Dear Mr Groundhog,
Don’t be afraid,
If tomorrow your shadowy image you see
Please DO NOT FLEE!
Stay around without fear
And let us know that spring is drawing near.
A sunny or cloudy day
Shouldn’t a legend make
For, anyway, many think you’re just a fake
Enjoy your day that’s named just for you
And please give us a good report, please do!
Because dear Mr. Groundhog,
I believe in you.
What an exciting day it was in Bird Alley last Saturday! We saw our first and only sparrow sighting of the winter: A Tree Sparrow! At first I noticed the rufus colouring of its head and was quite sure it wouldn't be a Chipping Sparrow.. too off season for that little Tree Sparrow cousin and look alike. I waited for it to reappear again and started taking pictures. When downloading I was hoping to see a dark center breast spot which is a characteristic distinguishing feature of the Tree Sparrow. None of my pictures revealed the central brest spot but what I did see was the bi-coloured bill of the Tree Sparrow.
Ah ha! The bi-coloured bill definitely assured me, yes, I was being visited by a tree sparrow
And my next group of photos revealed the sought after dark center breast spot! Oh happy day!!! What took you so long little sparrow? Where have you been?
On Sunday I saw two tree sparrows and on Monday there were three little beautiful sparrows in Bird Alley! Wow!.
On Sunday I saw a bit of a tree sparrow behind a branch, I found this photo quite amusing as I could see its central spot showing on the sparrow's breast. Ha, Ha Tree Sparrow, I see you!!!!
Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there
We have a pergola at the end of Bird Alley beside our sun room window. During the summer the top of the pergola is covered with Virgina Creeper. At this time of year there are many creeper vines hanging down from the pergola top. These vines are an invitation to all the little goldfinch which visit daily for I often see goldfinch fly towards a vine , land on it and then swing back and forth until the vine becomes motionless again with the goldfinch clutching the vine with its claws. ( I must try to get a video of this delightful behaviour.)
These little flying yellow fluff balls are a joy to watch swinging back and forth outside my window.
Got pictures with yellow? Why not post them on the mellow yellow Monday meme by connecting to this link. http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/ Or You can click on its icon found on this page in the right column by finding it by scrolling down this page. If your plan is not to post a photo, then perhaps you will just want to enjoy all of the yellow contributions posted there
"Ha, ha, little Tree Sparrow", "I see you hiding behind that branch." The dark spot in the middle of your belly gave you away".
It snowed in Bird Alley yesterday, not a common occurrence this winter, but it did entice some bird activity to Bird Alley. First some Chickadees came by and then some beautiful Goldfinch showed up also.
I used my tripod to capture a still photo of this busy flitting bird.
The appearance of strong yellow hues on this bird's throat are an optimistic suggestion to me of spring approaching. Please let it be so. I am very eager for a seasonal change!
