Archive for February 7th, 2010
Super Snowy
This is a Snowy Owl - he definitely fits right in here. I will have to learn about him and pass it on to you
I love the snow, and that’s a good thing right now. We have gobs of it and more on the way. Yesterday’s storm was the biggest one we have seen since we lived here. We got the driveway cleared so I could go to work yesterday, and today we cleared the sidewalks. It’s the law here that they be cleared within 24 hours of a storm.
Something posessed me before we walked out the door to grab the binoculars. I am always seeing things out in the front of the house and wishing for them. Most of my birdwatching at home is spent in the back of the house, but there is a lot going on in the front that I rarely have the opportunity to see. Well, the effort of carrying the binoculars was not wasted. I got to watch 2 bluebirds sitting high in a tree, and the treat of all treats which gave me hope for the days to come - a robin! According to Paxatawny Phil, the famous Pennsylvania groundhog, we are in for 6 more weeks of winter. Someone forgot to let the robin in on that little tidbit of news!!
First In, Last Out
Getting up early and taking inventory of the different birds who are dining at the bird feeders and suet feeder in my back yard has its advantages. With the huge amount of snow we have on the ground, we are inundated with my happy birds, the dark eyed juncos otherwise known as snow birds. They like every feeder - not picky at all.
The advantage in getting up early is seeing the first in. The cardinals are always here very early. I think they always travel in pairs too, and when you see the female, the male cardinal is always close by. This morning was no exception, only there were 3 pairs just after dawn. They were on and under the platform feeder and the heated bird bath is the best investment I have made in years.
Cardinals do not seem to like the tube feeders. They seem to like something solid under their feet. They love the safflower seed that I scattered on the snow for them. We got about 16 inches of snow and it is so much fun to watch them. From an inventory point of view they should be the last ones here this evening too and I can’t wait. The splash of color on the white is a true picture to behold.