Yep, I have seen them lately. Also hundreds of Robins that came through yesterday. I've seen some Chickadees along with the usual Mocking birds, Sparrows, Blue Jays, and Cardinals. Love seeing all the birds!

I live in Panama City and my yard has had goldfinches and wrens all winter - just love it when Jenny Wren gets agrivated at the squirrels - she can really screech at them!

I saw some at my feeder one day but that was it. I've also had house finches, cardinals, titmice, and chickadees visit the feeder. I think I spotted some bluebirds flying around as well. And of course the crows are hanging around as usual.

I'm still getting them in quantity many times a day. I love their sweet little calls. Painted buntings too.

Gary

Oh, Gary, how I envy you! My yard is bare of birds right now, except mourning doves, and even they are laying low. We have a pair of red-shouldered hawks that have taken up residence. They've been here several months, and I'm not even getting cardinals and titmice, let alone goldfinches and buntings!! Waaaah. I DID have a small flock of chippies pass through one day, but they were gone by the next.

I want my birds back!!! *sniveling & whining here*

Marcia

I guess one payoff for having hawks around is that they may reduce squirrel populations, ha ha!

As of this week, my hawks are on the hunt in my yard too. This morning, I actually saw a large flock of robins that landed in my elm tree - that is, until the hawk showed up!!

They took one look at the hawk and were gone!

My situation is the same as Marcia's. Pair of red-shouldered hawks on daily patrol. Have had a few flocks of cedar waxwings pass through, but the word is out!

Oooh, I love cedar waxwings! So pretty!!

Today, I have a small flock of chipping sparrows on my feeder, and I have heard the white-winged doves calling. Saw one there yesterday. I'm hoping this means the hawks are staying away a bit more. By the end of February, they ought to be gone. Fingers crossed. I'd love to have my feeders busy by the time the goldfinches really start heading back north.

Marcia

Marcia,

When do the Goldfinches start heading back? I want to make sure I am stocked up with thistle...

Scott

We've had a few Yellow Warblers, but haven't seen too many. Everyday we get visits from a pair of Cardinals, Jays, several Doves, and a group of Tufted Titmice. It's funny when the Titmice come around, there's this small Yellow-Throated Warbler that hangs with them. Does he think he's a Titmouse or something? hehe

Also here's a video link I recorded of one of the Tufted Titmice eating a sunflower seed. Sorry it's a bit shakey, it was so hard keeping it still since I was zoomed in. LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Tufted Titmouse eating sunflower seed

SK, great little vid! It clearly shows one of the things I find most endearing about titmice. Their tiny beaks aren't strong enough to crack a sunflower seed like a cardinal does, so they tend to take the seeds one at a time to a nearby branch, hold them between their feet and hammer away at them until the seed cracks open and they can get the meat. So cute!

Scott, the goldfinches can show up in your yard at various times, since their migration back north can be affected by weather and other factors. The easiest thing to do is keep plenty of regular birdseed mixes (heavy on black oiler sunflower seeds) in your feeders and watch for them. When you see a few at the feeder, you can hang out your thistle socks for them. (They will readily eat normal seed mixes, though they love thistle the best.) They will often spend such a long time in my yard that I get to watch them molt into their breeding plumage. They arrive gray and black, begin to get yellow spots here and there, and then leave bright canary yellow and black. It's really neat.

Good luck!

Marcia

Thanks for the tips Marcia, I have several feeders in addition to the thistle and finch tubes so I should be prepared!

Scott

My goldfinches leave in April, the good part is they have their nesting plumage by then, so I get to see them with the bright yellow feathers, males in particular. I haven't noticed chipping sparrows lately, but the feeder in front that they and the buntings use empties awfully quick, so hopefully they're still coming around. Our bluejays also pound sunflower seeds against branches to open them.

Gary