3 Big Crows, 1 Little Mockingbird

I saw a huge crow flying overhead in the morning while drinking my coffee, then I see two more following it, and behind the last one I saw a little Mockingbird chasing them all, especially the crow directly in front of him, speeding up behind him several times, etc. It was really quite a funny sight to see. I wish I had my camera and got a video of it...

Read the video description to see what happened and the story behind this.

Spring Bird Food

It's become apparent to me that if I want to keep attracting birds to my feeders in spring that I need to add some natural food, like worms, etc. It has been pretty dead at my feeders, other than the occasional Blue Jay, House Finch, Chickadee, Titmouse, and the annoying Mourning Doves. But there are just a lack of birds, in general, because of birds going off and claiming their own territory, where winter is pretty much nonterritorial and there are many more birds eating seeds since there are no insects, etc. to eat.

Singing Mockingbird at Night

Two nights ago I heard a Mockingbird singing his heart at night, about 1 A.M, while I was putting peanuts out in the birdfeeder before going to bed. It was really something to hear this particular bird singing at this hour, because it has sooo many sounds and songs it makes, mimicking different birds and sounds, and also to hear it with no other sound interference, like other birds or other noises that are more present in the day. So I looked it up and read that only unmated male mockingbirds sing at night. Well, I hope he finds a mate this spring...

Nests

I discovered a new nest in one of my big trees in my front yard, just above and away from the abandoned cardinal nest in a small tree. I haven't been able to determine what kind of bird it is, but just thinking about it now, I don't think it would be a cardinal nest because they prefer dense cover and where it's at isn't dense enough I wouldn't think. I heard some chirps coming from somewhere above me in the tree while I was working outside, then eventually I noticed a nest. I saw that there was a bird in the nest, and could see the tail, but wasn't able to identify the species of bird. Hopefully soon I'll be able to. If I just had to guess, I would say it's a robin's nest.

The chickadees are definitely nesting in my front yard. The birdhouse is a little smaller than a regular bluebird house, not as long, vertical-wise, but about the same space (4"x4" or so), with a regular-style pointed birdhouse roof. It's really amazing that they picked that house, although I believe they built nests in multiple birdhouses nearby. This birdhouse doesn't have a permanent bottom. I put a piece of wood on the arbor it's on and set the birdhouse on top of it. The cool thing about this birdhouse is that it has horizontal openings on both sides from where the roof hangs over the side but doesn't meet it, about a 1.5"-2" opening, so they can get out (or in, presumably) through either side or through the regular hole in front. I believe the male comes to feed the female off-and-on. I constantly see him coming into it with food then leaving a few seconds later without anything in his bill.

The Week of the Cicada

They're all over the place, hundreds, thousands in my yard alone. Crazy! When they molt, they are hanging halfway out of their shell and look pale white. It's a pretty freaky sight. And you can hear them. I hear this distant sound, like a mechanical sound or an idle diesel engine running. That's kind of what they sound like, at least how they sound far away and in an apparently large group. When nearer to them, you can hear the buzzing.

In nesting news, the cardinal appears to have abandoned her nest near my house. That's unfortunate. But it appears that there are definitely two chickadees nesting in a birdhouse near my house. I see one or both coming and going. It almost looked like today a chickadee came out with a fecal sack but I'm not sure. The titmice look to be nesting somewhere else, not in my yard anymore, although I still see them around. It has been so dead at my birdfeeders the past month or so. Totally unexpected. I guess the good news is I can finally sleep-in 'til 9 or 10. That feels pretty nice.

The Migrants Have Left...?

I believe they have all gone back up home to the north - -, I really enjoyed learning about the Red-breasted Nuthatch. Really a sweet little bird, and will come right up near you, provided you're near a feeder that has one of his favorite foods in there...Hehe. There were two of them, presumably mates, that I used to feed, but I'd have to guess they left two to three weeks ago, give or take. I'll never forget my first winter feeding birds. There was a lot of action, a lot of cold, hungry birds, and I'm glad I was able to help out. I had a really great and memorable time. And now I'm enjoying my first full spring feeding birds and experiencing nesting and learning new things about birds in the spring season.