Bird watching is such a fun past time! We've had various feeders in our backyard for years, but only in the last year did we start taking the time to really identify the birds and their lovely little personalities. We have a medium sized hanging gazebo-type feeder right outside the kitchen window, a ceramic doggie head nailed to a tree whose ears and mouth hold seed  (also defense-less against the squirrels), and a cute little painted wooden box with an edge that one of the boys made for scouts that hangs about three feet from the gazebo. All together they make for hours (I mean loonnngggg minutes) of upclose gazing upon our tiny feathered friends.

We are beginners at this, so it's hard for us to tell yet if any of the types change colors in the colder seasons. We do know that our Blue Jays seem to winter somewhere else. With it getting warmer lately, we've had alot more variety at the "trough". This week alone we've spotted a...

• Red-headed Woodpecker -- this one is about 9 inches long and a little too big for our feeder, BUT he likes to tuck his tail underneath, stick his head in, and go to town...very curious too
• Black-capped Chickadee -- so sweet to look watch...they're very small, delicate, and mannerable (always waiting their turn)
• White-breasted Nuthatch -- very interesting to watch..darts around busily all the time. They will take a seed, stick it down in the crevice of the tree bark to hold it still while they peck the shell open to get the seed.
• Carolina Wren -- beautiful pale cinnamon breast right now
• Robin -- spends most of their time ofcourse on the ground looking for insects
• Starling -- again, sticks to foraging on the ground for insects and seeds...we will sometimes just throw a handful of seed out into the yard for them
• Cardinal -- our state bird..we have several sets that come and go. We were happy to see the one we named "Baldy" back again. Poor thing is red all over and bald on the top of his head!! It's a sight! =]
• Song Sparrow -- so cheerful and colorful right now...very distinct browns, grays, and blacks
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Purple Finch -- a male and female has been hanging around together, busily following eachother, the male is quite a pushy one at the feeder...It was hard to distinguish the female at first until we saw them together.
• Common Grackles -- we have tons of them!! They mainly flock together, forage together, set in trees making all kinds of "grackle" conversation together...cool to watch when they are on the ground in large numbers. They tend to all move together as one, and occasionally get spooked. They will fly up and down together like a sheet being shook in the wind. My kids described it one day as birdie "fireworks". Very fun to listen to and observe.
• Morning Doves -- several sets of doves like to hang out on the ground under the feeders...I just love the cooing sounds they make.

Well, that's all we've seen so far. We're looking forward to more springy weather. I think I'm going to have to buy a more indepth field guide before then!!

Have a beautiful day in the Lord!!

Deborah