Tools of the Trade

I am starting a new year of YardBirds and what better bird to kick things off than a little Downy Woodpecker?  The buffet had raw peanuts on offer, a favorite of the titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers.  She grabbed one and then hopped up to a find the perfect spot to wedge it in so she could then pound it to get tiny pieces off.  I wrote recently about how finches use their beaks and tongues to prize the meat out of seeds; while titmice and 'dees hold the same seeds in their feet and pound off the shell.  Woodpeckers and nuthatches can frequently be seen using a branch or other surface to wedge their seed or nut.  

My YardBirds list for last year fell a little short of what I usually record.  I don't think I saw as many spring migrants in the yard (because I was in Costa Rica during some of the peak migration) and I must have just missed seeing some of the fall migrants.  Still, I got a respectable 32 species and they can be viewed HERE.  

I slept unusually late this morning, but have still managed to get some things done.  The holiday linens have been washed and are ready to put away, the dog has been played with, the hide has seen some action, and a trip into town to pick up a few things has been completed.  I was going to take Jax for a walk, but I think I will just give him some indoor activities instead.  

Last night we watched "Trouble with the Curve" with Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams - what a delightful movie!  And more recent than most of the movies we've watched lately.  I still have a long list of "to be watched" movies so I expect we will continue our movie-of-the-night for a while.  

Hard to believe that this time last year Hubs and I were still getting over our first and only case of Covid.  Although neither of us got seriously sick, it was still unpleasant enough that I'd rather not do it again.  

The long range forecast shows a possibility of snow on Sunday - keeping fingers crossed that it holds as I'd really like to see a little of the white stuff this year.  In recent years, our winters have been incredibly mild with very little snow.

xo
Debbi