• Two Saturdays ago (Nov. 12, 2011) I noticed the first migrant White-throated Sparrow. Still waiting on the two adorable Red-breasted Nuthatches to come back this winter. I wonder if I'll see them again.

Last night...

...I saw that a male cardinal is back roosting/sleeping in an evergreen shrub by the house for the first time in a while. I haven't seen a cardinal or any other bird sleeping there since it was cold last, in the winter, other than when I briefly had a female cardinal building and sitting on a nest in the shrub in the spring, before abandoning the nest shortly after. I've seen only sparrows, cardinals and maybe a junco roosting in the shrub. Mainly only a male cardinal; can't remember if I've seen a female with a male together; it's possible. It might be the same male that was there last year. And it's possibly the one that produced all of the baby cardinals I saw this spring and summer. Although the female moved the nest from the shrub to an unknown location, probably nearby.

Also last night, there were not one but two opossums eating together. One is called Big Pinky and the other is called Little Pinky, for their pink nose. I first started feeding Big Pinky last year when it would eat cat food outside. Eventually, I recently tried unsalted, dry roasted peanuts. They both love peanuts. I've also tried fruit, too, as is recommended. But they have never eaten together before until last night. Big Pinky was at the peanut bowl and Little Pinky was looking around, eventually going to the cat food nearby as Big Pinky was eating the peanuts. But eventually Little Pinky couldn't stand not getting any peanuts before Big Pinky ate them all and wondered over to the peanuts. Big Pinky opened his mouth real wide and I thought there was gonna be a fight, but they both just ended up eating together, as you can see in these pictures:

• Saturday, October 29, 2011, I saw the first winter migrant, a White-throated Sparrow.
• The hummingbirds (two) have been gone (migrated south) since September or October. Though I did see one in early October, I believe it was, which I'm thinking was a migrant passing through (just a guess), not my normal ones (two hummingbirds) that may have been here this year and last.
• I'm starting to think about winter and spring (too early, I know, but I love spring bird nesting) a lot now... Mainly, roosting boxes, experimenting with a squirrel nest box and planning out my nest boxes/birdhouses for spring.
• It's nearing the time that I might start putting out homemade suet since it won't melt much, if any, like it did in the summer when I experimented with making suet.
• I've been having this fascination with evergreen/coniferous trees/shrubs, especially ones that produce food, like berries, etc. I want to try to grow some in my yard next spring. The reason is they provide shelter and food in the winter for birds, and also provide privacy.

The Fall Update

It's getting colder, leaves are falling and food sources are disappearing. I'm going to miss spring and summer in some ways. It went by way too quick, in my opinion. The spring nesting season went by so fast... I wish every season was spring. I loved watching all of the birds building nests in my yard and going back and forth for nesting material. And then, obviously, the little feathered muffins that are produced in the nest is a great thing. Baby birds are so cute. Hopefully next year I'll have even more birds nesting around my yard.

One thing I've realized is that feeders are a really good thing for injured or sick birds. Most have a harder time than other healthy birds getting food, and it's easier on them. I've had a few, mostly grackles with injured/infected talons or a missing leg, and house finches with house finch disease. Last winter I had one blue jay with an injured talon that I wrote about quite a bit. After a while I never saw him again. I'd hate it if he died. Maybe he just left the area...

I've had my fair share of deaths. I saw a butterfly go into convulsions and about an hour later it was being eaten by ants, which had obviously died. It was sad. Soon there was no indication that this little butterfly had even existed. It was completely gone, and presumably eaten.

Last summer I saw two butterflies, one chasing the other, that I wrote about. They are probably both dead now, too. The only thing that remains of both of them is my memory of that sweet, innocent experience. I did recently see two butterflies of the same color (yellow-green) doing similar things, like chasing each other, etc. It made me think of the two butterflies last summer.

Life is such a delicate thing.

I also saw a bumble bee dying or in convulsions, a dead honey bee, a few other already-dead insects. The biggest death I saw was a young male cardinal that hit a window about a month ago. So young and full of life, but in a second came to an end. It broke it's neck and had blood coming out of his beak. I was sad to see it. The first cardinal I've ever seen dead in-person and have picked up. It was heavier than I thought it'd be. He had many years ahead of him, probably would have even had a few families himself, then one day it's over before his life even really begins.

I thought about...

...ending this blog, because it's sometimes hard to write about every little thing that goes on day-to-day. I think I'll keep giving updates for a while longer, though. As a new "birder," it can be hard to provide useful information that can be used by others on the Internet. From looking at how people find my blog and what they're searching for, they are definitely looking for useful, quick information. I've sometimes just been able to simply write about my observations and experiences, which may or may not be that helpful for someone looking for info. I think from now on I will try to provide mostly useful information, rather than just all of the little unimportant (to others) experiences.

End of August Update

Found one dead House Finch dead that hit a window on Wednesday. It looked healthy from what I could tell; no House Finch Disease signs around the eyes, etc., but the eyes were kind of closed so I can't be 100 percent sure, but didn't see any redness around the eyes either.

Thursday I saw four baby cardinals at the feeder in various stages with the mother that is molting and has essentially a bald head.

Thinking of various other feeder setups that are spread out from one another. One for cardinals that prefer to eat away from other birds, and also for the House Finches, as some do carry House Finch Disease and I don't want to have them too close together to other house finches or other birds that could get it.

A few recent videos:

Deja Vu

Around this time last year I would see two cardinals feeding the fledgling baby. Now I see a female feeding another fledgling again. There's nothing like seeing parents feeding their young. And now that I see quite a few birds molting, there are some unique identifying marks and can tell birds apart more.

Common Grackles and Blue Jays

Summer Update

A Northern Mockingbird sat at my feeder, seemingly guarding the highly sought-after peanuts, as he often does, but as he or she was, I saw it poop a big one in my sauce cup where the peanuts were. I went outside to clean it up and noticed the poop was red and messy, getting all over my peanuts. I thought, is that blood? Then I came to the conclusion that, you know what, it's probably from eating berries. I might start offering berries at my feeder. I'm not sure what kind I would offer, though. I guess grapes would be the most common. But I did wonder why it pooped in the peanuts. Maybe a territorial marking, or even trying to ruin the rest of the peanuts for the other birds after it's done eating? Who knows.

On an unrelated note, I had jury duty yesterday and was reading a book I got for Xmas, called The Private Lives of Birds. I read a chapter while waiting. It was very enlightening and interesting. I haven't sat and read a book in a while...

After having experienced every season of birding, I now find myself planning for each season. Next spring I am going to offer a bunch of nesting material early, like human hair, pre-packaged moss or other nesting material I can find. Spring went by waaay too fast. I loved the nesting season. Winter will definitely be busy, with a bunch of cold, hungry birds, not to mention all the migrants that come from the north. I find myself already planning for the winter, like where will I put all the feeders, what kind of food to put in each and the layout, for ground feeders especially.

Common Grackles with Injured or Infected Legs/Talons/Feet/Claws

I've had a lot of grackles the past month or so and notice a few with things wrong with their legs or talons. One was missing the entire leg nearly. Another had a closed/clinched talon that doesn't open (saw some time ago) and the one recent one I've been noticing is one that has a completely swollen talon on his left foot, about three times the size of the other unaffected talon of his. It looks really bad. He doesn't put any weight on it either. I've tried to google some info on this and it might be Avian Pox. If I could capture him I would and send him to a wildlife rehabber. I'm not sure how curable or treatable Avian Pox is. I've also noticed two more House Finches with House Finch Disease. I sent one finch off with it to a wildlife rehabber last week, but not sure I'll be able to capture any of these birds unless they're within reach and not moving much like what happened with the House Finch I took to the rehabber.