I love backyard bird feeders. Instead of peering at a tiny figure perched at the top of a tree, or trying to discern what’s twittering in that bush, the birds come out in plain view at the feeder, to be admired and photographed.
he Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
Over the years, many woodland birds of the Pacific Northwest have shown up at my suet feeder in the Willamette Valley, like the flock of Bushtits above. These cute little western birds are very social, feeding as a group and huddling together on cold nights to keep warm.
My homemade suet, based on lard, peanut butter, and oatmeal, like other suet mixtures probably mimics the high fat and protein of caterpillars, grubs, and other insect food. During summer I have noted parent birds taking beakfuls of suet away, apparently for their nestlings. Jays may store chunks of suet in hiding places for later meals. Suet can be a food resource for birds in winter when other menu items are scarce.
Another advantage of a suet feeder is that size is obvious from the scale of the bird against the feeder. As an example, compare the sizes (body and beak!) of a male Downy Woodpecker and a female Hairy Woodpecker at the suet.
Here is a sampling of other birds that I have seen at my suet feeder:
Townsend’s Warblers often showed up in the winter for suet, brightening dull overcast days..
Colorful Chestnut-backed Chickadees, a Pacific Northwest species, were regulars at the suet all year long.
As were lively Red-breasted Nuthatches.
And Dark-eyed Juncos — here the rusty-backed Oregon form.
Spotted Towhees, which usually scratch away on the ground, visited the suet in winter.
Occasionally a bird would unexpectedly drop by, like this Hermit Thrush.
Or even a Song Sparrow.
One spring a migrating flock of Western Tanagers sampled the suet for a few days before moving on.
Two jays were suet fans, both in winter and summer: the California Scrub Jay and the raucous Steller’s Jay. (In 2016 the Western Scrub Jay was split into the coastal California Scrub Jay and the interior west’s Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay. www.audubon.org/...)
And the largest of the suet birds were red-shafted Northern Flickers; it is always a treat to view their striking plumage.
Keep on observing in your backyard or patch of nature! You never know what might turn up!
We value all observations, as we ponder life’s cycles. Now it’s your turn. What phenomena have entertained or amazed you in your neck of the woods? Comment and include photos if possible.