My neighborhood Gray Catbirds have been visiting me for a long time. It started a number of years ago when a pair of Gray Catbirds nested right under my dining room window–what wonderful intimate views I had. Unfortunately I had to clean up the very overgrown shrub in which they nested so they haven’t nested in my yard since; but they do come to visit–well, they come to eat here anyway. They like insects as well as small fruit and berries so planting those and avoiding the use of pesticides is important in having a catbird-friendly yard.
And the male, or males, engage with me in duetting–or I engage them. They have also brought their offspring back to my yard each year–though I like to think they bring them to show them to me, it is most likely for the food and safety that is provided in my bird-friendly yard.
Two days ago I was visited by one or both adult Gray Catbirds and at least one fledgling. Both the male and female adults look alike so I don’t know if only one or both parents visited. The parent bird, shown below, worked hard at finding and providing high protein food (insects) to feed to the fledgling(s)-I've only seen one but there may be others hidden in the foliage.
Yesterday afternoon the Gray Catbird family visited my yard again. The photo below is the fledgling catbird (sorry the quality isn't great but it stayed in the shadows). You can see a little bit of the chestnut colored feathers that it is already has under it's tail.
The parent bird(s) left the fledgling (semi-hidden in the boughs of my blue spruce tree) my yard while they left (maybe they had another fledgling or still had nestlings located in another location to tend to) for awhile. I am glad they felt comfortable leaving their fledgling here. SeEtta
(posts with photos on visits from my neighborhood Gray Catbirds from previous years can be seen by
clicking here)
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