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| Since the Pine Siskins didn't visit us this winter and take over the feeders, we have had more and more GOLDFINCHES. I've enjoyed watching the males as their yellow colors are getting prettier and prettier. |
Good Morning Friends and Family. Happy APRIL to you!!!!! April and May are always such exciting months for us here in Tennessee since we get leaves on the big trees, more and more flowering shrubs and Trees (Red Bud, Azaleas, Dogwoods), beautiful flowers (Irises, Roses, Day Lilies, Lilies, etc.), and GREEN GREEN GRASS.
As I write this on Sunday, 3/31, we are expecting a HUGE FREEZE tonight. Right now, our Tulips and Daffodils are putting on a show in our yard... I'm afraid that there will be damage to them after tonight, plus damage to some of the other new spring growth on our roses, etc..... It's SO sad --but Mother Nature seems to do this to us almost every year the first of April... Grrrrrrrr.
Today's post is not about the pretty flowers or the freeze --but is about some of our SPRING BIRDS... When the weather begins to warm up, the male birds sing their Spring Mating Songs and put on their pretty colors in order to attract that special female... Our Bluebirds started their mating season early --so they are busy busy busy right now going in and our of the nest box...
Many of you (who have followed me for years) know about my BIRD KITCHEN on our deck. I have a variety of options for the many backyard birds in my area. I have suet for the woodpeckers; black-sunflower seeds for most birds; Nyjer/thistle seed for the finches,; fruit and nuts for the Cardinals and most all birds; peanuts in the shell for the Blue Jays and Nuthatches; and mealworms for the Bluebirds...
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| My Bird Kitchen: top left (Mealworms); Suet Feeder (in middle); Big Red Roofed House (sunflower seeds); Plate (Fruit and Nuts, Peanuts, Sunflower seeds)- Bird's favorite feeder!; Domed feeder above the plate--Fruit and Nuts; Finch Feeder/Nyjer (on right); and out of view top right is another feeder for sunflower seeds; |
It is so much fun to sit inside and watch the birds as they go back and forth to and from the feeders. Recently, I was amused at one of my Blue Jays. He came to the feeder to get a peanut... WELL--I guess he is a 'picky' Jay --since he would pick one peanut up, then drop it, pick up another one, drop it, etc.... He finally chose just the PERFECT peanut and happily flew away with it.... ha ha... Oh the joys I have from feeding our little birds!!!!
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| BLUE JAY searching for that special Peanut!!! |
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| He found it!!!!! |
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| Such a pretty Goldfinch |
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Not a great picture --but this Pileated Woodpecker is enjoying some Suet... Look how big he is!!!!!
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| Mama Bluebird taking a break from "nest-duty" |
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| Purple Finch --getting his 'reds' (We don't have too many Purple Finches here --so it was exciting to see this one and capture a picture.) |
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| Another Purple Finch below the one in the Plate --eating some Sunflower Seeds |
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| Daddy Bluebird grabbed a nut in the plate!!!! NOTE: My Bluebirds are getting PICKY --like the Blue Jays!!! Walmart ran out of the mealworms I usually buy --so I had to buy a combo package with mealworms and a couple of other things mixed... Guess what? The Bluebirds wouldn't touch the new mealworms. I finally went to Amazon and ordered some... The Blues are happy with my new purchase!!!!! |
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| I had a hard time deciding what birds these two were... With some help from friends, I decided that they are Female Cowbirds... Since they look so much like Bluebirds with different colors, I wonder if these are two Cowbirds which my Bluebirds raised last year. Cowbirds are known to deposit their eggs in other birds' houses...Our Bluebirds are nice --in that they will help raise little Cowbirds... Just wondering!!!!! |
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| One more picture of the Cowbirds ---enjoying their breakfast (all over their faces)... ha |
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| Oh How I LOVE LOVE LOVE our beautiful Eastern Bluebirds!! |
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| I started with the pretty Goldfinch --so will end with them also!!!! |
Happy Birding my Friends!!!! Have a great week and an awesome Spring!!!!
Hugs,
33 comments:
Your bird kitchen is a great idea for bringing the birds within viewing distance. You go to lots of trouble to ensure you cater for all tastes.
YOu have a wonderful selection of birds to see, photograph and feed Betsy.
The first thing I thought of when I read your title was your bird kitchen. You have such a nice variety visiting you. The goldfinch is one of my favorites
Hello,
I love the bird feeder setup! You do have a lot of Goldfinches! I have been seeing around 4 Pine Siskins at my feeders. I wish I the bluebirds would come to my feeders, they are picky eaters. Those cowbirds are lazy, they should look after their own nest and babies. I have seen the Jays weighing the peanuts, looking first for the heavier peanut. It is funny watching them.
It is really cold here this morning. Happy Monday, enjoy your day! Wishing you a great new week ahead!
Love your bird kitchen and also love feeding the birds where we live. I work to keep raccoons away from the feeders. Need to take feeders in each night and back outside early morning. We had a cold night 20 degrees but sun is shining this morning. : ).
You guys obviously know how to attract a large variety of birds to your feeders
You made me realize that one thong I do miss by moving away from our yard is the birds. Thanks for sharing yours. Now I see the birds as they fly past. We have had an occasional visit from humming birds and crows. I found a peanut on the balcony the other day that a blue jay probably dropped though the feeder is 10 floors below here.
You got some wonderful pictures of your customers at the Bird Kitchen. You're obviously a great hostess since you have so many customers each day!
I can see why the birds flock to your kitchen....it's a huge and delicious buffet!! I thought I was doing good with just the one feeder; then again, I don't have the variety that you have.
I hope the freeze wasn't too bad for your pretty flowers.
Betsy, Great bird photos! You really do have a major feeding station... We love the bluebirds, woodpeckers and finches and I especially like the wrens that visit our feeders. A hawk recently picked off one half of our pairs of doves. Sad...but nature at work. We recently had a couple of yellow rumped warblers stop by for a snack... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
I love your header photo, Betsy! Wow!
Great bird photos too. You certainly have a nice variety of birds visiting your feeders. They are so much fun to watch.
You are fortunate being able to see and enjoy so any different birds. We do not have many around here. Trust you are doing better.
Lovely photos Betsy. Last Thursday I was enjoying watching a beautiful woodpecker in the tree outside our living room window. I had never seen him before and I enjoyed the show he put on preening himself. A few hours later there was a horrendous racket in the house and I could not find the source of it. Finally, I went outside and looked at the roof and there was the woodpecker on top of our metal chimney cap drilling into it. Thankfully he hasn’t been back to do that again. What an awful, awful racket! It sounded like someone was jackhammering the house down!
Blessings, Betsy
So very gorgeous! You're so lucky to have so many birds to photograph.
You really provide a gourmet spread.
That gets you such a great variety. Can't believe you have a Pileated Woodpecker at your feeder. Yea.
Any cow bird we see had some other bird for a momma. Mother cowbirds are the worst mothers in nature but it is just how they are taught.
I know it's a lot of work and expense to feed so many, but they do bring you so much pleasure that I'm sure it's worth it. I love all these beautiful feathered critters. Goldfinches are special favorites, but the eastern bluebirds are right up there on my list, too.
Hi Betsy, it is good to see a post from you! So glad you are still enjoying lots of birds! I would not be able to tell a purple finch apart from a house finch, both have so much red and are the same size. Looks like you have taught them to be gourmets!! My favorites would have to be the two pictures of the blue jay and huge peanut!! I hope you and George are doing well.
Oh my goodness nothing makes me happier than looking at all those BEAUTIFUL birds and you flowers and you can see it out your kitchen. You are a lucky woman Miss Betsy. That Pileated Woodpecker was huge. Hugs.
Your birdies are spoiled.LOL I see that your Goldfinches are ahead of mine here.Mine are just beginning to show some brighter yellow, but they are changing. I wish I had Bluebirds that would come to the feeders, but it seems they don';t like being in town.
What pretty birds!
Hi, Betsy. I wanted to visit and thank you for your prayers. Hubby is doing great. Love your birds! Great pictures of them.
Fun to see your birds! I'm hoping to feed mine for another week, but if the bear destroys the feeders, the season is over.
It was fun getting to see all of the birds you attract to your feeders. Aren't the Blue Jays funny? Around our house crows and blue jays are the first to call out warnings to the other birds if a hawk shows up.
Your bird feeder pictures of the goldfinches look like my zinnia beds in summer. Goldfinches perch on the zinnia stems and pluck the petals off to eat the seeds on the petal tips. When they are done it looks like confetti all around on the zinnia leaves and ground. There have been a few times, when there just got to be too many of them on my zinnias petal plucking, I have had to open the front door which makes a noise that scares them away, otherwise I would just have nothing but leaves and empty seed heads left.
I love the purple finches. The males have such a pretty song when they are deciding where to build their nest. Does anyone know why they are called purple finches when they have red feathers on their bellies.
You are so good to your sweet birds! We are having to fill our feeders every other day lately. There are lots of Goldfinches and house finches....we love them all! Hope it warms up for you soon! Enjoy your day sweet lady!
Hi, Betsy. I followed your name from another blog yesterday after seeing a comment from you and having had seen other comments before.
My spring header is from last May. Ottawa has had a tulip festival each May for decades. It's a positive legacy from the Second World War, as the Dutch sent tulips in gratitude for Canadians liberating the country.
Bluebirds are just so beautiful...not that all birds aren't. Love all those goldfinches...that sure is a lot. I bet there was something wrong with the peanuts the jay rejected...I wish you had watched and knew which one he dropped and had went and checked to see.
Lovely header! It's a joy to see the lovely bloooms when open your web page :)
I love your bird kitchen. Wish I had a place to put up one. Waiting for the weather to get better around here to put up my feeders. Thanks for sharing.
It must be so relaxing to be monitoring birds like this. I would probably take this job over any office job in 10 out of 10 situations. Great article, I love birds :)
OMG.BET
Just like the cowbirds our Asian Koels (or cuckoos) too lay eggs on other birds nest esp. on crow built nest. Been long time seeing birds at your blog and I’m glad you able to enjoy them from home. Good to know you’re doing well despite the heart issue and I wish you continue to do things you love.
Take care
Dear Betsy
I just love your bird kitchen, it's wonderful. I envy you all the colourful birds you get so close by and you certainly look after them with the wonderful supply and selection of bird food.
Birds are just wonderful and we are fortunate to have a garden robin that regularly visits … so special and I always say hello to him!
Happy April Wishes.
All the best Jan
You make such an effort to feed your beautiful birds. It must be rewarding to sit and watch them. The gold finch and bluebirds are so pretty.
You have so many beautiful birds that you feed, it reminds me of the birds we had at our home. I know you enjoy feeding them, but especially watching them and their beauty.
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