Cardinals and the Blizzard

I posted yesterday about the juncos and my concern for them finding food since they normally feed from the ground, as do the cardinals. Well today, the cardinals figured out how to get sunflower seeds from these tube-type feeders.

 

Cardinals are the quintessential winter bird, aren't they?

It looks like we got a little over two feet of snow, with many drifts four or five feet high, so it is hard to tell. The picket fence around the garden is about four feet tall, so we can approximate from there.

Juncos and the Upcoming Blizzard

The snow began falling at 7:30 this morning. It has been falling quickly and steadily. Already the ground is covered with about two inches of snow. The juncos, who normally feed on the ground, are trying desperately to get seeds from the tube feeders and food from the suet feeders. These feeders don't have perches for the juncos to land on so they are finding it difficult to get the food. I got the globe feeder which has a small 'floor' in it and hung that up. (This feeder doesn't hold much seed so I replaced it last fall with a larger tube type feeder.) If the juncos can get through the small openings, they should be able to rest on the floor and grab some seeds. I have gone through several different types of feeders over the years and any that have a platform or ledge enable squirrels and starlings to feed from them. It eliminates cardinals too, but they feed from the ground, so I haven't been concerned for them.

Almost immediately the juncos found the feeder and tried it out. Hooray, they can get inside! They are happily feeding from it now.

The prediction is for only a few inches during the day, with blizzard conditions beginning about 6 p.m. tonight. We are supposed to get anywhere from 2 to 3 feet! I'll keep you posted...

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Backyard Birding class at CT Audubon Center

I've signed up for this free one hour class at the CT Audubon Center on Burr St in Fairfield. One of the things it mentions is learning to tell the difference between a house and purple finch, and this is something I really want to know! I do believe a purple finch was at the bird feeder this morning.It was beautiful!

Introduction to Backyard Birding with Scott Kruitbosch

Breakfast With the Birds

I came across a photo of this painting in an old issue of Victoria Magazine and immediately felt a connection with it. I sit each morning at my dining room table next to a large window overlooking the backyard, drinking a few cups coffee, watching the birds come to the feeders and planning my day.

Gabriele Münter, Breakfast of the Birds, 1934; © 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

A peak at my morning haven ...

Bluejays and Egg Shells

Yesterday afternoon I went out to fill the bird feeders and dump the bucket of kitchen scraps into the compost bin. I made sure the egg shells were visible at the top of the pile so that the bluejays would see them. 

Sure enough, this morning at first light, the blue jays were out there carrying off the shells! It happens each time. I wonder if they fly over every morning to check?

Young Red Shouldered Hawk

 This beautiful immature red shouldered hawk was sitting on a tree branch right outside the dining room this morning. It was waiting for the birds to come to the feeders for breakfast so that he could get his. They must have known he was there because come they did not! While he was patiently waiting, I went up one flight to the bedroom, opened the window and took several photos. I love the fluffed up feathers. I wish I could pet him!