Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

More Backyard Birds Enjoying my Bird Kitchen

DADDY CARDINAL FEEDING HIS BABY
Today is September 11th... This is a sad day for our country since we lost so many of our hard-working citizens in 2001 due to a Terrorist Attack.   SO--whatever you are doing and wherever you are now,  take a moment  of silence to remember those families--and to pray for our country.

Hopefully,  even though it is a sad day,  my post today will put a smile on your face.  My last Bird Blog was just about our Bluebirds.   SO today I'll show you many of the other birds which come to my Bird Kitchen. All of these photos were taken this summer.

The picture above shows a molting Daddy Cardinal feeding one of his babies.  We have several 'babies' around now --and it is so much fun to watch them.  The Baby Cardinals are as large as their parents ---but are still learning how to eat.  I love hearing the Cardinals since the babies just tingle all over --making the sound of a little tiny bell.

Be sure to click on the photos for enlargements.




DOWNY WOODPECKER
You will notice through these photos that many of my birds love the new suet I buy.  Woodpeckers have always enjoyed suet --but now,  other birds love it also.   This new kind is called "Peanut Delight" and is a no melt suet dough... It smells just like peanut butter... I get it at Walmart --and the birds love it.




FEMALE HOUSE FINCH





MALE HOUSE FINCHES at the BIRD BATH
I have two birdbaths ---and the birds enjoy both of them.




TUFTED TITMOUSE
Birds that I ALWAYS have at the feeders (Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Carolina Chickadees) will eat most anything I put out there.  BUT--until now,  the Tufted Titmice never ate the suet.  Now they LOVE it.




MALE AND FEMALE MOURNING DOVES
The male is the one on the right... He has a blueish area on his head.  The females are mostly brown... These big birds think they OWN the plate feeder.  They will get on the plate and just sit there for a long time (until I 'encourage' them to move on).... ha




RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
This bird  (along with the Pileated Woodpeckers) squawk and make alot of noise when coming to the feeders... I'm not sure why they do it --other than to let the other birds know that they are coming (and to get out of the way).... ha




MALE GOLDFINCH (molting)
Here is one of our pretty little male Goldfinches... They are so pretty in spring and summer ---but like the Cardinals,  they molt --and look rather bedraggled these days.




CAROLINA WREN
This little bird is the best singer we have in our neighborhood.  To be so tiny,  he can really belt out a song!!!!!!  They also never used to eat the suet---but love it now!!!!




PILEATED WOODPECKER
Our biggest woodpecker is the Pileated Woodpecker.  They can really eat the suet.... I love this photo since he is getting his daily exercise at the same time that he is eating.  He's a multi-tasker for sure!!!!!!! ha ha




WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
I was hoping to capture this guy with a big peanut in his mouth--but missed that photo.... They are at the feeders off and on all day long!!!!!  They are busy little guys!




BLUE JAY
Here  is one of our many Blue Jays --who come and go at the plate feeder,  as long as the peanuts last!!!!! 




BLURRY TUFTED TITMOUSE
I apologize for this photo... I was SICK that it was blurry ---but decided to show it to you anyhow since it made me laugh.   This is a TUFTED TITMOUSE actually carrying a big peanut.... I wondered how he could get it in his mouth --but it must have had a small piece of stem on the end.... SO CUTE....  The little birds usually don't bother the peanuts since they can't get them in their mouths....




RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Here is one of the prettiest of all of the woodpeckers.  I can't tell the male from the female --but they have been around here most of the summer.




JUVENILE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Finally,  here is my FAVORITE bird of the month!  I enjoy seeing all of the babies of the different birds we have ---but until now,  had not seen any baby Red-Headed Woodpeckers...  Isn't he adorable?  Soon--he will have the bright red head and black and white colors like his parents have...




JUVENILE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
I wanted to show you one more photo of the Baby Red-Headed at the suet feeder.  The lighting was not very good --but you can see his underneath side... I love the way that woodpeckers use their tails to help with balancing... The Pileated Woodpeckers do the same thing.  He is a Cutie ---and managed to work his way to get some suet...  Hope he comes back!!!

Hope you enjoyed seeing more of my Backyard Birds today... If you don't feed the birds,  you should.... They bring me so much pleasure!!!!   We also have 3 hummingbird feeders --and have had more hummingbirds the past month than we had all summer.  BUT--I have yet to get a photo this year... I'll keep trying.

Now--hop over to my Photo Blog (click HERE) to see a special photo that I took...

Have a great day.
Hugs,