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Posted by David S. on 22:13:13 04/06/11
I have 2 caged tube bird feeders hanging in my trees at my place, one on the north side of the house, the other on the south side. Today, with the help of my brother, we monitored both at the same time to make sure I wasn't cheating on the quantity and quality of birds being seen. The north feeder is a large, 6-hole feeder while the south one is a smaller 4-holer.
Both feeders were very active today, as they have been for the last 2 months. The main visitors are both Painted and Indigo Buntings.
The north one was the most active, with 2 male and 3 female Painted Buntings trying to share 6 holes with 4 male and 4 female Indigo Buntings. Two of the male Indigos were in full breeding plumage, one being a rich, deep blue while the other was a lighter blue, almost like a Mountain Bluebird. A male Cardinal made an appearance and managed to squeeze through the cage for a quick snack. A Yellow-throated Warbler sneaked into the bottom of the cage and took several seeds from the tray at the bottom.
The south feeder, not to be outdone, supported 3 male and 3 female Indigo Buntings, the males still putting on their breeding plumage. No male Painted Buntings were observed, but there were 4 females in the mix, all patiently waiting for an unoccupied hole.
Overall, both feeders were winners and even though they were observed simultaneously, there were other buntings in the trees waiting for their turn. This year has been a bumper crop of Indigo Buntings for me. Last year I only had a 1st year male and a female. It seems more Painted Buntings were also around this year. Enjoy them while we can, because it's going to be a long, lonely hot summer!
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