Close to Christmas

 It's been rainy and dark.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee:  "Hard to find food in the dark.  But now the day will be longer."😊

Pine Siskin: "I come here for the suet in winter.  Happy Holidays!"🎄

Varied Thrush:  "It's nice to be back here.  Any bug under the dead leaves?  

Almost ready for the holiday dinner?"❄️⛄👍

Winter Visitors

 For a couple of weeks, it rained on and off.  The water level in a nearby river has risen to cause the flooding near the wetland.  So for a while, I can not to go to see the waterfowl there.

At my backyard, I see Pine Siskins come often in a dozen.  They like to eat the dry seeds from my feeders.

"Thanks for your seeds.  We don't get starved.😍"

"Thanks a million😋😁."

"We are friendly birds.  Rest assured, we do not fight."😊😊

Pine Siskins

 In winter, Pine Siskins show up at my feeder in a big flock.  Today I saw a  couple of dozens.  They like to eat dry seeds.

"I have to wait for my turn since the feeder is too crowded."

"We are waiting, too.  We are hungry."

Lately it has been cold and foggy.  Thanksgiving Holiday is coming soon.  In Oregon, the Corona infection is going up so fast that the governor announced a week ago there is no more dining in at a restaurant, and all the gyms are closed for next  two weeks in my area.  When we go out for bird watching in a field, we always wear a mask and keep a 6 ' social distancing just for the safe side.  

Dinasaurs and Birds: Any Relation?

Over the weekend, I stopped by at a Natural History Museum in Seattle.  As I looked through the exhibits, one of them just hit me:  One small and fast dinosaur (Compsognathus) that existed on insects and small reptiles was a relative of the oldest known bird (Archaeopteryx). 

So now I know birds existed on the earth far longer than humans have.   I feel more respect towards them!!!  I am more willing to help them with what I can do.

Anna's Hummingbird:  " This sugar water is safe to drink.  No food coloring in it."

 

A flock of Pine Siskins:  "This water is so tasty because the backyard owner does not use chlorine to clean the bird bath."

Oregon Junco and Chestnut-backed Chickadee:
"We like the peanut-flavored suet for the winter energy."

Gray Squirrel:  "I am not a bird, but I can agree with you.  You have been helpful to me, too, 'cause this apple is delicious with no pesticides."

A Flock of Pine Siskins - A Finch Family

Once the cold weather returns here, so do the Pine Siskins from their summer home in Alaska and Canada.

For a couple of weeks, I have seen them flying in a flock of a dozen or two.  They like to eat seeds at my feeders.

Three brothers:  "He eats there, you eat here, and then how about me?"

Pine Siskin has a pointed beak and a prominent streaking. 

And if you see the yellow at base of tail, you will be sure he/she is one of them.

Birds' Salmonella Poisoning

A recent newspaper article talked about birds' salmonella poisoning at the feeder.  The most susceptible is a Pine Siskin who tends to fly in a big flock and consume a lot of seeds on the ground.

"Please help me and my bird friends to stay healthy by following these simple cleanings."

1) Clean up the seeds on the ground to reduce a chance of a bird eating the salmonella contaminated seeds or droppings from a sick bird.

2) Scrub the feeder with a disinfectant solution of 9 parts water to 1 part bleach.   Let it dry before refilling.  To clean a HUMMER feeder, use a VINEGAR solution instead of using bleach.

3) Clean up the birdbath often.

"I will look up to you for what you do for me!!!  Thank you."

Girls Festival Day (Japanese Festival) 雛祭

March 3rd is Girls Festival Day in Japan.  In the spring time, they take out Girls Festival Dolls once a year to appreciate a happy life and wish for a healthy life for their daughters.

I still keep some gifts from Japan including the dolls (mine is a simple one):

The king and the queen sit on the platform decorated with fancy patterned silk fabric, the gold colored back partition brightened with lanterns.

Because of the warm spring temperature, the first honey bee was sighted in my front yard.

In the backyard, birds appreciated the warm temperature, too.  Someone was just about conking out.

Can you guess who it was?

"I am a Pine Siskin.  I  come here everyday during the winter months.  Today I was so cozy that I just dozed off a second.  I could have fallen off the fence!"

On a warm, sunny day, a Townsend's Warbler often shows up.  He quickly and busily pecked the suet and off he went in a matter of seconds.  What an attractive fellow!

This evening was so nice that I even brushed out the gummy bottom of the birdbath.  Birdies will appreciate the clean water tomorrow morning.   According to an American Crow forecaster, we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

Pine Siskin and Eurasian Siskin(?)

Another typical day in Oregon:  rain....

Despite the rain, regular bird members in my backyard come and visit.  More birds have tried the birdbath for a drink; no need to take a bath yet since rain will make them wet and clean most of the times.

A Pine Siskin was just taking off after having a drink.  Notice a very pointed beak in comparison with other finches such as House Finch, American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, etc.

Another clear portrait of a Pine Siskin (a pointed beak).  How good-looking it is.

Today I made a bit of an interesting discovery.  I am not sure what bird it is:

The one on the left is neither a Pine Siskin (not yellow) nor American Goldfinch (not a pointed beak).  So is it Eurasian Siskin, a rare bird around here?  If anyone knows, let me know. 

Once in a while I can still add up a new bird visitor even in this small backyard.

Finches

Yesterday a dark,  gloomy,  rainy day returned.  A typical winter weather in Oregon.

Not being able to find food out in the fields, more birds tend to come into town.  In early morning when I was bird watching, quite a few birds flew in.  To name a few,

American Goldfinch

They often come in a flock of several.

House Finch

On a nice day, a handsome house finch sings a lovely song on the top of a tree.  If you hear it, just look up.  You are sure to find him.

Pine Siskins

A Pine Siskin has prominent yellow stripes on the wings and visits here in winter.

These birds belong to the finch families, although they look abit different.  They all like to eat black roasted sunflower seeds in my backyard.   A bird with a pointed beak such as a goldfinch or pine siskin likes to eat thistle seeds, too. 

I am already wishing for a sunshine once in a while.  Birds love it just as I do.