First cold snap at the feeders
A hard frost overnight and suddenly the feeders went from one bird every five minutes to a small riot. Most of the action was from 7:00 AM to about 9:30 AM. I set up on the back stoop with a heated coffee and the long lens on a low tripod.
Chickadees were doing about 80% of the work. I counted at least six Black-capped Chickadees moving on and off the tube feeder — you can’t really count them because they look identical but I’m counting anyway. Two White-breasted Nuthatches, a pair of Tufted Titmice, one Downy Woodpecker working the suet, and a single American Goldfinch still half in breeding yellow.
The star was a Blue Jay that came in three times — always alone, always cautious. The jays at this feeder have always been wary, unlike my parents’ Connecticut jays, who will basically eat out of your hand. I don’t know if it’s because we get a neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk or just local culture.
Speaking of: a Cooper’s Hawk came through at 8:47 AM. Everything vanished. I got one frame of it standing on the fence looking annoyed before it moved on. The feeder stayed empty for twenty minutes. Then the chickadees came back first, as always.
