ML539151461

Behaketaren xehetasunak

We rarely see Juniper Titmouse on the valley floor. We suspect the impending snowstorm, high winds, and cold weather have driven them down from the mountains. This individual was extracting seeds from the fruits of the Arizona Cypress limbs that were piled in wood piles just east of the last row of east trees in the cemetery. After extracting a seed, he would bang it a bit on a branch to loosen some outer covering and then consume the seed. I watched this bird do that at least 10 times. Once in a while, it would peck and drill into the bark, but I never saw it come up with anything. It preferred horizontal, somewhat bare branches near the top of the wood pile, but would often dive Into the bottom where it was difficult to see.