Sunrise
8:09 am, sunset 8:03 pm, length of day 11 hours, 53 minutes; tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 31 seconds longer. We're leaping up to Spring Equinox!
Weather:
Another beautiful, sparkling day! Still cool enough at 15º this morning to need
winter gear, especially with a little north wind nip, but warming to 36º by mid- afternoon.
If
you have an invasion of COMMON REDPOLLS and PINE SISKINS, get a chair and sit
near your feeder. Grab a handful of birdseed and just hold out your hand, nice
and still. In no time, you will be thrilled and amazed to feel how light these
beautiful little finches are, standing on your palm. It tickles when they
gently poke through the seeds!
It
may be hard to host more than 2 or 3 at a time, as the Pine Siskins are
particularly possessive and will chase each other and the Redpolls away. The Redpolls are no slouches at hogging the hand either. While waiting impatiently for a turn, they may sit on your head, shoulders, and legs.
I
wonder what they think of this temporary warm-blooded feeder?
It
is a lot of fun and a great way to observe them up close. Despite the high seed
bill, I am going to miss them when they leave.
In
other news, the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR is still here, at the hotspot feeder at the
bottom of Suicide Hill. Thank you to everyone who has contributed Niger seed,
suet blocks, hulled sunflower seeds, and mixed bird seed. It goes fast! Even if
the Accentor doesn't eat all of it, the variety attracts all the other birds to
keep it coming.
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
I read in one of your recent posts that you had a Varied Thrush in your yard. I live in Texas and had one overwinter here. I was just wondering when they usually arrive in your area from their wintering grounds. I think mine left yesterday.
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