Photo: Brian E. Small/VIREO

Catbird Come Calling        

I have been puzzling over something for about a week.  I’ve been bringing in the birdfeeders at night, hoping to thwart whatever critter or critters have been raiding them in the dead of night. I have a strong suspicion it’s been a cabal of deer who’ve adapted wily tongues that can suck seeds out of feeders like they’re Pez dispensers and an unholy alliance between raccoons and opossums raiding the peanuts I’ve put out for the blue jays, crows, and woodpeckers (among others).

When I’ve gone outside to retrieve the feeders, it’s usually been after I’ve ‘done and dusted’ my post for the evening – so it’s around 1:00 a.m.

Post-Midnight Serenade

For the past several nights – at least three – I’ve been amazed to hear a bird singing quite distinctly in the darkness. I’ve been intrigued! I’ve even attempted to record it with my phone, with only a slight degree of success. Enough for me to at least be able to hear it and – yes – when replaying it for Karl today, I realized I recognized its voice.

But I must admit, until today, I never knew catbirds sing at night. Until, that is, I confirmed it via Mr. Google.

This is the first year we’ve had a number of catbirds hanging around our feeders. And the reason they are is because they are attracted to the fancy feeder my sister-in-law gave us from Wild Birds Unlimited. It’s also the feeder that I think the raccoons and opossums are particularly infatuated with! (Although they do seem to like the peanut coil, too…)

Fancy feeder – As birds whittle away at it, it becomes a work of art! Photo: L. Weikel

I love learning something new about the birds that share our land with us! And I hope that guy woos his girlfriend; he has a lovely voice.

Peanut feeder after a raccoon has climbed on it – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-883)