George has talked in his blog about how COLD it has been here on the Cumberland Plateau. Our lows have been in the single digits (F) and highs in the 20's for several days now--with more to come. As George said, "We haven't been above freezing ALL year!" BUT--for me, the bad news is that none of this cold is bringing us much SNOW at all.. We've had several mornings where we had a 'tad' of snow flurries --but never much!!!!! DARN!!!!
Anyhow--- because of the extreme cold, our bird feeders have stayed VERY busy recently. My new header is just one of my favorite backyard birds... I did manage to capture several pictures this past week... Above is always a favorite (besides the bluebirds). This one is a gorgeous female NORTHERN CARDINAL. They really eat and PUFF UP in winter. But, even still, doesn't she look cold??? (I keep trying to sweep the snow off of the deck for them.) Below are more!!!
We always manage to get a bunch of Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES at our feeders. They always manage to dart in and out --and it's hard to get good pictures. However, I did catch this Nuthatch at the feeder.
Last year, I had 'oodles' of Pine Siskins. This year, I have lots of GOLDFINCHES... We also have House Finches --but many more Goldfinches than House Finches.
This male DOWNY WOODPECKER is so pretty... The Downy's LOVE the Suet Feeders.
The male NORTHERN CARDINAL 'thinks' he is hiding in the Rhododendron bush.... BUT--when it's as cold as it is, the Rhodies close their leaves making privacy impossible for the birds... (We can usually tell the temperature by watching the Rhododendrons open and close their leaves. Note also the tiny covering of snow we have!!!! Grrrrrr.)
Here's another little guy which loves to come to the feeders. AND--he is a quick one also--so it's hard to get a good picture. I did manage to capture this CAROLINA WREN at one of the feeders.
One of my favorite visitors is Pete, our RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. Pete and Petunia and their clan visit the feeders OFTEN during the day. I love this one of Pete eating upside down!!!
Tomorrow I'll feature two more of my favorite birds, the Pileated Woodpecker and the Eastern Bluebird... SO---come back for more tomorrow!!!!!
Happy January of Twenty Ten!!!!! Stay WARM --and please, send me some SNOW (not too much--just a few inches will do)!! HA HA!
Hugs,
52 comments:
We have had our share of low digits in temperatures. Now 16° as I type. The birds are out here but only once or twice and they flock together to eat. I found them devouring smashed up cracker crumbs yesterday. I am also one who feed cracked sunflower chips but also buy one 25 pound bag of little black oil sunflower seeds to mix in with the hulled peanuts we put out mostly for the squirrels but the birds, especially sparrows and finches like the peanuts too. And they all seem to like the sunflowers to peck the hulls off. I end up or did, Patty will do it now, use the leaf blower with a bag and suck up the hulls once or twice a year and throw them away. I end up with no hulls.
Betsy what a nice collection of bird photo's. Your bluebird at the top hooked me in right away! Love that one! Your temp is actually colder than us here in Buffalo! Right now we are sitting at 15F. But alas...we have snow! 2-3 more inches they are calling for today.
I've started teaching Suzy Snowflake and the Mitten Song to my younger students at school. Gotta give them something to hum while they are making those snowmen!
Stay warm!
Great pictures Betsy!! I wish I had a good place to take pictures of birds. I think they're so pretty!
So pretty!
I'm out today to buy a bird feeder for my home - the weather here is soooooo cold!
You've been getting some great shots, Betsy. I love the woodpecker upside down the best--HA! Cute! :D
You sure get a variety of birds at your feeders. I love the shots of your cardinals and woodpeckers, but they're all cute. We see mostly goldfinches and mourning doves at our feeders.
It may be cold out but you are doing your part to keep the little birds warm by feeding them. They do appreciate it.
Great pictures, Betsy. MB
beautiful shots of colourful birds!
happy new year, Betsy!
I don't think I would like those temperatures but the birds are beautiful. I love fatty in your header. Blue is my favourite colour. However the red cardinal is gorgeous too. We don't see any of those birds here so thanks for showing them. Fab photography too.
Wow, you have really gotten some beautiful photos of your birdies! You should put them all together and publish a book!
Don't think I'd ever say "Darn" about no snow, but I hope you get some soon if you really want some. You can have mine (hee-hee). Have a great Tuesday!
Joy @ Joysweb
Well, Betsy, they are saying that the big front will be swooping down towards us late Wed and Thurs and we WILL be having snow, so I know that means the plateau will be covered. Hang on! It's coming!
Love all your pretty visitors!
These are all so cute, but I just adore the bluebirds and the cardinals. (I suppose I like bright colors?)
It has been cold down here too...it was 44 this morning. Ok, stop laughing, that is cold for me.
Have a great day!!
Our windchill factor is 16 this morning...heck it might as well snow!
Oh, Betsy,
Your title photo is exquisite. You have so many lovely captures. Your post reminds me to get more seed for the goldfinches. I haven't been seeing a lot of them lately and they love the niger seed.
Same here with the cold weather Betsy. LOL we can't take the cold here in Oklahoma as well as the northern states do. Love the shots of the cardinals. Oh and I did get down and get some bird seed the other day and the birds have been busy eating.
your temperatures have been colder than ours here in northern NY almost at the Canadian border!
Betsy, you're birdies are beautiful. I love the Cardinal in the Rhododendron bush.
Enjoy your day, stay warm.
Sunny :)
Lovely shots.
I am going to try to get some of our birds today. We have a flock of about three hundred evening grosbeaks that eat us out of house and home. I go through at least one fifty pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds a week trying to keep up with them!! It gets really expensive and every year I say I won't do it but every year I do!!!
Betsy: Your camera work is a wonder to behold. I love your birds and enjoyed the show.
Hey Betsy I really enjoy looking at all these sweet birdies.
I forgot to tell you how much I like your new header. You know I love those bluebirds.
Beautiful birds! It's such fun to try to photograph them! What happened to all those Pine Siskins that we had about this time last year????
We have more snow today, and more for tomorrow.
Wonderful pictures, Betsy! I especially love the one of Pete.
Well, I certainly wish I could send you some of our snow---I have had my fill. I'm in the same cold snap you are---but we do have snow. Again. I'm already longing for spring. *sigh*
I'll be sending that snow on Thursday:)
We're freezing here too! It hasn't gotten above 25 in days with no snow to speak of either. "They" are predicting snow Thursday and Friday - we'll see.
Your bird photos are fantastic Betsy and thanks to you, those birds look very well fed!
Nice bird catches. Our feeders are at length from the house so it is really hard for me to get something that even identifies the bird. You have many of the same birds we have, though.
Thanks for brightening up the day with your wonderful bird pictures. They're all so special, I love the way the Carolina Wren has such a cute little tilt to its tail.
Love your bird shots. You have a nice variety, mine are mostly LGB or LBBs(little grey birds or little brown birds.) I may lack a lot in bird identification but not in feeding.
I fill three large feeders twice, sometimes three times a day and have a heated water fountain.
We were at 9 degrees this AM but we do have SNOW (yea) and are expecting more this week. Love it. Hope you get the pretty part of winter soon.
Your birds a a treat to see.Our weather is warmer then yours 42 right now, but so dark and dreary.
My mom likes bird Pictures I know she would love yours.
~~Hugs~~
I really enjoyed you blog. Love your bird photos and identification. I haven't seen any cardinals yet. I hope to see some soon. I think they are my favorite.
May your bird feeders never be empty.. Have a great one
Betsie,
Your bird photos are fantastic. You have so many beautiful birds visiting your bird feeder. I just love to visit your blog and see all your lovely photos. Have a great week. We're having single digit temp. here, too. It's real cold and snow is predicted for Thursday.
...we are a bit chilly here too...high teens. You have some lovely shots here, and I love your bluebird banner. They are sweet birds. I just put some mealworms out hoping to get one, but no luck. Our Carolina Wren is happy with the dried mealworms, though, so that's good enough. Happy J to you too!
Love your photos. Especially the header one. Just super neat! Thanks for sharing!
We haven't had much new snow here either ... a few gray days that didn't produce diddly squat! Now it is sunny, clear, cold but beautiful. -13C (8.6F) when we went out for a walk. Fine as long as the breeze was at one's back but the poor cheeks suffered when we had to retrace our steps home. One nice thing ... you are getting some great bird pictures!
that fluffy little mama cardinal is so precious, she is all puffed up against the cold. we are ready for the cold to go away and I know you and your birds are. they are all beautiful
How lovely to have such pretty birds in your garden. I put food out every day too. We have large flocks of rooks,pigeons, gulls, curlews lapwings in the field just now because it is clear of snow so they can feed.
What gorgeous photos! I especially love the cardinals. I would love to send you some of our new snow! We got over a foot over the past weekend and thats enough. I see you are in a deep freeze. Stay warm!
It's amazing to me the variety of birds you manage to photograph in these freezing conditions ... just beautiful ;-)
Hugs and blessings,
You have so many lovely birds at your feeders. I'm trying to attract cardinals to mine but they must have found enough good food elsewhere.
YIKES! I just checked the temperature here after I saw how cold it is where you are. Guess what! We're the same temperature right now! You really are COLD for Tennessee.
Ahhh Betsy-great shots of all your feathered friends. Sort of makes me homesick for KY.
Notice I said sort of.
If I could do anything about sending snow to you, you know I'd do it in a minute.
So for now just enjoy your fireplace and stay warm.
Great pictures, Betsy....but I especially like that little blue guy in your new header. Sweet, sweet!
Hi Betsy,
I enjoyed all the birds at your feeders.As for the snow,I just have to rub it in a little,we have had a light dusting of snow all day.Just the pretty kind that floats down lazily.
Blessings,Ruth
Great series of bird photos Betsy! I just adore your cardinals! I'll be glad to send you some snow in exchange for an extra 10 degrees of warmer weather! :-)
Hugs,
Shelley
Great shots! The bluebird at the top reminds me of the famous picture, The Mad Bluebird. I just read about the man that took that one at this site: http://www.freeenterpriseland.com/BOOK/BLUEBIRD.html
You never know what might happen to your bird pics someday!
Lovely Betsy...your header photo is precious and I love all your great pics of your yard birds!! It's fun to remember, that not too long ago, we both were having to look up birdees that we weren't so sure about!! lol Now look at you with all these great close ups and behaviors you are noting..plus you even gave some cute names! Great Post!!
Nice shots Betsy! Love the RBWP!
Craig
Your birde feeders are indeed a non-stop flurry of activity. We had Bluebirds and Cardinals on the feeders today, but sadly didn't have my camera handy ;(
I've been filling the birdbaths with warm water for the past few days, our poor feathered friends are greeted by solid ice in the mornings and chip away at it the best they can.
Snow, snow and more snow predicted for us tomorrow and Thursday, wrap up, keep snug ;)
Hugs,
Jo
Golly!! Just look at the assortment of birds you have visiting you! Gosh, a rainbow in your yard no matter what season it is! How delightful!! The only thing I see down at the bird feeders here are deers munching away at the seeds...
Happy New year to the both of you... I hope the year brings much happiness and lots of more birdies!!
Hugs and kisses♥♥
Gorgeous...just gorgeous!
We don't see the bluebirds here in the U.P...
oh, and that pilieated??? I am IN LOVE.
We have them here,but they are shy and never come to the suet.
I love all your little birds, each one is so cute. The downy woodpecker is gorgeous. I have a little extra snow on my blog, just posted it. I tried to send it your way.
It is sort of odd that you have our very cold temps and we are having rain, weird winter.
Judy
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