This back-capped chickadee is one lucky bird.
He’s in Marcy Cunkelman’s garden just after she installed her beautiful, new bird feeder. Look at the feast that awaits him at the Taj Mahal of feeders!
p.s. You can tell he’s a black-capped instead of a Carolina chickadee because his wing has a white hockey-stick shape on it and his black bib has a ragged bottom edge.
(photo by Marcy Cunkelman)
That definitely is one beautiful feeder. I tried three feeders last winter, and found with every one of them that the Red-bellied Woodpeckers would break them at the seams in the plastic. I ended up wrapping reinforced packing tape around the last feeder to get it through the season.
Anyone have recommendations on sources of a durable and good sized feeder that won’t set me back half a paycheck? I like Wild Birds Unlimited, but they seem expensive to me. Cheap cheap!
where to find this feeder?
Hi Kate, There was a peregrine falcon eating a squirrel on the lawn of Hampton Hall on N. Dithridge St. this morning about 9:45. Residents there said it was the second time recently they’d had seen a falcon with a squirrel in their small front lawn. No band was visible. I got no pictures but several others walking by did. Thought you might want this report! Love your blog! Ann
Ann, Thanks for the news. Can someone send a picture? If I had to make a guess without seeing the bird, my guess would be that it was a red-tailed hawk because they love to eat squirrels and often do so on the ground. The Pitt peregrines prefer to eat birds and have their dinner on a high perch on the Cathedral of Learning or on Heinz Chapel steeple. I’m just guessing this based on behavior and location (North Dithridge is really close to the Cathedral of Learning), but if you have a picture that’d be the proof.
Droll Yankee is fairly expensive, but large capacity, no seams, and they replace parts at no cost if necessary. had the same one for many years. Red-bellies haven’t hurt it. They hang off the edge and pick seed from the holes like other birds. Relatively squirrel- proof, too.
Marcy emailed me with information on this feeder. Her answer is:
“I think I got it at Lowe’s. The top screws off at the knob and the bottom (middle) twists and pulls up. I wasn’t sure how it would work, but the birds love it, once they learn to eat from the bottom, not at eye level…works well for the clinging birds and I like the wider top for protection. Anxious to see if it will turn to green to see if it’s real copper. Probably not, but will be easy to clean…
It’s not very big…only about 15 high by 9 wide for the top…nice size.”
Marcy and Dan have done more for the birds in their area than you can imagine.
They also foster an awareness of nature that is critically important to us all.
Just like Kate does with this great website.
Thanks for posting….!!!
Yes you are right. And about the Taj Mahal we have not sufficient words to describe it.