Bird Tales

Lots of new species at the bird feeder the last few days. Mourning doves, blue jays, a diverse assortment of cryptically-patterned sparrows (including unconfirmed fox, chipping & song sparrows), a Carolina wren, Cooper's and red-tailed hawks, and downy and red-bellied (1) woodpeckers. The sparrows, titmice and juncos have become our regular regulars, so to speak. It's interesting to note how much more comfortable the birds seem as they've settled into a familiar pattern of feeding and pecking.

With all of the recent snow storms I've had to be pretty diligent about scattering a layer of seed for the ground feeders. Just today I noticed that the space underneath the picnic table has remained relatively free of powder. It also makes for a cozy little bird nook, so tomorrow I'll try throwing a bit of seed in there and see how things play out. The squirrels have really eased back on visits of late, to the point that I've actually digressed in my ability to differentiate them. Maybe they got belly-aches from gorging themselves on seed.