Birds are back and busy . . . . . . .

Pair of House finches - Eastern bluebird (male)

Today the feeders - filled yesterday, thank you Bob - are busy both in

 the front garden and here in the back garden.

Note, many camellia blossoms were blasted by this week's below

 freezing night temperatures, however the sweet garden birds 'soldier on' 

and were out this morning by the dozens around breakfast time. 

Chirping was ongoing - and the cat from new neighbors across the

 street made a pass on the deck so we sent her running of course. 

We are sad they feel it OK to allow this kitty to wander our busy

 neighborhood, enough said!

I grabbed the real camera, flipped up the living room blinds and

managed a few photos of some of the birds to share with all you

 bird lovers out there!

Carolina wren - House finch (male) - Northern Cardinal (female)

Pine siskin 

Eastern bluebird (male)

Carolina wren - Northern cardinal

Eastern bluebird - House sparrow (male)

Northern cardinal - Pine Siskin 

House finch (female)

Still hoping for a little snowfall, and that it sticks, come the weekend - I love

 to get photos of the garden birds in the snow.

Brrrrr! It's a chilly Tuesday -

- and the garden brought life and death this morning!

Let's get the death out of the way first - a rather large rabbit was dead
 on our front lawn, a first for sure. I decided a photo isn't necessary.

It did seem to have a gash on its neck so wondering if a hawk had it and
 then dropped it, or perhaps a fox, or possibly the neighborhood coyote, came
 by in the night. Why they wouldn't have made a meal of it we have no idea.

Whatever happened it was a sad start to the day - to me all 

animals are precious, including the ones who nibble my plants in spring!

Bob filled the feeders and, as always, the cardinals arrived first. 

Sometimes I count as many as ten, males and females, perched on

 the bare branches of the fig tree.

The thawing of the bird baths with tea kettles of hot water followed, first time

 this winter as the weather has been so mild. Many Mourning doves arrived - the

 sweetest, quietest birds.

Today we have errands to run. Though below freezing, the sun is bright now and

 pulling on a sweater and coat should make a few hours outdoors quite pleasant.

A Common grackle visits alone. . . . . . . . . .

When Common grackles appear they are often in huge numbers - I've seen

several hundred appear at one time!  They can be a noisy nuisance in a small

 garden, also quite ominous, like a scene from the classic 1964 horror/suspense

 movie, "The Birds" directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

A large black bird, 11-13", it sports an iridescent blue black head, 

purple brown body, long black tail, long thin bill, and very bright golden eyes.

Usually flying with other black birds in large flocks, it's known to feed in

 farmers' fields, dining on fruits, seeds and insects.

When a flock comes to the garden, thankfully not often, we shoo them

away and they fly up into the trees making their loud raspy calls.

This wet weekend, a single grackle arrived in the fig tree, looking lonely

 and apparently feeling hungry, it hopped onto the feeder and nibbled away

 for several minutes.

Probably a first for me, actually getting a photo of a grackle this close

 up, and through the window, so that the beautiful coloring is visible.

~ Common grackle : Quiscalis quiscula ~

A very colorful black bird, which isn't really black but a mix of beautiful colors.

Nature is very adept with her paintbrushes!

Winter scenes from the porch. . . . . . . . . .

So, no words necessary. Hope you just enjoy the photos of my own 

garden these past few days taken at different times from early morning
 until dusk.  A snowfall of seven inches arrived on Wednesday - not 
usual here in southeast North Carolina.
It was beautiful.

Keeping the winter garden lively. . . . . . . . . . .

It's a lovely Saturday here - cool of course but not cold. Sun is shining

and the birds are busy making the garden a bright and lively place.

Just want to share these photos of some of the visitors this past week.

~ Carolina Wren ~

~ Chickadee ~

~ Mockingbird ~

~ Cardinal ~

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Bluebirds of happiness. . . . . . . . .

The past few days have been sunny and quite a bit warmer giving some respite

 from the bitterly cold we experienced earlier. Weather in the southeast is strange

 as to how it can change so rapidly. Today the barometer is already at 60F early

 in the morning, so different from the 10F reading at the beginning of this week.

We're not coddling the garden birds quite as much - no rows of seeds along the

 porch railing in addition to filling feeders and suet holders, no buckets of hot water

 being sloshed into the icy birdbaths several times a day.

They are managing fine, still singing in the bare fig tree and scuffling about in the

 leaf mold...........and now and then I'm able to get some unexpected photos such as

 these from a couple of days ago when of a pair of beautiful bluebirds arrived together

 for a few fleeting moments in the back garden.

These birds are non-migrators in the Carolinas, feeding mostly on insects and fruit, 

but also come to suet and seed feeders in winter months. 

Interesting fact - a pair will have two broods of 4-5 a year and the young from 

the first brood help raise the young of the second.

Eastern Bluebird: Sialia sialis

Easy to tell apart, the deeper blue of the male is somewhat faded in winter, and the

 more grayish female only ever has touches of pale blue on tail and wings, both have rusty

 red breasts and white bellies

To think this lovely bird was nearly eliminated from the Carolinas due to lack of
 natural nesting cavities as trees were felled and farmland built upon. However, with
 the aid of bird enthusiasts who put up thousands of bluebird boxes, they have made
 a remarkable comeback - thank goodness! 

"There's a bluebird on my shoulder" says the song, well not quite, but they do 

frequent my garden and that makes me happy.

How can you not care?

When an entire family of Mourning doves sits patiently on such a cold, frozen place, 

waiting in hopes of a meltdown and a drink soon, how can we not head into the garden

to give them some attention.

"How do you do, I'm a White-throated sparrow and I love to drink - can I wait with you please?"

These lovely gentle birds perked up when I opened the door ready with the

 tea kettle and warm water. They flew off but returned later to drink - unfortunately

 with these low temperatures the water re-freezes very fast.

Bob was up before me today and said the barometer was at 8F, our coldest

 morning yet. The record was broken at Raleigh-Durham International Airport where it

reported 4F! In this photo the temperature was already climbing. By the end of the

 coming week we will return to the 60's which will feel like a heatwave. . . . . much

more normal here in the south!

This Sunday you will find me close to home - this is just too cold to be outside for long.

I'm afraid my planned walking weather has been put on hold for now!