One of the first activities that Faith occupied herself with upon arriving at our new domicile, was to put the bird feeders to right.
Just outside our lovely bay window in the front, a stately Maple stands sentry, and as this was where the previous owners had left their feeders, Faith decided to keep it as one of her stations for satiating our feathered friends' appetites.
It didn't take any time at all for the little bright eyed creatures to discover, and spread the word about the banquet hall. Now if you glance out our front window at almost any given time of the day, you will discover multitudes of flighty delights, bits of color dancing about the Maple tree like bright pieces of fabric making a charming quilt. Only this quilt or picture is living and moving, never the same each moment. Sometimes a group of crimson Cardinals (both the saturated male, and the tipped female) grace us with their presence. Cardinals, though eye catching, tend to retain a air of demure sedateness, with occasionally a dash of haughtiness. But we forgive them for it as long as they let us see their cheery colors.
A male Red Bellied Wood Pecker, full of confidence and bravado, has quite approved of Faith's new suet feeder, which just happens to be shaped (as you can see) like one of our domestic feathered friends.
Speaking of bravado, Mr. Blue Jay and his jumble of relative look-a-likes (to this day I cannot tell Blue Jays apart) are the most boisterous, bluffing, attention getting birds that visit our feeder. They don't arrive without a commotion of announcement, that inevitably makes you smile.
The sassy and flighty little Chickadees also dominate our view. They might be small, but they make up for it with personality and speed. Darting here and there, rarely sitting still, and cheekily scolding and mocking the other birds as it goes.
Some birds seem to come in groups or at least pairs, (the Cardinals for instance) while others are a bit more of loners. I don't think we have more than a total of 5 Titmice at the "castle" and they rarely show up all at once. Like the Chickadee these darling little Peter Birds, like to comment on the goings on, chipping in disgust of "peter-ing" in the top most branches. I think they look simply dashing in their simple grey coats, dark bright eyes, and just the glimpse of a peach waist coat for contrast.
The little Junco sports no Peach colored Waist Coat, nor fancy feather top hat, neither does he announce his comings all that much. In fact, come to think of it, I personally can't remember the Junco's call. But despite his calm and retiring demeanor, they hold a special place in our Maple Tree of course, for being our winter birds!
I love to see them all hopping around (we get quite a few at a time) on the ground, solemnly picking up the seeds that the other birds spilled in their dashing about. They're quite the thrifty little things, as becomes a winter bird. :)
Another fan of our Suet holding Chicken, would be "Mr. Elvis". Which is our personal family nickname for the handsome and suave White Breasted Nuthatch. "Elvis" always seems a bit suspicious of everyone, flicking his way cautiously down the tree, darting glances that way and this, peering out of his beady black eyes at his surroundings.
But don't let his tentative attitude fool you. Nuthatches are some of the bravest and daring birds. In fact at our old, old house we even had some that would eat out of our hands, with the more vocally brave Chickadees and Titmice.
In fact almost all of our birdies at our "castle" are confident fearless creatures. Even the dainty little Tree Sparrow, wouldn't be quick to fly away when you walk by, as long as you don't get too close.
These little neighbors at least, seem to have accepted our presence here, and maybe even enjoy it.
I am sure we do theirs!
~Chs
