At this time of year you might think there might be a lull in the joys of watching birds. There are no courtships, no nest building, no fledglings and the juveniles have become proficient in finding food and no longer clown around. The migrating birds haven't arrived yet.
Still, this is one of my favorite bird watching times. My favorite birds are our most common visitors. I love the chickadee for its friendliness and easy approach. Another of my favorites is the Tufted Titmouse. We were fortunate to have several broods this year in our woods. Sometimes the woods seem full of them and the air is filled with their surprisingly loud voices.
Here are a few shots of a titmouse working on a seed or nut it has found.
He holds it between his feet and pecks away.
Such a sweet bird. I'm glad he will not migrate, but will spend the winter with us.
19 comments:
I do the same thing! The nests around my Mom's house are built from horse hair and lined by golden fur!
Sam
What a fantastic idea to provide the birds with a source of supplies with which to decorate their nest! I can just imagine how soft! I'm going to ask the Lord to forgive me that I envy all you bloggers who have gorgeous birds to watch. Thanks for posting the pictures of your lovely birds!
I feel the same way. I don't keep a life list, and I am completely content to just watch the birds living their bird lives. We haven't seen any chickadees in our yard, but instead we have the delightful red-breasted nuthatch. We don't have the tufted titmouse out west, but we do have a secretive oak titmouse that sneaks onto the platform feeder several times a day for a snack! It is a joy to just watch.
I'm like you, Carolyn. I'm more of a 'watcher' than a 'looker'.... We are lucky to have the sweet little titmice, the chickadees and the nuthatches here year 'round. They are such sweet little birds --and I enjoy watching them so much!!!!!
Hope your weather is now like ours ---mild with very little humidity.... Just PERFECT....
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
This is so sweet Caroline. Love the photos of the little titmouse.
Simple pleasures in life are always the sweetest.
Now, I must go fill up my feeders.
I do love your pictures! I birdwatch via your blog! That way, I know what I'm seeing.
Add me to the list of those who love to watch birds--I've tried to see what bird was making a 'sound' in the trees and I can hardly ever see them--maybe that's why I love to watch what I can see! :-)) I hope your week is off to a good start!!
The titmouse photos highlighted the features and character of the attractive bird. Bird watching for fun takes out the stress of lists. -- barbara
We were given a bird feeder and it has never been used. After I started blogging and seeing all of the beautiful photos, I have decided that the bird feeder will be cleaned and put up this coming weekend. I also take my dog outside to brush him and leave the hair tucked in the grass.
We have several feeders -- one that we can see from our dining table and we enjoy watching our 'customers' dine while we are having our meals. We but sunflower seed in 50# bags and go through one in about three weeks. Such a joy to watch the birds!
I enjoyed your Titmouse photos, Carolyn. It is working so diligently on the seed. I cannot put any feeders out until the bears hibernate - which should be in another month.
We also enjoy watching our birds all year 'round. It's too bad we don't have golden dog hair to put out for nest-building material, but we do the best we can.
Your bird photos are so beautiful. Before I started reading your blog, I never payed much attention to the bird behavior. You've opened my mind and my eyes.
The tufted titmouse was one of my mom's favorite birds so you brought back wonderful memories of sitting at the kitchen table with her, as she watched them so closely. I was too young to appreciate them like she did, and now we don't have any here! So, thank you!
We put out the fur from our dogs for the birds too. When we last cleaned out the nestboxes, we found lots of S's fur, our departed yellow lab. He had lived on in the bird nests. It was a bittersweet find.
Sweet photos - we have had to put the feeders away for the summer due to to many bears coming thru - hope to see them come winter.
I'm with you--watching birds but not counting them.
The titmice have arrived here recently. Just today, they were complaining because my husband had not recently filled the feeders.
I don't have a life list either Carolyn, though I did start keeping a yard list when we moved here. My bird activity is really starting to pick up now. I've made them fully empty all the feeders this summer before refilling, and now they are really starting to come more to put on the added weight for the fall/winter season.
Watching birds is the best. Our hummers have been doing close fly-bys these days; saw pileated in the woods; and the chickadees, titmice, juncos and nuthatches keep the feeder busy.
Our viewing window by our table is tree height, so we watch them fly back and forth to the trees to open their seeds.
I like them, too.
Great shots!
I am like you....I just like watching them go about their day. No matter what kind they are.
Post a Comment