Birds in New Jersey 2014
Saturday, 9 August 2014. New developments with the birdfeeders in the backyard, continued
Enjoying the lack of competition with the relentless house sparrows, a male redwing blackbird eats at the "finch feeder"
under a halo.
Meanwhile, in the raucus, violent world of the house sparrows, they lined up waiting their turn to fight for food at the feeder.
A grackle joined the queue.
Another pleasant side effect of throwing birdseed on the ground: At times, very few house sparrows are eating from the
birdfeeder, allowing a chickadee, or, in this case, a male house finch (with reddish head), to have a bite.
Late afternoon sun.
Late afternoon sun. For no apparent reason, every house sparrow will suddenly fly up in the air. Usually, the mourning doves
and rock doves remain, and eat, unperturbed.
One of the squirrels stayed in a tree and gave alarm calls for over ten minutes. The calls sound a bit like a baby crying.
Eleven rock doves.
In the foreground: a young brown-headed cowbird.
A house finch with greyish plumage, but with pink on the chest. A juvenile male?
House finch enjoying nyjer seeds in peace. (The house sparrows are never quiet.)
