Gifts for the Birds

Olivia and I spent some time this morning making Christmas gifts for the birds. She spread peanut butter all over some pine cones and then rolled them in bird seed and tied them in various trees on our property.







...praying that your Christmas is blessed as you and your loved ones celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Sunrise

I took a few photos this morning (before the battery died in my camera! I told Brillo Man I want a new battery for my camera because it always happens when I want to take photos - when the light is perfect - or the occasion is there - that I don't have enough charge in my battery!!) Anyway...back to the photos....You can click on any of them to enlarge, if you like.

Sunrise at (as Pat likes to say) our State Park!













I realize that the photo below would have been better without the tree in the foreground, however, it was taken from my kitchen window after I had already come back in the house. I was concerned that if I had taken the time to dress for the cold and go outside, I would lose the light. This photo doesn't do it justice, but those trees were literally glowing with golden light --very beautiful in real life!!





As I type this, several hours later, our blue skies are mostly gone. The clouds have rolled in...we're due for more snow!

Mystery Solved!

For the past few days I've been sitting on my couch enjoying the view and wondering about these little birds:












I have been watching these four little charcoal gray birds, enjoying their antics. Watching them flit, float, fleetly flee and fly (no reference to the song in The Sound of Music ...ahem) I have never seen them at our feeder previous to this year.

Until this morning, I have been unsuccessful in determining the species, but then finally found them after googling "gray finch Pennsylvania."

May I present - the Dark-Eyed Junco. A bird which summers in Canada and winters in the northern United States. I guess we'll be feeding these precious little birds all winter. They are typically ground foragers. Since our ground is presently covered with a foot or more of snow, I'm sure they're enjoying the seed in our feeder!

The following photos are not mine - I found them on the web - a closer view! Our birds are darker in color, especially the males.





I will have to research which type of seed they prefer and keep the feeder well-stocked for the winter! ....my new hobby...sitting on the couch, watching the Dark-Eyed Juncos!