How to bring in the Northern Cardinals

We have had a very warm and sunny day today even though you see all the snow in these pictures, it is melting fast!

I just had to get outside and do a little hands on, decorating if you will, trying to make the area a little more bird friendly.
I placed this tarnished silver dish on the gazing ball stand and put some feed in it.

Since the water in the bird bath and every where else for that matter has been frozen for weeks, I decided to put their water in an enamelware dish. I like enamelware and thought my birds would too!

I have read that Northern Cardinals like a flat feeder so I found this tray in a pinch and put some cranberries and Cardinal Mix out on it.

In less than one minute after I went inside, I turned around and he was here at the silver dish.

Seems he likes nice dishes too!

Notice the American Goldfinch also in the dish?

Looks like he is fighting the Cardinal off!

Tufted Titmouse, Black Capped Chickadees, White breasted Nuthatch,

Junco's, Purple House Finch, House Finch,

American Goldfinch, Blue jay's and Northern Cardinals
Have been here all day!

I have several other species thrown in there too.

Several Woodpecker sightings this year.

My husband made this squirrel feeder to lure the squirrels into the woods behind our house.

No where near the bird feeders!

Pretty cute huh?

So my friends, if you are trying to lure more Cardinals in to your bird feeders just decorate a little!!

Hummingbirds and Brownheaded Cowbirds

The hummingbirds have been here for about a week now but this is the first picture that I have been able to get of them. This was taken a few minutes ago at about 8:30PM!
A little too blurry here to tell much about it.

This pair of Brownheaded Cowbirds were at the feeder 6 days ago and I got this shot.

I have seen them back together most every day except today. Today was really windy and I didn't see very many birds at the feeders. I saw no hummingbirds
until late tonight.

today in the birding world

There's a lot of activity at the feeder this morning. A lot of different birds fighting for food. Darkeyed Juncos and Sparrows, Black Capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse,

White Breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creepers.
These appear to be Orchard Orioles.
I am not sure but I thought I had spotted an Eastern Bluebird this morning.
Then after looking at this picture I am pretty certain that I did see one.
Looks like a bluebird to me.
I have got to get me a pair of binoculars.


Last evening it was very cold and a rain/snow mixture was coming down.
This pair of Cardinals were at the feeder at almost dark.

Easter lilies are in bloom and the grass is getting green!!

Ole Red!

My first male cardinal of the year. I spotted a female a couple days ago but couldn't get a good picture of it. Danny said he thought he saw a female today at the feeder but it flew and he couldn't swear it was one.
Dining with friends.

Just hanging out.

The cardinal is our state bird, Virginia.

Why don't I see more of them?

A New Favorite Feeder!

Danny made me another PVC feeder yesterday!
A smaller one this time.

We hung it in the Smoke Tree by the garden pond that is frozen over right now!

The birds really love it and it didn't take but a few hours to find it!

Saturday Ferbuary 6, 2010.....

.....is the day that my life was changed.

I am not sure if it was changed for the better or not!

That's the day that I fell in love for the first time

in my life

with

BACKYARD BIRDING!!!!!

This is a picture, taken today, showing Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Bluebirds.

A total count of 6 Cedar Waxwings and this is the first day that they have been spotted here.
That is a beautiful bird!!!

Miss Mier......the bird cat......

oh what trouble you will be in when I see

his feathers sticking out of the sides of your mouth!

The bird feeder that Danny built me last Sunday.

Dinner time!!

The good times have begun!

And it all started because of these little beauties showing up in my Crabapple tree outside my window on Saturday 2/6/2010.

Danny went to the hardware store that morning and bought the supplies needed to make me this great feeder and it has been a very exciting week since he hung it in the dogwood tree.

I have rearranged my office so I can see the birds with out having to get up and run to the window....I still get up and run to the window with my camera when a new bird is spotted anyway.

My camera broke and I had to return it and I upgraded to a Nikon D3000!!!

I have to be on the look out for a new zoom lens so that I never miss any birding action, too!!

The count for the week is as many as 40 Eastern Bluebirds at one time.

Cedar Waxwings = 6

Dark Eyed Junco's = 30

Sparrows and Wrens = several

Female Cardinal = 1

(odd because we usually have Cardinals and not these other birds....Global Warming huh?)

Black Crows = 6 everyday

Bird cats = 3 for the time being hahaha

and that's the reason this blog was started!

I want to have a journal to track the birding action around the farm. A place to be able to refer back to in years to come and monitor my progress with this new found hobby of ours.

Yes Danny is knee deep in this one right along with me!!!!!!

Happy Birding!!!

Becky