One of the things I love about where we live are the many birds. I will often set out seed or suet for them to enjoy.

I do buy suet blocks from the store, but sometimes if I have the ingredients on hand I will make my own. They are easy to make and don’t take much time.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups lard
• 3/4 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup corn meal (I have read that masa could work better since it doesn’t tend to sink while the block is hardening)
• 1.5 cups mix of bird seed, scratch, & black oil sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup grated apple

HOW TO

1. Using a pot on the stove, melt the lard and nut butter.

2. When the lard and nut butter have turned to liquid, add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

3. Pour the mixture into a half gallon carton. Place the carton upright in the fridge to harden.

4. When the liquid mix has turned to a solid, tear off the carton and cut into individual blocks.

5. Extra blocks can be placed between wax paper and put in the freezer until they are ready to be used.

FEEDING OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS

Place blocks in a suet feeder and watch the birds flock to it.

The blocks could also be given to your chickens as a treat.

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Another year, another Great Backyard Bird Count.

Typically I do a combination of counting birds in public areas, as well as around our home. This year I only counted birds near our house. Everyday I pretty much saw the same species of birds. A number of them were the same birds that have been around awhile. But, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadees, and Hairy Woodpecker were welcome visitors.

The birds I saw this year were:

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Click here to read more about theses sparrows

Spotted Towhee

To read more about them, click here

Dark-eyed Junco

American Crow

Steller’s Jay

Gray Jay

To read more about one of my favorite birds, click here

American Robin

They just recently returned.

Black-capped Chickadee

These chickadees were a welcome surprise on day 1 of the GBBC.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Hairy Woodpecker

Lately I haven’t been out birding as much as I would like, so this was a great opportunity to get out and enjoy it.

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It’s no secret that I love birds. Since getting a decent camera I have enjoyed trying to take photos of these mostly shy creatures.

To help me sort through photos of individual species, and learn along the way, I’m going to highlight one bird species we see at our house each month through 2017.

This first highlighted bird is a common one ’round here: the Golden-crowned Sparrow.

IDENTIFICATION

BACK: brown with dark brown streaks
BREAST: gray – streaking only in juveniles
BILL: conical shaped. dusky on top, paler on bottom
CROWN: Gold, bordered with black – not as noticeable in immature and winter birds
WINGS: 2 white bars
TAIL: long

BREEDING ADULT

BACK

HABITAT

BREEDING: Western Alaska to NW Washington
WINTER: West Coast woodlands from Southern British Columbia to Baja California

I often see these sparrows searching for food on the ground or perching in nearby brush.

The latest in spring I have noticed them at our house is early May. The earliest I’ve seen them return was mid September.

FEEDING

Forages mostly on the ground near dense shrubs for seeds, insects, fruits, grains, & greens.

Left: at our bird feeder
Right: searching for food in hay scooped out of our goat’s pen

FRIENDS & FAMILY

FAMILY: New World Sparrows
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Zonotrichia atricapilla

I often see the Golden-crowned sparrows with other sparrow friends.

Golden-crowned Sparrows &  Dark-eyed Juncos

Golden-crowned Sparrow & White-crowned Sparrow

PHOTO GALLERY

I always love watching birds explore, bathe and drink at our ponds.

Happy Birding!

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