When I think of Thanksgiving, it's mostly about getting together with family and eating, not necessarily in that order. It seems an appropriate time to make sure that I feed the birds too. I used to keep the feeders full year-round but some years ago, concerned with reports of birds spreading disease at feeders, I reduced my provisions of seeds to the colder months of the year when there's less food available to them.
The finches are usually the first to appear.
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| The Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria) showed up in greater numbers but the House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) were present too. I haven't seen the Spice Finches (Lonchura punctulata) at all yet. The latter are native to Asia but escaped pets have spread in the US, and notably California. |
The White-crowned Sparrows showed up slightly later. There was a good crowd of them at one point but I didn't capture it. However, the sparrows and the finches always seem comfortable mingling at the feeder and I did capture one in the group shown below.
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| The bird sitting in the Ceanothus just below the middle feeder is a White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). Unlike the finches, species noticeably differentiated by gender, these sparrows are described as "sexually monochromatic," which means they can't be readily differentiated based on their appearance, although there are apparently nominal size differences. |
On the other hand, when the California Scrub Jays arrive, all the other birds back off.
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| California Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma californica) are described as "assertive" and they take over the feeders and send the smaller birds off as soon as they arrive. Two of these jays jockeyed for control of the feeders even though they're "squirrel resistant," which means they also lock out the heavier birds to a significant degree. Even so, the jays are adept at getting to the seeds to some extent. |
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| This is a closeup of one of the jays. This bird's underside was particularly fluffy. It occurred to me that it might be a somewhat immature bird but then it's possible it was fluffed up due to either the wind or its conflict with the other jay. Like the White-crowned Sparrows, adult Scrub Jays can only be differentiated by size, not appearance. |
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| The finches use the bare Ginkgo tree some 20 feet away as a waystation when the Scrub Jays are in takeover mode |
Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and may you get all you want to eat!
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I'm not as generous as you Kris, putting out a nice buffet for the birds, but they do seem to find plenty of interest to nibble on in the garden and I enjoy the way they bring things to life. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ReplyDeleteThe birds do add an energy to the garden but dropping from a year-round exercise involving 6 feeders to 2-3 months filling 3 feeders was a relief. Using "no mess" seed prevents unwanted plants and weeds from showing up. These steps reduced the squirrel - and peacock - traffic too ;)
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving! I miss feeding the birds, Dr Feelgood is a scoundrel and I can’t set that trap. But enough still find their way to fill the morning with their cute chirps.
ReplyDeleteOops! It’s me tzgarden -on my phone
DeleteMeeko isn't allowed outdoors, although she's somehow managed to catch a few lizards that got into her catio. (She hasn't eaten the lizards and we've become adept at our catch and release technique.) She loves to chatter at the birds from behind glass, however.
DeleteI've always enjoyed birds in the garden. I wouldn't want to be out there without them. They add so much interest and enjoyment, even the "scoundrels"!
ReplyDeleteThe chief scoundrels here this morning are the scrub jays. Although their heavier weight locks down the seed portals, they manage to get enough to keep them coming back but they eventually give up (if only for awhile) and the smaller birds swarm back :)
DeleteWe don't have any bird feeders. I'm afraid the squirrels would chase the birds away and eat all the bird food.
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are wily but all my feeders are "squirrel resistant." Their weight shuts down the seed portals. Some have figured out that, if they hang onto the top of the feeders by their back claws, they can reach the open portals, but they don't last long. It's amusing to watch them glide down the feeder's main pole when they can't hold on any longer.
DeleteWith little going on in my yard garden-wise, I rely on bird activity at our feeders to feel nature around me. How I love those little winged friends! Eliza
ReplyDeleteI do like watching the birds - and Meeko gets pretty excited about them too ;)
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