Design

Thanks to Randy, I know the woodpecker we watched yesterday morning (and thought was a female Red-Bellied Woodpecker), was actually a Northern Flicker.  I don't think we'd seen one before. It caught our attention, foraging in the old stump below the porch, rhythmically working the decaying wood, snagging insects and their larvae in the process. (In looking up info about the Northern Flicker, they forage largely on the ground, for ants -- cool!) It had seemed unusual to see a woodpecker foraging on a stump, but maybe I haven't had one to observe before. We're still waiting for woodpeckers to discover the new suet feeder, an elaborate cedar log with holes to stuff with suet. The titmice have found it, though, and they're happy for the extra energy, apparently.

After we filled up the feeders, the parade started soon. Groups of 2 & 3 visitors at a time nabbed a few seeds and gave their place to the waiting multitudes, who arrived from surrounding trees. This was not entirely peaceful, including disagreements about the 'pecking order.' I wouldn't have thought that we'd have so many Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Northern Cardinals, and who knows what else living in the woods behind our small mountain house. It was definitely a parade.

More typical winter weather greeted us (Mocha and me) on our morning walk. A skim of ice covered the small frog ponds (actually retention pools) at the Garden and bare soil crackled underfoot. The perfectly blue sky reflects the low humidity this time of year; the mountains are sharp in the distance without the haziness of damp air. After refilling the feeders, a parade of Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice are stocking up, along with Northern Cardinals; why not take advantage of easily foraged seeds, after all? I caught a glimpse of a downy woodpecker moving up one of the dogwood trees, perhaps after a visit to the suet feeder. And groups of American Robins are getting a drink at the bird bath and water dishes. Best wishes for a New Year of nature watching and gardening!