Both the Golden crowned kinglet and the Ruby crowned kinglet are known to prefer conifers or evergreens a lot. I believe they favor Juniper berries as a good part of their diet.
They frequent dense evergreens. Things like spruce, juniper, Balsam Fir etc. more so then the coarser, more open pines.
And everyone should look at their plumage, the coloring. Ruby crowns are largely olive and gray colored birds and combined with their small size, they just melt into the small needles of those above mentioned evergreens. They seem to "just blend" into their surroundings!
The Golden crowned is largely gray with not nearly as much olive. But nonetheless, their tiny size conceals them well!

BigBill said:Both the Golden crowned kinglet and the Ruby crowned kinglet are known to prefer conifers or evergreens a lot. I believe they favor Juniper berries as a good part of their diet.
They frequent dense evergreens. Things like spruce, juniper, Balsam Fir etc. more so then the coarser, more open pines.
And everyone should look at their plumage, the coloring. Ruby crowns are largely olive and gray colored birds and combined with their small size, they just melt into the small needles of those above mentioned evergreens. They seem to "just blend" into their surroundings!
The Golden crowned is largely gray with not nearly as much olive. But nonetheless, their tiny size conceals them well!

Our juniper is still a small one, but I'm hoping one day it'll house some birds. They were hopping around the neighbor's red tip Photinias.

I am hoping to remove some pine trees in the backyard this year and replace them with junipers.

The first thing I noticed was the little red spots on their heads and thought, what are you?!

Yup, only the males have them and they are red stripes. Teeny, tiny red stripes. Amazingly active little bird.
Golden crowned males have a slender red stripe too flanked on both sides by bright yellow.

luvsgrtdanes said:I have that acorn feeder in my Amazon shopping cart

I posted that I got this one from Amazon but it went somewhere out into cyberspace.

Rose it came today and I love it.

Hamwild, my back yard has lots of trees. No trees at all in the front yard. I think that's why I see more birds in the back yard. Plus I have a variety of trees back there, and there are lots of trees right past the fence in the back that are in other folks back yards. In my yard is a sizable mulberry, three huge pine trees, two large wild cherries, a Bradford pear and a redbud. The trees I see over the fence are red oaks, maples, pine, and an an ancient apple tree. Lots of shrubs, too.

That sounds like bird Heaven.

I think it maybe! Since I've moved my outside table and chairs back to the backyard I'm going to add some feeders back there. The yard is shaded a good portion of the day and is way cooler than the front yard. A nice place to sit and watch birds.

At the Rio Grande Nature Center, plenty of geese. I think these are the species known as cackling geese, Branta hutchinsii but not positive. Had to stay behind the blind, so couldn't get closer




American coot,


Colorful male wood duck with his subdued spouse


A very shy spotted Towhee who didn't want his picture taken!

Really cool pictures!

Love the Towhees...have several pairs in my yard...one even came in the house once to say hello and have a look around 😏😏 Lots of fun getting it back outside

Ha! I'd never seen one here. Yours might be the Eastern Towhee. Mine is apparently the Spotted. They are often described as "secretive" and fond of underbrush, so you've been honored!

Gosh Ginger you really are privileged because I've never seen a towhee here.

We have Eastern Towhees visit sometimes. That one looks like a spotted Towhee to me too.

Yes to Cackling Goose and Spotted Towhee. The Cackling Geese have proportionally shorter beaks than Canadas. The Towhee has spots on the wings. The song of the Towhee immediately takes me back to being a kid in San Diego playing in the chaparral. One of my favorite birdsongs.

Male Purple Finch and Female Cardinal


Goldfinch


Carolina wren


Redheaded Woodpecker


Male Hairy Woodpecker


Red Bellied Woodpecker

Great shots Rose!!

So many woodpeckers! They are so sweet 😍

Rose, I think that your male House Finch is a male Purple Finch.

BigBill said:Rose, I think that your male House Finch is a male Purple Finch.

Thanks again for the correction Bill. I think you have to do this every year. I'd like to say I'm just testing you, but I don't ever remember the correct name! Sorry…