Seen at the Birdfeeder Today

I've decided to use this blog to document the bird species that come to our back yard. I'll also list them in the links over to the right so you can check that from time to time instead of hunting through all the blog entries to find the ones about the birds. I intend to write more these backyard bird entries from time to time until I run out of species or until I get bored with the topic.

Today's birds:

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus): This cheerful little bird is particularly fond of peanuts. One will come zooming in from a tree or bush straight for the birdfeeder at such a speed you're sure it can't stop in time! It will perch, throw out a few sunflower seeds (for the Juncos), grab a peanut and then zoom back into the bush to peck at the peanut while holding it between its toes. I read recently that they will store food in as many as 28 separate caches and can remember where the caches are for at least 30 days.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens): Similar to the Black-capped Chickadee but with brown coloration on the back and side.

Oregon Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis): These birds have toes that are not as adapted to clinging to the perches on my birdfeeder as the chickadees' toes. The Juncos like to hop around on the ground looking for seed that other birds have dropped. But some of them seem to have learned how to grab precariously onto a perch as they try to snatch a seed out of the feeder or a bit of suet out of the wire suet hanger.

Here's a picture of a Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus).


I found this owl lying on its back just outside our backdoor one morning in October 2002. It had apparently crashed into the window during the night. The owl was still alive but had obviously been hurt and I took it to O.W.L. I was delighted to hear from them just before Christmas two months later that the owl had fully recovered and they were releasing it back into the wild.