When the bird feeders are full

I've been leaving my bird feeders empty for much of the year; however, I feel compelled to fill them during the winter months.  Granted, what passes for winter in my climate poses far fewer challenges for the birds than conditions in colder climates but I do like watching them from the window of my home office at this time of year.

Unfortunately, my windows are less than pristine and foggy conditions on some days didn't help the clarity of the following photos yet they still tell a story.

The house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) and lesser goldfinches (Spinus psaltria) are always the first to show up when seeds magically appear

Fuzzy closeup of the lesser goldfinches

The white crown sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) showed up soon after the finches

The spice finches (Lonchura punctulata), birds native to tropical Asia, were late arrivals.  These birds escaped into the wild decades ago.

The smaller birds are scared off on a regular basis by the neighborhood bully.

The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) scatters the smaller birds as soon as it arrives

Scrub jays can't get directly to the seed in my "squirrel-resistant" feeders but, like squirrels, they manage to get enough seed to keep them coming back

A bigger threat loomed.  I noted the hawk's arrival but all the smaller birds appeared oblivious.

Without a closer look, I can't be certain of his/her identity but I'm guessing it was a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).  They often land in the neighbor's pine trees behind our garden.

The birds also dismissed the threat that lay behind the glass window of my office.

Meeko has thoroughly enjoyed the presence of the birds, chittering at them.  She looks a little fat here but, at 11 months old, she's simply filled out some.

What I haven't seen are any squirrels.  They usually appear at the feeders before the birds do!  Last week, Loree of danger garden asked how the pumpkins in my front garden avoided destruction by squirrels for over two months.  While I've had squirrels tunnel through pumpkins overnight on many occasions, I assumed that the thick skins of the pumpkins I'd bought this year had made a difference.  

Photo taken in late October 2015

Then, while walking the neighborhood earlier this week, I noticed several ordinary pumpkins untouched  in the gardens of two other homes.  I also realized that it'd been a month or more since I've seen squirrels nearby.  A neighbor across the street told me she's seen packs of coyotes wandering through the area nearly every night on her trail and security cameras.  Another neighbor said she passed one in the mid-afternoon.  Maybe the squirrels have been pushed out by predators?  Even if true, I'm sure their absence is temporary.

Our regional Santa Ana winds are blowing again.  They touched off another serious wildfire in Pacific Palisades, approximately thirty-five miles to the north of us, yesterday morning.  Another major fire developed in Altadena, forty-five miles away, in the afternoon.  The smoke blew our way last night, permeating the house.  Wind whipping foliage about caused our motion-detection lights to go on and off, on and off constantly.  It was not a restful night but at least we don't have a fire in our immediate area.  My heart goes out to those who do. 

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party