Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Eastern Phoebe

October Birdwatching: Post Black Bear

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I certainly did not intend to be THIS silent!  There has been abundant October birdwatching and great joy Mr. Black Bear has not chosen to return.

Drake and I have our bear-defense routine well-established now.  Only in my world does the human go out BEFORE the Pit Bull to check for a bear.  My logic is:  If the bear is present, I am absolutely certain I will not try to bite him and tackle him to the ground.  Putting the bird food out each morning, and bringing it in at dusk, has worked well.  Not feeding the 4-legged creatures has reduced the squirrel population and, to date, no possums or raccoons have knocked at the door.  I'm okay with that, but Drake is decidedly disappointed that his lust for chasing goes unsatisfied.  I tell him it's better for his skull.

As for the birds:  I haven't seen anything new or unusual, but my joy is no less.  Finding a way to continue to witness God's creation, and keep Drake safe, is the harmony I sought.  The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stayed almost a week longer than ever-before (10/12).  I loved seeing the Grosbeaks during their fall migration -- just the juveniles and females, as was true last fall.  The return of the Eastern Bluebirds and Eastern Phoebes always makes me smile; a return from wherever it is they go for a month or so after nesting ends.

The other day, I was working on a project in the garage with my daughter.  She told me there was a bird in the window.  I told her it was probably Daddy Blue letting me know his mealworm feeder was empty.  Quite honestly, I'm not sure if she amazed at my knowledge, or frightened by it.  I'm guessing the latter.

Okay, enough words.  The message is:  feed them and they will come!

Coming Up

When the camera inside your owl house goes out, knock before entering!

Cardinal Intruder Appalled by Homeowners’ Return

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The Eastern Phoebes returned to their nest site to discover a juvenile Cardinal Intruder.  There is no doubt from the watching the scene unfold, this was an intruder appalled by the homeowners’ return!  Momma Phoebe was the first to return home.  The Cardinal glared at her as if to say:  “How dare you intrude upon my invasion of your home?!”  The Phoebe perched calmly on the edge of the platform, flicking her tail.  She made little eye contact and engaged in no threatening behavior.  I guess “my” Phoebes are not particularly surprised by intruders.

I’ll let the video tell the remainder of the story.  Let’s just say:  Daddy Phoebe did not adopt his mate’s calm approach to the intrusion.

 

In Future Posts

I chose to share the juvenile Cardinal video as a bit of a segue into a series highlighting many of the birds visiting this property.  Birds will be highlighted mostly by species, but sometimes in color groups.  The series will be called “At My Feeders“.  This time of year, especially, it’s pretty hard to tell who is who.  Typically:  Males are one color.  Females are another color.  Juveniles are some combination thereof.  If you add molting to the picture, then the Who’s Who question can spin your head.  Bring in the aspect of color families and, again, it often takes a minute to figure out who is who.

I can’t promise I’ll always get it right, but I’ll do my best.  If, along the way, you disagree with any of my conclusions, please let me know.  We’ll figure it out together!