Thursday, March 24, 2022

Even Birds Get Nasty Habits

The birds have been intriguing all winter, but now that the weather is warmer I can stay outside longer to catch them when they drop their fear and shyness.
The White-throated Sparrows are very common and feed on the ground. They turn leaves throughout the woods, but also collect in a group of a dozen or so under my birdfeeders. According to Cornell their sound is "Oh-sweet-canada-canada" or "Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody". This prior text was a direct cut and paste, so not sure why the capitalization is off. The words are not something I can hear out when I listen. This is primarily their mating call in the spring. They are full opportunity feeders eating seeds, insects and even buds of certain trees in the spring. Like the majority of birds, they feed their young insects. I guess that is why they are so abundant. This Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) above is storing her cache of seeds from my feeder. I do not think this is a nest since I see no entering and exiting. Below is our common Northern Cardinal. They have ganged up on me and gone from one bird who pecks at a window to three or four that peck at ALL the windows around my house! I can no longer take an afternoon nap! I fear it is a genetic anomoly and they will reproduce even more of these birds with a nasty habit.

11 comments:

  1. Birds pecking at their reflection in a window, being territorial, oddly reminds me of human behavior. There was a time when, as I doze off for a good nap, the phone would ring. Thankfully, that no longer happens.
    I hope the birds move on as well.

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  2. If they sang O Canada in tune I would be impressed.

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  3. If you really want to get it right it is White-throated Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker.

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    1. Honestly, I did correct it once to Downy after a typing and not sure why when editing I went back that other way. I will correct them!

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  4. Song birds will be abundant now as they mate, gather nesting materials, and hatch young. I look forward to the morning and evening birdsong.

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  5. We had a cardinal one spring that would sit on the side view mirrors and peck at his reflection.

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  6. It sounds like the cardinals are trying to get your attention. They must be annoying to say the least.

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  7. Birds do tend to attach their reflections. It's not good for them (keeps them burning calories they don't need to expend) and not good for your sanity.

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    1. That should be "attack". Someday i'll learn to edit.

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  8. But that one is simply gorgeous.
    Ear plugs for the naps. Maybe something reflective on a window far, far way from your napping site.

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  9. You have a Downy Woodpecker in building a nest, I hope so. Tabor, I love all of them.

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Glad to hear from you once again. I really like these visits. Come sit on this log and tell me what you are thinking.