Painted Buntings, Yellow Rumped Warblers and Gray Catbirds Arrive For Winter

Video: Painted Buntings,  Yellow Rumped Warblers and Catbirds Arrive For Winter

A "Big Day" in the backyard! Winter birds are arriving now that the first really cold air is filtering down the eastern U.S.. The latest to arrive is a small group of 8-10 Yellow-Rumped Warblers and the first magnificent mature male Painted Bunting of the season. A few Bunting "Greenies" have been around for a week or so. A group of Catbirds are "meowing" in the brush - they do not come to the seed feeder. All-in-all things are pretty much on schedule.

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Gray Catbird Arrives for Winter!

First Yellow Rumped Warblers of the season!

Catbird Produces, Directs, Writes, and Stars in His Own Movie!

Video: Catbird stars in his own movie!

Catbird stars in his own movie!

Catbird - the Movie. Catbirds have never been known to be shrinking violets. This Catbird raises the bar by producing, directing, writing and starring in its own movie! But its not just any movie, Catbird came up with the novel idea of a bird movie....within a bird movie. Sort of an art house concept. Brilliant! Big stars can be hard to work with - in this case Catbird had a tendency to wipe it's greasy beak on the camera equipment between takes.

Truth be told I had a camera trap set up for woodpeckers feeding on a suet holder but this Catbird had taken to calling the suet his own and vigorously defending it for several days. You will note he quickly chases away a Yellow-Rumped Warbler who also had a taste for suet and would have to sneak in a bite whenever the Catbird wasn't looking.

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Photo of Eastern Screech Owl One of the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest Winners

Portrait of an Eastern Screech Owl Nat Geo Merit Winner

This great photo of an Eastern Screech Owl in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia was a Merit Winner in the Outdoor Scenes category of the National Geographic Traveler 2013 photo contest. It looks like its part of the tree. In our area there are very few such big trees in which to hide. This Gray Eastern Screech Owl looks a lot like the mascot from our backyard used as my blog's signature background image. 

Male Gray Eastern Screech Owl in Florida
All the Winners  - Winners Gallery - Traveler Photo Contest 2013 - National Geographic