There was quite a surprise at the Bubbler early on Monday morning, 11-22-21.

Coyotes 11-22-21

These robust animals appear to be well-fed and may be the same pair caught on the trail cam last October.

11-16-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch

11-22-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch spooked by Carolina Wren

11-21-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch
11-17-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch female

11-22-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch female

11-22-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch female
 

Both Red-breasted Nuthatches come in daily, to drink, to find peanuts or seeds and even chase each other a bit. They're not present every year, so they always make me smile!

11-23-21 Brown Creeper 11-19-21 Brown Creeper

There have been one or two Brown Creepers seen every day as well. 
 

11-22-21 Yellow-rumped Warbler 11-22-21 Yellow-rumped Warbler

A Yellow-rumped Warbler has come in to the water a couple times since the last post. And, the Eastern Bluebirds returned!

11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebirds 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird

11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird checking Blackhaw fruit

11-7-21 Blackhaw drupes

First, four males appeared. They were taking turns in the water, and one went to the Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium). It perched there a while. Was it on sentry duty or checking the fruit? The Blackhaw were just saplings years ago, spared when we removed all the bush honeysuckle. They've grown, flowered and produced fall fruit for the birds for a few years now.

11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird pair 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird pair 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird females 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird females and House Finch 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird females and House Finch 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird females and House Finch

A female joined the male, and when the male left, two more females came in. The House Finch found a spot, too.

  11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird

Yet another male took over the basin, and chased out a chickadee to have the whole place to itself.

11-21-21 Eastern Bluebird at sump puddle

The bluebirds had also been down at the sump puddle. There may have been 10-12 birds in total, it wasn't easy to track them all! We're just glad to know they're more comfortable coming in to the water when they need it. It has been very dry. We had about 0.4" of rain overnight, which may change this level of activity. 

11-21-21 Dark-eyed Juncos at sump puddle

The Dark-eyed Juncos had also taken time to bathe there since the basin was full of bluebirds!

11-22-21 Red-bellied Woodpecker

Even a Red-bellied Woodpecker has been seen at the Bubbler lately. This species doesn't come to the water as reliably as the other woodpeckers.

11-22-21 American Robin

On Monday, a large flock of American Robins descended upon the yard, first to drink, and then to devour the Blackhaw drupes. 

  11-22-21 Northern Flicker and American Robin on Blackhaw

A Northern Flicker was already in the shrub as the robins came in. Maybe the hard freeze that morning made the fruit more palatable.

  11-22-21 American Robin eating Blackhaw fruit 11-22-21 American Robin eating Blackhaw fruit 11-22-21 American Robin eating Blackhaw fruit 11-22-21 Eastern Gray Squirrel eating Blackhaw fruit

The branches were swaying and bouncing with birds landing and grabbing the fruit. Each bird would eat two or three before taking off again. Even the squirrels couldn't resist trying them. It was a feast.

11-23-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-23-21 Eastern Bluebird female eating Blackhaw fruit

The next morning, a pair of bluebirds came in early to beat the robins to what was left. The male went to the Bubbler and the female had some breakfast. It's easy to see why our native plants are perfectly suited to our beautiful native birds! 

If you'd like to view all the photos since the last blog post, grab a cuppa and begin here:  Photos since 11-14-21