June 6, 2008
Mornings, these days, are filled with bunnies hopping about the yard amongst the ground feeding birds. In the afternoon, a chipmunk quickly runs across the pond on an invisible path he's travelled many times before, going to and from his home inside the rock walls of the pond. Soon after follows the squirrel who's thirst is easily quenched by the cool flowing water. Evening brings all manner of feathered friends back to the pond for their last drink of the day.Backyard tip of the week: Want to avoid nuisance birds, such as house sparrows and other less than desirable consumers at your bird feeders? One solution is to stay away from seed mixes containing millet or corn. Try instead, using only black oil sunflower seed in those feeders for a week or so. Once the other birds figure out what you're up to, they'll be showing their appreciation by visiting more often when the little masked bandits aren't around to pester them. Either way, you're sure to love it!
Backyard sightings for last week: Including northern cardinals, American robins, northern flickers, and rose-breasted grosbeaks. White-crowned sparrows, chipping sparrows, Carolina wrens and house wrens, eastern goldfinches and house finches. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, white and red-breasted nuthatches. The tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, blue-jays, American crows, a couple of grey squirrels, a mostly white skunk, and some bunnies. Also, European starlings, common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves and a catbird!
Cool sighting of the week: The little black capped chickadee was seen at the songbird feeder by the window recently. With a black cap, as the name describes, also a black bib, white cheek, and buff colored breast, the chickadee is only about five inches long. An acrobatic avian visitor to the backyard, they will feed on insects, nuts and berries, and are commonly seen at feeders where they favor sunflower seed, which they hold in their feet, then crack open. It's really a funny thing to see. A bit of chickadee trivia for you - it is the male chickadee who sings. Well, you could have heard me sing on Wednesday, as the high spirited chickadee took his favorite sunflower seed and left me feeling a bit more lighthearted than I was before his close-up visit. It was very cool!
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