What are some exciting yard birds which have visited you? Today I added a cool new bird, a Northern Shrike! While working on my computer this afternoon I glanced up and saw the shrike!
My yard is very popular with songbirds due to the six bird feeders, and thus a predator like this Northern Shrike. To describe my yard … it is on the edge of a pine forest, across the road from Amity Creek, but also has an open area where I have tall grasses and a garden of perennials.
This photo taken through the window! Last winter I had a Barred Owl which hunted 5 yards from our living room window. For three weeks it would set up shop late every afternoon right above the bird feeders and await an unwary squirrel or vole. We learned we were not allowed to watch from the window seat in the living room (five yards away from the owl), but were permitted to watch the owl from our dining room window … ten yards away from the owl. These were the owl’s rules, not ours! 🙂
Finally, I am participating in Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch. Today was one of my count days. Thus I get to add a Northern Shrike!
Quite cool. I had a shrike on Friday for about 15 mins then on Saturday had a group of 8-10 male and female Crossbills. (!!) They ate on a flat feeder of medium hulled sunflower hearts. They only stayed approx 40 minutes. And I have a number of redpoles already this season. Starting Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Usually they arrive early January. I wonder if the dipping jet stream and howling northern winds have accounted for some of these early arrivals.
Thanks for asking!
South of Rt 2, Bayfield County.
Wow! Crossbills In your feeder! When I was a kid we used to always have both Red Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks in our feeders. I keep hoping to score either of these two species. You must have some nice habitat where you live. I agree that the strong NW winds of the past few days most likely pushed some northern birds down to us from Canada. The number of owls in the Duluth area is starting to be most impressive.
I do some occasional birding over in your area. I assume you know about Ryan Brady with the Wisconsin DNR. He is their birding specialist and lives in Bayfield County. Thus, he knows what is in your immediate region. He is on Facebook, and posts regularily to the Birding Wisconsin group.