Thanks. The Towhees here are numerous and feed in various ways, including at several of the feeders. But they do tend to hang out in the shrubs more than the other birds do.
Our birds all tolerate the Mourning Doves, too, but the doves are not around now. We started out with one or two occasional visitors a few years ago, and this summer we'd have as many as half a dozen doves at once. They handle what falls to the ground, as do some of the smaller birds like the Juncos.
We are only getting as cold as the mid 20s. Even so, the water freezes over and Donna breaks it up in the morning. The hummingbird feeders also get a skim of ice; Donna has a heater, but the birds don't seem to like it and won't feed if it's attached. So we bring in the feeders in the morning and put them on the heating vents in the house if they need to thaw.
This is a fun series and your towhee shot is very good. They are hard to photograph since they are usually foraging in the under brush. We have a large platform feeder. We attract many small birds who feed peacefully side by side. They tolerate the presence of Mourning Doves. But not magpies, they are too scary. We put out a suet basket during this bitter cold and the flickers found it. We also have a heated bird bath as finding open water is almost impossible when it’s 4 degrees at night. The birds need to drink and preen to stay warm.
Thanks. The Towhees here are numerous and feed in various ways, including at several of the feeders. But they do tend to hang out in the shrubs more than the other birds do.
Our birds all tolerate the Mourning Doves, too, but the doves are not around now. We started out with one or two occasional visitors a few years ago, and this summer we'd have as many as half a dozen doves at once. They handle what falls to the ground, as do some of the smaller birds like the Juncos.
We are only getting as cold as the mid 20s. Even so, the water freezes over and Donna breaks it up in the morning. The hummingbird feeders also get a skim of ice; Donna has a heater, but the birds don't seem to like it and won't feed if it's attached. So we bring in the feeders in the morning and put them on the heating vents in the house if they need to thaw.
This is a fun series and your towhee shot is very good. They are hard to photograph since they are usually foraging in the under brush. We have a large platform feeder. We attract many small birds who feed peacefully side by side. They tolerate the presence of Mourning Doves. But not magpies, they are too scary. We put out a suet basket during this bitter cold and the flickers found it. We also have a heated bird bath as finding open water is almost impossible when it’s 4 degrees at night. The birds need to drink and preen to stay warm.