Category: Birdbath

Taking A Dip

I’ve been hearing them for some time now with their unmistakable song of, “Here I am. Where are you?” The Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) have come back from their wintering grounds in the Amazon basin of South America. They return to their same breeding grounds every year which pleases me. A couple years ago a nest of Red-eyed Vireos were discovered in a Flowering Dogwood tree just a short distance from the cabin. That nest was watched until the babies fledged. Maybe this is one of that same family.

I’ve been hearing them but today was the first that I’ve seen of them. The birdbath can attract birds that you might not see otherwise. I’m glad to have birdbaths in the yard within easy view. Here the Red-eyed Vireo takes a moment to take a dip with the female Cardinal on the edge of the tiny pool. The Vireo is not one to stay long. It will take a dip and quickly go away only to return a couple minutes later repeating the same actions over and over.

I wonder what summer bird will show up next.

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Not Every Winter

It’s not every winter I see them. But quite the treat to see when they do show up. The Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata).

Internet sites say you can attract them with sunflower seed, raisins, suet, and peanut butter.

Where I see them most often though, not at the feeders but at the birdbath.

I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll get to see them this winter.

Hooded Warbler

Hooded Warblers (Setophaga citrina) have been delighting me here in the mountains for many years. They spend the breeding season in eastern North America, and the winter in Central America and the West Indies.

If you feed the birds during the summer, these birds generally won’t come to your feeders. They spend all their feeding moments gleaning insects and spiders from the leaves of the dense understory. And occasionally showing off by catching a flying insect in midair.

My strategy to get frequent glimpses of these beautiful birds is to provide them with a birdbath, including one that has a dripper. The bird at the birdbath in the picture above is a female Hooded Warbler looking a bit disheveled after taking a dip.

And here a male Hooded Warbler considers taking a dive from the dripper into the water.

And here he is dripping wet. Believe me, birdbaths are quite the draw for birds. My birds really need a birdbath, for my sake.