Monday, January 9, 2012

Bird list keeps getting longer!


I can certainly see why the Northern Cardinal is the State Bird of North Carolina! It is so far the most popular bird at the feeder, followed closely by the Carolina Chickadee. The cardinal is pictured here with a White-throated Sparrow (LOL at the beady little eyes!). My apologies for my slow-action camera... it needs fresh batteries.
So, to recap, let's review the birds I've seen so far:
      Northern Cardinal  (very common)     Blue Jay (c -vc)
      Carolina Chickadee  (vc)                       Tufted Titmouse  (common)  
      Mourning Dove  (vc)                             Northern Flicker  (c)
      White-throated Sparrow (vc)                Downy Woodpecker (c)
      Mockingbird (vc)
(did I remember them all?)

On Friday, I saw a big rufous (cinnamon brown) bird I believe to be a Brown Thrasher, and although my bird was a little shorter than the book says (Birds of Eastern North America, a photographic guide, P. Sterry and Brian E. Small, 2009) I didn't find a better match. American Robins joined the feeder-area list on Friday, January 06.

This morning, before I left for school, I put a cup of birdseed in the feeder and scattered some roasted peanuts under the pine tree. It had rained during the night, and I didn't take the time to dry out the dish on the ground there so I didn't put seed in the wet dish. Within minutes, an Eastern Towhee came to check out what the Cardinals were all excited about! I counted three pairs of Cardinals around the feeder, and two more pairs were in the front yard! Before I left, I saw a Purple Finch on top of the hanging feeder! HOORAY! I added two new birds to my list today!... and saw two more that I didn't have time to look up, although one was likely the female to the purple finch, and the other was a nose-to-beak view of a Carolina Chickadee and I was focusing on the black and dark gray throat and chest plumage instead of the distinctive head.

Oh! While I am writing this, a Carolina Wren has dropped by and is scouting around the edge of the workshed! How awesome is that!

American Robin (vc)          Purple Finch (c)          Eastern Towhee (c)
Brown Thrasher (c)           Carolina Wren (vc)          
and this little chick came close to me on the porch during the photo shoot before joining a Cardinal on the feeder:


That's all for now! I'm off to get fresh batteries and start on the pine cones! Happiness is in the little things! (whew! 14 species so far! and I'll bet there's a couple more brown speckled birds I didn't get a good look at yet that will be "new" for me!) Love it!

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