Saturday, November 3, 2007

HomeBirds

Did you see Jayne's picture of the Tufted Titmouse she posted on her blog the other day?

Well, look what I saw outside my window today!!

I did actually see two, but was only quick enough to snap this single poor photo. I haven't seen a Tufted Titmouse in my yard for 2 years.

Since I didn't go deer hunting, I was home almost the entire day. I was amazed at all the bird activity going on out at the birdfeeders. I put clean water in all the birdbaths too and they really liked that!

I also saw this white-breasted nuthatch on the suet log hanging from my deck.

I finished washing the dining room windows and put out the small window feeder that I used for feeding mealworms to the chickadees last winter. It took the chickadee less than 1 hour to arrive for worms. I wonder if this was the same chickadee who visited last year? Or did it just happen to notice the worms in the dish from its perch in the nearby crabapple tree?

I love to watch the chickadees take these worms. Sometimes they try to get 2 or 3 worms into that tiny beak (and some of those mealworms are pretty big and quite squirmy!)

They're such adorable little birds.

Last year I tried holding the cup in my hand out on the windowsill. The chickadees were a little more apprehensive about that, but finally their hunger won out over their fear and they would land on the cup while I was holding it. Almost as much fun as hand-feeding hummingbirds!

Next Saturday the Project Feederwatch season begins (I don't think it's too late if you still want to sign up). I hope all this bird activity continues throughout the winter. I had a lot of good birds to report last year, and I'm optimistic this year will be as good or even better

15 comments:

Susie said...

Hi Ruthie,
As usual, I'm playing catchup. Loved seeing all your birds. You always have different ones than we do.
Glad you liked the kitty litter cake recipe. Let me know if you make it OK??
xo

Larry said...

Congratulations on the Tufted Titmouse! Chickadees have to be one of the most fun birds to have around.

Anonymous said...

Dad and I had a Tufted Titmouse at 1 one of the feeders in front of the house, what a surprise for us, we haven't seen one in several years. We have many nuthatches, more then usual, what a nice treat. We even have downy and hairy woodpeckers at the feeders in back, along with cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, finches and finally juncos and the ever present sparrows. The woodpeckers are feasting on the log in the front tree. All this is so cool for me to watch, all the wonderful birds to watch and it is still fall, just wait for winter and the ground is covered with snow.
MOM

Jayne said...

Yea! A Titmouse for you! Love the chicka-dee-dee-dee eating the worms. :c)

Anonymous said...

love those titmice and those are some great shots of the chickadees! Bravo!

Robin (Bumblebee) said...

Well, we have so many tufted titmouses (titmice?) that I actually recognize them. They are quite insistent on my feeding them Sometimes they come and peck at my office window to say "hi."

Happily, my birds are back. Posting soon about it.

--Robin (Bumblebee)

RuthieJ said...

Hi Susie,
Don't worry about it--you don't have to comment every time! I know you're there ;-)
Your blog is such a busy place I'm amazed you have any extra time at all.
I will let you know about the cake. I think it would be fun to try anyway.

Hi Larry,
Thank you. Those chickadees are fun, but this year I think it's going to be a toss-up between them and the red-breasted nuthatches!

Hey Mom, Congrats on having the tufted titmouse back again! I think it's going to be an exceptional season for birdies at the feeders.

Hi Jayne,
Saw the titmouse again today...always in motion (kind of like the chickadee). Hard to get any pictures, but still lots of fun to watch.

Hi Mon@rch,
Thank you. Right now, Kitty is sitting on the windowsill right by that worm feeder. The chickadees are a little apprehensive, but hopefully they will figure out soon that Kitty can't get them.

Yea, Robin's birds are back!! I think titmice are still not real common in this area of Minnesota, so it's quite exciting to see them around my yard.

Marsha said...

Congratulations on the titmouse! I have never seen one in my yard but this is unusual birding year so maybe there is hope yet. I can't believe the numbers of pine siskins and those cute little red breasted nuthatches.

Did you fill the freezer? My husband doesn't go until Dec (black powder season) but I heard lots of shots this weekend.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

You got a tufted titmouse!?!? Lucky! It would be a lifer for me. I cleaned and refilled my feeders Friday and put some mealworms out. Boy- the chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches made quick work of them!

RuthieJ said...

Hi Marsha,
I hope you get a titmouse this year. When I was hanging out some laundry yesterday afternoon, there were 2 RB Nuthatches in the backyard chasing around and "beeping" at each other....pretty darn cute!

No deer yet.

Hi Lynne,
Good to see you here again after a tough couple weeks :)

I bet you will have a titmouse this year. I checked back on Birdchick's blog and she has pictures (from October) of them in Mr. Neil's yard and also at Carpenter, so they're definitely in the Twin Cities area.

Mary said...

Ruthie, if I were standing next to you, I'd give you a quick push and shove :o)

Those titmice and Chickadees will give me gray hair. You got the best photos!

I'm hearing reports of lifers all around my town but have I seen them yet? NO! NO! NO!

HA! Very nice.

And if I see an upcoming post with a Chickadee sitting on your hand, you'll hear me scream from all the way down here!

Ruth said...

You got 4 great chickadee pictures. Those birds are generally fast than my shutter. Where do you get mealworms?

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mare,
LOL! I'm turning into kind of a lazy birder--just taking pictures from the window--at least you get out there and find other good birds and still take great pictures!

Keep the faith....those lifers WILL show up in your yard too and I know you'll have your camera handy when they do!

Hi Ruth,
Those chickadees are pretty quick....I have at least 2 dozen pics that I deleted with no bird on them because my camera button doesn't click fast enough.
These are still some of the mealworms from summer when I was ordering them in huge quantities from Rainbow Mealworms. You should also be able to find them at a wild bird store or a pet store.

Meggie said...

Greetings Ruth: Tufted titmice are birds that I see quite often at my feeder in PA. Don't ya just love those chickadees? Such good photos....

Deb said...

I am sooo jealous! I love tufted titmice, which is strange since I didn't grow up with them, I only really got to know them when I lived in Missouri briefly. If one shows up here, it's evidence of global warming.