Oh, pick me, pick me!!!

I can't believe I'm eight days into 2014 and I haven't blipped a Tufted Titmouse yet. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that this needed to be corrected PRONTO. So, voila - tufted titmouse, being completely adorable, as usual.

I went up to the NY/NJ border, to Wallkill River NWR this morning hoping to see some short-eared owls or harriers hunting in the marsh. No owls, but I did see a harrier hunting low over the reeds before he was chased off by about 100 crows who were also gathered on the marsh. Hiked out one of the trails, but it was so cold that I only lasted about 30 minutes before heading back to the car to thaw.

The temperature is finally starting to warm up a bit - a whopping 28 F today. Quick - break out the shorts. Ha. Still, it is much better than the single digits of a few days ago. The lakes and ponds are still frozen, so our bird bath continues to be very busy as a water source.

I was sorely tempted to give you another blue jay today...I posted two blue jay shots and one of a teenage ring-billed gull on Flickr, starting here.

Hope everyone is staying warm (in the northern hemisphere) and cool (in the southern hemisphere) and safe!

Salute,
Debbi