Feeder activity picks up

With the coming of the Pine Siskins and the increase in the number of American Goldfinches, the feeders have suddenly become very busy places.

One of the record number of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the yard this winter waits on a blueberry bush limb for an opening at the nearby feeder.

When the noisy Blue Jay arrives everybody gives way.

Northern Cardinals and sparrows like this White-throated often feed together on the ground under the feeders.

Of course, the House Sparrows are always a part of the mix.

The cardinal's favorite seed is the black-oil sunflower.

A goldfinch awaits its turn at the feeder.

The clown of the backyard, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, seems determined to carry as much of the food as he can pack into that big bill!

The juvenile male Rufous Hummingbird prepares to sip from the sugar water feeder.

Striped Pine Siskins and a few goldfinches share the platform feeder.

A brightly colored Pine Warbler shares the feeder with a female cardinal.

I love watching the acrobatics of the tiny Downy Woodpeckers at the suet feeders. They do love their suet!

When the boss of the backyard, the Northern Mockingbird, shows up, everybody scatters!

I hope to spend a lot of time watching the birds in my yard this weekend in order to increase the numbers that I'm able to report to Project FeederWatch. This is the time of the season when the activity in the yard really picks up and things get very interesting.