Birds of the Snow

If you had told me a year ago that I would become an avid birdwatcher, I would have quietly said, "You're crazy."

I was moving too fast through life to ever just sit back and take the time to watch birds.

Living where we do now invites birds of all species to our little nest in the woods, and it's become quite fascinating to sit by my kitchen window and watch them.

Don't ask me to identify them - I'm not brushed up on my ornithology yet - and so I have my own nicknames for them, which are probably ridiculous, but they work for me in my ongoing identification of our feathered friends.

Hubby was gracious enough a few months ago to indulge my wish for a bird feeder, and this feeder has been quite a hoppin' place, especially during the snowstorm we had yesterday.

These little yellow birds seem to having a bit of a conversation as they stop by for a nibble of some delicious sunflower seed.


Yellow birds are our most prolific and frequent visitors - they seem to think they "own" the bird feeder and will get quite agitated if another species dares to show up - as this grey bird did. And isn't the grey bird just beautiful?


The grey bird couldn't stay for long...he was quickly chased off by the yellow birds - here, they've taken ownership, once again, of the feeder. Hence, the yellow birds have now been named "Bossy Birds" by yours truly, as they really are the "alpha" birds in the yard.


Some birds, like this cardinal, just stay away from the feeder itself and catch the droppings under it - on the snow-covered ground.


When the cardinal's done, he flew over into a nearby tree to let everything settle...he was pretty easy to spot in the grey, overcast sky....


In my bird-watching, I've learned that if you spot a male cardinal, the female is usually pretty close-by. See if you can spot the male AND female in this picture...(hint: the male's on the left, and the female's on the right). Do you see them?


It was a really pretty day yesterday...with the snow peacefully falling, and the lake so very calm....


I didn't accomplish much, but that's okay. Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses. Or watch the birds, in this case.

Peace.