Red Birds and Friends

In honor of the Kansas City Chiefs upcoming play-off game, there’s a lot of red on display around the city. Thought I’d do my part and start my post with a red bird today.

Red Birds

Cardinals. Funny thing if you’re talking sports and saying “red birds” in this city, you’re not talking about football. Your talking about the baseball team from the other side of the state named after those red birds. We’re all Royal blue around here during baseball season. Enough sports talk. How about some more cardinal pictures?

Can’t leave out the beautiful female cardinal.

And Friends

I’ve noticed the house finches and sparrows like to hang out around the cardinals.  Moving on, how about a photo of a bird that’s not exactly red but has the color in its name?

Red-bellied woodpecker 

Bought a new “squirrel proof” birdfeeder last weekend. The first birds to test it out were the chickadees and then, this fellow:

Kind of funny as he has to work hard to get the seeds out and the suet feeder is easy for him. However, I’ve noticed he now prefers the new feeder. At least, the house sparrows take a break from their seed scattering ways when he arrives.

Another bird to return to the yard this week, our hawk!

Hawk tales

Still not completely sure of the kind. He’s perched in a tree across the street in this photo. I ran outside to take some photos and got fairly close. Though later realized, I should’ve grabbed the bridge camera with the better zoom!

And while I say a hawk, there are two in the neighborhood. Later the same afternoon, I opened the door and listened. And then, stepped out in the street and saw one sitting in a tree at the corner of the road and the one photographed, now in a tree behind the neighbor’s house. Calling back and forth. I grabbed J and we listened for a bit.

Tried listening to various bird sounds and now, I’m even more confused on what it might be. The “crying” sounds we heard don’t seem to match the Cooper’s hawk but those are the most common hawks for our area. I think it might be a red shoulder hawk based on sounds. We do see those on occasion.

On another day, I was simply watching my birds at the feeders when one swooped down low and made a pass over the area! Lucky day for the songbirds and fat squirrels, not such a lucky day for the hungry hawk. Hopefully, I’ll see our hawk (or hawks) again soon and get a better zoomed in photo.

Other Birds Spotted This Week

It’s been a good week for watching the birds out the back door and I’ve been home to do it. One morning, I spotted a pair of crows over the roofline in a tree up on the corner.

And another day, like something out of a dream, a goldfinch perched on the fence for just a moment. I don’t know what the little yellow birds have against our yard but I seldom see them out there!

And finally, I’ve counted 3 so far of the my favorite little white-throated sparrows foraging about on the deck and in the yard!

All our regular customers as well: the Carolina wrens, tufted titmice, downy woodpeckers (saw 3 of those at once one day as well!), blue jays, and chickadees. On a warm day, I even spotted two brown tree creepers in the oak tree. And J noticed a flock of starlings stop briefly in the backyard yesterday.

What birds did you see this week?

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Joining in with the Bird Depot hosted by Anni over at I’d Rather B Birdin’.