Birds #13 (2019)

Migrating birds have been south for a few months, but will start returning in a few months. We left our feeder out too long this past summer so we could lure indigo buntings. It worked—we had a bunting at the feeder almost every day, and it became our daughters’ favorite bird. We’d hear its “chip” call, similar to its cardinal relative’s, and that would cue us to look outside and spot it at the feeder or in the dark foliage of the magnolia tree. But then a bear, as could be predicted, demolished the feeder. But a couple weeks ago I set everything back up, and we bought a separate hanging suet feeder. The dark-eyed juncos have returned, and we’ve also spotted black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, the female cardinal, and a downy woodpecker. Surprisingly, our thistle feeder has not enticed the goldfinches; it’s been 3/4 full for weeks and weeks.