November sees winter birds - activity under the hummingbird feeder

                I didn’t have to wait long to find out which birds would come to my yard in Las Vegas NV for wintering feed and when they would come. The first of November I saw a small bird feeding under the thistle seed sack, but when I approached to look, it quickly flew away. However I did get a look at the tail as it flitted over the wall. It had the tell-tale white outer tail feathers of a junco. So I was confident that at least one had come to check out the food supply. I also kept getting glimpses of one lone mourning dove, who would quickly exit the scene as soon as he saw me looking.

My one and only Mourning dove feeding on spilled seeds

                I thought I heard the familiar call of the White-crowned sparrow. I listened but didn’t hear it again. It might have been my old friend the mockingbird mocking me, but I didn’t hear the usual follow up for that. So I couldn’t know if the White-crowns were back or not.

Juvenile White-crowned sparrow associating with a mixed flock of juncos

                Then came November 4, 2013, and all the wintering bird species that I had been on the lookout for descended upon my place, en masse. Not only did they come to feed, they stayed around long enough for me to take pictures of them.

Dark-headed version of the Dark-eyed junco

                I was alerted to the presence by the chittering and chipping that I heard out in the back yard. Dark-eyed juncos, both the dark-headed and gray-headed varieties, were flitting around, talking to each other as they fed on the seeds dropped by the finches. Two finches were on the sock, while another fed on the ground, waiting for his turn on the sock. A single mourning dove serenely walked in the midst of all this hubbub of little birds. One juvenile White-crowned sparrow who was hanging out with the flock of juncos also fed on the ground. Later a solitary House sparrow joined the groups, feeding on the sock and on the ground.

House sparrow males feeds with two house finches on the thistle seed sock

                There was no less activity at the hummingbird feeder. Constantly throughout the day hummingbirds came to drink sweet water. There were female Anna’s, males Anna’s and juvenile Anna’s, then much to my surprise, a mature male Costa’s. The reason the last was a surprise is because I haven’t heard the Costa’s whistle since the first of November so I thought they had left me. No, I could see the very recognizable gorget flaring out to the side as he drank while seated on the perch. The Costa’s is still very much here in Las Vegas, NV.

                The only problem with all this feeding activity is that it makes it hard for me to go out and take care of my plants. I really don’t want to disturb all my visiting birds!