To all of the weekly visitors to the blog, our friends, and family we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!
While I was looking at the suet feeders in the snow last week, it occurred to me that it wouldn't take much to make the scene look a bit more like Christmas. So I ask my wife to pick up a wreath for me while she was out shopping. We then took the wreath, wired the suet feeder into it, added a bow and a few red balls. Then the goal was to just get one photograph of a Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the wreath feeder. Seems this is easier said than done.
Most of the birds just ignored the change. However, it took four days before the Red-bellied Woodpeckers got used to the addition. Many of the birds tried to eat the giant "red berries" they found surrounding their suet feeder.
This Downy Woodpecker sits on the branch above the feeder deciding on his next move.
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker takes a nice piece of suet from the feeder.
Downy Woodpecker.
A perfect Christmas card!
I happened to catch this vole near the rocks under the bird feeders. During the winter we can see where the voles travel by the slightly raised snow from the tunnels they create while traveling to and from their borrows.
All of the birds like that we have a heated bird bath during the winter months, but the Mourning Doves are probably the most frequent visitors.
We actually had two of the Pileated Woodpeckers close enough to the house during the recent snows for us to enjoy more than a few minutes of watching them feed. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture them both in a good photograph.
When the snow is flying and the temperatures drop, the birds get a little more aggressive at the feeders.
One bird enters, one bird leaves.
If you are from around this part of Pennsylvania, you are probably familiar with these three names. WJAC, the local TV station shows three old time videos around the Holidays. One titled The Three Little Dwarfs inspired the caption on this photograph of three Mourning Doves surveying the feeders.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
Nuthatch.
Nuthatch approaching the Christmas suet feeder.
Nuthatch leaving the Christmas suet feeder.
It's not too often I get a shot of two Nuthatches, or any two birds, aligned like these two.
Santa Claus relies on the local farmers to help him complete his rounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment