Not So Dead of Winter

Despite the lack of leaves on the trees and sunny skies most days there are quite a few birds around. Life is still abundant and evident. I look out my back window to see a ton of Robins and Cedar Waxwings at the bird bath. I am amazed when I go out to find it drained of all the water. There are also many of what the old-timers call “Butterbutts”—Yellow Rumped Warblers. Flocks of these three species have graced our corner of the world. And “flocks” doesn’t begin to describe the numbers.

One of my favorite visitors from the north is the Northern Junco. Juncos flit around the yard under feeders and under bushes cleaning up the seeds drop by other birds at the feeder. We enjoy Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, House Finches, American Goldfinches which visit the sunflower feeder and the Orange Crowned Warbler, Downy and Red Bellied Woodpeckers visiting the peanut feeder. Carolina Wrens and Ruby Crowned Kinglets dash in the bushes. Mourning and White Winged Doves and Cardinals grace the trees and the yard.

This yard is a grand spot for birding. How many people can make that boost about their yard?

Cedar Waxwings

One of the great joys of migration is that twice a year I get to witness the gathering hundreds of these marvelous birds. Over the last couple of days their frenzied activity has occurred in my back yard, coming and going to the bird bath and feasting on the berries in the tress all around my yard and the neighbors'.

I was spending a good deal of time watching and trying for a good digiscoped photo of these when they exploded from the yard en masse and hightailed it for some distant shelter. Immediately searching the sky above me, I found a Cooper's Hawk gliding across the ravine headed my way.