Birds have been fairly sparse the past week. I did some birding close to home.
There were about 15 to 20 species on the trail. When I arrived at the parking lot on the 22nd, a guy unrolled his car window and said that there was a Barred Owl about 20 feet away at eye level, but it was a Red-shouldered Hawk. Across the fields on the east side of Reids Creek, some crows were harrassing a Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Field Sparrow
As soon as I filled our bird feeder, it was swamped with birds. In addition to the usual Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, and a White-breasted Nuthatch, lots of finches showed up. Goldfinches have been here every day this winter, and House and Purple Finches on some days, be there was also a small flock of Pine Siskins - the first time at our feeder in a couple of years.
Pine Siskins; Goldfinch; Purple Finch; Carolina Chickadee
Pine Siskins; House Finches
Pine Siskin; House Finch