It has been a beautiful fall and now, the winds of change are blowing!

10-25-21 Golden-crowned Kinglets 10-25-21 Golden-crowned Kinglet

Before Halloween, Golden-crowned Kinglets were enjoying the Bubbler. I saw another one yesterday. That golden crown becomes a fiery orange when males get excited. 
 

11-13-21 Late Ruby-crowned Kinglet
11-13-21 Late Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Yesterday, 11-13-21, it was a surprise to see a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, usually further south by the first week of November. This is a good opportunity to look at both the kinglets and notice their subtle differences.

11-10-21 Brown Creeper with insect 11-13-21 Brown Creeper
 

A pair of Brown Creepers has been chasing each other around the trunks of trees as they scoop insects out of the bark.

11-12-21 Dark-eyed Junco 11-13-21 Dark-eyed Junco

There were so many birds here yesterday, at least two dozen Dark-eyed Juncos were feeding and drinking.

11-13-21 White-throated Sparrow
 

I've been hearing White-throated Sparrows and finally, several came into view.

11-13-21 White-breasted Nuthatch 11-13-21 White-breasted Nuthatch with crossed bill

White-breasted Nuthatches were active yesterday. The second bird looks like it has a crossed bill upon closer inspection. That's unusual.

11-13-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch 11-13-21 Carolina Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch 11-13-21 Carolina Chickadee chased off by Red-breasted Nuthatch 11-13-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch 11-13-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch

11-13-21 Red-breasted Nuthatch

It looks like we may have a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches here for the season. The male has a black head and the female's is more of a steely blue. The female chased the male several times and was not having the chickadee on it's personal peanut feeder! Gotta love that tail! Both birds were totally focused on grabbing a peanut or seed and caching it in the bark of a nearby tree. Sounds like homesteading to me.

11-13-21 Yellow-rumped Warbler 11-13-21 Yellow-rumped Warbler female

There also was a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers at the Bubbler yesterday. The male is in the first photo, female in the second.

11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 House Finch, American Goldfinches and Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird pair 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird 11-13-21 Eastern Bluebird

We had another little thrill when the family of Eastern Bluebirds came in! The breeding pair survived the winter and had a brood, we've seen them occasionally. Yesterday was their first time at the Bubbler this fall. There were at least four males and two females. They sure brighten up the woodland on a gray day. It was non-stop activity with these and more birds for about 3 hours. Today, it's windy and they've been hunkered down.

Do check out the Halloween post in case you missed it.

Enjoy the last bit of fall color, and Happy Thanksgiving!