Hi every one! Can you believe it? I still cannot believe my luck and I was there!!! Again while on my way to work this morning there was someone white and *quite* chunky looking flying across the road. I pulled over, backed up a bit, and admired a stunningly beautiful snowy Owl perched on top of a utility pole. This one was much larger than the first Owl I had seen and was more heavily barred. The barring seemed darker / black. I believe this Owl was a female as her face, nape of the neck and center of the breast were white. From what I was able to research that does describe the female snowy. Maybe this was an immature but I did not find much description of them. Any way ... I am 113% sure this was another Snowy Owl! What a wonderful start to the day! As my luck would have it, I did not have my camera in the car for the past week. Had the camera been there then for sure the Owl would NOT! LOL! So that was a great start to the day. I was 20 minutes late to work but work is just soooo over-rated. LOL! The rest of the day was downhill but who cares? I saw another Snowy Owl! The Owl was about 1 mile south of the earlier sighting on Rt. 83 in N. Ridgeville again. C3D and 2 Snowy sightings this year!

We feed birds year round so have quite a few visit our garden throughout the year some of the birds that come to mind are... Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker and this year for the first time Hairy Woodpecker. Bushtits come in flocks to the suet feeder. Chickadees Both Rufus and Annas Humingbirds Several kinds of Sparrows Towhees Robins Juncos California Quail, although they have been in the neighborhood forever they now come into our yard several times a day, sit on our roof early evening looking in a window, drives Percy are house kitty nuts. Goldfinches only come into the garden if we put a feeder out by our back fence. Some years we have Pine Siskins others we don't. House Finches which nest in the Boston Ivy on our chimney. Most Januarys we have Varied Thrush visit for awhile. Flickers We used to have both the Violet Green and Tree Swallows nest in our garden these and the Barn Swallows we don't see any more. I'm sure I've forgotten some of the birds we've seen or have at the feeders but can't think of them at the moment.

Oh, I'm so jealous of your grosbeaks and redpolls, Pudge! I think my neighbor is feeding too well, because the grosbeaks are always hanging around there and I'm lucky if they pop by for a brief visit. I did get some Evening Grosbeaks in for a good feed this spring and again this fall. That was a thrill to spot them, as I hadn't seen them before. I haven't seen a redpoll for about 3 years now. I find them so cute. The last time I saw a flock of them was early in the spring/late winter. Do they stay around all winter? Someone told me once that they cycle...and I don't remember why...was it their migration pattern maybe? I'd be interested to know if someone had any thoughts on that. I also had my first White Breasted Nuthatch yesterday! Another cutie and fun to watch...very vocal. He was still here this evening. RE: salt and birds...I'm thinking they probably require certain amounts naturally and find it somewhere, but with bird feeder fast-food that contains salt, they might eat alot of it because its easy to get and therefore get too much salt. Sound familiar? ie. potato chips! Gil, I wonder if the nuthatches would like your suet bars? Toots

Laurel, Eeww was right! But now it is done! Hooray!!! It was soooo baaad! I want to thank you for these awesome gifts: -a very nice mix of finch seed -a nut and fruit seed bell-Laurel, I love to hang these on the porch as I can get a close up view from my sitting chair in the living room. -seeds-salvia(St. John's fire), purple coneflower, chianti sunflower, gaillardia, brilliant red poppy, Will Rogers zinnia, and gloriosa daisy. The birds will have a heyday with many of those flowers. Thank you! -double chocolate Ghirardelli coffee-oh YUM! -cute decoration shaped like a birdhouse with sunflowers painted on it that says, "Harvest Home Inn" -a beautiful hummingbird windchime -4 separate hanging birdhouse decorations-each is done in a different color with a different flower and a different saying-the sayings are Love, Hope, Faith, and Peace--These are very, very cute!!! The paintings of the flowers on them is so tiny and detailed. Hope has blue morning glories, love has yellow sunflowers, faith has a pink/white lily, and I am unsure what flower peace has, but it is a pretty blue. These are just soooo neat!!! -English Teatime tea in a cute Happy Holidays box that has a couple of cheery, fat birds on the front. -a tube of Baume Du Jardinier the Gardener's Hand Healer-it smells wonderful and makes my hands feel smooth and silky. It has shea butter in it. -a holiday tin with a winter scene of a farmstead all decked out in snow and greenery and a beautiful cardinal or two. The tin itself is full of Hershey's mint truffles. These are deLISH!!!!! You can't just stop at 1 or 2. Laurel, thank you so very, very much for the wonderful box of goodies for our feathered friends AND for me. Wasn't this a fun swap? There is just something about feeding and watching birds that is so satisfying. I'm guessing that you think so, too. Everything wass wonderful and very appreciated!!! Mary Ellen