— Since the Fall of 2023, I have started volunteering at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. I joined the Fauna Project at the Center. That project began in March 2010 to create an inventory of non-human species that visit and live in the gardens. Although the Center is primarily known for its plants, there is no denying there is an ecosystem there. So, along with several other photographers, we meet there weekly and photograph what we see. Although the focus is on insects, spiders, and other invertebrates, we also see other animals, e.g., reptiles, birds, and mammals.
This week, I am featuring three birds, two photographed at home and one at the Center. I was sitting in the comfort of our dining room area, watching various birds come to the bird feeder while having breakfast.
We have a lot of these Carolina chickadee birds at our feeder. The one in the image above was hiding in the bushes nearby, waiting its turn to get to the feeder. I have observed that, although the feeder has room for several birds, I seldom see two feeding there concurrently. Carolina chickadees are very interesting birds. They can remember the location of thousands of hidden seeds, even under snow! Their hippocampus, which is essential for spatial memory, is what they use to remember where they hide those seeds. Of course, they don’t have to worry about hiding seeds here at home. The feeder is always stocked. Another fun fact about them is that they can control their body temperature to survive cold winters. They can enter a state of torpor, which is a kind of controlled hypothermia. When that happens, they can conserve energy and survive on less food. Furthermore, their body temperature can drop by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit (or approximately 6 degrees Celsius), and their heart rate can slow to just a few beats per minute.
Here is another frequent user of our bird feeder. We see several Northern cardinals (males and females) every day. Again, this image was captured as I ate breakfast at the dining room table. While the vibrant red males might seem like the sole protectors of their territory, female northern cardinals are equally feisty when defending their nest and young. They’ll readily join the male in chasing away intruders, displaying impressive territorial behavior and ensuring the safety of their offspring. I have occasionally seen both male and female cardinals at the feeder simultaneously. I have more cardinal photos here.
Although several titmice come to feed here at home, this photo above was captured at the Wildflower Center. The Black-Crested Titmouse and the Tufted Titmouse are incredibly close relatives. They diverged from a common ancestor about 250,000 years ago, but their ranges overlap in central Texas, leading to frequent hybridization, a fact that other photographers around me mentioned. This means they sometimes mate and produce offspring with a mix of their characteristics, like crests that are neither entirely black nor fully gray. Another factor that can lead to confusion in differentiating the black-crested from the tufted titmouse is that the crest on females of this species is a dark gray rather than black.
I hope you enjoy these images and facts. I have other birds featured here. You can see more photos by visiting I.J.’s Don’t Hold Your Breath website and the Birds of the Week section.
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Brad
Thanks for the fun facts about these birds. The chicadees are particularly interesting. It sounds like fun to volunteer at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center to watch and count the various visitors.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you, Brad. Yes, I’m enjoying volunteering at the Wildflower Center and learning a lot as we spot new “visitors” every week.
nesfelicio
Beautiful shots of these beautiful birds, Egidio.
Thanks for the information, too!
Egídio Leitão
Thank you so much, Nes.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful photography Egidio and great info about each bird.
Egídio Leitão
Thanks a million, Anne. I appreciate the feedback.
I. J. Khanewala
That’s a wonderful post. Great photos of course, but also wonderful observations of the behaviour of these birds. I found it interesting that birds usually come one by one to your feeder. Perhaps there are more than one very aggressively territorial birds in your neighbourhood?
A small correction: 10 degrees Fahrenheit would be 5.6 Celsius
I. J. Khanewala
That’s when a temperature changes by 10 F
Egídio Leitão
Precisely. Thanks again for pointing that out.
Egídio Leitão
I.J., many thanks for catching my oversight. I’ve corrected it and used an approximation of 6 degrees. About the order at the feeder, I think the cardinals are responsible for that. They tend to be very territorial, especially the males.
philosophy through photography
Beautiful captures.
What a lovely place you reside!
Egídio Leitão
Thank you, Philo. The area is really pretty, but the summer heat is atrocious.
philosophy through photography
You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re enjoying the area despite the heat. Maybe some cold drinks and shade can help make it more bearable. Stay cool! 😊🌞
margaret21
What a wonderful post, full of delightful shots and observations. Thanks for inviting us for breakfast.
Egídio Leitão
Margaret, it was my pleasure to share those photos. Thank you for the feedback.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Bellissimi I tuoi uccellini, Egidio. Deve essere divertente fare volontariato in un posto così. Chissà che fiori meravigliosi…
Egídio Leitão
Grazie mille, Luisella. Sì, i fiori sono la grande attrazione. Sono tutti fiori di campo.
Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Such beautiful photographs of the birds Egidio and so lovely to see some of your garden visitors here too 😊
Egídio Leitão
Xenia, thank you so much for the comment.
Marie A Bailey
Lovely photos! Here in north Florida, we have cardinals, chickadees and titmice, as well as a host of other birds. Birdwatching from our home is one of our favorite things to do 🙂 Unfortunately, I’m not skilled at taking photos of them. I believe that requires patience 😉
Egídio Leitão
Marie, first of all, thanks for the comment. Yes, I know that photographing wildlife takes a lot of patience. It’s easy when I photograph here at home. I don’t even have to leave my dining room table.
Tales From My Lens
The design of the tail feathers of the Chickadee is so pretty. Such beautiful little creatures they are,
Egídio Leitão
Indeed. That design is just as cute as the bird itself. Thanks for the feedback.
SoyBend
Titmice are one of my favorite tiny birds, Egidio. Nice pictures!
Egídio Leitão
Siobhan, thank you for your feedback. I like titmice, too. They are really cute.
thesimlux
Such happy little birds! Great captures!! 🐧📸🤩
Egídio Leitão
Thank you for the feedback.