Feeding Winter Birds - Saturday's Critters

Like many of my fellow bird lovers, 

feeding winter birds is 

part of being good neighbors

to our sweet feathered friends.

Today it's time for
Viewing Nature with Eileen - Saturday's Critters.

Here a Varied Thrush is checking out

the offerings on my deck rail. 

Although this bird is not a seed eater, 

it does eat fruit and insects,

so I put out grapes and other fruits. 

This beautiful orange and black bird nests in 

high elevations in conifer forests, but 

migrates to lower elevations

in small flocks during the winter months. 

I enjoy hearing their reedy one-note calls

and seeing them foraging on the ground

for insects. 

They are sociable birds and congregate

with other species, especially the Spotted Towhees

who scratch and dig in the underbrush, 

uncovering tasty morsels. 

Here a male Towhee scratches for breakfast. 

These birds are known for running away

from danger through thick underbrush, rather than flying. 

The female builds a nest on the ground, well away from 

where the male perches and sings.

A beautiful male Varied Thrush forages nearby. 

A Spotted Towhee and Steller's Jay. 

Towhee's will eat seeds, insects and fruit. 

A Spotted Towhee and two Dark-Eyed Juncos. 

Juncos are usually seen on the ground 

in small flocks and adhere to a rigid social

hierarchy, with dominant birds chasing 

less-dominant birds. 

These are seed and insect eaters and will come

to bird feeders. They have a curious 

way of double scratching for insects with both 

feet at the same time! 

Another view of the Dark-Eyed Junco with a

companion - a common Song Sparrow, 

who spies me taking her/his mug-shot:) 

A Chestnut-Backed Chickadee is a regular

at the feeder, enjoying both seeds and suet. 

This little fellow will cling to branches upside

down looking for insects, and nests in tree cavities

2 to 20 feet up. 

During nesting season it is quiet and secretive, 

but in winter it will join other small birds

in talkative little flocks. 

These little birds are very fearless and friendly! 

As are these little charmers, 

the Red-Breasted Nuthatch.

This one seems to have mussed up his hair! 

They are very impatient as I fill the suet

feeder and practically land on my head! 

These tiny birds are known for 

traveling down tree trunks

in search of insects head first. 

The name 'Nuthatch' comes from 

the Middle English moniker nuthak, 

referring to the bird's habit of wedging

a seed into a crevice and hacking it open. 

It doesn't excavate a nesting cavity, 

as a chickadee might; rather,

it takes over a former woodpecker

or chickadee cavity. 

Our beautiful Washington State Steller's Jays

are one of my favorite birds. 

These are large Jays, highly alert and intelligent,

which mate for life. 

Jays are much maligned, mistakenly, as 

studies have shown they rarely rob

other bird's nests and actually 

serve the purpose of being the watchdogs

of the bird world. 

Steller's Jays will mimic the cries of hawks and eagles

as a warning to residents of the forest 

that danger is nearby, and will mob together 

noisily to drive away these predators. 

Mourning Doves feeding with a Dark-Eyed Junco. 

These gentle birds mate for life, building 

platform nests of twigs, and get 

their name from their mournful cooing. 

Hunted relentlessly by hawks and other 

predators, they have the unfortunate 

affliction of wings that whistle in flight, 

giving away their location. 

These birds appreciate the protection of 

the Jays and will patiently wait 

for them to feed first so the Jays

will stand watch for them. 

Wait a minute! You're not a bird! 

Are you the one who has been digging up my potted bulbs? 

Who me?

Yes, you! It's a good thing that you are so darn cute! 

Last, but not least, we had a rare

visitor, which I was only able to get a 

very quick, blurry shot of....

a Ruffed Grouse. 

The black 'ruffs' around the neck 

give this bird its name. 

He was walking through the front yard

early one morning and I was able to 

grab my camera and get a quick shot 

before he scurried away. 

Actually this bird is a very common 

bird of the deep woods. 

 He was the size of a chicken. 

I hope he likes it here :)

xoxo

Thank you for coming along

as I feed the winter birds, 

here in the foothills of Western 

Washington State. 

What are your favorite winter birds? 

xoxo

Today I am joining with :

Saturday's Critters