End of the Year

Since the 10th of December, when I last wrote, we have had our backyard bird count. Nothing new to report there. After the bird count day, we had a very brief owl sighting one night. Saw a sharp-shinned hawk pick a redpoll off a feeder midday. Have had a Northern Shrike in here about 3-4 times. Brown creeper now and then. At times approximately 100 redpolls and a large number of siskins from time to time. One black-capped chickadee with a somewhat deformed beak. The year is almost over. Happy New Year 2012!

Peanut Butter Patrol

Saw a couple of ravens cruising our backyard this AM. With binocs, I could see one of them fly off with a big chunk of peanut butter. He had not been down to our peanut butter post, so we surmised that the magpies had taken the peanut butter up to the top of a spruce and stashed it.

Our feeders have been visited by redpolls and siskins today. Stellars jays have been in for peanuts, and of course our ever-faithful chickadees and nuthatches. No owls yet, hopeful though, since we have a lot of voles.

Bird Report Dec 2

All of a sudden we are seeing quite a few pine siskins and redpolls. It is encouraging because some winters lately, we've seen very few redpolls and then siskins only quite a lot later.

Also this morning, a brown creeper. And down the street, a nice flock of Bohemian Waxwings.