Hi everyone. Hope you are all keeping warm. I have to admit, we haven't even really seen winter at its worse, but already I am sick and tired of snow. I am seriously considering moving somewhere where there is no snow. I can always come back to visit. All the boxes are great. Love to hear what everyone has sent and the enthusiasm of the recipient. I agree Shirley, it's like Christmas. Speaking of christmas. My tree is still alive and going strong. I put it outside in the stand, of course the water is frozen solid and under a foot or two of snow. We strung berries and oranges and nuts, pinecones slathered in peanut butter and then rolled in seed, all over the tree. The birds are going insane to say the least. I haven't wintersowed a thing. i decided this year i'll just go out and sprinkle seeds everywhere. i was getting prepared but then we got hit with the first snow and then the next one and then the cold and then more snow...so i said the heck with it. It sure is another cold one tonight. I think we are going down to about 9 degrees. guess i'll take that as opposed to minus any degree. hoping i will be able to join in february's swap. love the simplicity of it, but then i can execute on that...that's what craps me up with swapping LOL just an issue i need to get over. well, that's it for now. i have an early morning tomorrow. be well everyone, stay warm and remember....Spring is on Monday, 21 March 2011...56 days, 19 hours remain. maryanne p.s. mellen, i would love that website/link as well.

Great photos everyone! I had about 30 turkey's come visit two days ago. Now, normally that is not that original, but about a half dozen decided to get up onto my back deck and perch on the railing and table. One of them was about four feet away from where I was sitting in the house and I'm pretty sure was trying telepathically to tell me to put out more seed. They were very rambunctious pecking at one another and jumping straight up into the air right in front of my den window. It was hilarious! Love those big birds. Claire, I'm not sure they've ever been on the roof here. We've had a handful of vultures land once in a while, but never turkeys. This morning, I'm so very certain we saw a Carolna Wren. My folks live in NC, so I'm keen on what they look like. I looked up house wren just in case, and it was not a match. I was very surprised to see one. Should I be? Has anyone else seen them in the winter? This was a first for me. I know they can handle cold temps, but this threw me off a bit.

Claire, It was lovely here today as well, up into the mid-50's. I went for a walk near one of the oxbow ponds and although the water still had ice on about half of the surface, the birds were enjoying the entire area. Ravens and gulls walking on the ice, geese, ducks, and 2 kinds of mergansers in the water, and chickadees and a mockingbird in the shrubs on the margins. There was also an eagle overhead, but I didn't have a camera with me. Do you put the lawn dragon in the same spot each season or does he migrate around a bit? Jane, your chipmunk looks about set to pop with all that seed in his cheeks. I love the kestrel photos. Kestrels are another favorite bird of mine; they are quite common in Ohio, and their rarity here was one disappointment when I moved to New England. I love the feather patterns for both sexes, and also like watching them fly - they can hover to look for potential prey.

The good news is very good, Jane! And the bad news isn't so bad since it will prevent future problems/bird invasions. It's snowing now (the first measurable snow of this winter) and the birds are dealing with it. It's not so deep that they can't reach the birdseed and besides I threw a lot of birdseed under some hollies where the snow won't fall. Doves and a song sparrow: Cardinal, white-throat and a house finch plus an unidentifiable bird. About a dozen red-winged blackbirds appeared today but most of them found the seed under the hollies. These are feeding under a feeder. In a normal winter I'd have gone out and shoveled for the birds but I expect this snow to be melted and/or washed away before it prevents them from feeding. Claire - who couldn't stand it and just went out and swept the snow to make it easier for the birds.