Juvenile Downy

A new woodpecker
Comes to the feeder all day
Sleek brown head, not red

~dkm 330/365

Invitation Accepted

Hanging log feeder,
Peanut butter and cornmeal,
Downy woodpecker.
                                 
~dkm 14/365

Birdly Bird

Big excitement in the limited birding world of this backyard spectator. A single wood thrush. First sighting ever. December 9, 2010, 8:30am. Temperature below freezing, in the 20s. Seems late for migrating. Staying here for the winter? Cinnamon brown head, plainer brown back, distinctively spotted breast, round fat body, long straight beak, pretty pink feet. Foraging for sunflower seeds on the deck floor beneath the feeder. Stayed a long time, hopping around, showing herself at all angles, flipping oak leaves around, unaware of my presence, just four feet away on the other side of the glass. She held me captive for the duration of her visit. An excellent and birdly bird.

8:30-9:00 seems to be the current peak time for coming to the feeder. Other birds at feeder this morning between 8:30 & 9:00: male and female cardinals, house finches, carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, brown-headed nuthatches, whitebreasted nuthatches, my bluebirds (calloo callay), downy woodpeckers, a single female towhee. dkm

Grace

The bald eagle flew across my path thrice this morning---every time close enough for me to hear the papery shuffle and whir of its wings. Twice it soared over the bay when it left my tree. Once it cried its rusty-gate cry.

I also got to know a kingfisher and its loud dry rattling call today---saw its crested head and its vertical dive into the bay for a snack.

At least three species of woodpeckers frequented the large dead tree between the back porch and the bay---definitely a pileated, several smaller ones that look like downy or hairy, can't tell which, and a mystery species that has a solid brown body and dark red head. Except for its brown body it looks and pecks and circumnavigates the tree in every way woodpecker, though I can't find it in the identification guides.

And a new prologue arrived this morning on the dock, already cut from whole cloth.

One could not expect more of a day. dkm