The Awwwwww Pose

An oldy but goody........Awwwwwwww!

Who scares you more?

.....this intimidating Blue Jay?






....or the snow monster in my backyard?

A winter favorite

I've mentioned before how our chickadees at the cabin are quite friendly. I love when they land on my shoulder while I'm filling the feeder. And of course my heart melts when they land in my hand to take that one perfect seed. The photo above is one I took of my husband feeding this angel when we were at Hartwick Pines State Park. They are such brave and nosey birds. I always laugh when I put out a new feeder and a chickadee will appear out of thin air to immediately investigate it.

P.S. Speaking of new bird feeders, where do you like to buy yours? I've been searching online for a good platform, fly through feeder that won't break the bank.

Winter Visitors

There are many reasons why I love winter but one of the biggest ones is the birding opportunities it brings. I see an increase of some of my regular visitors and I have some winter ones to look forward to. Hoping the Redpolls and Pine Siskins come back and eat out of my hand this year. I am also hoping to see the elusive Snowy Owl this winter.....a girl can dream....

Here are some of my feeder regulars. What are you seeing right now?

My nutty White-breasted nuthatch. I love watching him store suet on the trees around our cabin property.





My chickadees are much loved and are very sassy, I can't tell you how many times they scold me when the feeder is empty. Some of them will even land on my shoulder and head as I'm refilling the feeders as if to say hurry up!




My sweet goldfinches are so shy. I love listening to their pretty chirps.





The purple finches are starting to come around more and may rival the chickadees in being a feeder hog.

My holy grail bird

Do you have those one or two birds you are constantly seeking and when you do see it, you are in awe? I call those my holy grail birds. One of mine is the Pileated Woodpecker. Such a shy and alert bird - I can't tell you how many missed photo opportunities I have had with this fellow! I swear, it can hear me breathing even when I'm in my cabin, and if I dare to look at my camera, he flies away screeching in protest. Well yesterday I got my brief moment to memorialize him on film......I was doing the happy dance afterwards. (And of course he was screeching louder than my blue jays through the trees shortly thereafter.) So what's your holy grail of birds to see and photograph?

Downy Woodpecker enjoying Autumn

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

~George Eliot

A good investment...