Brave little Bird

That's TUTI on the left

This is TUTI, named with the code letter abbreviation for a Tufted Titmouse, which seemed to fit at the time. TUTI has twisted primary feathers on one wing, perhaps from a window strike or some other injury, perhaps from a genetic error.

TUTI is a toughie. He/she....I always think of her as a she and will write of her as such from here on in....has come to the feeder all winter  for two years. Then in spring she vanishes for a while, only to reappear leading her brood to the feeders.

Passing a seed

She has been coming back to the Jonna feeder...the only one I have out in hopes of fending off grackles...for a few days now after a prolonged absence. 

I worry.

Screechy little ball of fluff begging vociferously

This morning Miss Peggy emerged before her folks were up to urge me to come to the front porch where she announced that there were baby birds.

Too cute to be true

4-years-old and not a feather in sight, but somehow she knew that the strident peeping from the cedars was baby birds and not adults. However, we didn't actually see any of them. I couldn't quite figure out what we were hearing.

Until a few minutes ago when the yard filled with a flurry of the same sounds and a frantic TUTI racing to the feeder, quickly shucking a sunflower seed, and then flitting over to the honey locust to stuff a beak. And another beak. And another beak.

I have never gotten a decent photo of her, but today she was too busy to worry about the camera. I grabbed a few shots and came back inside to give her room to do her job.

The Downy Woodpeckers are bringing the kids in too.
Yesterday they were feeding them.
Today the kids have found the suet for themselves. Soon the parents will be ducking and dodging, trying to leave them behind on their own.