Winter Storm Birds

Winter storm - feeders crazy all day.  Mike went out and refilled the feeders, as well as cleaned out two of them that were a little stopped up.  He also pruned the rose bush outside our picture window that was hiding some of our view.

All these birds were there today, as well as a female finch of some kind that might have been a purple finch.  Not certain enough to say so.

1. carolina chickadee
2. tufted titmouse
3. northern junco
4. carolina wren
5. pine warbler
6. goldfinch
7. house finch
8. pine siskin (new for the year)
9. ruby-crowned kinglet
10. cardinal
11. mourning dove
12. red-bellied woodpecker
13. downy woodpecker
14. brown-headed nuthatch

Immature Bald Eagle

Last night at the Dobbins Farm Ponds, a young man asked if we were there to see the eagles.  We had no idea there were eagles--we were just looking to see what was there, and since it was near dusk, hoping (against hope) that maybe that short-eared owl from a couple of years ago might show up.

There were no eagles--it was just too late, the young man said.  But - I drove out again this morning by myself, and had no trouble at all locating an immature eagle.  It was right where the young man said it would be.  It was watching the first pond, apparently (again according to the young man) looking for young gulls to eat.  It did a fly-over for me, and in my new binoculars, it was quite a sight.  I was able to watch it for a full half-hour.

I had forgotten that an immature eagle is mottled brown and white - no black anywhere except a little on the head, and certainly no white head.  It was still unmistakably an eagle.  Huge in size, huge crooked beak, and feathers partway down the leg.  Beautiful.

I Think a Bald Eagle

At the Galley Tuesday night, I am 90% certain that I saw a bald eagle fly past the restaurant.

Immature Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Last Saturday (10/10/15) an immature male rose-breasted grosbeak came to our feeder.  He didn't stay long - didn't even eat, just checked it out and then flew away.  It looked just like the female, except it had a triangular wash of pink at the top of its breast.  A nice observation on a rainy Saturday morning.

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Yesterday we saw a red-headed woodpecker in the next door neighbor's yard. That's the closest it's gotten to our yard yet.

Today at Huntingdon Beach State Park

Painted bunting (feeder at nature center)
Also at nature center: cardinals and titmice

Causeway:
Anhinga male and female
Tricolored heron
White ibis
Snowy egret
Great egret
Green heron
Great Blue Heron
Wood stork
and lots of alligators!!!

Sunflowers

When you feed sunflower seeds to the birds all winter. . . .

. . .this is what you get in the summer!