//UDPATED// Spring 2014 - here's what we have so far this year

4/2/2014 - Wabbaloo

With spring here, I figure I should resurrect our birdwatching blog.

In the backyard bird area, we have a pole with two tube feeders (one with niger, the other with a mix; they bring the finches, titmice, chickadees, and what appears to be a common swift) and a traditional feeder with the sunflower seed mix (cardinals and titmice).  We also have a hummingbird feeder, and saw our first hummingbird this year on 14 March 2014.

Our cardinals:

Our finches:

We have a mealworm feeder which has only seen Carolina wrens visiting it. The wrens have built a next inside a large plant container which houses a knockout rose bush.  If I recall correctly, these are our wrens:

We've been visited by a ladder-backed woodpecker on the other side of the yard a few times, and we occasionally see white winged doves.

The common swift I believe I'm seeing at the feeder coincides with the building of a nest on the other side of the house.  Haven't seen them at our feeders in the past, kind of interesting.  Not 100% sure it's a swift, but it looks pretty close. I've reached out.

Looks like we have male and female brown-headed cowbirds. See http://nature.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bird/msg04195646760.html?2 for my question on Garden Web's Birdwatching Forum. Here are 3 pics:

Also, the chickadees have started using the little birdhouse that's been hanging up on a post for years in the backs.

We have NOT seen the return of the male and female painted buntings that we've had in the past!

Both feeders:

Stay tuned for further updates.  Will get a pic of the swift nest, the wren nest, the chickadees in the bird house, and I think the cardinals are building a nest as well.