Common redpoll pair
Arriving early this morning, I was happy to find fox tracks showing that Pretty Girl showed up again during the night. I’m hoping she’ll come again before I go home.
ChickadeeDays here begin with breakfast for the birds, deer, and Pretty Girl (if she shows up). The usual chickadees and nuthatches come in a steady stream for their sunflower seed hearts unless they are interrupted by squirrels, woodpeckers, or blue jays taking their shares.
Red-breasted nuthatch
Feeding slows through brunch, lunch, and afternoon snacks, giving redpolls the opportunity to eat as they prefer. Unlike chickadees and nuthatches that grab and go, redpolls like to eat in place. On days that snow covers their seeds, they know to dig into it. Today was a special redpoll treat. As the fast-moving chickadees and nuthatches quickly landed and flew off with seeds to peck into tiny pieces, a pair of redpolls landed on a nearby branch to wait their turn. The breast on the male was the brightest pink I think I’ve ever seen. Later, the pair showed up in better light for the prettiest picture I think I ever took of a redpoll.
 Common redpoll digging |
Common redpoll male |
Just before sunset, a host of chickadees arrived for their usual dinner rush. I don’t know where they come from, but within a 2 minute span at the peak of the rush I counted 47 visits, one or two at a time, each staying only a few seconds to grab and go. I don’t know how many chickadees were in the flow, minute after minute, for an hour or so until they all moved off to digest supper in their overnight shelters and perches.
Hairy Woodpecker male
Distractions like these make each day exciting and intriguing as I try to focus on what I’m supposed to be writing in the way of publications, reports, and emails.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center