Feeder birds this week

The feeders have been very, very busy this week, as birds take advantage of an easy meal. Unfortunately, for the songbirds, a large Cooper's Hawk has also taken advantage of the feeders to try to cadge an easy meal. I haven't actually seen her (I think it is a female because of her size) catch a bird yet, but I have seen her try on a couple of occasions and I suspect she has been successful at times when I wasn't watching.

I've been trying to document some of the birds at the feeders this week. Here are just a few that I've seen and been able to photograph.

For years, I never saw Downy Woodpeckers at my feeders, but this year they have taken to them in a big way. Here is the male of my backyard pair.

And here is the little female of the pair.

The noisy Blue Jays are always around and always on the alert for that pesky hawk.

I have a large flock of House Sparrows that visit my yard each day. I really wish I didn't, but, oh, well, here they are.

On Wednesday I showed you the female Rufous Hummingbird that assiduously guards a large chunk of my backyard, but I have plenty of Ruby-throats as well. Here is a female visiting one of the feeders.

Here is an immature male Ruby-throat visiting the same feeder.

Of course, a week at the feeders would not be complete without several visits from the perky, inquisitive Carolina Wren.

Some of the birds that were present that I didn't photograph this time around were the House Finches, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Mourning Doves, and the omnipresent Northern Cardinals and White-winged Doves. There's not a dull moment at the feeders these days!