I started a new one for us!

Okay, I couldn't get the picture of the bird that I wanted , but I did see these two today. One is some kind of woodpecker, very large but I didn't spot any red on it:





And then this one which looks like a robin, but to me looks too fat to be a robin.



I know the picture is not that good, but they wouldn't sit still for me! The robin looking one has a red breast.

Your woodpecker appears to be a Downy Woodpecker; a female. Your robin-like bird IS an American Robin. It has just fluffed out its feathers that makes it look fatter than normal.

Yesterday morning when I woke up, there were hundreds of birds in my yard. They were mostly robins, but there was also a flock of several dozen starlings along with the normal juncos, titmice, and chicadees. There was one bird, though, that I didn't remember seeing before. I had to break out my field guide. At first, I thought it was a Brewer's Blackbird, but then after seeing a small flock of them, including one that was solid black, I decided they were Rusty Blackbirds as the majority of them were a rusty color on the top of their heads and backs.

It may have been a Rusty. I have seen ONE Rusty about 10 years ago after a bad storm blew it off course. They look like a Grackle coated with rust.

Starlings....hmmmm...
We have a bird here that always hangs out in the parking lots of stores. In small groups. I wonder what it is.
They make three different sounds.
They're black with I think yellow eyes.
Sometimes they're very black and clean looking, sometimes they're a little dusty and raggy.
I know I look like a weirdo and am probably littering, but in my car I keep a big plastic pitcher full of Kaytee seed.
Whenever I go into a store, I first pour a pile of seed in the parking lot planter boxes. I never put the seed on the ground for fear of causing someone to slip on the seeds.
It makes me happy to be able to brighten the birds' lives a bit. I hate seeing them picking at dropped garbage or bits of popcorn.
If I see a cigarette butt that is still smouldering, I always stop and grind it out. I once saw a bird trying to pick one up, and so that's why I do it.
Not tooting my horn here, just letting you know that I care too.
And you all thought Californians are so weird.....

Erm, Deborah, You're feeding STARLINGS!! the RATS!! of the bird world (but they ARE cute and rather pretty at times, especially in Summer when they are black and irridescent.)

Rats of the bird world? How?
Oh, so they ARE starlings, I thought I'd heard that somewhere but wasn't sure.
What do they do that's bad? Also, are these the classic starlings of England?

Starlings carry diseases, rob American Bluebirds of the ONLY types of nesting spots that Bluebirds CAN use, causing the American Bluebird to ALMOST become extinct 30 years ago. AND worst of all they eat all the food at MY birdfeeders!!!

These ARE the Starlings you hear so much about in Europe and England. As a matter of fact, the CORRECT name for Starlings is EUROPEAN STARLINGS. In the late 19th Century, an eccentric millionaire in New york City, who LOVED both birds AND Shakespeare, decided to, at his own expens, bring a breeding population of EVERY bird that Shakespeare EVER mentioned to New York City and release these birds in Central Park. He actually did this. Many of the species did NOT survive. European Starlings, House Sparrows, and Rock Pigeons (the pigeons we see in our cities today), DID survive and THRIVED AND THRIVED AND THRIVED until the present time, when they can now be found in large numbers from Barrow, Alaska to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in South America, much to the devastation of many New World Species. These three species are known as invasive, exotic species and are NOT protected by ANY laws. They CAN be eliminated by any and all means necessary and in any numbers. Rock Pigeons are the least detrimental of the three and have actually been responsible to the INCREASE in the number of Peregrine Falcons in the New World as they are that Falcon's main source of food. I have PERSONALLY witnessed a Peregrine catch a Rock Pigeon in midair on two occasions here in Nashville, TN.

Wow, this is interesting stuff ! You sure know birds !
I have NEVER, EVER ever seen a starling in the suburbs or country (actually canyon). They are only in the parking lots of malls and stores. If I ever saw one in a neighborhood here I'd be very surprised.
Why and how do they carry diseases? What diseases?
The bird I find revolting is the pigeon. Ick.

Starlings, ick. Loved in Europe. Hated by birders here. They will nest in any and all cavities depriving our native birds of much needed nesting sites.bluebirds as Thorny said but all cavity nesters. They are voracious eaters of, well just about everything, once again depriving our native birds of their food, and spreading seeds of non-native invasive species of plants that overtake our native plants habitat.
I am very in the country. Believe me they're here too.

Gee, they look so cute-but I'll take yours and Thorny's word for it.
I wonder why Europeans like them, since they're so gross?
I really do hate pigeons-almost a phobia-all my life I was told how dirty and diseased they are.
True?
Plus they're ugly ! (In my opinion). Hope I'm not stepping on any toes.

Starlings can have some beautiful colored feathers. In Europe since they're native there, they must have more natural predators etc to keep them in control than they do here.

I think Starlings are very comical and colorful.......but NASTY!

No birds today. TOO, rainy, dark, and dreary. But my friend Janie (JJTIPTOP) from birdersworld.com forum posted the VERY BEST! side-by-side comparison of a male Downy and male Hairy Woodpecker that I have EVER seen!!! This clearly shows the differences between the two species and the SIMILARITIES!!! As soon as I get her permission I will post them here. I'm sure she won't mind.

Today, I saw a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers as well as a Red-Bellied Woodpecker and a couple of flickers. Also, the usual titmice, chicadees, and nuthatches. The only unusual bird I saw today was a hawk. It has a longish tail with white at the base. The only one I could find in my book to match that description was the Rough-legged Hawk, although the Northern Harrier was described as having a white rump. The goldfinches are going to hate me. Without realizing it, I knocked their feeder off the clothesline when I was mowing up leaves, and then backed over it with the mower.

I had a Gray Squirrel at my feeders today. I think it is the mate of my squirrel-friend, "Nick".

You have a squirrel friend too? I'm glad I'm not the only one. I named our grey squirrel "Stubs", because someone bit half her tail off. She's been around our place for a couple years now.

We have a few dark eyed juncos that spend the winters with us too.

Nick has a crooked tail with a big chunk of fur missing. That's why I call her, "Nick"

Dark-Eyed Juncos are in most of the US and southern Canada in Winter ONLY. In Summer they stay in the Arboreal forest of northern Canada. We have them in Winter here in Tennessee at my feeders, too. They should be here now, but I haven't seen any at my feeders......YET!

Really, I didn't think they went that far south.