More Photos below text

I had worried so much that the Goldfinches would not show up and then with a long cold period, I worried that they wouldn't stay around but they are here in greater number than ever. There must be 2 dozen of them and then need feeding every day. I found a simple feeder at the dollar store. Once I got it together, it was okay but it is better than the old one. 

I saw sparrows yesterday that I had not seen since last winter. The ones with the stripes on their head and the dark eyed Juncos. There are lots of wrens now and they are the ones who like to build nests just anywhere they can get into, like the electrical box. 

We have a new camera and all the seed table is now arranged for taking pictures with it and not with my little snap digital. Fun but figuring out how to do it is not so easy. At this time of year, the sun does not hit the table and we will see just how well it does in low light. I was showing Randy why many of my photos were taken from the kitchen window, the spot where I hang the feeder is in the afternoon light. I watch the angle of the sun and know what I will have and where it will be. We had sun on the seed table about 3 weeks ago and will again in about 5 weeks or so. The winter equinox will start everything back to giving the north side more light. The camera does so very well at zoom, we could set up for photos at a much greater distance. When I started doing this, I had a little Instamatic and it was lousy! The digital still-snappy was much better but still tended to blur close up and sharpen distance. Experience is the only way to know what a camera will do.

Some time soon, I will have more photos, better than ever. But not yet.

I had put a big can full of sunflower seeds on the big feeder down in the circle of the driveway. I looked to see three blue jays fighting over eating privileges. On the small feeder was a beautifully bright male cardinal eating sunflowers at peace until the squirrel came along to chase him off.

The dove are coming in more often. There are fewer and fewer seeds out around in the wild. One day, I will record an incoming dove and capture the underside of their wings. Such a beautiful design of coloring that it is not easy to describe. I also saw several plain sparrows. Pretty little birds they are and always show up with the wrens and crowned sparrows.