When we moved the feeding station to a different part of the yard last weekend, the birds had a brief panic attack. I wish you could have heard them chattering their displeasure at the disruption!

But now that they realize that the new location has the same dedicated management and the same delicious menu as before, they’ve breathed a collective sigh of relief and are keeping the place busy.

A family of Carolina Wrens that hang out in the nearby brush pile have become frequent feeders. These fidgety little birds are fun to watch, and are easy to hear because they sing often and they sing LOUD.

The Brown Thrasher has also been making regular appearances, loading up his beak with Bark Butter before flying off. I am a huge fan of his beautiful bronze tones, but the mottled green background behind him – not so much! I am hoping for “better bokeh” when fall rolls around. (That’s me using my limited photography vocab to say that I hope when the leaves turn from green into autumn ambers and golds it will make for a lovelier blurred backdrop!)

The young Downy Woodpecker from the previous post has also taken a liking to the new location. I have started calling him “Donatello” simply because that’s the name that popped into my head while I was watching him and it seemed to suit him!

Sometime when I wasn’t watching (which is downright rude!), the Red-bellied’s let their babies leave the nest. I had been hoping to capture their first flight photos. For now, Mom and Dad are keeping the youngsters tucked away in the neighbor’s backyard and doing their own version of Uber Eats, delivering food over and over and over again.

The feeding area really is a constant buzz of activity. As soon as one bird flies away…

…another drops in to take its place.

So far, it’s been first come first serve, but if the bird word gets around and the place gets over crowded, I might have to start taking reservations!