birds ever.
I agree with all of the above on a raccoon. They are very clever critters.
I vote for raccoon getting the feeder. LOVE the first Bluebird photo, that new camera and lens is working out very well.
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