Signs of Change
Fall is without question my favorite time of the year, and one of the reasons is the high visability of my yard bird population. All of the animals are busy getting ready for winter, especially the chipmunks, of which I have several permanent residents. (regular patio visitor) The song birds have an easier time at the feeder since the Grackle have left, and yesterday I was treated to a steady stream of visits from Chickadee’s and Titmice, along with Cardinals, Bluejays, Robin, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpeckers (Downy 2)and a pair of Northern Flickers doing some sort of dance near the back of the yard. Also recently sighted were Brown Creeper and a Whitebreasted nuthatch, a species I haven’t seen since last fall.
Brown creepers are extremely difficult to catch on film.They have great camouflage, and move from the bottom to the top of tree trunks in search of insects very quickly. The Red-bellied woodpeckers are not hard to spot, and our fall resident is a very boisterous bird, loudly exclaiming its presense each morning.
While the Grackle have moved on, our resident Red-tailed hawk is still around, looking for Mourning Dove in the gardens under pines, oak and elm thoughout the community.
For some reason, the Chickadee’s don’t come to the feeders much during the heat of the summer, preferring to stay high in the trees, heard but not often seen. I think it has more to do with raising their families than the heat, although it could be because of both factors.
Soon, these regular residents will be joined by their wintering cousins and the bird watching season will be in full swing.