however, until recently, we didn't have any bird feeders. i've read that you're not supposed to feed the birds, as that makes them dependent on humans for food and therefore less able to survive if said food supply is interrupted. i've also read that the previous sentence is a load of BS (or BF, as the H-bomb would say), and that feeding the birds supplies a stable source of food during otherwise lean times (aka winter). in addition (according to the internet, which is always true), birds only get, at most, 25% of their food from feeders, even during winter, so putting out a feeder or two isn't going to ruin their lives.
so we put out a feeder in the side yard, and we waited to see what happened. the squirrels loved it. then i put vasoline on the post, and the squirrels hated it. and the birds turned up. (note: i've since read that you shouldn't use vasoline or similar stuff to squirrel-proof your feeder, so i'll have to do something else from now on).
we have several pairs of cardinals, who are constant visitors to our feeder. the males get all the color, while the females have the more interesting red edges.
juncos are common diners, both on the feeder and on the ground below. the males are dark on the top and white underneath, while the females are more brown. (note: i'm not sure the bird on the left below is a female junco, as max's awesome birds of indiana field guide shows the female junco to be lighter in color. that is the closest match, however, so i'm going with it.)
we also have a bunch of tufted titmouses (titmice?). these birds have a similar shape to the cardinals, although they are somewhat smaller. funny story: i told max that if he stood next to the feeder and remained quiet and motionless for several minutes, the birds would not notice him and would come feed, completely ignoring him. so max tried it, and after a couple of minutes, a titmouse landed in the crabapple about five feet behind him and began singing (i've heard their song for years and never knew what bird was making it). unfortunately, max chose this moment to get bored with waiting and said, "this sucks, i'm done," and the titmouse flew away. oh well.
we have two (dead) wasp nests in the branches of a maple tree, and we have been seeing titmice pecking (eating?) them. not sure what that's about.
i think this is a female goldfinch, or perhaps a male in his winter plumage. we have lots of goldfinches around here, especially during the late summer/early fall. they love to eat the seeds in the garden (i let the flowers go to seed so i can harvest them, plus i like attracting the birds). zinnias appear to be their favorite.
this is a white-breasted nuthatch. they used our wren birdhouse last year, and i hope they plan to come back this year. i love how they always perch on vertical surfaces and walk down tree trunks and whatnot.
the robins came back early this year, in the second week of february (it was early march last year). i'm sure the mild, snow-light winter had nothing to do with it (and climate change is a myth). they love crabapples, and i was glad to have a visual example to show the boys why i always tell them in the fall to not use all the crabapples as projectile weapons (the robins will need them in the spring! leave them alone!). the robins apparently also like the red berries on the unidentified thorny bush outside the dining room window.
we have sparrows. billions and billions of sparrows. there are numerous species that all look about the same. the one below appears to be either a chirping or tree sparrow, posing with his friend (bully) mr. cardinal.
fyi: a couple of years ago, i put up a bluebird house. i was excited when a flock of 10-12 bluebirds showed up in the fall and made a big production of checking out the house, then continuing on their migration. i hoped they would come back and stay in the spring. unfortunately, sparrows occupied the house last summer, as well as a pocket squirrel last fall (who was unceremoniously evicted when i climbed a ladder to clean it out, scaring the hell out of both of us). the other day i saw a flock of bluebirds in the yard. i ran out with the camera, but they were gone. however, i saw this (i think) house sparrow coming out of the bluebird house. sigh. guess i'll have to put up some more bluebird boxes.
also not pictured on the feeder or in the yard are the numerous chickadees (likely carolina chickadees, which look identical to the more-often but often erroneously identified yet rarer black-cap chickadees) and starlings (migrating back north already). not to mention the blue jays, various hawks, turkey vultures, owls (heard but not seen), finches, crows, hummingbirds, and ravens that we've seen in the yard from time to time. when i get pictures of them, expect to see them here!
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