FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Junco & other "goodies"

[Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx]

Hi Birders,
At approximately 6:25 AM today, I looked out to find my first slate-colored 
junco "scout" merrily feeding away on my deck here in the Charlotte Park area 
of West Nashville just a few blocks east  of the Cleece's Ferry boat ramp which 
is on the Cumberland River in Davidson County.

This little fellow seems to be rather early, but then I think it was early 
last year.  It seems I never got my "scout" of this species until we'd had a 
snow in December or so.  Usually, I get a "scout" with several species, the the 
flock arrives a few days later.  I have an occasional white throated sparrow 
which I thought was the "scout,"  but the rest of his "tribe" has not shown up 
after a couple of weeks or so.  

The brown creeper and the red-breasted nuthatch that I reported last week 
both seem to come around every day or two, but they may be new migrants going 
through after the first ones I saw.

The robins have been going through by the hundreds intent on stripping my 
hackberry trees and pokeberry plants clean.  They've also been loading up on 
the 
grape jelly that I put out.  The Carolina wrens AND the tufted titmice have 
developed a BIG taste for the peanut butter as our little cold snap commenced.  
The wrens have always liked it, but the titmice are not as big a fans of that 
food.  My mockingbirds have not been as evident at the peanut butter 
"station," but they almost always go haietus from the time they finish raising 
their 
young until it gets real cold, then they start storing back up on the peanut 
butter and jelly again, possibly keeping warm energy flowing and maybe getting 
"in shape" for breeding season and babies again in the spring.

Haven't been able to get out much due to a bout with pneumonia which I 
thought I was over, then did too much one day, and that brought it back with a 
vengeance.  My birding has been limited to what I can see from "inside" after I 
slip out to the deck "all bundled up" to refill the "Smorga-bird" that I 
provide. 
 Right now, the deck is filled with rock pigeons which one of my poodles 
likes to chase away.

WHOOPS!  Just noticed that quite a few starlings and some chickadees are 
climbing the trunks of the hackberry trees obviously feeding on something.  
Must 
have just had an insect "hatching" or an "emersion from pupae" under the bark 
as many birds are taking advantage of whatever it is.

Happy birding,

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN


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