Happy New Year!

My walk in the park today rewarded me with lots of bird blips plus some shots of families having fun in the snow. It was a cold day, about 20 degrees F at the warmest, but thankfully it wasn't windy. I had to choose this Eastern towhee for my blip today because this is the first time I have ever seen one around here in the winter (Bob says it must have had the wrong travel agent). I'm always excited when I see one in the summer, but to capture this photo on a cold, snowy day was a real treat. You can see more photos from today here in my SmugMug gallery, if you are interested. I'm happy to start 2014 with some good photo ops. I hope you met with blipping success too.

P.S. My source of bird information says the name "Towhee" is an imitation of the bird's call note, and was given in 1731 by the naturalist and bird artist Mark Catesby, who encountered it in the Carolinas. Apparently a group of towhees are collectively known as a "tangle" and a "teapot" of towhees. Who knew? I certainly didn't.