Birds feeding, drinking, bathing

— This week, the Denzil Nature blog challenged us to share photos of birds feeding and drinking. His blog invited us with this note and some beautiful photos:

For Nature Photo Challenge #15 I would like to encourage you to submit your photos of birds feeding and drinking.

Since I have noticed that in our backyard birds do more than feed and drink, I am expanding my post to include bathing, too. We have a couple of bird feeders (sometimes three) and two main places providing wildlife a drinking area: a small bird bath and a large fountain. This is all set up so that I can watch any action from the comfort of our dining room. It is comfortable for me at all times of the year, and it also provides wildlife some safety knowing that no one is nearby to interfere with them.

I opened with a photo of a Blue Jay doing some acrobatics to get some food. That is a feeder for small birds. The other feeder is open and can easily accommodate Blue Jays, mourning doves, and other larger birds without any need for body contortions as the Blue Jay above was doing. I love watching them whether feeding or drinking. However, when they go beyond drinking to bathing, then the show is spectacular. Water goes everywhere, and their dance is lively. We have to constantly keep an eye out on the water level in the bird bath to make sure there is plenty of water.

Blue Jays are known for their loud calls and their intelligence. Another variety that can be seen in Texas is the much larger Mexican Jay. In the two photos shown above, although the drinking water position seems a bit odd with that Blue Jay, that was not the case with a Mockingbird that stopped by to drink and get cleaned up. Just look at how graceful it was when it went for a sip. Was it expecting a cocktail? I am not sure. It almost appears like it was bowing down to some royalty.

Mockingbirds are medium-sized songbirds with long tails and grayish-brown feathers. They are known for their ability to mimic the songs of other birds, as well as the sounds of insects, frogs, and other animals. Mockingbirds are also known for their aggressive behavior, which they use to defend their territory from other birds and predators. It is also the state bird of Texas.

The large bird feeder gets some beautiful visitors, from chickadees to cardinals. One of my favorite visitors is the Black-Crested Titmouse. They are so small that when they land on the lower bird feeder section, they have to stretch up to reach the food. One thing I have noticed is that when they use the bird bath, it is generally like a party. There may be two or three at a time just taking turns with drinking and bathing. That happens because Black-crested titmice are social birds and often travel in flocks of 2-12 birds. They are an important part of the ecosystem. They help to control insect populations and they also disperse seeds. I have noticed that when they visit this bird feeder seen below, there are always lots of seeds on the ground.

No other visitor is more captivating to my eyes than the Northern Cardinal. Whether male or female, they are a beautiful sight to admire. The female cardinal seems to have noticed me and was looking directly at the camera when I made that photo.

Cardinals are a popular symbol of love and romance. They are often seen as a sign of good luck or good news. The bright red color of the male cardinal has made it a popular symbol of love and romance. They are often used in wedding decorations and Valentine’s Day cards. It is also interesting to point out that they are very territorial. The males will often sing to defend their territory from other males. I will close by sharing this tender moment.