Backyard Birding

Black-capped Chickadee thinking I have seeds

In our area it is very rewarding to keep a feeder or two in the yard, especially during winter. We have two feeders in the back yard and one at the side and attract quite a few birds. Normally it is just the usual suspects - House Sparrows, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees and the like for us - but once and a while something out of the ordinary comes in.

Ron keeps a backyard list, and I should find out how many species are on it. There have been a number of singularities this winter that keep yard watching interesting. One day soon after New Years I saw a single Blue Jay come to the feeder two times, but it hasn't been back since that we have seen. We have been frequently getting a single Oregon Junco - still counted as a Dark-eyed Junco, but different from the Slate-coloured Junco normally seen in these parts.

Black-capped Chickadee about to fly away

Occasionally we will see a couple of Pine Siskins come to the feeders, which are common enough in the area this winter due to an irruption from the North but usually not much seen down here. Ron saw a single Common Redpoll at the feeders - something I haven't seen before at our house but saw a few days earlier at La Salle Marina.

My parents have a number of feeders at their house, which is not even a 10 minute drive from our house, and the species distribution is startlingly different. They live near a fair-sized woodlot in an older neighbourhood, which probably accounts for the differences. Since the winter began they have been inundated with Siskins, House Finches, and American Goldfinches to a much greater extent than we have. They hardly - if ever - get a House Sparrow, which is our most frequent visitor.

Dark-eyed Junco taking off

For a couple of days last week a roving flock of winter American Robins were feasting on berries in the woods beside their house. How are we supposed to tell when Spring is coming if the Robins never leave? Red-breasted Nuthatches and White-breasted Nuthatches along with Downy Woodpeckers will often times come for the odd seed or to feed on suet, but I don't think we have ever had those in our yard.

The pictures accompanying this post were taken at La Salle Marina last week, but are fairly representative of the types of pictures possible with backyard birds. My issue with photographing birds at feeders are twofold: usually the photos are taken through a window (making it harder to get a nice clear shot), and the pictures don't look quite as natural if the bird is sitting on a feeder. The latter problem can be solved by providing a bush or some sticks for the birds to perch on near the feeders, which also gives the photographer a good idea of where to train the camera while waiting for birds to come in.

Northern Cardinal posing

Northern Cardinals, like Juncos, seem to be more comfortable eating on the ground and will more likely be seen under feeders than on them. Birds like finches and grossbeaks happily oblige them by dumping seeds on the ground while looking for one to their liking. Squirrels will also knock a good number of seeds out jumping on to a feeder.

While it is nice to watch the common birds at a feeder, I think it is the unusual or unexpected birds that keep it interesting. The Redpoll at our feeder had me looking for days to see if it would come back. Earlier in the winter my parents had a Carolina Wren come to the feeder a couple times while I was there that kept me alert for a while. A large group of feeding birds is also a good place to - sadly - see hawks. There is a Cooper's Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk that hang out in the woods at my parents, although the latter is apparently more interested in squirrels.