Bird Bath Heater is Working

At -7 degrees, still ice-free. Birds need a source of water when it's cold so they can take a sip every now and then.

That's a Big Bird Feeder

Clever DIY bird feeder for ducks.

Brewer's Blackbird Teen

The parents seemed to "park" this kid at the feeder for an hour or so. The teen kept begging to be fed, and the parents ignored the begging and just hovered as he slowly ate on his own. Growing up!

She's Back

The leucistic female yellow-headed blackbird that visited the yard last year is back. The photo on the left is her appearance this week. On the right, her photo from May 15, 2012.

Strange Bird

A female Brewer's blackbird with a condition called leucism - meaning loss of pigmentation.

House Finch Color Variation

I think this is a house finch variant, although when I snapped the pic, I thought it was a grosbeak.

Whole Lotta Birds

It's that time of year when it's difficult to keep the feeders full.

Blending In

A mourning dove - keeping watch while a friend scoops up snacks under a hanging bird feeder.

Orange House Finch

We usually see red and orange-red finches, but they're also sometimes orange or yellow. It's linked to their diet.

Cool new bird feeder with junkyard birds. Found this at the Capital City Public Market.

Young Goldfinch

Isn't he pretty? Several goldfinch families are visiting the garden each evening.

House Sparrow Mommy and Baby

Feeding time.

Teenager in the Yard

A juvenile robin gathering its own food. I saw it eat several worms. A parent was nearby, but not feeding the teen - despite its begging. Tough parenting job.

Hummingbird in Mallow

Add mallow to the list of plants hummingbirds like. I've seen them dining on honeysuckle, agastache (hyssop), delphinium, zinnias, orange carpet, cat mint, bee balm and lavender this year. They also sip from the hummingbird feeders.

House Finch Cozy with the Cat Feeder

It did take the birds a while to use this feeder....

Mourning Dove Show-off

I didn't know their tail feathers had so many colors.

Leucistic Yellow-Headed Blackbird

"Leucistic" refers to the white patches.

Chickadee - Love This Bird

We have a pair of black-capped chickadees in the neighborhood this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Quail

They've been singing love songs.

Nesting

A robin is building a condo on the downspout. This is "day 1" of the project.