My suet feeder has been a very popular stopping point the past few days, with
the usual complement of Bushtits.

This evening when I got home from work, the gang was still working on the
suet. All but one bird flew off while I fumbled with my keys and and jangled
the jingle-bell wreath and opened my door. That little one stuck there in the
feeder, just two or three feet from me, peck peck pecking away as fast as she
could. None of the noise I made spooked her, she was 100% dedicated to
gulping down as much suet as she could get. Peck gulp peck gulp peck gulp.

She was there for quite some time, and only left once it became very dark. I'm
not sure where they're roosting for the night, but she had a lot of fuel for
keeping warm!

I'd never seen a Bushtit that close - such fuzzy-feathery bellies!

Susan Collicott
Sunset Hill, Ballard
camelama at speakeasy.net