Meet the Spotted Towhee! The Spotted Towhee has been a constant resident here in our garden in winter clear into spring!

The Spotted Towhee is a very flashy , colorful bird who is not the most social species! The Spotted Towhee likes how we leave the vegetation for the winter to hide in, to do their thing in!

Gardens do look better for us in winter when folks go out and “clean up”, removing the Sunflower stalks, Hollyhocks, Zinnias, veggie garden leaves and such. However, when we did this we did not get such birds here as the Spotted Towhee. Only until we started leaving such things out all winter did such birds show up and stay with us as the Spotted Towhee.

This is not the only post I wrote about the Spotted Towhee, doubt it will be the last? I really like the Spotted Towhee for the flashy color and the eyes!! Those eyes are just so neat!!

We have not had the Spotted Towhee nest here, so I do not get to see the baby birds grow up. In 2014 and 2015, (the Spotted Towhee is still here), from my observations each year more and more Spotted Towhee’s show up! Perhaps coming here due to the food sources, (leaving stalks up all winter), and/or the protection factor?

The Spotted Towhee is super fun to watch! They scratch at the leaves etc. as chickens do, then if they see you they will take off like a flash!! Either running into a pile of bigger brush, or fly up into a tree for protection. The Spotted Towhee just does not care to be seen! From my observation the Spotted Towhee would just assume watch what you are doing from their “spot”, if you are quick or find them paying attention to things like finding something to eat etc. you can get photographs!

I have noticed the Spotted Towhee does make use of the, “No cat zone”, by running through our six foot dog kennel and hiding in the Raspberries that grow around one of our small ponds. The Spotted Towhee also likes our Lilacs and the pine tree that grows tall above some of the Lilacs we have. In 2014-2015 I have noticed them more in the pine tree, however as some folks may of heard me talk on social media, I have cleaned up outside due to the nice weather we had. This may have drove the Spotted Towhee into the Pine tree?? Because of this cleaning up, I have been throwing seed out there under the pine tree.

I have yet to see any Spotted Towhee at any bird feeder! Though hearing them just is here at home. They have a distinctive call which you can hear and read more about them here.

Keep in mind, my observations are mine. My photographs are also taken by me. I also read a lot about the native wildlife I photograph. If I do quote something from some book or website I will add it in here. I do not do this all that much….. I like to put in my observations and do like reading other peoples observations if I can find them….