Unable to go to Circle B this morning because of the thick fog, I decided to start the spring rose prune at home. It’s been a while since I’ve spent the morning working in the yard. It was nice to see “my” birds for a change!

The Painted Buntings were around all day. I saw three green birds at the new bunting feeder in the backyard.

I was worried that the buntings wouldn’t care for the cage around the millet feeder, but I know that our “piggie” blackbirds would gobble the millet right down if they had access to the feeder. The cage keeps the big birds out. As it turns out, the cage doesn’t bother the buntings. Actually they seemed to enjoy the “safe zone” away from the big birds. (And watching the grackle land on the cage and try to stretch his beak in to reach the millet was hilarious!)

I still haven’t seen a male bunting land on the new feeder, but these three female/juvenile birds spent most of the day in and around the backyard. I was seeing them at least once an hour. Around lunchtime, they hopped up into a rosebed and started to peck at the weeds. I think they were eating bugs or seeds or something in the weeds. I was inside, and I grabbed the Beast and shot some pictures through the window. It was my first opportunity to get decent shots of the painteds without a bird feeder in the frame. Yay!

I tested out my “use the hedge as a blind” theory today and it worked! I stood behind the hedge trimming the crape myrtle, where there is plenty of room to set up the Beast and stand behind the hedge while shooting the new feeder. A bunting landed and ate, happily unaware of my presence. Maybe this whole “stage a bird shot” thing will work!! Now if only the male bunting would start to show up more regularly…and bring a friend!