FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] Chippie sings

[Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx]

This morning, I awoke early to the sound of chipping sparrows singing from 
the tree tops of my back yard.  This afternoon, one pair fed and flirted away 
on my deck and were later joined by a third.  I have not seen them on my 
property since 1993 although they nest up at WSMV studios a few blocks across 
the Interstate from me.  I have seen a couple of them remain up there in the 
winter from time to time as well. 
I still have two juncos, and they are courting.  They should soon be leaving 
as the rest of their species has.
My male cardinal very sweetly cracks sunflower seeds and feeds them to his 
lady, a fete they will both perform later when they bring their offspring to 
my deck for food.
The mockingbirds are mating and fighting other birds away from "their" peanut 
butter and "their" jelly on which they are feeding greedily.
The flicker is still coming for ants, but I had a scare yesterday.  The 
neighborhood stray (feral?) cat was in the grass very near the ant nest and 
appeared to be eating something.  I feared flicker, but found no feathers.  
Flicker was back just a bit ago.
Downy woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, chickadees and tufted titmice are feeding 
frequently along with the house sparrows, house finches, blue jays & 
starlings.
A pair of grackles provided many chuckles as they tried ever so hard to 
unwind a dead, but strong cord-sized vine from where it had climbed my rose 
bush last year.  They have been at it for two days now and have not been 
successful.  They WANT that vine, but it is a very stubborn and very tough 
vine.
A female towhee was feeding on my deck on Friday(?) of last week in the 
pouring rain.  I rarely see them although they :"live" in the low vegetation 
and trees which border the Interstate about a block away.
The sapsucker is still hanging around.  He likes my water maple tree and a 
cedar tree down the street.  I have seen him feed on maple sap then fly down 
the street to the cedar tree three times today, and I have not even really 
been watching.  I saw a female several days ago.  Maybe he has her stashed in 
the cedar and is delivering her meals!
I have not seen the hairys for several days, so they have probably gone on.

Enjoy your birding.  I do.

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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