Who’s that bird?
A busy week at the bird feeders
Today is National Feed the Birds today. Did I know this before a few minutes ago? No. But this is the perfect segue to a post with lots of photos. I promised an informative post about feeders, water, birdbaths and all that, and we’ll get to it. Just not today. Because frankly, I’ve been spending too much time this week just looking at birds.
Harri Bailey, who lives in an apartment overlooking Harsimus cemetery, kindly agreed to let us put a bird-feeder cam outside her window last week. Harri gets a lot of great birds at her feeders—house finches, mourning doves, goldfinches, assorted sparrows, downy woodpeckers, mockingbirds, cardinals, and more. But the one that’s been causing birders to lose their minds with excitement lately is the painted bunting. It’s way out of its normal territory range, and this bitterly cold weather is not what it’s used to, but the painted bunting has been hanging around Jersey City for a few weeks now and surviving so far.
The male painted bunting is surreally beautiful—a startling mix of reds, blues, and yellows that looks like what might happen if a three-year-old got into a box of crayons after too many cookies. Sure, “all birds are fascinating in their own way” yadda yadda but, you know. Come on. To see a creature so stunning in our gray-and-brown Jersey City winterscape is startling and unforgettable.
It is possible to be too popular though, and there can be a downside to hordes of visitors coming to snap a photo of a rare bird, understandable as that desire is. When weather conditions are as tough as they are now, scaring a bird away from a trusted food source may mean putting that bird at risk. So, a camera feeder seemed a good idea to help provide access in an unobtrusive way. And it’s not just about the bunting. Look what else showed up this week. That little ruby-crowned kinglet! And that gorgeous downy woodpecker! The house finches may be one of the most common feeder visitors but they are so lovely too. If you didn’t already know we have amazing birds all over Jersey City, and not just in wild green spaces, here’s proof. The feeders in my own yard don’t get quite so many celebs but these days we get a good array of tufted titmice, nuthatches, house finches and the occasional goldfinch, red-winged blackbirds, blue jays, cardinals, common grackles, one trusty mockingbird, and all the mourning doves, house sparrows, starlings and squirrels you could ever want. Oh, and a couple of days ago, a hawk stopped by, hoping to take advantage of that bird buffet.
So, enjoy some photos from Harri’s feeder cam and my yard. Please also feel free to share your own photos—email them to jerseycitybirds@gmail.com. Until next time, happy birding.
