Category Archives: Cape Cod Birding

Little Downy Woodpecker Greets Us Each Morning On Cape Cod.

This little Down Woodpecker sticks his head out of the bird house each morning when we get up. He is just the cutest thing. He stays there for quite a while and looks around. Eventually he will fly to the suet feeder for breakfast and then he is off for the day!

Such a fun thing to wake up to each morning! Isn’t he adorable?

(I took this photograph through the window and the screen as he was getting spooked when I went outside.)

Update On The Hermit Thrush At Our Home On Cape Cod.

I posted a blog about this Hermit Thrush that I saw in our yard a couple of weeks ago. Well, it kept hanging out in our backyard and was trying desperately to get the mealworms from the Bluebird feeder. I tried raising the cover of the Bluebird feeder, but it was still too big to  get at them.

I remembered a glass jelly feeder that we had for the Baltimore Orioles that I thought might be just perfect. I filled it with mealworms and have had a faithful visitor every day since then.

It’s so much fun to see him every day, many times a day,  and know that he really likes our yard… and our food!

(Did you see the”surprise” bird in the tree in the background? It showed up just as I was taking the photograph. It looks like a Song Sparrow.)

Yellow-Rumped Warbler At Our Feeder On Cape Cod.

I saw a splash of bright yellow at our feeder and quickly got my camera. I have learned that it is better to get my camera first and get my binoculars second, as the bird might fly away quickly. (Click on blog link to see other photo.)

There, at my feeder, was a beautiful Yellow-rumped Warbler. I have never seen one this time of the year. But I looked in my Sibley’s and learned that they sometimes winter in this area. According to my Cape Cod Checklist, they are uncommon this time of year and seen only in small numbers. I guess I was lucky.

What a treat! Have you ever seen a Yellow-rumped Warbler this time of year? What a beautiful little bird!

 

Great Blue Heron Fishing At Nauset Marsh On Cape Cod.

This Great Blue Heron was fishing for lunch the other day as we walked by on the boardwalk between Doane Rock Trail and Coast Guard Beach. (Click on blog link for other photo.) You can see he has already caught his lunch in the first photograph, while in the 2nd photograph he is trying to catch his meal.

What a great hike! You never know what you will see. There is always something going on by Nauset Marsh. Make sure you look on both sides of the bridge as you walk by. You might even see a Great Blue Heron catching his lunch!.

Beautiful Hermit Thrush At My Feeder Yesterday On Cape Cod!

Yesterday was such a dark and dreary, rainy day. Not much you can do outside on a day like that! I happened to look out the window at the feeders, wondering if there might be anything out there feeding. Hmmm… There was this bird perched on top of the feeder just looking around. (Click on blog link for other photo.)

It didn’t look like anything I’d ever seen before so I grabbed my camera and clicked away. And then I put it on my computer and said, “Wow!” I looked in my Sibley book and thought it might be a Thrush, and at my feeder in the middle of winter. It was a first for me!

To identify exactly what type of bird it was,I contacted a good friend  of mine who happens to be the Executive Director at Wild Care Cape Cod, Stephanie Ellis. She got right back to me verifying that it was a Hermit Thrush. Wow! Thank you, Stephanie!

Wild Care Cape Cod is a wonderful wildlife rehabilitation center in Eastham on Cape Cod that helps sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. Last year Wild Care provided care for 1,865 animals. “They exist to help wildlife and only with support can they make this possible. A donation of any size will help.” They even have a Smile and Wish List on Amazon!

Thank you, Stephanie for your help yesterday and also for the wonderful job you do at Wild Care!