I was outside the other day - Friday? I'm losing track of the days again. Anyway, I was taking butterfly pictures when I heard a bird squawking much more loudly than usual. I looked around, and realized I had a Carolina Wren stuck in my orchid house. (I don't grow many orchids anymore so it's more like the orchid house of death covered in skunk vine.) I opened the door and then walked around to the back to try to get it to move toward the door. It got out, but you know I had to try to get a picture. They hop around so fast normally, and this one was pretty aggravated to boot, so I only got one pic. But you can see the attitude!
Over on the feeder, it's the usual suspects. The Carolina Chickadee.
The Tufted Titmouse. They take their seeds up to the tree to eat.
Don't let their innocent faces fool you. I was reading my field guide today and it says how Tufted Titmice are usually seen one at a time. And I'm thinking, "Well yes, on the feeder. They do take turns. But that doesn't count the three I saw chasing each other through the yard."
Cardinals are still hanging out. They don't even seem to mind the squirrels feeding next to them.
So we had the baseball game on this afternoon but the Rays keep losing so I was watching the birds through the sliding glass door instead. I learned a lot about caterpillars and butterflies through observation, and today I learned about birds. The male Cardinal was spotted on the feeder itself, and stuck his beak in to get a seed! No longer confined to the ground! Also, I have some potted plants (mostly Canna Lilies) right on the outside of the patio. The Carolina Wrens seem to like hopping around in there and picking the bugs out, I guess. Well today, there were two and one was following the other and squawking like crazy. I wondered if it was a juvenile following a parent. And sure enough, the one grabbed a bug, turned and fed it to the slightly smaller one! It shut up for about thirty seconds before starting up again. I told my Mom I would feed that thing just to make it hush, too!
And maybe that's why, for the first time ever, I saw the Carolina Wren get on the feeder! Now, I just need to get pictures of them!
I also saw a squirrel chase another squirrel away from the feeder! Dad said the females can be very territorial when they have babies to feed. I've seen two or three squirrels around the feeder at the same time before. I guess this one wasn't part of the tribe?
