The Early Return of the Snow Birds

Good morning, chilly day!

As October weather sets in, and a chill returns to the air, my little feathered friends are returning to the gardens.

Black Capped Chickadees and Goldfinches (goldfinch pictured at left), surely returning from the last cold season, were certain to check for feed in the swing feeder as well as picking some seed from the Echinacea and Black Eyed Susans.

To my surprise, I caught glimpse of a Dark-eyed Junco. As I craned (lol) my neck to avoid scaring him off, I saw he had friends with him.

Last year the Juncos appeared for the first time with heavy snow. This year, it appears, they are coming early.

It must be that time of year again.... at least in Canada!

The Brown-headed Cowbird

Who'd have known! This is the very first brown-headed cowbird I've seen at my feeders. They almost look like a giant finch.

Maybe they've moved in for the feeders after the buffalo herd left town (a man down the road and around the corner used to have a herd of buffalo. I haven't seen them lately....). They usually feed on the ground, but this little guy is in the swing feeder about six feet up.

About a week after this sighting, a small flock appeared to help the other blackbirds glean some feed. Red-winged blackbirds are also relatively new to my feeders, which is almost amazing knowing how common they are.

You can learn more about this bird here: the Brown-headed Cowbird

The Dark-eyed Junco, aka the Snow Bird

This is the Dark-eyed Junco. They come to our feeders in NE Ohio in small flocks when the temperature hits the 20's, especially if there's a lot of snow. I believe we're in the "winter non-breeding" area (see the map here). Once it warms to about freezing and the snow begins to melt, they start to disappear, presumably to head back to Canada for breeding season.

They seem to prefer to eat on the ground, although they occasionally eat at the swing feeder which is about 6 feet off the ground. This picture was taken recently (March 2007) and I can tell they've already begun to return north.

I look forward to seeing you next year, my feathered little friend!

Pair of Either Purple or House Finches

Unless both varieties of finches were in the yard and they traded places really fast, this would be the same male as the previous post.

I believe that's his mate right across the feeder from him. They come in together and leave together often.

He appears to have less red in this picture.

Purple Finch or House Finch?

I'm not sure if this little beauty is a Purple Finch or a House Finch, but he sure is pretty! This photo was taken mid-March in NE Ohio so it could be either one. The House Finch lives in this area year-'round, and this is the "winter non-breeding" zone for the Purple Finch. Of course, the zone map is so small that we could be in that little spot in Ohio for year-'round Purple Finches!

Telling the difference between the two must be in the beaks and songs. It's still a little too chilly to hang out outside and listen to their songs, so I guess I'll just leave the id to viewer input.

Another Look at the Common Grackle

Here's another look at one of the Grackles that visit our feeder. It's the same bird, or the mate to, the bird in the last post, just hidden in the shadow so you can't see it's beautiful iridescent head.

It looks quite angry in this photo due to it's light yellow eyes. Grackles can be aggressive towards other foraging birds, but they generally don't fight anyone for the seed at the feeders. Must be something special about a bug...

The Common Grackle

Another bird that has been frequenting our feeders is the Common Grackle. I believe this one is the male. There's a second one that visits with him that is less black and shiny.

When the weather warms up the grackles will move to the yard to eat insects and larvae. Hopefully they find Japanese beetle larvae tasty. My flowers would greatly appreciate that!

You can learn more about the Common Grackle here.

Braveheart the Grandson

Ha ha - Guess this is what happens when a two year old and a marker are left alone while Grandma cooks!

Looks like he's claiming his Scottish bloodlines. That's okay- he'll grow up big & strong, and smart as the day is long! Hmmmm.... kind of like my Grandfather....

And a Bible verse fit for a Scot:
2 Timothy 1:7 (King James Version, KJV)
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

A Sparrow Visits Our Feeder - Snow in March

Is this little guy chubby or what? lol It was actually a windy day. We had another one of those cold, windy, and snowy "March in Ohio" days.

That's okay. I spent the day inside playing with my grandson and watching the birds. There are several different species besides the sparrows that visit. I think the woodpeckers (2+ varieties) and finches (3+ varieties, if you count the black capped chickadees...?) are some of the favorites. And the Junco's, but they usually only come with the snow. I have pictures of them somewhere....

Okay... and the doves! I like the doves! Oooo, oooo! ... and the cardinals ... and blue jays! Ohhhhh, I admit, I like most of them! I could pass on the starlings and grackles. They come in like a swarm of locust at times. No where near as bad this year as last year, though. Easy solution: withhold the food for a few days. The neighbors also feed, so the birds won't starve! ha-ha ha!

On a higher note:
Luke 12:6-8 (King James Version; KJV)
6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

A Woodpecker Makes Himself at Home

One of the many birds to visit our feeders. I think he's a Red-Bellied Woodpecker. He's one of the reasons we started feeding the birds. I could hear him tap-tap-tapping in the tree next to the house.

He doesn't come around as much as the Downy Woodpeckers, but I'm glad he does come!

Why Another Blog...?

The first post on a blog is always the hardest. How to break the ice. I guess I'll start with why I created this blog: just to share my pictures and some of the information and wisdom I've accumulated over the years!

And to make the first post kind of match my description:

New blog.
New season.
Same life.
Different reason.

Ok, enough of the sillyness. Let's get on with the sharing - but, might I add, I do retain full copyright and all that legal info to all my pictures, poetry, and etc postings.