This is definitely in the category of pandemic hobbies. I've been a casual bird watcher as just someone who enjoys the outdoors but not at the level where are knew any birds by name except for the very common ones. I still don't recognize many of their calls because I usually forget within a day of noticing it. 🤷 I am just going to start putting lists and pictures here for anyone who's interested and anyone who's not, they know where to avoid it. 😊
I bought a bird feeder in May 2020 and a wreath that holds peanuts in September 2020. This is just a list of birds I've spotted in my backyard since then.
3/23/21
As of March 2021, my daily visitors are:
- A Chipping Sparrow family (their are some of breeding age with the rust color caps, I though they were different birds at first)
- Northern Cardinals (Currently, two males that battle it out and a female.)
- White Wing Doves (currently, three)
- a pair of squirrels that sometimes tolerate each other and sometimes not.
Most days I also have:
- a pair of Blue Jays
- a Northern Mocking Bird (sometimes two)
- Black Crested Titmouse
Since it started warming up, I've seen:
- a male and a female House Finch (he's red, apparently they can be yellow or orange depending on their diet)
- a pair Carolina Wrens (one is pretty round but apparently birds don't look "pregnant"; and I am not the only one to google that because it popped right up)
- Carolina Chickadees (which I've seen occasionally throughout the winter)
- A Spotted Towhee (I've seen him or her twice this month and I saw them in the fall)
This January/February, we had a flock of Robins hanging around. I didn't know that Robins traveled in flocks but apparently they do in the winter. I have two different types trees that have red berries in the winter. The mocking bird took care of most of the berries on the one tree and Robins swooped in one day and took care of the other tree. It was crazy. The tree isn't that big but was full of berries. The Robins took care of the majority of them in one afternoon then came back for the rest of them the week of our winter storms. I saw them for about a week after that in the area but haven't seen them since.
Since the winter storms, Turkey Vultures have been circling more often. My lot is a little over an acre but the majority of it is wooded and I back up to a 10 acre lot that is mostly wooded and a green belt. Lots of critters and I am sure the week long freeze left lots of things for the vultures. 😔
Chipping Sparrow family; looking up because one just flew away.
During winter stormageddon
