The grape jelly is out and the sisal twine is cut and on the ground as we anticipated the arrival of the Baltimore Orioles. And then yesterday, we saw a flash of orange up in the top of the tree and we knew they were back. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
It’s so exciting to watch these magnificent birds come and eat at the feeders and gather twine to weave their intricate nests. We were lucky a couple of years ago as they made their nest high in a tree right in our back yard. Will we be that lucky again this year? It will be so much fun watching them all summer long. Such a treat!
This is the time of year when all of the Grackles arrive and invade our bird feeders. They come in droves, eat a lot of the bird seed and scare all the other birds away. They are relentless!
We have been using the large and small version on the Squirrel Buster bird feeders. The bird feeders close when a heavier bird lands on them. But the Grackles figured out how to eliminate that problem and ate most of the bird food.
After trying many new adaptations each year and failing, we finally modified our Squirrel-Buster bird feeder hoping this would make it Grackle-proof. It worked!
It is so much fun to watch the Grackles scavenge around on the ground looking for some leftover seed while the smaller birds are eating from the bird feeders. The Grackles don’t even try to get anything from the feeders anymore. So much fun!
We were taking a walk on Boat Meadow Beach when we saw a little bird scurry about in the sand. We both thought it was just a regular “sparrow,” but took some photos anyway… just in case. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
When I got home, I pulled it up on my computer and realized that it was not just an ordinary sparrow, but a Savannah Sparrow…. a first for both of us here on Cape Cod.
Savannah Sparrows are identified by the small yellow patch on their face right in front of the eye. They breed in open areas with low vegetation.
This beautiful Sharp-shinned Hawk stopped by our bird feeders yesterday right around lunchtime. He must have been hoping to find something there for a meal. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
In doing some research, I learned that the Sharp-shinned Hawk eats insects, reptiles, small mammals and small songbirds. And those we have plenty of in our yard. They usually pounce from low perches which is why I saw him on the feeder.
When hunting at backyard bird feeders, they cause a wave of high-pitched alarm calls among the gathered songbirds as they flee the area. He stayed for a bit but then flew away without finding his lunch in our yard.
Beautiful bird, don’t you think? Have you ever seen a Sharp-shinned Hawk?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
