Friday Farm Fotos: Random Birds

Lily enjoys the autumn sunshine.

Well, the hummingbirds have finally moved on... *sniff*... the last time I saw one was on Tuesday, and I'm pretty sure the cool nights this week have alerted them to the fact that it is time to go south. I will leave the feeders up for a couple more weeks in case some more pass through and need a drink. I'll miss them and their chatty little squeaks, but I'll still have lots of company at the seed and suet feeders to make me smile. Here are some of the different birds that visit on regular basis and will continue to do so through the winter.

Next to the hummers, I have to say that the nuthatch is near the top of my list of favorite birds. 

Their acrobatic moves amaze me, and I love their quirky little raspy call.

And of course, bluebirds always make me smile.....

Blue Jays are noisy birds, but I like having them around. 

They are beneficial when you have chickens in that they will alert you when danger is around, such as a hawk or a cat.

We have an abundance of male and female red birds (cardinals) that feed every morning at the sunflower feeders.

Doves are also plentiful, and since they are too big to perch on the feeders I scatter a little bit of seed on the ground for them every morning.

Mockingbirds are bug-catchers so they don't eat at the feeders, but they make their presence known by constantly imitating all the other bird calls.

Occasionally I will see goldfinches, and the male and female always feed together, with one on the lookout while the other one eats. I was only able to capture the male in this picture because Mrs. Goldfinch was watching from the top of the satellite dish. :)

Every once in a while I'm fortunate to catch a glimpse of a rare bird, and I'm even more fortunate when I have my camera handy. Pileated woodpeckers are so shy they seldom land this close to the house, and he was still too far away for my camera to focus clearly..... but I managed to capture a shot or two before he flew away.

And here is another unusual bird sighting~ 

a Sunbathing Silkie. :)

Actually, this is nothing unusual for Sadie, 

who does this all the time now that she is getting close to the ripe old age of 5!

Happy Friday, everyone!