From Back Roads to Backyard Birds....Winter Provides Much Entertainment

When I'm not on a dirt road chasing old barns, one of my favorite pastimes is watching the circus of birds that flock to our backyard Food Court.  Each day there's a non-stop parade of colorful birds coming and going, stopping for a little snack or for some....smorgasbord.  If you follow the blog, you know that this was an especially exciting year as we had our very first bluebirds....ever!!  I'm not sure if it's solely because we went out and got dried mealworms immediately, or just because we've got the largest number of feeders per square foot in the neighborhood, but I'm happy to report we still have at least 4 (I've only seen 4 at a time) who have stuck around all winter.  We got a bluebird nesting box and put it up hoping that one pair will decide to stick around once nesting season begins soon.

 If you're wondering why the need for so many feeders, just ask the birds!   Here at ........cafe, we serve a pretty diverse variety of meal options to our feathered friends.  Diners will find a tasty appetizer of dried mealworms and Bark Butter Bits. For the main course we serve sunflower hearts, safflower seed (Rumor has it squirrels don't like safflower.  Don't believe the rumor - not true!)  We also offer a Mess-Free Mix from Wild Birds Unlimited, suet cakes as well as suet from the grocery store.  All patrons go crazy over our newest dining addition -  Bug, Nut and Berry Cylinder which includes mealworms, tree nuts, sunflower chips, peanuts, raisins, and cranberries. Oh and for protein, non-vegan patrons can enjoy Birdacious Bark Butter, also from WBU.  And let's not forget beverages.....all diners are invited to partake in a drink from a heated bath and take an opportunity to freshen up a bit after dinner.

Mr. Cardinal waiting his turn at the canopied safflower bar.

Hairy Woodpecker snacking on Birdacious Bark Butter

Of all the varieties, these little Goldfinch are the testiest and pushiest!

House Finch looking over the shoulder of Mr. Cardinal

Downy Woodpecker enjoying the cylinder with a puffy Goldfinch.

This smart guy sits on the mealworm cup hiding from Mr. Hawk!
Keeping one eye on the sky!

Bottoms Up!

Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Female Cardinal

Another first-time visitor - a Great Horned Owl

Cooper's Hawk - eyeing prospective meal options from above :(

Somebody is getting a scolding!

And these little guys never stop trying to outsmart the baffle!

Female Red-Bellied Woody grabbing a Bark Butter Ball

 I think you can understand why this group of sometimes unruly visitors keep us entertained.  It's amazing I ever get anything done.  I hope you enjoyed this change of scenery and had fun looking at my back yard menagerie.  How many different bird species did you count?  If you liked this post, you can see many more like it in my blog!  Just go to my Directory (Click for Directory) and look under the category "Animal Friends".  Besides birds, you'll see posts on llama and alpaca farms, goats, butterflies and much more.   To subscribe to the blog, click here: Subscribe
Thanks for reading!   Have a great week.  I hope my Life As I See It has a little part in making your life just a wee bit brighter!  So for now..........Happy Trails!