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The Solitary Towhee
January 17, 2025 The Eastern Towhee’s (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) native range is eastern North America, from southeastern Canada south to Florida and west to eastern Texas. A solitary bird that has been out looking for seeds to eat with the many birds that are showing up in my garden these snowy days. Just one though, with…
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Cardinals Gathering
January 16, 2025 A Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) yesterday, about to join in with friends enjoying the hulled sunflower seeds I’ve put out. During the winter they’re gregarious birds. Both yesterday and today there were six Cardinals gathering the seeds along with many other species. They’re birds that don’t migrate. Staying put in southeastern Canada,…
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One Robin In The Cold
January 15, 2025 One Robin (Turdus migratorius) at the birdbath getting a drink this afternoon as the temperature is beginning to fall from the day’s high of 30º. It’s been mighty cold the past many days. Snow that fell more than a week ago still covers the ground as if it just fell, though by…
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One Of Many
January 13, 2025 A Northern Flicker (yellow shafted phase)(Colaptes auratus). One of an incredible number of birds that have been around for the peanuts, hulled sunflower seeds, and suet during this weeklong snow event. My count of species that have been in attendance is now at eighteen. Flickers are mainly insect eaters, but during the…
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Patiently Waiting
January 12, 2025 Patiently waiting for spring. Buds of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) covered with icy snow. Flowering Dogwood flowers are actually not what you think. What are thought to be petals are not petals at all, but are bracts. The flowers are yellow, very small, clustered at the center, surrounded by the bracts. In…
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Warm Colors Of Sunrise
January 11, 2025 The ideal time to see newly fallen snow. Sunrise. Snow presents the landscape as a black and white drawing. Sunrise adds brush strokes, painting it with soft warm colors. Adding colors like no others, any time of day. Subtle glows, there but for a few quick moments. My favorite time to see…
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Seventeen Species And Counting
A female Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) at the old garden gate, watching all the action. Five days with nine inches of snow on the ground. Temperatures so cold that there is no melting. And now as I sit here writing this post there is another snow event happening. During these snowy days I’ve upped the amount…
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An Independent Sort
All sorts of hubbub going on with many birds gathering around, going to the suet feeders and the hulled sunflower seeds. The snow triggered a panic it seemed. Not this Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) though. Dressed in its winter outfit the little critter was calmly going from seedhead to seedhead of Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) enjoying…
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Bluebirds At Noon Today
Many Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) gathered at the birdbath today. They live here in Virginia all year. During the summer they eat insects and there is plenty for them to eat here in the winter too, including the fruit of Eastern Red Cedar, Bayberry, Flowering Dogwood, Hawthorn, Holly, Mistletoe, Pokeberry, Serviceberry, Sumac, Winterberry, Wild Grape, Hackberry,…