Pine Warbler

I've added a new bird to my life list: the pine warbler. Just as my Sibley's Bird Guide said, he was traveling with bluebirds and enjoying seeds from my feeders and suet instead of his preferred diet of pine seeds. Unfortunately, he was a jumpy little fellow and I was never able to get a clear shot. But here's the best I could do. See his bluebird pal in the upper right corner?

According to a Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird article and map, the pine warblers we see in southeast Virginia are at the northern edge of their winter range. In January 2008, there were none reported to the eBird in James City County. Cornell says the birds prefer seed, but I found the pine warbler at the suet feeder more frequently over the last two weeks.

Because I saw the bluebirds at my feeder and since Ann Little, president of the Virginia Bluebird Society, spoke at our Master Naturalists meeting last week, I got my husband to help me put our bluebird boxes in place on Sunday. I have one in the front yard and one in the back. Following Ann's instructions, both have squirrel/snake baffles and predator guards to keep cat and raccoon paws out. Okay bluebirds, come on down! You're safe in my yard!

Downy woodpeckers are abundant at my feeders this year. I watched them examine the bluebird boxes and tap away to make the holes bigger so they could get in and out to roost. A September blog post with photographs caught one of them in the act. Sadly, there was some material in one of the boxes that leads me to believe that a vagrant downy was using it as a warm place to sleep. I winced as I swept out the twigs. Sorry little fella.