May the counting begin!

Project FeederWatch got underway this past weekend. This will be my 7th season counting for this citizen science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and I can't wait to see what kind of new and interesting things I'll see at my feeders this winter, whether it be a new species, a record-breaking flock of Grackles, or a never before seen behavior or interaction among the birds.

Already I have some interesting data to look at from my first counting session. Looks like things are getting off to a start that is practically identical to last season. The exact same species showed up, with only the tiniest variation in the numbers of each. How about that?

species	wknd of 11.13.10	wknd of 11.12.11
Mourning Dove	13	13
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1	1
Downy Woodpecker	2	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1	2
Carolina Chickadee	4	5
Tufted Titmouse	3	2
White-breasted Nuthatch	3	4
Northern Cardinal	2	2
American Goldfinch	9	10
Total individuals	38	41

Looking back on past seasons' data, I should expect to see some Juncos next weekend. I have seen a few in town already, but none yet in our own yard.

I can tell that my fascination with goldfinches and their striking plumage is going to continue.

Here we got a nice look at their white patches above the tail, not feathers you see terribly often
And the nuthatches will continue with their bold antics, running each other off from the feeders. I hope to catch some good shots of them with their various displays of aggression, but they are fast and hard to keep up with the camera. Unless they're eating, that is.

One new bird that I hope to draw in this year is the Brown Creeper. They are definitely in our woods, but they're not exactly a bird that takes to traditional bird feeders. I'm going to try some homemade "bark butter" to see if that will bring them in.

And, it will be time to start making homemade bird dough soon, once the temps actually decide to get cold (as I write this at 8:30 in the evening, it's still 69 degrees outside... I'm not complaining, but it is a bit odd for mid-November!). Will my Pileated Woodpecker come back again this year for a sample of that tasty treat? I surely hope so!

Waiting for the all-clear

I was watching the birds at the feeders this afternoon, and they were going about their own business of eating and chatting when all of the sudden everyone got the heck out of Dodge. Soon thereafter a hawk swooped through (Cooper's or Sharp-shinned, not sure which - it flew through much too quickly and didn't perch long enough for me to get binoculars on it). Unfortunately, one little bird got left behind when the others took off.

White-breasted Nuthatch, hoping he hasn't been made
The hawk was far gone when I looked over and noticed this fellow dangling upside down on a branch. I guess he thought he had better odds of not becoming a hawk snack by freezing in place in this odd position rather than fleeing.

He stayed like this for maybe 30 seconds, craning his head to get a better view of the situation. I'm certainly used to seeing Nuthatches creeping head-first down trees, but seeing him suspended in this position from a branch for an extended period of time was quite odd.

I don't know if the hawk caught a meal during it's fly-by or not, but I can say that this Nuthatch lived to see another day. It's always good to report a happy ending.

Who loves homemade bird food?

My birds do, that's who! This is the second winter I have made homemade suet dough for my feeder friends, and they really went to town on it this weekend. The Tufted Titmice were the biggest customers by far, often waiting in line to take their turn at the little dish in which I offer the dough. For a variety of recipes that you can make at home, visit the Bird Watcher's Digest "Do it yourself" page of recipes. I'm feeding the "bird pudding" recipe to my birds.

Here's some more photos of the locals partaking of the dough.


White-breasted Nuthatch: "Down the hatch!"


Carolina Wren does a face plant right into the dish!


Wow, look at that tongue! Not just for grabbing bugs!


Tufted Titmice eye its prospects...


... and decides that standing ON the food is the best option.


The Titmice really are such clowns!

Other visitors to the dough dish were Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal, but I wasn't able to sneak up on those guys to get their pictures. They see me coming through the window and off they go!