Siskins are here!!

Yesterday as I drove in from school, I thought - "That looks kinda like a siskin on the feeder."  I came in carefully and looked through the binoculars - and got a beautiful view of that blinding yellow on the wing.  It was so nice to see a real siskin, and not just a female house finch.

By today, they are beginning to come with a vengeance, and take over the feeders as only siskins can.

Turkeys In Our Yard

January 4, 2015, as Mike, Dad, Mom, and I are eating Sunday dinner about 1:00.

2014-15 Birds

This list will be edited as (hopefully) more appear.

1. House finch
2. Goldfinch
3. Tufted titmouse
4. Carolina chickadee
5. Carolina wren
6. Mourning dove
7. Northern junco
8. Pine warbler
9. Red-bellied woodpecker
10. Downy woodpecker
11. Hermit thrush
12. Brown-headed nuthatch
13. White-breasted nuthatch
14. Northern cardinal
15. Ruby-crowned kinglet
16. Pine siskin
17. Chipping sparrow
18. Rufous-sided towhee
19. Yellow-rumped warbler
20. Cooper's Hawk (not eating, but at the feeders)
21. Red-Winged Blackbird
22. Blue Jay
23. White-Crowned Sparrow
24. Rose-breasted grosbeak
25. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (did not stay long when it became obvious it was at a seed, not a sugar water, feeder)
26. Mockingbird (perched on wire)
27. Cowbird (I really, really don't want to put that one on here but guess I've got to, to be honest.)

White-Breasted Nuthatch

I was working at the kitchen sink this afternoon, glanced out the window at the feeders--and got a quick glance at a white-breasted nuthatch!   A first at our feeders at this house, the first one I 've seen since being in Missouri in about 2003, and the first at any feeder since Mountain Creek Road in the late '80s. It returned about twenty minutes later and I got a much better look.  A real treat on a dreary December day!

We've already seen a brown-headed nuthatch this winter, about three times, so--if we could just get a red-breasted, it would complete the trio.  Never had that happen before.

Feeder Update

Had a brown-headed nuthatch and a ruby-crowned kinglet last weekend.

The weather was unseasonably warm yesterday; I have noticed that the level of seed in the feeders is directly proportional to the temperature.  When it's warmer, the level stays higher.  There are more bugs out to eat.

I am determined to try to see if we have any hairy woodpeckers this year.  I've always assumed that all the woodpeckers (but the red-bellied) are downy; however, there may be an occasional hairy also.

I am also determined to see if we have any purple, not just house, finches.  There is supposed to be an invasion this year.  We may also get siskins again this winter.

Finch Identification

Someone posted this on Carolina Birds on Facebook.  He photoshopped it to put all these types of finches on it.  I'm sorry I do not know whom to give proper credit to.

Supposedly we may get siskins and purple finches this year.  I haven't seen a purple finch in twenty years - it would be a joy to have some at our feeder.

Roger Tory Peterson always said that a purple finch (lower left in picture) looks like it is dipped in raspberry juice.  That's a perfect description of that little bird.  The house finch is more red/orange, and its red is restricted to face/front and rump.  The color is more distributed on the purple finch.

I do not think I would be able to distinguish the difference in the female purple and female house finches.

I would love to get siskins and purple finches this year.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

It's been a very slow summer for birds (as most summers are).  I put the feeders up on Monday (10/20/14) but have not had much traffic yet.  I'd like to possibly keep feeding all summer next year, just to see if we get any fall migrants through here.

On Monday night Mike saw a hawk in our yard.  It seemed almost tame; it was in no hurry to fly away.  I looked at it with binoculars and it was a red-shouldered hawk, which is considered uncommon in our area.  I got a beautiful look at it.  I had marked it on my life list last year after seeing one in the neighbors' yard across the street, but was only about 80% sure about it.  This makes it a definite for me.

I will try to do better at documenting now that fall has arrived and the birding should be better.