Natural History Journal

When less-than-favorable weather conditions and the general routine tasks of daily life prevent me from getting out into the field as often as I would like, the birds that hang around our garden are an absolute delight: a literal God-send, in my opinion!  To be able to glance out the window and see the beautiful abundance of life on display in an array of winged creatures is a wonderful blessing.   In addition to the Oak Titmice that have been hanging around outside the windows lately, here are a few more of my feathered friends, whose presence never fails to cheer and entertain. Anna's Hummingbird Several Anna's Hummingbirds can be counted on to liven up the garden with their feisty presence year-round.  They visit hummingbird feeders, strategically placed outside the windows, as well as swaths of flowering plants offering enticing nectar-rich blooms these little gems can't resist!  Here, this male Anna's Hummingbird perches on a cluster of dogwood buds... his favored

The gray, stormy days of January have been livened up lately by the continued presence of a pair of Oak Titmice that have been hanging out around our yard and frequenting our birdfeeders.  I wrote about these feisty little mites of the oak woodlands a few years ago , but only recently have they shown up in our neighborhood. While some describe them as plain or drab, I think Oak Titmice are endearing - and full of lively energy!  This pair is routinely seen nabbing sunflower seeds from our feeders before flying off to perch in a tree or shrub where they hold the seed between their feet and hammer it open with their stout bills.  I suspect these two little birds were drawn to our neighborhood by an abundance of mistletoe in a nearby ash tree - and enticed to stay by the steady supply of sunflower seeds in our feeders!  In any case, they are a delight to watch and a welcome addition to the usual sparrows, finches and doves that call our yard home. Hopefully they stick around for a while!!