Highlights from the feeder

By Mom of TJB and MMB May 26, 2022

Did you know there are over 800 species of birds in North America? While we haven't come close to identifying but a fraction of them, here are some of our favorite friends migrating through Northern Minnesota this year.

This spring, we've be greeted by dozens of birds at our backyard feeder, particularly a large flock of common red poles, pine siskins, and goldfinches. Every morning, we wake to their calls begging for us to put out the feeder. Sometimes there are a dozen birds, mostly red poles, resting on the deck ready to be the first one at breakfast. Red poles are small, social birds often in flocks up to 100 but quite hierarchical. The pine siskins, a type of finch, are similar size but with yellow on their wings and are more aggressive and peck at the other birds. The black-capped chickadees are year round residents and are friendlier than most. The red-breasted nuthatches are the smallest and are in and out in only a few seconds. Pairs of dark-eyed juncos, robins and squirrels hop around on the ground beneath the feeders waiting for the birds to drop some of seed they don't like. Recently, we've had a few new visitors: cardinals, Baltimore orioles, brown headed cowbirds, red-bellied woodpeckers and a territorial ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeders. The Downy and occasional hairy woodpeckers enjoy the suet feeder and the squirrels so far have left it alone now that it has hot pepper flavor. The neighborhood black bear was quite hungry and cleaned us out two nights in a row so we bring the feeders in around 9 P.M. nightly.