So much for an early spring . . .

So, most years, those of us who are blessed to live in northern Georgia consider ourselves lucky if we have one measurable snow per year.  This year has been an exception to the rule!  We are now in the middle of our fourth (yes, that's 4th) measurable snow of this season.  If my memory serves (and it may not - just so you know) we've had between 9 and 12 inches total snow this year.  And to be honest, it's still winter here folks!!!

And yes, I am ready for spring, but not nearly as ready as these guys . . .

A pair of house finches - Mrs. on the left and Mr. on the right

A recent addition to the flock - a 'yellow rumped warbler'.  Do you see the yellow on his 'rump'???

Mrs. (l) and Mr. (r) Cardinal.  I love how she's looking at me!  Like "what you doin?"

And yes,  this is 'Woody' the lone wood thrush.  He/she is still here, overseeing things on the deck.  Somehow his presence is comforting, although I still haven't figured out why he's here all alone and out of season!

And here is Ethel, and best I can figure after perusing my Birds of Georgia book, she is a female (of course) red wing blackbird!  I've never seen one at the feeder, and it was obvious she wasn't sure how it worked, but she got the hang of it eventually and had a nice meal.

The influx of birds to our feeders convinces me that since we've had so much very cold and snowy weather, they are just plain hungry.  Another indication of that is our almost empty safflower seed bag!  In just under two months, we have feed them about fifty pounds of seeds!!!  I have two large, and two medium feeders for the safflower seed, two suet cake feeders, and two thistle feeders for the goldfinches.

Here's a list of all the birds I've seen so far today:

• goldfinches
• house finches (lots and lots of these guys!)
• titmice
• white breasted nuthatches
• brown headed nuthatches
• red bellied woodpeckers
• downy woodpeckers
• Carolina chickadees
• Carolina wrens
• cardinals
• song sparrows
• white throated sparrows
• Woody the lone wood thrush
• Ethel the lone female red winged black bird
• yellow rumped warbler
• dark eyed juncos
• eastern towhees
• doves

And yes, best I can count that is 18 different varieties of birds either eating from our feeder or the seed I throw on the ground for the ground feeders.  Amazing!  And so much fun to watch!  Anyway, it is still snowing pretty steadily, and tonight it's supposed to get down to the upper 20's, so whatever is here will still be here in the morning in the form of ice.  Fun.

So, as I head to the kitchen to check out my pizza dough, I'll leave you with a few pictures from our yard.  I hope you, wherever you are, are having a sunny and warm day!  Blessings, Becky

A New Friend Of The Feathered Kind!

I have a new visitor to my back deck/bird feeding station.  He/she isn't eating from the feeders, either safflower or suet, but is eating off the table or floor where I put seed for the ground feeders.  I've named him/her Spot because of the pretty spots all over it's chest.  Hubby and I first noticed Spot this past Sunday when we were sitting at the computer looking for somewhere to spend our spring vacation. (Grayton Beach St. Park, FL - fyi!)   I had never seen this bird out there before, and couldn't figure out what 'it' was.  Finally, a couple of days later I found Spot in my book.

Pic courtesy All About Birds

He's a wood thrush.  Smaller and with a shorter tail than it's cousin the brown thrush (our GA bird, btw), and usually not found in this part of the world until mid to late March!  His primary diet is insects and fruit - not seeds.  He hops around my deck all the time, and appears hungry.  The only seed I have right now is safflower and thistle, and there aren't many insects around right now.  So I cut an apple in half, then cut 1/2 in thirds and put the pieces on the deck.  He never once looked at them, but the squirrels apparently LOVE apples - who knew!

Pic courtesy Nature Sound

But he eats a few of the safflower seeds, and is an almost constant visitor to the deck.  He sits on the rails, looking out toward the woods out back.  He has a beautiful song, which I hear from time to time, but he just seems lonely.

Pic courtesy Wikipedia

So, what is he doing here a full 6 weeks before he is due, and why is he alone?  I wish I could ask him (or her) and find out where he's been this winter, if he has been in the area and just found my deck by accident, or if he just decided to head back to GA on his own.  Or did he lose his mate last summer and couldn't bear leaving the area alone.  Inquiring minds want to know, you know! 

Have a great weekend friends!  Becky