the little birdies

In honor of the Great Backyard Bird Count, we got a birdfeeder this year and set it up outside the back window. Actually we have 3+ birdfeeders out there: one of those hanging tubes with four perches, a bigger cedar feeder (which also has places for suet on either end), and a hummingbird feeder. We were also equipped with a bird book to help us figure out what we might be seeing. The nice thing about this book is that you identify birds by color--nice and simple for beginner bird watchers like us!

We've gotten pretty good at identifying our regular birdies--mostly a flock of chipping sparrows. Yesterday I started snapping a few pictures through the window. Not the best pictures, but they'll do for a total amateur like me. Here's one of our Gold Finches. There's a little chippie on the other side. Later in the day we had a gold finch on one side of the cedar feeder and a red cardinal on the other, but I missed that shot
This little fella is a chickadee. Unlike the chippies, who come and hang out, the chickadees fly in, grab a seed, and fly off with it. So, this isn't much of a picture, but hey, at least I got the shot before he left again
And this fella we think is a baby mockingbird. He and his brother (or she and her sister?) showed up for the first time yesterday, and were back again this morning. They are still fuzzy but can fly okay, though they are the LAST ones to fly off when the cats jump at the window. They'll either learn, or become one of the neighborhood kitties' lunch!
When we first put the feeders up, we all had a hard time identifying the birds, especially the 'little brown blobs.' But like I said, we're starting to be able to do it. What thrilled me was when a couple days ago Sly said he saw a different kind of bird at the feeder, one we hadn't seen before. A couple days later I saw something different and asked Sly if that was his bird. He said yes, and we studied its markings together a bit, then sat down and tried to find it in the bird book after it flew off. We decided it might be a House Sparrow, and look forward to its return to check again and see if we were right. It fits the description and the picture in the book pretty well.

Anyway, I've been pleased at how quickly we're noticing patterns and changes in our birdie visitors. Not only is it great for science and nature study, but it's also great for simple enhancing and developing observation skills, communication, and cognitive thinking, and the birdies are just simply fun to watch too. Who knew a couple a cheapo bird feeders would do so much, not to mention that it's driving the wanna-be-outdoor-kitties insane (which is very entertaining for us too!)