A Busy Winter Coming

As we approach the half way point in summer, the introduction to younger birds of our home as a place to come for food during the winder months is almost complete. Crows, chickadees, blue jays, and white-breasted nuthatches have all had this year’s babies here for the past few weeks. Still to come are the downy and hairy woodpeckers and the red-breasted nuthatches. To watch the younger birds being taught how to eat sunflower seeds and peanuts is an experience of a lifetime. To see the condition of the poor mother birds during this period of their lives as they try to cope with the juveniles at the same time as their annual moulting season is equally unforgettable.

An interesting observation that we confirmed this year is that all juvenile birds seem to have the very same habit of constantly crying for food to their parents while at the same time as letting their wings hang down and shaking them. This characteristic of the babies is in fact an excellent way to tell the difference between adults and children as the children approach adult size.

There’s quite a few juveniles this year, which means it’s going to be a very busy winter !