Cool thread. I enjoy birdwatching at Medic8r Manor, and the wife and I just put out the first feed of the year, welcoming back our bluebirds. They usually come back around Valentine's Day but are a little early this year.
When I was in Georgia last year, we had a great horned owl patrol our backyard. It was cool to look for him each evening.
Our most common birds here in Virginia (at least the ones I most often notice, as I suspect there are lots of house finches and sparrows around also) are the bluebirds, goldfinches, nuthatches, and chickadees. We have a number of thistle/niger feeders and often get sights like this pic that I pulled off the web:
We also enjoy feeding the ruby-throated hummingbirds and the various woodpeckers we get. I agree that the downy is a cool little bird. I enjoy how they hop around on the tree. We also get their slightly bigger cousins, the hairy woodpecker.
But to actually answer your question, the bird I enjoy seeing - and hearing - the most is the
pileated woodpecker. Whenever I hear one's call, I always look out the window to see if I can spot him.
