Clever Bird!

Our backyard wildlife has been entertaining lately. This Blue Jay watches for me to place peanuts on the feeder each morning. He then imitates the call of a Coopers Hawk, scaring away the rest of the birds and swoops down for his prize! These hawk imitations may provide information to other birds about the presence of a predator, but also are used to deceive birds into believing a hawk is present! Cornell Lab, All About Birds.

Tufted Titmice have been frequenting our platform backyard feeder! I hope we continue to see them through the winter! Like Chickadees, Tufted Titmice hoard food in the fall and winter. They take advantage of a bird feeder's bounty by storing collected seeds, usually within 40 metres of the feeder. Titmice take only one seed per trip and usually shell the seeds before hiding them. Cornell Lab, All About Birds.

Dark-eyed Juncos are showing up in larger numbers.

We sometimes have 40+ Juncos in our backyard! They like the "weed seeds" where the grass won't grow! Their bright white tail feathers help to identify this species when in flight.

We can watch many species flying overhead from our yard. Every once in awhile, something comes down for a closer look, such as this Turkey Vulture! They will be heading for warmer climates in the next few weeks.